direct telegraphic communication with Fort Apache. There in the telegraph office I opened communication with Colonel Wade and directed him to secure the entire Indian camp at Fort Apache and move them north to the railroad, and thence east to Florida.

The result proved that no mistake had been made in the selection of an officer for this duty. Colonel J. F. Wade is "a chip of the old block," a son of that eminent statesman, the late Benjamin F. Wade of Ohio, who for many

years represented that State in the Senate of the United States. He inherited the sterling qualities of his illustrious father. As a boy of eighteen he was a distinguished soldier during the great war, and has since fulfilled all the requirements of his positions from lieutenant to that of one of the senior colonels of the army of to-day. It was only necessary to give him an order, and he could be left to execute it according to his own best judgment. Yet I was extremely anxious at this critical moment of the campaign, because I so fully realized how disastrous it would be should he

take any measures which would cause an outbreak among the Indians, or put a large additional body on the warpath by allowing them to escape, for there was a very large hostile element in the camp. It would have resulted in the sacrifice of many innocent lives, as well as serious censure upon the management of the affair. There are occasions when a commanding officer is obliged to trust the fortunes of the campaign, either for weal or woe, to his subordinate. This was

such a case. Of course he is responsible for

the selection of the subordinate to

carry out his wishes, but when so
selected, if the subordinate
fails the entire responsibility
and blame must rest upon
the principal.

In this case I felt the utmost confidence that the duty was left in safe hands, yet so anxious was I not to disturb Colonel Wade by any official inquiry or by calling for official reports, that I went down to the telegraph office and asked the operator on duty, a bright and intelligent young man, if he would not open communication with the operator at Fort Apache, and in his own name, without mentioning my presence, ask for the news of what was going on. He did so, and the operator at Fort Apache, whose office occupied a high point so that he could overlook the whole scene from his window, replied that he observed that all the Indians had been gathered in to be counted as was the custom on Sunday. Also, as was their usual practice, the troops had gone through their Sunday inspection, and after they had performed their ordinary duties,

had taken certain positions that commanded the position of the Indians.

All this merely served to increase my anxiety while I awaited results. Then the operator at Wilcox said to the other one at Apache, two hundred miles distant:

"Let me know fully what is going on."

And he replied:

"I will."

Though not aware of the significance and importance of what was going on under his eyes, he watched events and kept us informed of all that occurred. He saw the troops suddenly take position surrounding the large body of Indians, and absolutely commanding the position of the Indian camp. He saw some commotion among the Indians. All the warriors took a standing position ready for immediate action. He saw Colonel Wade quietly walk down to their vicinity and command them all to sit down. The Indians realizing the folly of resistance in the presence of this strong body of troops, and that there was no avenue of escape for them, were entirely within the control of the troops, and quietly obeyed the command of Colonel Wade. All this was flashed over the wires to the operator at Wilcox, who, as little realized the importance of it as the other operator did who sent the messages.

I received the information with infinite delight. I was prepared to receive news of a desperate fight, of a bloody encounter, or possibly the escape of the entire body of Indians, and, therefore, when the electric spark flashed the gratifying news which I knew meant peace, and I hoped eternal peace, to that whole territory, I was greatly gratified.

I waited for another dispatch which said that Colonel Wade had commanded the warriors to leave the camp and to go into one of the large buildings adjacent to the body of troops. A fourth dispatch stated that Colonel Wade had directed a certain number of the women to return to their camps and bring in their goods and all that they required to carry with them, as they were about to be removed. When this information was received I was entirely satisfied that Colonel Wade had that entire camp-which was the arsenal, the breeding place, the recruiting depot, the hospital, the asylum of the hostiles, and had been so for years, — entirely under his control, and that we had seen the last of hostile Indians coming to and going from that camp.

I did not wait for Colonel Wade's official report. I knew that when he had time he would send it. Again I turned my attention to the hostile

element still out and still being hunted, pursued, harassed and run down by the troops under Lawton and those acting with him. I went back to Fort Bowie that night, and for several days remained there in communication with the troops a hundred miles south of us who had for months been pursuing Geronimo's band.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

INCIDENTS OF THE APACHE CAMPAIGN.

THE STORY OF THE WOUNDED APACHE-CAPTAIN WOOD'S STORY-CHARACTER OF APACHE RAIDS-
THE CASE OF THE PECK FAMILY-INDIAN IDEAS ABOUT INSANE PERSONS-FIGHT BETWEEN
APACHES AND MEXICANS, AND SOME OF ITS RESULTS-MEETING THE MEXICAN TROOPS-
FINDING THE MURDERED MEXICANS-FINDING DEAD BODIES ON THE MARCH-INDIAN
MANNER OF RIDING HORSES TO DEATH-THE OLD MINES OF MEXICO-HOW THE
SOLDIERS MARCHED, ATE AND SLEPT-SURPRISING AN INDIAN CAMP-PRE-
LIMINARIES OF SURRENDER AT FRONTERAS-GERONIMO COMES IN-
AGREEMENT TO SURRENDER-MEETING WITH THE MEXICAN SOL-
OFFER TO ASSIST-MEXICAN

DIERS GERONIMO'S FRIENDLY

NERVOUSNESS-LOSING A COMMAND-A NEW RIFLE-A
STAMPEDE-MEXICAN TOWNS-EXTREME HARDSHIP OF
THE CAMPAIGN-THE PROPORTION OF SURVIVORS
-GERONIMO'S PHILOSOPHY OF SURRENDER.

N July, while at Fort Apache, I had found the Indian before referred to, who had been wounded in Hatfield's fight, and who had worked his way north to Camp Apache. He had avoided the troops by traveling along the crests of the mountains, and had contrived to subsist on field-mice, rabbits, the juice of the giant cactus, and whatever he could find to sustain life. He reported that when he left the camp of the hostiles they were much worn down and disheartened, and that some of them were disposed to surrender. I was satisfied from his story that this was the time to demand a surrender, and that he could be made useful in opening communication with the hostiles. I, therefore, decided to send him with one other Indian, under the charge of Lieutenant Gatewood, to seek out the hostile camp and demand a surrender.

Captain Leonard Wood, the only officer who was with Captain Lawton during the entire campaign, is at present stationed at Washington, D. C., and gives me the following interesting account of the Apache campaign south of the border, from notes taken by him during the time.

CAPTAIN LEONARD WOOD'S STORY.

As illustrating the character of the raiding done by these Apaches, I may mention the case of the Peck family. Their ranch was surrounded by Indians, the entire family was captured, and several of the farm-hands