Emmet Crawford Emmet Crawford ( December 22 , 1844 – January 18 , 1886 ) was an American soldier who rose through the ranks to become an officer . He was most noted for his time spent in the Arizona Territory under General George Crook in the United States Cavalry . He was killed in pursuit of the Apache leader Geronimo in January 1886 in Mexico . Early life . Emmet Crawford was the second of four sons of William and Jemima Crawford of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ( according to the 1850 U . S . Census ) . Charles was the eldest of the four brothers , followed by Emmet , Zachariah , and Henry , the youngest . By 1860 , the family had been split , with Emmet , Zachariah , and Jemima showing up in the 1860 census living separately but still in Philadelphia . William Crawford does not show up in the 1860 census in Philadelphia . While Emmet continued to have contact with Charles and his mother , he only remained close to his brother Zachariah ( or Zachary T Crawford ) . Military Service . Civil War . Lying about his age , in May 1861 , in order to join the army , Crawford enlisted in the 71st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment , fighting in many actions as part of the Army of the Potomac , including the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Fredericksburg . Wounded in the Second Battle of Fredricksburg in spring 1863 , Crawford was sent to Philadelphia to convalesce . During his recovery , he attended the first officer training school designed to train white officers assigned to command U . S . Colored Troops . Returned to duty in June 1864 , just in time to be mustered out with the rest of the 71st Pennsylvania Regiment , Crawford and brothers Charles and Zachary all reenlisted in the 197th Pennsylvania Infantry . Crawford received his appointment as a first lieutenant with the colored troops , but was not reassigned until September 1864 . The war ' s ending found Crawford assigned to the 13th Colored Artillery in Bowling Green , Kentucky . Fort Verde . Crawford was recommended for retention of service and , in February 1866 , accepted an appointment as second lieutenant in the 37th Colored Infantry in Wilmington , North Carolina . He survived the post - war trimming of the army in the late 1860s and on January 2 , 1871 was assigned to the 3rd Cavalry as a first lieutenant . He was sent to Fort Verde in Arizona Territory , north of Tucson . Sioux Wars . On January 2 , 1872 , the 3rd Cavalry was transferred north to fight the Sioux in Nebraska and Wyoming Territory . Emmet was stationed at Fort D . A . Russell ( later F . E . Warren Air Force Base ) . His company was sent to the Red Cloud Agency to assist J . J . Saville in March 1874 . The camp they established was named Camp Robinson , later renamed Fort Robinson . In November 1874 , Crwaford and his company were transferred to Sidney Barracks and served in many capacities in Nebraska . In early summer 1876 , the 3rd Cavalry under General George Crook was sent to Montana Territory as part of a three - pronged effort to force the Sioux back to the reservation . The other two commanders were General John Gibbon and Lieutenant Colonel George Custer . On June 17 , 1876 , Crook ' s forces were attacked at Rosebud Creek by the Sioux in strength . After a six hour battle , Crook claimed a narrow victory and retreated to his base camp . On June 25 , only a short distance away , along the Little Bighorn River , Colonel Custer and all of his men were killed in the Battle of the Little Bighorn . In late 1876 , Crawford was reassigned to recruiting duty in Baltimore , Maryland , for 2 years . He returned to the 3rd Cavalry in Nebraska before the end of 1878 . He was stationed at Camp Sheridan and Fort Robinson and later at Fort D . A . Russell . Fort Thomas . In the spring of 1882 , the 3rd Cavalry was transferred to Arizona to deal with the Apache . Crawford was assigned to Fort Thomas , near the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation . In September 1882 , General Crook assigned Crawford to San Carlos as military commandant , where he was to work with the civilian agent to maintain peace and help the Indians become self - supporting . He was also to enlist and train Apaches as scouts . To assist him were Lt . Charles B . Gatewood , 6th Cavalry , and Lt . Britton Davis of the 3rd . The Apache scouts proved their worth on a campaign in 1883 . Crawford ' s concern that the Apaches be treated fairly led to friction with the agent , P . P . Wilcox . This led to Crawford requesting a transfer to Texas , but a month later he was recalled to deal with Geronimo . Apache Wars . Geronimo headed for Mexico with the cavalry in pursuit , thanks to a border - crossing agreement with Mexico . They spent the spring of 1885 in a fruitless attempt at capturing Geronimo . After returning to Fort Bowie to refit , Crawford headed out with only Apache scouts , Tom Horn ( the civilian chief of scouts ) , two officers , Lt . Marion Maus and Lt . William Shipp , and the surgeon Dr . Davis . On December 11 , 1885 , they crossed the border into Mexico , and according to the border agreement , Crawford stopped to inform the Mexican authorities that they were in pursuit of the hostiles before pushing on into the rugged Sierra Madres . The Apache scouts picked up Geronimo ' s trail and , on January 9 , 1886 , they located his camp . They continued through the night and successfully attacked the next morning . Geronimo ' s band fled , leaving all their stock , provisions and blankets . Geronimo sent an old woman to Crawford to talk , and a meeting was set the following morning . The next morning started with an attack by Mexican irregular troops under the command of Mauricio at Teopari , District of Sahuaripa . had shot and killed the Apache , Victorio , six years earlier at Cerro Tres Castillos ( 29 . 96667°N 105 . 78333°W ) . Crawford attempted to get them to stop by waving a white handkerchief , but was shot in the head . Dutchy , one of the Apache scouts , pulled the mortally wounded Crawford to safety , and then killed the Mexican who had shot him . He also slew the Mexican commander . Emmet Crawford did not die immediately , but he never regained consciousness . On January 13 , Lieutenant Maus met with Geronimo , obtained the surrender of some of his band and an agreement that Geronimo would meet with General Crook in two months . Maus proceeded to carry the wounded Crawford back to the border , but on January 18 , he quietly slipped away . His body was buried in the little village of Nacori Chico . Crawford ' s death nearly sparked a second war between the United States and Mexico , but after an official hearing , no further action was taken . General Crook did meet with Geronimo as agreed , but Geronimo did not return . Crook resigned over the incident and Geronimo was not brought in until September . Later , Crook stated his belief that if Crawford had not been killed , he would have been successful in obtaining Geronimo ' s surrender and ending the Apaches ' bloody raids . Burial . Crawford ' s body was exhumed and reburied in Kearney , Nebraska , where his younger brother Zachary lived . Emmet had never married and Zachary and his family were his closest relatives . It was one of the largest funerals Nebraska had ever seen . In 1908 , Crawford ' s former comrades , by then including many generals , were granted permission by his closest relative , sister - in - law Caroline Crawford , to have his body moved to Arlington National Cemetery . On December 1 , 1908 , with full military honors , the body of Emmet Crawford was finally put to rest . His grave is located down the hill from General Crook ' s tomb and is marked by a marble obelisk . Legacy . The town of Crawford , Nebraska , incorporated in 1886 , was named after Emmet Crawford . In 1986 , the descendants of Zachary Crawford were invited to the centennial celebrations of the town and served as grand marshals of the centennial parade . Fort Crawford in Colorado was also named after him in 1886 .