The Elbert County tribune., 1906-10-11

Chokonen indians under Cochise, who
took command of both divisions We
were repulsed and decided to disband
After we had disbanded our tribe
the Bedonkohe Apaches reassembled
near their old camp, vainly waiting
for the return of Mangus-Colorado and
our kinsTRen. No tidings came save
that they had all been treacherously
slain. Then council was held. and
as it was believed that Mangus-Colo
RADIO was dead was elected tribe
chief"
Geronimo then relates the tale OF
his capture by American scouts, of his
imprisonment for four months and his
subsequent release. He continues:
Feared Further Imprisonment.
I'm the summer of 1888 n rumor
was current that the officers were
again planning to imprison our lead
ers. This rumor served to revive the
memory of all our past wrongs-the
massacre in the tent at Apache Pass.
the fate of Mangus-C Colorado, and my
own unjust Imprisonment, which
might easily have been death to me.
Just at this time we were told that
the officers wanted us to come up the
river above Geronimo to a fort (Fort
Thomas) to hold a council with them.
We did not believe that any good
could come of this conference, or that
there was any need of 1t, so we held
council ourselves and, fearing
treachery, decided to leave the reser-
vation. We thought it more manly to
die on the warpath than to be killed
in prison.
There were in all about $50 In
dians, chiefly the Bedonkohe and Ned
nj Apaches, led by myself and Whoa.
We went through Apache Pass, and
just west of there had fight with the
United States troops. In this battle
we killed three soldiers and lost none.
I'VE went on toward Old Mexico,
but on the second day after this Unit
ed States soldiers overlook us about
three o'clock in the afternoon and we
fought until dark. The ground where
we were attacked was very rough,
which was to our advantage. for the
troops were compelled to dismount in
order to fight us. do not know how
many soldiers we killed, but we lost
only one warrior and three children.
We had plenty of guns and ammuni-
ton at this time. Many of the guns
and much ammunition we had ac-
cumulated while living in the reserva-
ton, and the remainder we had OBJ
tanned from the White Mountain
Apaches when we left the reservation.
THE troops did not follow us any
longer. SO we went south almost to
Casa Grande and camped in the Sierra
de Saharipa mountains. We ranged
in the mountains Of Old Mexico for
about year, then returned to San
Carlos. taking with us a herd of cat
tie and horses.
Horses and Cattle Seized.
Soon after we arrived at San Car
los the officer in charge. Gen. Crook,
took the horses and cattle away from
us. l tcii him that these were not
white mems cattle, but belonged to us.
for we had taken them from the Mex
leans during our wars. / also told
him that we did not intend to kill
these animals, but that we wished to
keep them and raise stock on our
range. He would not listen to me,
but took the stock. l went up near
Fort Apache and Gen. Crook ordered
officers, soldiers and scouts to see that
| was arrested. If l offered resistance
they were instructed to kill me.
This information was brought to
me by the Indians. When / learned
of this proposed action / left for Old
Mexico, and about four hundred In
dians went with me. They were the
Bedonkohe, Chokenen and Nedni
Apaches At this time Whoa was
dead, and Naiche was the only chief
with me. We went south into Sonora
and camped in the mountains. Troops
followed us, but did not attack us until
we were camped in the mountains
west of Casa Grande. Here we were
attacked by government Indian scouts.
One boy was killed and nearly all of
our women and children were cap
tured.
THAT night we held a council of
war; our scouts had reported bands of
United States and Mexican troops at
many points in the mountains We
estimated that about two thousand
soldiers were ranging these mountains
seeking to capture us.
Interview with Gen. Crook.
Gen. Crook had come down into
Mexico with the United States troops.
They were camped In the Sierra de
Autunez mountains. Scouts told me
that Gen. Crook wished to see me and
1 went to his camp. When l arrived
Gen. Crook said to me. Why did you
leave the reservation? / said: You
told me that | might live in the reser-
walton the same as white people lived.
one year l raised crop of corn, and
gathered and stored it, and the next
year put in crop of oats, and when
the crop was almost ready to harvest
Won told your soldiers to put me in