Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-15
APAcHes SILL PRISONERS.
Only Six of the Tribe Ever FOUGHT
United States, but All Held in Bit
ter Captivity-Land Rights the
Cause.


Victoria and Gochise had made the
very name Apache is synonym of ter
ror, and then came Geronimo. the
superlative savage Neither senu-
ment nor friendly feeling can minimize
the shocking cruelties Of his career
| which history has recorded as the
high water mark of bloodthirsty
| brutality. The extreme hatred and
fear felt toward him in the Southwest
may be Guessed from the following
| incident:
/ Some years ago the writer was a
member of a little group gathered at
a ranch in the desert near Phoenix,
| Ariz., when the conversation turned
Ito Geronimo and his recent conversion
to the Christian faith. \ lady of the
party. the wife of prominent citizen
of Phoenix, immediately flushed with
LANCER and burst out holly: IF /
should see Jacobs ladder let down
| from heaven, with the angels walking
lup and down, and Geronimo with his
harp in the middle, still | would not
| believe that he was Christian.
When asked to explain the intensity
of her feelings, she said: When l was
| young girl / lived at Tombstone.
| Ariz., in rooms over the undertaker,s
establishment, and from time to time
| had to go down to help prepare the
tmutiIated and d6seerated bodies of
IApaehe victims, and you needn't talk
| to me about Geronimo being a Chris
tan This is the sentiment of most
lof the old timers-so muen so, in
deed. that the War Department never
Thought it safe, even in his later
years. for the old man to return to
| Arizona Let us then be fair and
admit the untold and unreliable mis-
cries inflicted by him and his band in
those dreadful days of raid and mas
saere.
However, did the space of this arti
Gle allow. we might tell of brilliant
lgeneralship. dauntless courage. and
Incredible endurance on the part of
the leader and his band, that forced
the United States army and their
Mexican and Indian allies into one of
| the most difficult campaigns in the
History of Indian warfare campaign
THAT tested to the utmost men like
Crook. Miles. Wood. Lawton, and
Chaffee. and that came to an end only
when. exhausted by famine. thirst, and
continuous marching through noun
itains and deserts, the bedraggled
fragments of the worn-out band of
men, women, and children came in
land surrendered. No man who fought
lin that campaign will sheer at the
Apache as a soldier.
| United States Scouts, Captives.
After they gave up, which occurred
. laot1ad tn frqnSnOcf
Them to the East and hold them as
prisoners of war, both for their own
safety and to prevent them from do
ling further mischief. 1t is interest
ling to note that other Apaches, some
Iof whom were nom eombatants, while
a few had actually been scouts for the
UNITED States troops, were added to
1.-THE captive band, so that finally 407 in
number it was taken to Forts Pickens
land Marion in Florida, but a year
Halter was transferred to Mt Vernon
BARRACKS, Ala Here its ranks were
so decimated by tuberculosis that
Those who remained, numbering 20s,
lwere removed to the Fort Sill Mill
ltary Reservation In Oklahoma in 1894.
Here, under the wise direction of
lCapt., now COL Hugh L. Scott, they
1 6tit SCltitd III AhifhS bipoPof 80 60
work building houses. breaking out
land, and making fences. encouraged
lby the repeated assurances of Gov
Iernment officials. and even OF Presi-
ldent Cleveland himself, that their
wanderings were over, and that here
Ithey We're to remain in undisturbed
possession of permanent homes. The
homeless band were unsophisticated
l., nil and
lpressed eagerly forward in the conf
dence that not far in front lay home
land liberty for themselves and their
lchildren. For let ii be remembered
that then. as now they were prison.
iers of war.
1T is but fair to state that the Gov
eminent was. at this time entirely sin
cere in its promises, and proceeded in
good faith to carry them out. The plar
was to abandon Fort Sill as a military
post and divide the reservation among
the 3oS Apaches: and, further. because
lis 2s.240 acres were not sufficient foi
the purposes. council of the Kiowas
comanches. and Kiowa- Apaches with
in whose reservation Fort Sill lay. wa'
called on February II, 1897, and III
members heartily assented to the fol.
lowing agreement:
Kiowa Agency, AnadarlSo, Oklahoma
February II. 1897.
We, the undersigned, chiefs ano
headmen of the Kiowa-Comanche. ant
Riowa Apache tribes, assembled II
omen council with our agent, and will
Capt II. L. Scots Seventh Cavalry, II
charge of Apache prisoners of war. d.
willingly agree having had due notice
and consideration to the additions, b,
executive order OF the following de
! scribed portions of our reservation u
the military reservation of Fort Sill
Oklahoma. for the permanent settle
ment ~ the Apache prisoners OF war
who are now located on the origina
Fort Sill military reservation by act 0
/ Congress This addition. as well as tn
original military reservation. to he us
ed onlv for military purposes and TO
Tho permanent settlement thereon o
TIE Apochc prisoners OF war; q JUS
and adequate compensation to b