In 1882, Crook was ordered back to Arizona Territory. The businessmen in the Tucson Ring had achieved enormous success during his absence. So dishonestly and shamelessly had they dealt with the Apaches that some chiefs had been fighting for years. Victorio, Nana, Loco and Nan-tia-tish had killed many whites and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of property while making fools of the civilian posses and the military.

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The aged Alchise told Crook, ‘When you left there were no bad Indians out. We were content; everything was peace.’ Old Pedro said, ‘When you were here, whenever you said a thing we knew it was true….I used to be happy….Where are those good officers? Why don’t they come back?’

Crook instituted all the policies that had been so successful before, and most of the Chiricahuas came back to the reservations. He went after those who did not return, chasing some far into Mexico, and brought them all back and put them on the reservations.

Unfortunately, Geronimo and Natchez went on a long tiswin (a fermented beverage made from corn) drunk and created havoc. The general and his Apache allies chased them for months, finally caught them and brought them back. Sheridan did not understand Chiricahuas and criticized Crook’s methods. Crook tried to explain, but finally just asked for a transfer.

He was ordered to the Department of the Platte again, where he continued to fight against the shameful treatment of Geronimo and his band after their 1886 surrender. The government even imprisoned most of the Apaches who had been loyal, trusted scouts for years.

Crook kept the peace with the Plains Indians, and in 1888 President Grover Cleveland promoted him to major general and placed him in charge of the huge Department of the Missouri. On March 21, 1890, Crook suffered a heart attack and died. Captain John G. Bourke, his aide for many years, reported that at the Camp Apache reservation, his scouts formed a large circle, bent their heads and cried. Red Cloud said, ‘His words gave the people hope. He died. Their hope died again.’

Crook had fought well against hostile Indians. Historian Robert Utley wrote, ‘General George Crook [was] considered by many of his contemporaries to be the army’s most skilled Indian fighter….’ Whether Crook was the greatest Indian fighter can be argued, but he was never an Indian hater. He must be regarded as one of the Army’s greatest Indian friends. He respected the Plains warriors as vanquished, valiant foes who deserved to be treated as human beings.

This article was written by J. Jay Myers and originally appeared in the December 1998 issue of Wild West. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Wild West magazine today!

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