The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-03-16
A DARING EXPLOIT.
aNOFFlCER' DANGEROUS GALL
UPON CHIEF GERONIMO:
Ills Life Hung In The Balance AS lie
Walked Into the Indian Camp
80 Ask Thciv Sur
render
y the way,of straight out nerve
and daring there is nothing ia
IIn nnnnlr IS .,.-,.... -. r.. :. 4 =

DlOit IL entering the camp of the rene.
5ade Apaehes in the campaign Of 1856
20 persuade them to surrender To the
United States troops.
The man from Tucson was talkiuS:
md when his discourse 10 OF Indians
o. frontier desperadoes the people
near him in the Hoffman House Office
gather to listen.
cit was in the last Apache war, ten
years ugo, which had Us its outcome
the deportation Of The hostile Apeches
from Arizona to fort. OH the Atlantic
coast, where they were corrallel be.
yond the power Of doing further mis-.
chief. After tine renegaies had sur.
rendered in March, 1886, 70 General
Crock thlrty-iiVe OF them, including
Geronimo. their war chief: and
NatcEez, the son OF the famous
Cochisc, slipped away by night and
went again on the warpath. For i've
months they were Mt large raidiua
and massacrin9 6ver kegion eompris
ing 30, 600 square miles Of modntaiu.
| Ou5 country; while 5000 soldiers on
| our side Of the line and as many Mexi.
can soldiers across the border were
trying TO run down aud Inherent them.
The trouble was not in 6ghtiug them
u half company OF cur troops could
have whipped the whole band of rene
| gades III fair fight in au open field
but to oyetteke mud bring them 10 an
engagement They knew the trails
and passes and water holes OF the vast
mountain region in which they opera.
ted, and, being swift and tircIess run.
nors. with NO baggage TO impede them,
they kept az tiieif game Of hide and
seek with our troops for long time,
Everywhere that they went their
course was marked by cruel murder
and outrage, with every horror of In.
diau warfare enacted in its worst form.
Following the appointment of
! General Miles to the command Of the
Department OF Now Mexico aid
Arizona the pursuit OF The hostilcs was
carried forward with fresh vigor
Everywhere that they were likely to
| so the mountains were thoroughly
secuted, guards were stationed at the
| principal tyatef holes, AMI the hello.
| graphic service, then newly Intro
| duced, flashed orders to troops in the
field and information of the move.
ments of the Apaches from one peak
| 30 another over vast areas of country
Captain Lawton, of the Fourth CaT.
airy led the direct pursuit of Gefo.
| n1mo's band. and gave the Indiane no
rest. Several times he captured their
| camp With its provisions. stock and
munitione: but on every occasion the
| Apacbes got away among the NOUN
fuJTra .. inn 10 IL
United States got too hot for them
| and they crossed the border into Mex
leo. Captain Lawton followed them.
and the Indians, pursued Ivy uur
! troops aud tbs Mexican troops at the
same time, found themselves III d tight
| place
This was in the middle oil August.
| II was learned through deserter
| lew days later that Geronimo's band
was cncamped near the town OF From.
teras, in the Sierra Madre, and that
they wero exhausted by the fatieues
OF their long fight, were short of
! food, and nearly out of ammunition
The Apaches we're trying to make
| terms with the Mexicans on the basis
OF peace with them, while they should
DO left free to raid northward into
United States territory With Captain
LaWtons command was Lieutenant G.
&. Gatewood, Of the Sixth Cavalry, an
experienced Indian fighter, wh) spoke
the Apache language md personally
knew Geronimo He volunteered TO
SO to the Apache camp and treat with
the Indians for thor surrender. With
two ChiTicabua scouts as companions
he set out on his erranl in lvaucs Of
the column Of soldiers.
The Indians were encamped in an
old, abandoned Jesuit mission village.
built OF adobe houses with IN adobe
wall about H. On arriving near the
place GatcwoOd left his horse with the
two scouts outside and walked alone
into the village. At sight OF him the
Indians seized their guns recognizing
Geronimo among them, he laid down
his carbinC and bcckonel TO him The
Chief came forward and the two sat
down on pile OF stones 30 talk
together. while the warriors waited in
ominous silence FOR thu orders of their
leader. Geronimo's first emotion
seemed 80 be OF asiouIshmcnt that Che
white man should put himself into his
power, and his first words were of
sinister import
Are you aware OF the danger YOU
run In coming into OR camp he
said You arc foolhoydy DO YOU
expect to leave this place alivc?'
"Gatowcod, knowing that his life
was iu the balance, onswcrcd him with
perfect cOmpolurc.
Certainly you can Kill me, hs
said But would thut be tho act of q
great chief toward ono who has riveu
him his confidence What have Won
to gain by IL? Our troops are coming
upon YOU from the ulrth and the
Mexican troops have surrounded YOU
from the south Would YOU not bet
ter gurrondor 90 us than bc killed or
trust TO the mercy Of the MoxicaDsY
clio conversation thus begun led
by degrees go The subject of capitula-
hou. Geronimo, at first rosontful ard
suspicious toward an whites. grudu-
ally came around 60 the views of his
visitor, who. knowing the Indians
character, piled him with y judicioug
miyturo.of aottcry. intimidation and
appeals TO bis felf-intorost Gatowood
was emvowered 20 offer no terms but