George C. Crook was born to an Ohio farming family on September 8th, 1828. Thomas and Elizabeth Matthews Crook asked their Congressman to recommend their son for the United States Military Academy at West Point. At 18, George was nominated by Congressman Robert Schenck and was accepted.
He would graduate as a Second Lieutenant in 1852 at 23. A few years later, in 1856, he was promoted to First Lieutenant. Then in 1860, he was promoted to Captain. With the opening of the Civil War in 1861, he was promoted to full Colonel and placed in command of the 36th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was immediately assigned to western Virginia. About that same time, he married Mary Tapscott Dailey of Virginia.
On September 7th, 1862, less than a year after being promoted to Colonel, he was promoted to Brigadier General. He was a brigade commander during the Maryland Campaign, which included the bloody Battle of Antietam. And yes, indeed, it was a horribly bloody battle.
September 17th, 1862, was the Battle of Antietam. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with over 23,000 casualties. That's how many soldiers were listed as killed, wounded, captured, or missing due to that 12-hour battle.
President Ulysses S. Grant next placed Col. Crook in command of the Arizona Territory. Crook's appointment is said to have angered some senior regular Army officers, but there was no taking away from the success of his use of Indian scouts. In the case of the Apache Wars, he used Apache scouts to great success in helping him force the Yavapai and Tonto Apache onto reservations. His victories during the Yavapai War earned Col. Crook a promotion to Brigadier General in the Regular Army in 1873.
Following the Maryland Campaign, George Crook was placed in command of the Kanawha Division in the Western Theater. As part of the Union Army of the Cumberland under Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans, General Crook took part in the Battle of Chickamauga and the Battle for Chattanooga.
In the spring of 1864, General Crook led raids on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and in the Valley Campaign. It was after the Valley Campaign that he was promoted to Major General. As ironic as it may seem, on February 21st, 1865, while in Cumberland, Maryland, General Crook and General Benjamin F. Kelley were captured by a group of Confederate partisans under the command of Confederate Captain Jesse McNeill. Crook was actually a POW (prisoner of war) until an exchange was arranged on March 20th.
After that exchange, General Crook was placed in command of a cavalry division in the Army of the Potomac under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant. That was the Appomattox Campaign, where he took part in the fighting in the battles at Five Forks, Saylor's Creek, and at the final battle at Appomattox Court House.
After the Civil War, General Crook left the Ohio volunteer service and entered the regular Army at the rank of Colonel. He was then assigned to frontier duty in the Pacific Northwest in command of the 23rd U.S. Infantry Division. In 1867, he was appointed as head of the Department of the Columbia.
During the next few years, Col. Crook fought the Snake Indians in the Snake War from 1864 to 1868. It was a time with he received a great deal of recognition for settling conflicts in Oregon between settlers and various tribes. In Oregon, Idaho, and California, his Army inflicted heavy casualties on the Paiute while also defeating a band of Pitt and Modoc. He did so by using new tactics, which included more Infantry and dismounted Cavalry. But also realized the importance of trusting reconnaissance reports from his scouts. In fact, Col. Crook is believed to have been one of the first commanders in the West to use Indian scouts as troops in battle to provide reconnaissance as with the location and strength of enemy encampments.
There is the story of Col. Crook's runaway horse that should be noted at this point. The event witnessed and widely reported on took place in eastern Oregon in the winter of 1867. After locating a Paiute encampment, Col. Crook had all escape routes covered. Then he ordered a charge on the village. His intention was to take in the attack from a distance. That didn't go too well.
Fact is, his horse had other intentions. What took place was that his horse spooked and went from standing perfectly still to a full gallop. Soon enough, he and his horse were at the front of his attacking force headed toward the village. Remarkably, Col. Crook's horse carried him right through the village without being hit by a bullet or arrow. It was only after his horse was on the other side of the encampment that Col. Crook gained control of his horse.
Was it inspirational for his men to see him in the front leading the charge? Who knows. In the heat of the moment, there's no telling what his men or his staff thought was taking place. And frankly, if I didn't know that it was a true story, I would think it was just a tall tale.
President Ulysses S. Grant next placed Col. Crook in command of the Arizona Territory. Crook's appointment is said to have angered some senior regular Army officers, but there was no taking away from the success of his use of Indian scouts. In the case of the Apache Wars, he used Apache scouts to great success in helping him force the Yavapai and Tonto Apache onto reservations. His victories during the Yavapai War earned Col. Crook a promotion to Brigadier General in the Regular Army in 1873.
With his promotion came more responsibility as it does. General Crook was in command of the Army's Department of the Platte from 1875 to 1882 and from 1886 to 1888. Its headquarters was at Fort Omaha in North Omaha, Nebraska.
Then came the Battle of the Rosebud. The story of the Battle of the Rosebud started on May 28th, 1876, when General Crook was placed in command of the Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition force at Fort Fetterman. At the time, a large band of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians under Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and several other chiefs refused to confine themselves to reservations. In response, the Army saw their refusal to stay on their reservations as an opportunity to win a decisive victory over "hostile" Indians.
So with that, the Army put into action General Philip H. Sheridan's massive three-pronged plan of attack on the Indians in the Big Horn country. General Sheridan used the same three-pronged plan of attack at the Battle of Washita River on November 27th, 1868. That was when Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry attacked Black Kettle's Southern Cheyenne camp on the Washita River near present-day Cheyenne, Oklahoma. It was hailed in the newspapers as the first substantial American victory in the Indian Wars. But in reality, it was an unforgivable massacre.
I believe General Sheridan's massive three-pronged plan of attack on the Indians in the Big Horn country was meant to do the same thing. As a part of the plan, General Crook was in command of one of three columns that would converge on the Indians in the Bighorn country of southern Montana that June. General Crook's column marched north from Fort Fetterman in Wyoming Territory was to rendezvous with General Gibbon's column coming east from Fort Ellis in Montana Territory and General Terry's force coming west from Fort Abraham Lincoln in Dakota Territory. General Terry's force included the 7th Cavalry under the command of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer.
So on the day after taking direct command, May 29th, 1876, General Crook was tasked with leaving Fort Fetterman with about 1,000 men. As what was known as a "weighted column," it consisted of 15 companies from the 2nd and 3rd Cavalry, 5 companies from the 4th and 9th Infantry, 250 mules, 106 supply wagons, and 100 armed civilians. The plan was advanced because intelligence stated where the Indians were located, and General Crook ordered a "quick march." That meant the men would carry a minimum of supplies and ammunition, and the column itself would set up a supply station along the way so that the wagons wouldn't slow them down.
By June 17th, General Crook's column marched northward along the south fork of Rosebud Creek. Although the column had not yet encountered Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, or Arapaho Indians, it's said the scouts informed the General that they had found signs of a significant Sioux force that must still be nearby. The Crow and Shoshone scouts were reported to have been particularly pensive. The scouts suspected the Sioux force was under the command of Chief Crazy Horse, who was too shrewd to allow anyone to attack him at a village. They also knew Crazy Horse was a warrior who would advance to meet his enemies.
In contrast to his Indian allies, General Crook was convinced that the Sioux were encamped in a large village along the Rosebud Creek just east of the Bighorn. As with most Army officers at the time, including Lt. Col. Custer, General Crook believed that Indians were more likely to retreat and flee than stand and fight. He was determined to find the village and attack it before the Sioux could escape into the wilderness.
As for Crook's column, the quick march of the last few weeks, especially the previous day's 35-mile march, had taken its toll on the troops. Because they were exhausted, Crook halted his force in a small valley along the Rosebud Creek. That was around 8 am. His men unsaddled and let their horses graze while they relaxed in the grass and enjoyed the cool morning air.
The quiet was soon broken by the sound of intermittent gunfire coming from the bluffs to the north. It wasn't long before the rate of gunfire increased. The column was actually out in the open and unprepared when several of General Crook's Indian scouts rode in at a gallop shouting, "Sioux! Sioux!" Later, some said that they heard everyone start repeating the call, "Lakota! Lakota!"
A force of at least 1,500 mounted Sioux warriors caught General Crook's soldiers by surprise. Fortunately for Crook, the Crow and Shoshone had taken up an advanced position about 500 to 600 yards ahead of the main body of soldiers. They were not caught as unprepared as Crook's troops, who were scrambling to arms.
The Sioux were fighting the Crow and Shoshone on the high ground north of the column. Because the Crow and Shoshone were outnumbered, they slowly pulled back to regroup at Crook's main column. Their slow retreat gave Crook time to deploy his forces as a mass of Sioux warriors began to converge on the column.
It is said that Crazy Horse had kept an additional 2,500 warriors in reserve to finish the attack but decided not to use them after Crook's soldiers joined in the fight. The almost four-hour battle continued until the afternoon when the Sioux retreated from the field.
The quiet was soon broken by the sound of intermittent gunfire coming from the bluffs to the north. It wasn't long before the rate of gunfire increased. The column was actually out in the open and unprepared when several of General Crook's Indian scouts rode in at a gallop shouting, "Sioux! Sioux!" Later, some said that they heard everyone start repeating the call, "Lakota! Lakota!"
A force of at least 1,500 mounted Sioux warriors caught General Crook's soldiers by surprise. Fortunately for Crook, the Crow and Shoshone had taken up an advanced position about 500 to 600 yards ahead of the main body of soldiers. They were not caught as unprepared as Crook's troops, who were scrambling to arms.
The Sioux were fighting the Crow and Shoshone on the high ground north of the column. Because the Crow and Shoshone were outnumbered, they slowly pulled back to regroup at Crook's main column. Their slow retreat gave Crook time to deploy his forces as a mass of Sioux warriors began to converge on the column.
It is said that Crazy Horse had kept an additional 2,500 warriors in reserve to finish the attack but decided not to use them after Crook's soldiers joined in the fight. The almost four-hour battle continued until the afternoon when the Sioux retreated from the field.
The combined force of 4,000 Sioux warriors had outnumbered Crook's unprepared troops by more than three to one. If it had not been for the wisdom and courage of Crow and Shoshone Indians, we might be talking today of a much bigger massacre than that of what happened to Custer eight days later. Of course, later, some would ask why General Crook did not set out a perimeter defense when they stopped to rest. Fact is, he apparently didn't want to stop long, and he kept his troops in their marching order. This was done to save time for reassembling when resuming travel. As for his scouts, the Crow and Shoshone scouts remained alert while all rested.
About 30 of General Crook's men were killed and about 60 wounded, but that's not what forced him to withdraw and regroup. In the process of repealing a superior force, Crook's troops used up much of their limited ammunition. Because of that fact, I really believe that General Crook had no choice but to withdraw to his supply wagons positioned at Goose Creek near Sheridan, Wyoming. He would play no role in the Battle of the Little Bighorn eight days later.
As far as what happened at the Rosebud, I see it as a failure of logistics and poor planning when supplying those troops with the needed ammunition to accomplish their extended deployment. They could have engaged the enemy longer than they did. Because they didn't, they failed to accomplish their mission of supporting the fight that was to take place days later. Remember, General Crook's troops were low on ammunition after engaging a force of equal strength. Why were they low on ammo? Because they left their fort at a "quick march." Troops on a quick march traveled light and were only issued 100 rounds each. Those troops poured out the ammo to stay alive when faced with an onslaught of over 1,500 warriors.
Also, though the Indians left the battle first, that didn't mean that it was a victory for the U.S. Army. In fact, I see that as a victory for Indians since they could get the troops to use up a large amount of their allotted ammo before returning to their supply wagons in the rear. I really believe that Crook's unit was fortunate because the Indians didn't know that those they were fighting only had so much ammo and no more. If the Indians knew that fact, they would have kept up the fight until the troops were defenseless.
As for knowing the terrain and one's enemy's location, the Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho had learned of General Crook's approaching column along Rosebud Creek very early that morning, they sent over 1,500 warriors in to engage him. General Crook's withdrawal to his supply station to the south has been debated over the years. The question being, because of developments on the Little Bighorn River about fifty miles to the northwest, would his continued advance have influenced what happened to Custer? Could General Crook have prevented the killing of the five companies of the 7th Cavalry Regiment led by George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn if they got there in time?
As for getting there in time to support Custer when he was to attack? Let's keep in mind that Lt. Col. Custer took it on himself to attack when he did. Custer did not wait for all supporting elements to be in position as the plan of attack called for. Custer actually attacked that village a day before he was supposed to.
Also, though the Indians left the battle first, that didn't mean that it was a victory for the U.S. Army. In fact, I see that as a victory for Indians since they could get the troops to use up a large amount of their allotted ammo before returning to their supply wagons in the rear. I really believe that Crook's unit was fortunate because the Indians didn't know that those they were fighting only had so much ammo and no more. If the Indians knew that fact, they would have kept up the fight until the troops were defenseless.
As for knowing the terrain and one's enemy's location, the Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho had learned of General Crook's approaching column along Rosebud Creek very early that morning, they sent over 1,500 warriors in to engage him. General Crook's withdrawal to his supply station to the south has been debated over the years. The question being, because of developments on the Little Bighorn River about fifty miles to the northwest, would his continued advance have influenced what happened to Custer? Could General Crook have prevented the killing of the five companies of the 7th Cavalry Regiment led by George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn if they got there in time?
As for getting there in time to support Custer when he was to attack? Let's keep in mind that Lt. Col. Custer took it on himself to attack when he did. Custer did not wait for all supporting elements to be in position as the plan of attack called for. Custer actually attacked that village a day before he was supposed to.
After the disaster at the Little Bighorn, the U.S. Congress authorized funds to reinforce the Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition. Determined to demonstrate the willingness and capability of the U.S. Army to pursue and punish the Sioux, General Crook was given command of a large force and took to the field. He linked up with General Alfred Terry, military commander of the Dakota Territory, then he embarked on what came to be known as the grueling "Horsemeat March."
Why was it called the "Horsemeat March"? It's because his troops were so poorly provisioned that his soldiers were reduced to eating their horses and mules. Their hunger is what led to the Battle of Slim Buttes.
The Horsemeat March of 1876, also known as the Mud March and the Starvation March, was a military expedition led by General George Crook in pursuit of a band of Sioux fleeing from anticipated retaliation for their overwhelming victory over George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Poorly rationed and hampered by muddy conditions, the soldiers eventually had to butcher and eat their horses and mules as they became lame or injured. The Horsemeat March ended with the Battle of Slim Buttes and the capture and looting of American Horse the Elder's richly stocked village.[1]
Why was it called the "Horsemeat March"? It's because his troops were so poorly provisioned that his soldiers were reduced to eating their horses and mules. Their hunger is what led to the Battle of Slim Buttes.
The Horsemeat March of 1876, also known as the Mud March and the Starvation March, was a military expedition led by General George Crook in pursuit of a band of Sioux fleeing from anticipated retaliation for their overwhelming victory over George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Poorly rationed and hampered by muddy conditions, the soldiers eventually had to butcher and eat their horses and mules as they became lame or injured. The Horsemeat March ended with the Battle of Slim Buttes and the capture and looting of American Horse the Elder's richly stocked village.[1]
Background
[edit]Disputes over the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory came to a high during the Great Sioux War of 1876 between the U.S. Army and the many Native American groups in the area (Lakota, Sioux, Arapaho and Northern Cheyenne). After the Battle of Powder River in March, organized by General Crook and led by Colonel Joseph J. Reynolds, a larger effort was made for a battle later in the spring in order to move the Natives to reservations. Multiple columns of soldiers were made to trap the enemy and prevent escaping. Crook's command, the 2nd and 3rd Cavalries and 4th and 9th Infantries, moved north from Fort Fetterman for the battle. However, they encountered the Sioux and Cheyenne, resulting in the Battle of the Rosebud, which delayed them to the columns in Dakota. The subsequent Battle of the Little Bighorn went on without them.
The intention of the Army's senior commanders was to reunite their soldiers with Custer's in order to finally win the battle by overwhelming the native camps. On June 22, 1876, Custer declined the offer of reinforcements in either soldiers or equipment. On June 24, Custer's troops found shelter on an overlook called Crow's Nest, about fourteen miles east of the Little Bighorn River; from here they spotted a herd of ponies.[2] This overlook afforded them a view of one of the largest gatherings of Native Americans on the Great Plains ever recorded at the time. The gathering had been called together by Hunkpapa Lakota religious leader Sitting Bull and consisted of approximately 1800 men, including such notable warriors as Crazy Horse and Gall. Custer moved forward under false information given by agents that suggested the region had just over 800 warriors, roughly the same size as the 7th Cavalry.[3]
Custer and the men under his command took up positions on a hill near the native encampment known as Battle Ridge. Under the leadership of Crazy Horse, the native warriors decimated Custer's soldiers, forcing a small remnant of his command to defend themselves at a spot now known as Last Stand Hill. Custer and his men were massacred by the combined Sioux and Cheyenne force in what has become known as one of the worst defeats in American military history. Following the battle, the United States increased the size of its army and began a campaign to chase the large force of native warriors that had succeeded against Custer.[4]
The Horsemeat March
[edit]Following the Battle of the Little Bighorn, most of the native warriors fled the area and were not pursued for nearly two months. The U.S. Army spent much of those two months trying to recruit and train a force capable of fighting the tribes. General George Crook, who commanded over one thousand cavalry and infantry soldiers together with numerous Native American scouts, eventually took the helm of a punitive military campaign against the Sioux. Despite an extreme shortage of rations for his troops, Crook pushed forward to the Black Hills. The resulting march, variably known as the "Mud March" because of the conditions created by heavy rainfall at the time, and also the "Starvation March" because of the lack of food and supplies, is most commonly labeled the "Horsemeat March" because of the particular food on which the troops subsisted: their own horses.[4]
Dr. Clements' Diary
[edit]Bennett A. Clements was a surgeon in the United States Army who, by the late 1860s, had achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. In December 1876, Dr. Clements filed a report on General Crook's campaign against the Sioux, detailing the Horsemeat March and the Battle of Slim Buttes. His report, which takes the form of a daily diary of the campaign, describes a difficult time of near-starvation. One entry, on August 31, 1876, illustrates the intense difficulties encountered by Crook's troops:
Dr. Clements' report describes an exhausting trek through the badlands of the Dakota Territory, which became lakes of mud in the stormy weather that accompanied the journey. Before the march ended, many of the soldiers were sick and wounded, while others were forced to dismount from their horses and to walk through the mud in order for the horses to be eaten. It was a dismal follow-up to the disastrous Battle of the Little Bighorn, with General Crook, who had been considered the most talented general in the U.S. Army, losing a large proportion of his force to starvation and disease.
Battle of Slim Buttes
[edit]By September 8, the troops were living off the meat from the cavalry's horses. Crook sent ahead a request for a train to bring supplies into Deadwood, a mining town in the Black Hills, and a small group of troops to pick up the supplies and carry them back to his column. On the way there, the troops discovered the Lakota tribe, in particular, an encampment of Oglala men, women, and children near Slim Buttes, in present-day South Dakota.
At dawn on September 9, roughly 150 men led by Captain Anson Mills attacked the Oglala encampment, though the Natives fought back fiercely. The Battle of Slim Buttes quickly spiraled into one of the largest battles on the Northern Plains since the Battle of the Little Bighorn itself. Crook arrived with the rest of his forces the next day, but the Oglala camp was still much larger. Ultimately, Crook's forces captured an enormous supply of dried meat that the Oglala had stockpiled to last them through the winter, and captured or killed 37 Oglala warriors. On September 13, 1876, the Horsemeat March ended when Crook's troops came in contact with the train carrying their supplies. The U.S. Army did eventually find the Lakota, but the troops were too worn out to go in pursuit of them.
On September 9th, 1876, the Battle of Slim Buttes was the first victory for the U.S. Army after the Battle of the Little Bighorn took place in June. General Phillip H. Sheridan, in command of the Department of Missouri, ordered General George Crook and General Alfred Terry to pursue the Indian warriors and their followers.
With supplies running low on his "Horsemeat March," General Crook headed to Deadwood for supplies.
He hoped to restock his provisions. While en route to Deadwood, Crook's forward element marched directly into a Sioux camp at Slim Buttes. Captain Anson Mills and his forward detachment riding ahead of the column discovered a village of thirty-seven lodges.
On September 9th, the soldiers surrounded the village and attacked. It is said that they killed men, women, and children. Then the troops looted the village of food, ammunition, and guns. They took what they needed and burned the village before leaving. As I've said many times, several atrocities were committed on both sides during the Indian Wars.
Those who escaped in confusion could get the word of what took place to other nearby villages. Nearby were the Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and Spotted Eagle camps. Crazy Horse led a counter-attack against Crook the next day but was repulsed by Crook's massive column. Fact is, when the Indian warriors attempted to attack Captain Mills and his men, they were met with General Crook and the rest of his column. After that, through superior numbers and firepower, gradually, the Army put enough pressure on the Indians to where they saw the futility of further resistance. The Indians surrendered and returned to the reservation.
That same year, in 1876, the U.S. Army attempted to relocate the Chiricahua Apache from their home to the San Carlos Reservation in east-central Arizona. The San Carlos Reservation is still a dreadful place that's been described as "Hell's Forty Acres."
Once there, they were mistreated. The Apache were promised food that never arrived. They became sick and saw no hope for the future. So, with the leadership of Geronimo, hundreds of Apache left the reservation and fled to Mexico. Once there, they again waged war against the Whites and Mexicans. It is not a myth that Geronimo and his followers raided settlements and killed those pursuing his band. It's also not a myth that his band killed innocent settlers. In many cases, Geronimo was known to burn settlers alive before taking their food supplies, arms, and ammunition.
General William T. Sherman said, "The greatest Indian fighter of them all was General Crook."
In 1882, after the problems in the north were settled, General Crook was again sent to Arizona. This time, as before, to campaign against the Apache. In command of the Department of Arizona, he forced some members of the Apache to surrender. But Geronimo was not among them as he continued to evade capture. That didn't mean that Geronimo didn't see Crook as tenacious. In fact, as a sign of respect, the Apache actually nicknamed General Crook "Nantan Lupan," which means "Chief Wolf."
In March 1886, Crook received word that Geronimo would meet him in Cañon de Los Embudos, in the Sierra Madre Mountains about 86 miles from Fort Bowie, Arizona. Using Chiricahua Apache scouts, Crook took his unit into Mexico and found the outnumbered Geronimo, who surrendered on March 27th, 1886, at Cañon de Los Embudos in Sonora, Mexico.
Traveling with General Crook was the photographer C.S. Fly who photographed the surrender. If C.S. Fly sounds familiar, it was in the ally outside of his photo studio that the shootout near the OK Corral took place in Tombstone, Arizona. Fly took more than a dozen exposures during three days of negotiations between General Crook and Geronimo.
One of the photographs of Geronimo with two of his sons standing alongside him was actually taken at Geronimo's request. It is believed that Fly's pictures are the only photographs of Geronimo's surrender. It is said that Fly's pictures of Geronimo and the other Apaches that were taken from March 25th to 26, 1886, are the only known photographs ever taken of American Indians at war with the United States.
After the surrender, Crook's men escorted the Apache to Fort Bowie. But for reasons truly unknown to all, even though many people speculate that Geronimo was told one thing or another to make him flee, Geronimo escaped and headed back into the Sierra Madra Mountains.
Once there, they were mistreated. The Apache were promised food that never arrived. They became sick and saw no hope for the future. So, with the leadership of Geronimo, hundreds of Apache left the reservation and fled to Mexico. Once there, they again waged war against the Whites and Mexicans. It is not a myth that Geronimo and his followers raided settlements and killed those pursuing his band. It's also not a myth that his band killed innocent settlers. In many cases, Geronimo was known to burn settlers alive before taking their food supplies, arms, and ammunition.
General William T. Sherman said, "The greatest Indian fighter of them all was General Crook."
In 1882, after the problems in the north were settled, General Crook was again sent to Arizona. This time, as before, to campaign against the Apache. In command of the Department of Arizona, he forced some members of the Apache to surrender. But Geronimo was not among them as he continued to evade capture. That didn't mean that Geronimo didn't see Crook as tenacious. In fact, as a sign of respect, the Apache actually nicknamed General Crook "Nantan Lupan," which means "Chief Wolf."
In March 1886, Crook received word that Geronimo would meet him in Cañon de Los Embudos, in the Sierra Madre Mountains about 86 miles from Fort Bowie, Arizona. Using Chiricahua Apache scouts, Crook took his unit into Mexico and found the outnumbered Geronimo, who surrendered on March 27th, 1886, at Cañon de Los Embudos in Sonora, Mexico.
Traveling with General Crook was the photographer C.S. Fly who photographed the surrender. If C.S. Fly sounds familiar, it was in the ally outside of his photo studio that the shootout near the OK Corral took place in Tombstone, Arizona. Fly took more than a dozen exposures during three days of negotiations between General Crook and Geronimo.
One of the photographs of Geronimo with two of his sons standing alongside him was actually taken at Geronimo's request. It is believed that Fly's pictures are the only photographs of Geronimo's surrender. It is said that Fly's pictures of Geronimo and the other Apaches that were taken from March 25th to 26, 1886, are the only known photographs ever taken of American Indians at war with the United States.
After the surrender, Crook's men escorted the Apache to Fort Bowie. But for reasons truly unknown to all, even though many people speculate that Geronimo was told one thing or another to make him flee, Geronimo escaped and headed back into the Sierra Madra Mountains.
As a result of Geronimo's escape, General Crook lost his command. Brigadier General Nelson Miles was sent in to replace him and command the Department of Arizona on April 2nd, 1886. General Miles brought an end to the Apache Wars with the capture of Geronimo and his small band of Chiricahua Apache.
When General Miles was getting Geronimo and his followers ready to be transported to a military prison in Florida, the General decided to include the Chiricahua Apache scouts as prisoners of war. Yes, even though they had served the U.S. Army loyally, those scouts were included when they were all sent to Florida as prisoners-of-war. Along with most of Geronimo's band, they were forced to spend more than 20 years in captivity at the military prison in Florida before finally being released.
It's said that when General Crook learned about the arrest of those scouts, he became furious over the fact that the scouts who had faithfully served the Army were imprisoned along with the hostile warriors. He sent numerous telegrams to Washington protesting what General Miles did, but it was to no avail. And while his protests over those scouts went unheard in Washington, I do find it interesting that for the rest of his life, he made a conscious decision to speak out about that and against what he saw as the unjust treatment of his former Indian adversaries.
This is what may have prompted the famous Oglala Sioux war Chief Red Cloud to say of Crook, "He, at least, never lied to us. His words gave us hope."
He rose to the rank of Major General but died suddenly in Chicago in 1890 while serving as commander of the Military Division of the Missouri. General Crook was initially buried in Oakland, Maryland. But the Army then petitioned to have him moved. On November 11th, 1898, General Crook's remains were re-interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
As a last note about the General, you may find his start as an Indian fighter somewhat interesting. Since not all of the Indian Wars had to do with Plains Indians, and there were also Indian Wars taking place in California and Oregon, it should be noted that that's where he learned about the tribes.
People may not know is that after graduation from West Point in 1852, George Crook's first assignment as a Second Lieutenant was with the 4th U.S. Infantry, which was stationed in what was known as the "Far West" of California. During that time, he took part in campaigns in Northern California and southern Oregon while fighting various Indian tribes.
The state of California petitioned the federal government to do it, but there simply wasn't enough federal troops in Northern California to do that. Besides, the shortage of U.S. Army troops availability also had to do with the fact that the Army was already in the early stages of fighting California Indians in what became known as the Bald Hills War. In that war, the California Militia, California Volunteers, and the U. S. Army fought against the Chilula, Lasik, Hupa, Mattole, Nongatl, Sinkyone, Tsnungwe, Wailaki, Whilkut, and Wiyot Indians. None of that turned out well for those tribes.
As for fighting Indians in California, Crook was severely wounded in one of the many battles there. In fact, it's said that an Indian arrow almost ended his life. It is fortunate for the United States Army that George C. Crook lived.
As for fighting Indians in California, Crook was severely wounded in one of the many battles there. In fact, it's said that an Indian arrow almost ended his life. It is fortunate for the United States Army that George C. Crook lived.
Tom Correa
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