Show 1 MILES AND GERONDIO Tlie Apache is a Prisoner of War and Nothing More WASHINGTON Oct 11 General Miles annual report as Commander of the Military Department of Arizona and New Mexico which has been received at the War Depart went i is a voluminous document containing contain-ing the full history of his operations against Gerooimo and his band together with a statement of his position in regard to the terms of surrender It is learned that this forth minutely the part of his report sets forh mnutely official orders received by him his own order placing Captain Lawton in immediate command com-mand the system of signaling adopted etc and afterwards recites substantially the following fol-lowing details Some days prior to the surrender detais render a deserter from Geronimos band came into General Miles camp with the information in-formation that the renegades were short of food clothing and ammunition and were foot sore and could not hold out much longer Therefore General Miles ordered Lieutenant Gatewood who knew Geronimo and Natchez well and spoke the Apache language to take a guard of two men obtain ai parley if possible with Geronimo and see af he would surrender This mission Lieutenant Lieu-tenant Gatewood accomplished successfully He informed Geronimo in answer to the chiefs questions that he had no authority to offer him terms Geronimo then asked to be taken to Captain Lawton who was in the immediate neighborhood This was immedite done and on repeating the question asked Lieutenant Gatewood Captain Lawton told him that he could make no terms and that lie must surrender Geronimo then wanted to see General Miles and both parties Captain I Cap-tain Lawton and his command and Lieutenant Lieu-tenant Gatewood and Geroninio Natchez and their band set out for the north traveling travel-ing for some days on parallel lines and within sight of each other In the mean ahead to time a messenger had been sent notify General Miles of their approach Oncoming On-coming to General Miles camp Geronimo us before asked what terms would be given if he surrendered The General replied to offer That that he had no terms ofer if he and his band surrendered at all they must surrender as prisoners of war that they must lay down theIr arms and trust 10 the President of the United States Upon Geronimo laid down his arms and signified signi-fied his willingness to surrender But Natchez who had in the meantime kept out of reach and refused to come in sent word that wanted to go t the White Mountains for a month whereupon Geronimo went out II after Natchez and soon returned with him afer Geronimo in explanation and justification of his conduct said he left the reservation hs afoot for the reason that a conspiracy was there headed by Chatta to murder him Geronimo Jfatchez and two others were placed in an ambulance and followed by the rest of the band to charge of Captain Lawton Law-ton taken to Fort Bowie station and shipped to Texas General Miles in his report argues at some length the question of punt pun-t ishment and calls attention to the fact that heretofore in such oases removal has been deemed sufficient He cites several cases in which no greater punishment has been in Ihcled and speaks of the great good done Arizona by their removal and suggests that they be treated as other Indians have been treated under similar circumstances He compliments Captain Lawton Lieutenant Gatevrood and the officers and soldiers genera gen-era tor their meritorious services during the E oatltgn u army friend of Lieqtenant Gate frend wood it 19 learned that he found Geronimo and his band encamped near the Mexican town of Fronteras in Sonora an old Mexican Mexi-can adobe hamlet surrounded by an adobe wall I was at one time a mission settlement settle-ment founded by the Jesuits When Lieutenant Lieu-tenant Gatewood came upon the band he left his guards and alone walked into Ocr onimnos camp On seeing the intruder the i Indians seized their guns but on the Lieutenants I I Lieu-tenants laying l down his arms and beckon mg Gerommo whom ho recognized the In recognied dians also laid down their guns and came forward and seated themselves on piles of stones Geronimo wanted to know what kind of a man General Miles was whether he had bright eyes or dull ones whether he talked fast or slow whether he was a large man and what was his general appearance He wanted to know all about him Gate wood replied that General Miles had a bright eye did not talk much but what he naid could be relied upon The Indian was Tuuch pleased with this assurance and together to-gether they walked away to find Captain Lawton Governor Zulich of Arizona i in the city I 1 and this afternoon had a long interview f with the President presumably concerning the question of Geronimos punishment but when interrogated as to the result of of the interview and his opinion of General Miles report ho very firmly stated that as to the first question his interview was of a frst queston Confidential nature and not for the public una IS to the second question he did not ea5 to discuss the report of which he knew oininpr He stated however that he had great confidence in General Miles judg ment and other soldierly qualities and be ueved him to be a brave and efficient officer |