Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1904-06-01
MILES AND THE APACHES.


recently announced 10 the world that
General Miles captured JEFF Davis at
the close of the civil war has the fol
lowing in defense of General Miles,
in his claim of capturing Geronimo:
''There is a disposition on the part
of those who know nothing of the act
to try to make the public believe that
General Miles had nothing to do with
the subjugation, capture and removal
of the Apache Tigers under Geronimo.
But the fact remains that these and
other Apaches had been on tie war
path for more than thirty years; that
they we're on the war path when Gen
eral Miles assumed command of this
department
''That these Apaches we're brought
in from Sonora deported to Florida
by General Miles, and there has MOI
been a single outbreak since of
Apaches in Arizona, in fact We Dc
not know of single person murdered
by Apaches off the reservation since
Miles conquered them.
'HaIt a score of military command
ers came to Arizona and attempted tC
subdue these red devils, among them
Crook, Kautz. Wilcox and others,
but failed to bring relief, when Miles
came, and in six months the Indian
problem of Arizona and New Mexico
was forever determined, as completely
as it has been ever since. These facts
are stubborn things. No matter what
envious, jealous, uniformed scrib-
blers may say to the contrary, Miles.
came, captured and then deported the
Apaches, which forever solved the
problem.
The above no doubt refers to an ar.
tIcle which recently appeared in the
Journal Miner and was later copied in
the Tucson Citizen with favorable
comment, and confirming evidence
evidence of its trutbfulness. There
are none so blind as those who viii
not see and this seems to be the trou-
BILE with the editor of the Tucson
Star.
The journal Miner knew whereof it
spoke in the article referred to, and
it was not the promptings of an zen
vious, jealous aud uniformed scrib-
bier that induced it to say what it
did. Geronimo himself told the
truthful story of his capture, a.
quoted in the Journal Miner article,
that Miles had sent two officers to
him asking him to come in and have
a conference.
Geronimo was not on the war path
at the time, neither was he in Sonora.
General Crook had followed him into
Sonora and had completely whipped
him. Geronimo agreed with Crook
that he would follow him to the rail-
road, if Crook would agreed to trans
port him out of the territory and not
turn him over to the territorial Off
cials to be tried for murder. Gen
eral Crook Informed him that be had
no authority to do this, but would
make such a request to the govern
ment. This he did and was refused.
Geronimo was within a days travel OF
the railroad and had Crook been
granted the request, Geronimo and
the entire band would have come in
as agreed. Crook never broke faith
with an Indian, and he did not in
this case, and the next thing heard of
Geronimo was that he had escaped
from Crook. The latter had simply
permitted him to leave.
Then came the transfer of General
Crook, and the appointment of Gen
eral Miles to the command of this de
partment, and the story of Geronimo's
capture exactly as stated recently
in the Journal Miner and as related
by Geronimo himself.
The Journal Miner editor has had a
knowledge of the facts for years OBJ
tanning them from Capt. Bourke, OF
Crooks staff, and from a gentleman
who was a resident of the southern
part of the territory at the time, the
events occurred, a gentleman who was
not particularly friendly to General
Crook, but who was a friend of Miles
This gentleman was NJ. W. Stewart,
who stated to the editor of the Journal
Miner, that he was present in the tel
egraph Office at Bowie, about 9 or 10
O'Clock at night when General Miles
received a telegram, absolutely pro-
hibiting the removal of the Indians
Work was in progress then preparing
for their shipment, and the telegram
remained unanswered until the next
day about 10 or II o'clock in the fore
noon, when reply was sent that the
Indians had alreay been shipped, max
ing it appear that the telegam was Lot
received until after the removal of
the Indians. The story told by Mr.
Stewart has never been doubted for a
moment by the editor of this paper
and this is the first time that it has
ever been repeated, by him, for the
reason as already stated that Mr..
Stewart was friend of General Miles.
The records of the war department
will show whether such a telegram
was ever sent. 1t is a matter of his.
tory, we'll known to all who are famil.
lar with the events of those days, that
General Miles had trouble with the
war department, over bis removal OF
the Indians, and had the department
been in absolute possession at tn,
time, of the facts in regard to the re
ceipt of the telegram above mention
ed, the trouble would in all probabil.
ity been more serious.
General Miles had powerful intiu.
ence in Washington during those days
and the affair was dropped.
Instead of returning to headquarters
at Whipple, wearing the lau-els of
victory, in the capture Of Geronimo,
upon his brow, General Miles proceed
ed to establish headquarters at AIbu.
querque, remaining there until per
emtorily ordered ''to proceed to head
quarters at Whipple. -
For the alleged capture of Geronimo
nv tho Uanaral who by.ar-aJ 4bo ,,,-sl