4 - The Mexicans - Part 2 - Geronimo’s Story of His Life

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Section four The Mexicans, Part two. In the fall of eighteen sixty four,
twenty warriors were willing to go withme on another raid into Mexico.
These were all chosen men, wellarmed and equipped for battle. As usual,
we provided for the safety of ourfamilies before starting on this raid.

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Our whole tribe scattered and then reassembledat a camp about forty miles from the
former place. In this way,it would be hard for the Mexicans to
trail them, and we would knowwhere to find our families when we returned.
Moreover, if any hostile Indian shouldsee this large number of warriors leaving
our range, they might attack ourcamp, But if they found no one

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at the usual place, their raidwould fail. We went south through the
Jaconan Apaches range, entered Sonora,Mexico, at a point directly south of
Tombstone, Arizona, and went intohiding in the Sierra De'atunes mountains. We
attacked several settlements in the neighborhood andsecured plenty of provisions and supplies. After

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about three days, we attacked andcaptured a mule pack train at a place
called by the Indians Pontoco. Itis situated in the mountains due west,
about one day's journey from Arispe.There were three drivers with this train.
One was killed and two escaped.The train was loaded with mescal, which

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was contained in bottles held in wickerbaskets. As soon as we made camp,
the Indians began to get drunk andfight each other. I too drank
enough mescal to feel the effect ofit, but I was not drunk.
I ordered the fighting stopped, butthe order was disobeyed. Soon almost a
general fight was in progress. Itried to place a guard out around our

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camp, but all were drunk andrefused to serve. I expected an attack
from Mexican troops at any moment,and really it was a serious matter for
me, for being in command,I would be held responsible for any ill
luck attending the expedition. Finally,the camp became comparatively still, for the

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Indians were too drunk to walk oreven to fight. While they were in
this stupor, I poured out allthe mescal. Then I put out all
the fires and moved the pack mulesto a considerable distance from camp. After
this, I returned to camp totry to do something for the wounded.
I found that only two were dangerouslywounded. From the leg of one of

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these I cut an arrow head,and from the shoulder of another I withdrew
a spear point. When all thewounds had been cared for, I myself
kept guard until morning. The nextday. We loaded our wounded on the
pack mules and started for Arizona.The next day we captured some cattle from

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a herd and drove them home withus. But it was a very difficult
matter to drive cattle when we wereon foot. Caring for the wounded and
keeping the cattle from escaping made ourjourney tedious. But we were not trailed
and arrived safely at home with allthe booty. We then gave a feast
and dance, and divided the spoils. After the dance, we killed all

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the cattle and dried the meat.We dressed the hides, and then the
dried meat was packed in between thesehides and stored away. All that winter
we had plenty of meat. Thesewere the first cattle we ever had.
As usual, we killed and atesome of the mules. We had little
use for mules, and if wecould not trade them for something of value,

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we killed them. In the summerof eighteen sixty five, with four
warriors, I went again into Mexico. Heretofore we had gone on foot.
We were accustomed to fight on foot, besides more easily conceal ourselves when dismounted.
But this time we wanted more cattle, and it was hard to drive

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them when we were on foot.We entered Sonora at a point southwest from
Tombstone, Arizona, and followed theSierra De'thunes mountains to the southern limit.
Then crossed the country as far southas the mouth of Yaqui River. Here
we saw a great lake, theGulf of California, extending beyond the limit

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of sight. Then we turned north, attacked several settlements and secured plenty of
supplies. When we had come backnorthwest of Rispe, we secured about sixty
head of cattle and drove them toour homes in Arizona. We did not
go directly home, but camped indifferent valleys with our cattle. We were

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not trailed. When we arrived atour camp, the tribe was again assembled
for feasting and dancing. Presents weregiven to everybody. Then the cattle were
killed and the meat dried and packed. Chapter nine varying fortunes. In the
fall of eighteen sixty five, withnine other warriors, I went into Mexico

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on foot. We attacked several settlementssouth of Casa Grande and collected many horses
and mules. We made our waynorthward with these animals through the mountains.
When near Rispe, we made campone evening, and, thinking that we
were not being trailed, turned loosethe whole herd, even those we had
been riding. They were in avalley surrounded by steep mountains, and we

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were camped at the mouth of thisvalley so that the animals could not leave
without coming through our camp. Justas we had begun to eat our supper,
our scouts came in and announced Mexicantroops coming toward our camp. We
started for the horses, but troopsthat our scouts had not seen were on
the cliffs above us and opened fire. We scattered in all directions, and

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the troops recovered all our booty.In three days, we reassembled at our
appointed place of rendezvous in the SierraMadre Mountains in northern Sonora. Mexican troops
did not follow us, and wereturned to Arizona without any more fighting and
with no booty. Again, Ihad nothing to say, but I was

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anxious for another raid. Early thenext summer, eighteen sixty six, I
took thirty mounted warriors and invaded Mexicanterritory. We went south to Chihuahua as
far as Santa Cruz, Sonora,then crossed over the Sierra Madre Mountains,
following the river course at the southend of the range. We kept on

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westward from the Sierra Madre Mountains tothe Sierra de Sahuaripa mountains and followed that
range northward. We collected all thehorses, mules, and cattle we wanted
and drove them northward through Sonora intoArizona. Mexicans saw us at many times
and in many places, but theydid not attack us at any time,

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nor did any troops attempt to followus. When we arrived at our homes,
we gave presents to all, andthe tribe feasted and danced. During
this raid, we had killed aboutfifty Mexicans. The next year, eighteen
sixty seven, Mangus Colorado led eightwarriors on a raid into Mexico. I
went as a warrior, for Iwas always glad to fight the Mexicans.

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We rode south from near Tombstone,Arizona, into Sonora, Mexico. We
attacked some cowboys, and after afight with them, in which two of
their number were killed, we droveall their cattle northward. The second day,
we were driving the cattle but hadno scouts out. When we were
not far from a respe, Mexicantroops rode upon us. They were well

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armed and well mounted, and whenwe first saw them they were not half
a mile away from us. Weleft the cattle and rode as hard as
we could toward the mountains, butthey gained on us rapidly. Soon they
opened fire, but were so faraway from us that we were unable to
reach them with our arrows. Finallywe reached some timber, and, leaving

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our ponies, fought from cover.Then the Mexicans halted, collected our ponies,
and rode away across the plains TordoisBay, driving the cattle with them.
We stood and watched them until theydisappeared in the distance, and then
took up our march for home.We arrived home in five days with no

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victory to report, no spoils todivide, and not even the ponies which
we had ridden into Mexico. Thisexpedition was considered disgraceful. The warriors who
had been with Mangus Colorado this lastexpedition wanted to return to Mexico. They
were not satisfied. Besides, theyfelt keenly the taunts of the other warriors

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Mangus Colorado would not lead them back. So I took command and we went
on foot directly towards Arispe in Sonoraand made our camp in the Siattra de
Sahariba mountains. There were only sixof us, but we raided several settlements
at night, captured many horses andmules, and loaded them with provisions,

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saddles, and blankets. Then wereturned to Arizona, traveling only at night.
When we arrived at our camp,we sent out scouts to prevent any
surprise by Mexicans. Assembled the tribe, feasted, danced, and divided the
spoils. Mangus Colorado would not receiveany of this booty, but we did

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not care. No Mexican troops followedus to Arizona. About a year after
this, eighteen sixty eight, Mexicantroops rounded up all the horses and mules
of the tribe not far from oursettlement. No raids had been made into
Mexico that year, and we werenot expecting any attacks. We were all

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in camp, having just returned fromhunting. About two o'clock in the afternoon,
two Mexican scouts were seen near oursettlement. We killed these scouts,
but the troops got underway with theherd of our horses and mules before we
saw them. It was useless totry to overtake them on foot, and
our tribe had not a horse left. I took twenty warriors and trailed them.

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We found the stock at a cattleranch in Sonora, not far from
Nakozari, and attacked the cowboys whohad them in charge. We killed two
men and lost none. After thefight, we drove off our own stock
and all of theirs. We weretrailed by nine cowboys. I sent the
stock on ahead, and with threewarriors, stayed in the rear to intercept

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any attacking parties. One night,when near the Arizona line, we discovered
these cowboys on our trail and watchedthem camp for the night and pickt their
horses. About midnight, we stoleinto their camp and silently led away all
their horses, leaving the cowboys asleep. Then we rode hard and overtook our

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companions, who always traveled at nightinstead of in the daytime. We turned
these horses in with the herd andfell back to again intercept anyone who might
trail us. What these nine cowboysdid next morning, I do not know,
and I have never heard the Mexicanssay anything about it. I know

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they did not follow us, forwe were not molested when we arrived in
camp. At home, there wasgreat rejoicing in the tribe. It was
considered a good trick to get theMexicans horses and leave them asleep in the
mountains. It was a long timebefore we again went into Mexico or were

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disturbed by the Mexicans. Chapter tenOther Raids. When reading the foregoing chapters
of Apache Raids, one not acquaintedwith the lawlessness of the frontier might wonder
how this tendency of the Apaches wasdeveloped to such a marked degree. But
one acquainted with the real conditions thedisregard for law by both Mexicans and white

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men along the border line of OldMexico and Arizona in early days can readily
understand where the Apache got his educationin the art of conducting lawless raids.
In order therefore that those who areunacquainted with the conditions as they were in
southern Arizona during the eighties may understandthe environment of the Apaches. This chapter

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is given. The events herein narratedare taken by the author from many accounts
given him by reliable men who livedin this section of country during the period
mentioned raid by white men in eighteeneighty two, a company of six Mexican
traders who were known as smugglers becausethey evaded duties on goods which they brought

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into the United States and sold inArizona, were camped in Skeleton Canyon,
ten miles north of the north lineof Old Mexico. They were known to
carry large sums of money, butas they were always armed and ready to
defend their possessions, they were notoften molested. However, on this occasion,
just as they were rising in themorning to prepare their breakfast, five

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white men opened fire on them fromambush, and all save one of the
Mexicans were killed. This one,though wounded, finally made his escape.
A few days after the killing,some cowboys on a roundup camped at this
place and buried the remains what thecoyotes had left of these five Mexicans.

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Two years later, at the sameplace, a cowboy found a leather bag
containing seventy two Mexican dollars, whichsmall amount of money had been overlooked by
the robbers. The men who didthis killing lived in Arizona for many years
afterwards, and although it was knownthat they had committed the depredation, no
arrests followed and no attempt was madeby any of the Mexicans to recover the

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property of their fellow citizens. MexicanRaid. In eighteen eighty four, a
cattleman and four cowboys from his branchstarted to drive some fat cattle to market
at Tombstone, Arizona. The routethey took led partly through Old Mexico and
partly through Arizona. One night,they camped in a canyon just south of

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the Mexican border. Next morning,at daylight, the cowboy, who had
been on her duty the last halfof the night, had just come in
and aroused the camp when the Mexicansopened fire on them from ambush. The
cattlemen and one of the cowboys wereseverely wounded at the first volley and took
shelter behind the camp wagon, fromwhich position they fired as long as their

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ammunition lasted. The other three wereonly slightly wounded and reached cover, but
only one escaped with his life.He remained in hiding for two days before
his comrades found him. He sawthe Mexicans rob the bodies of the dead
and lead away their saddle horses afterhaving cooked breakfast for themselves in the deserted

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camp. He was severely wounded andall his ammunition was gone, hence he
could only wait. On the secondday after this raid, some of the
cattle strayed back to the old ranch, thereby giving notice to the cowboys that
there had been foul play. Theyfound their wounded companions lying delirious near the

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decaying bodies of their comrades. Noarrests were ever made in Mexico for these
murders, and no attempt was madeto recover damage or prosecute the robbers.
The two instances above narrated will serveto show the reader what kind of an
example was set for the Apaches byat least a portion of the inhabitants of

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the two Christian nations with whom theycame in contact Apache raids. It is
thought well to give in this chaptersome of the depredations of the Apaches not
told by Geronimole. They were givenas told by our own citizens and from
the white man's point of view.In eighteen eighty four, Judge McCormick and

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wife, accompanied by their young son, were driving from Silver City to Lordsburg
when they were ambushed by Apaches.The bodies of the adults were found soon
afterward, but the child's body wasnever recovered. Years afterward, an Apache
squaw told some of the settlers inArizona that the little boy, about eight

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years old, cried so much andwas so stubborn that they had to kill
him, although their original intention wasto spare his life. In eighteen eighty
two, a man named Hunt waswounded in a row in a saloon and
tombstone, Arizona. During this row, two other men had been killed,

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and to avoid arrest, Hunt andhis brother went into the mountains and camped
about ten miles north of Willows Springsto await the healing of his wounds.
A few days after they came there, Apache Indians attacked them and killed the
wounded brother, but the other,by hard riding, made good his escape.

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In eighteen eighty three, two Easternboys went into Arizona to prospect.
Their real outing began aunt Willows Springs, where they had stayed two days with
the cowboys. These cowboys had warnedthem against the Apaches, but the young
men seemed entirely fearless and pushed oninto the mountains. On the second morning

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after they left the settlement, oneof the boys was getting breakfast while the
other went to bring in the packhorses that had been hobbled and turned loose
the night before the graze. Justabout the time he found the horses,
two Apache warriors rode out from covertoward him, and he made a hasty
retreat to camp, jumping off ofa bluff and in so doing breaking his

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leg. A consultation was then heldbetween the two Easterners, and it was
decided that perhaps all the stories theyhad been told of the Apache raids were
true, and that it was advisableto surrender. Accordingly, a white handkerchief
was tied to the end of apole and raised cautiously above the top of

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the bluff. In about ten minutes, the two Indians, one a very
old warrior, and the other amere boy. Evidently his son rode into
camp and dismounted. The old warriorexamined the broken limb, then, without
a word, proceeded to take offthe shirt of the uninjured youth, with

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strips of which he carefully bound upthe broken leg. After this, the
two Indians ate the prepared breakfast andremounted their ponies. Then the old warrior,
indicating the direction with his thumb,said doctor Lordsburg three days, and
silently rode away. The young menrode twenty five miles to Saint Simony,

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where the cowboys fitted them out witha wagon to continue their journey to Lordsburg,
seventy five miles further, where aphysician's services could be secured. In
eighteen eighty three, two prospectors Albert'sand Rees by name, were driving eighteam
consisting of a horse and a mulethrough Turkey Creek Bottoms when they were shot

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by the Indians. The wagon andharness were left in the road, and
the mule was found dead in theroad two hundred yards from that place.
Evidently the Indians had not much usefor him. The guns of the prospectors
were found later, but the horsethey drove was not recovered. In none
of the above named instances were thebodies of the victims mutilated. However,

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there are many recorded instances in whichthe Apache Indians did mutilate the bodies of
their victims, but it is claimedby Geronimo that these were outlawed Indians,
as his regular warriors were instructed toscalp none except those killed in battle,
and to torture none except to makethem reveal desired information. In eighteen eighty

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four, two cowboys in the employmentof the Sansimone Cattle Company were camped at
Willow Springs, eighteen miles southwest ofSkeleton Canyon and not far from Old Mexico.
Just at sundown, their camp wassurrounded by Apache in war paint,
who said they had been at warwith the Mexicans and wished to return to

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the United States. There were aboutseventy five Indians in the whole tribe,
the squaws and children coming up later. They had with them about one hundred
and fifty Mexican horses. The Indianstook possession of the camp and remained for
about ten days, getting their suppliesof meat by killing cattle of the company.

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With this band of Indians was awhite boy about fourteen years old,
who had evidently been with them frominfancy, for he could not speak a
word of English and did not understandmuch Spanish, but spoke the Apache language
readily. They would allow but oneof the cowboys to leave camp at a
time, keeping the other under guard. They had sentinels with spyglasses on all

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the hills and peaks surrounding the camp. One evening, when one of the
cowboys, William Byrne, had beenallowed to pass out of the camp,
he noticed an Indian dismounted, andas he approached, discovered that the Indian
had him under range of his rifle. He immediately dismounted and standing on the
opposite side from the redskin through hisown winchester across his horse's neck, when

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the Indian sprang on his horse andgalloped toward him at full speed, making
signs to him not to shoot,And when he approached him, dismounted and
pointing to the ground, showed burnmany fresh deer tracks. Then, as
an understanding had been established, thecowboy remounted and went on his way,
leaving the Apache to hunt the deer. One day, when this cowboy was

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about ten miles from camp, hefound two splendid horses of the Indians.
These horses had strayed from the herd, Thinking that they would in a way
compensate for the cattle the Apaches wereeating, he drove them on for about
five miles into a canyon where therewas plenty of grass and water, and

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left them there, intending to comeback after the departure of the Indians and
take possession of them. On thetenth day after the arrival of this band
of Indians, United States troops,accompanied by two Indians who had been sent
to make the arrangements, arrived incamp, paid for the cattle the Apaches
had eaten, took the Indians andtheir stock, and moved on towards Fort

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Bowie. The cowboys immediately started forthe canyon where the two horses had been
left, but had not gone farwhen they met two Indians driving these horses
in front of them as they pushedon to overtake the tribe. Evidently,
the shrewdness of the Paleface had notoutwitted the red Man that time. Geronimo

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says he was in no wise connectedwith the events herein mentioned, but refuses
to state whether he knows anything aboutthem. He holds it unmanly to tell
of any depper dations of Red men, except those for which he was responsible.
Such were the events transpiring in QuotesApache Land during the days when Geronimo

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was leading his warriors to avenge theQuotes wrongs of his people. This chapter
will serve to show that the Apachehad plenty of examples of lawlessness furnished him,
and also that he was a veryapt scholar in this school of savage
lawlessness and of Part two of theMexicans