Charles B. Gatewood
Encyclopedia
First Lieutenant Charles Bare Gatewood (April 5, 1853 – May 20, 1896) was an American soldier born in Woodstock, Virginia
. He served in the United States Army
in the 6th Cavalry after graduating from West Point. Upon assignment to the American Southwest, Gatewood led platoons of Apache and Navajo scouts against renegades
during the Apache Wars
. In 1886 he played a key role in ending the Geronimo Campaign by persuading Geronimo
to surrender to the army. Beset with health problems due to exposure in the Southwest and Dakotas, Gatewood was critically injured in the Johnson County War
and retired from the Army in 1895, dying a year later from stomach cancer
. Before his retirement he was nominated for the Medal of Honor
, but was denied the award. He was portrayed by Jason Patric
in the 1993 film Geronimo: An American Legend
.
at West Point in 1873 where he earned the nickname Scipio Africanus because of his resemblance to the Roman general of the same name
. He graduated in 1877 with a commission as Second Lieutenant and received orders to the 6th Cavalry in the Southwest at Fort Wingate, New Mexico.
and Navajo Scouts
in Apache territory throughout the Southwestern United States. He was respected among the Apaches and earned the nickname Nanton Bse-che, meaning "Big-nosed Captain". After one year of service at Fort Wingate, Gatewood was made the commander of Apache scouts from the White Mountain Apache Reservation, and later an aide-de-camp
to General Nelson Miles. One of his sergeants was a scout who was a former White Mountain Chief named Alchesay.
Gatewood knew his success with the scouts depended on two things: understanding their ways and gaining their acceptance. He accomplished this by meeting with his scouts daily, suppressing any thoughts of racial superiority, and never talking down to them.
Mountains of New Mexico
to capture the Apache Chief Victorio
in the Victorio Campaign
. He and his scouts were placed under the command of Major Albert P. Morrow of the Ninth Cavalry at Fort Bayard, New Mexico. Gatewood's scouts skirmished with Victorio's band, but ultimately failed to capture him.
In May of 1881 he returned to Virginia on sick leave because he had developed rheumatism
from exposure to the elements in his two years working with the Apache scouts in the harsh Southwest. He married Georgia McCulloh, the daughter of Thomas G. McCulloh and niece of Richard Sears McCulloh on June 23, 1881 in Cumberland, Maryland
. His sick leave expired in July and having not returned to his post, he was declared Absent without leave (AWOL). Gatewood returned to the Southwest on September 17, 1881 under the command of Colonel Eugene Asa Carr
in his campaign against the Cibecue and White Mountain Apaches.
_and_his_warriors_in_1886.jpg)
In 1882, the US Army sent Brigadier General George Crook
to take command of Indian operations in Arizona Territory. Crook was an experienced Indian fighter who had long since learned that regular soldiers were almost useless against the Apaches and had based his entire strategy on employing "Indians to fight other Indians". The Apache, as a mark of respect, nicknamed Crook Nantan Lupan, which means "Grey Wolf". Despite having subjugated all the major tribes of Apaches in the Territory; the Apaches had once again taken up arms, this time under the leadership of Geronimo
. Crook repeatedly saw Geronimo and his band of warriors escape every time.
Knowing Gatewood's reputation as one of the army's "Best Apache Men", Crook made him Commandant of the White Mountain Indian Reservation at Fort Apache
under Emmet Crawford
. Gatewood and Crook disagreed on handling of the reservation and treatment of the Apaches. After a clash with local politicians over grazing rights on reservation land, Crook had Gatewood transferred in 1885 to command Navajo Scouts
. That same year Crook resigned from the Army and Philip Sheridan
had him replaced by General Nelson Miles in the Geronimo Campaign.
Although Crook and Gatewood had a falling-out, Gatewood was regarded by Miles as a "Crook Man"; despite this and Gatewood's failing health, Miles knew that Gatewood was well known to Geronimo, spoke some Apache, and was familiar with their traditions and values; having spent nearly 10 years in the field with them and against them.
Gatewood was dispatched by General Miles to seek out Geronimo
for a parley. On July 21, when he reached Carretas
, Chihuahua, Gatewood encountered another Army officer, Lieutenant James Parker of the 4th Cavalry, who had orders to follow Geronimo's trail. Parker told Gatewood, "The trail is all a myth—I haven't seen any trail since three weeks ago when it was washed out by the rains."
Despite his rapidly deteriorating health, Gatewood refused to quit and Parker guided him to Captain Henry Lawton, who was leading a mission to find and kill Geronimo with the Fourth Cavalry. It took two weeks through 150 miles of desertmountain ranges to locate Lawton on the banks of the Aros River
on August 3, 1886. Lawton reluctantly allowed Gatewood and his scouts to join his command. Gatewood's health continued to deteriorate. On August 8 he asked Lawron's Surgeon, Leonard Wood
, to medically discharge him, but Wood refused. On August 23, 1886, Gatewood led 25 men and two Apache scouts into the Sierra Madre and found Geronimo's camp: his band reduced to 20 men and 14 women and children. On August 24 Gatewood approached Geronimo's camp with only 2 soldiers: George Medhurst Wratten, who was fluent in all Apache dialects and one other; 2 interpreters: Tom Horn
and Jesús María Yestes; and two Chiricahua
scouts: Kayitah, a Chokonen, and Martine, a Nedni, so as not to alarm the Apaches. Kayitah and Martine made the initial contact, being invited into the camp by the Bavispe River
. Kayitah remained in the camp as a hostage while Martine left and returned with Gatewood and 15 pounds of tobacco
. After Gatewood made gifts of tobacco, Geronimo teased Gatewood about his thinness and sickly look, Gatewood was then told by Geronimo, "you are always welcome in my camp, and it was always safe for you to come". Gatewood encouraged Geronimo to abandon his fight against the US Army. When asked by Geronimo what Gatewood would do in his situation and to "think like an Apache", Gatewood advised him to "put your trust in Miles".
Agreeing to meet with General Miles, Geronimo's band rode with Gatewood to Lawton's camp in Guadalupe Canyon
, the entrance to the United States. Lawton received Geronimo and agreed to allow the Apaches to retain their weapons for defense against nearby Mexican troops. Lawton left for a heliograph
station to send word to Miles, leaving Lieutenant Abiel Smith in command. Smith and Wood wanted to disarm the Apaches because they were prisoners-of-war. Smith told Gatewood that he wanted a meeting with Geronimo's men, but Gatewood refused because he knew Smith wanted to murder Geronimo, rather than bring him to Miles. Smith persisted and Gatewood threatened to "blow the head off the first soldier in line", who was Leonard Wood
, Wood left to write a dispatch and Gatewood turned to the next man, Smith, who finally relented.
The troops and the Apaches arrived at Skeleton Canyon
, Arizona
, in the Peloncillo Mountains
without incident on September 2, 1886. Miles arrived on September 3, 1886, and Geronimo formerly surrendered for the fourth and final time on September 4. At the conclusion of the surrender, Geronimo turned to Gatewood and said to him, in Apache, "Good. You told the truth". The following day Naiche
surrendered, he had been in a nearby canyon mourning his brother, who had been killed by Mexican soldiers, bringing the Apache wars to an official end in the Southwest.
Despite his success, Miles chastised Gatewood for "disobeying orders" as Gatewood made the final approach to Geronimo with only a party of 6 instead of 25. Gatewood reasoned that a larger party would have scared the Apache and made them flee. The city of Tucson, Arizona
, held a Gala event to celebrate Geronimo's surrender and invited Gatewood to be the guest of honor, but Miles refused to let him attend. Miles appointed Gatewood as his "Aide-de-Camp", to keep the lieutenant under scrutiny, Miles downplayed Gatewood's role in Geronimo's surrender mostly because it would have given legitimacy to Crook's strategy.
's Pine Ridge Agency in an operation against hostile Sioux
Indians but was not engaged in the final campaign that culminated in the tragedy at Wounded Knee
in December. Gatewood developed rheumatism
in both shoulders and was unable to move his arms, again due to the cold weather, in January and had medical orders to leave in February 1891 for Hot Springs, South Dakota
.
between ranchers and farmers that would be known as the Johnson County War
and the Sixth Cavalry was dispatched at the request of Acting Governor Amos W. Barber
. On May 18, 1892 cowboys from the Red Sash Ranch set fire to the Post exchange and planted a bomb in the form of gunpowder in a barracks stove. Gatewood was responding to the fire and was injured by a bomb blast in a barracks; his left arm was shattered, rendering him too disabled to serve in the Cavalry.
Soon after, The Ninth Cavalry of "Buffalo Soldiers" was ordered to Fort McKinney to replace the Sixth Cavalry.
to await his muster out of the Army. On June 4, 1894, he sought a position as the military advisor of El Paso County, Colorado
, to aid in the Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894
in Cripple Creek, Colorado
, but was denied. In 1894 he retired from the Army and moved to Fort Myer, Virginia. In 1895 he was recommended for the Medal of Honor
by General Nelson A. Miles
, "for gallantry in going alone at the risk of his life into the hostile Apache camp of Geronimo in Sonora, August 24, 1886," but was denied by the acting Secretary of War because Gatewood never distinguished himself in hostile action. In 1896 he suffered excruciating stomach pains and went to a Veteran's Hospital in Fort Monroe, Virginia, for treatment. Gatewood died on May 20, 1896, of stomach cancer and his body was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
On May 23, 1896, Colonel D. S. Gordon, commander of the 6th Cavalry, issued General Order 19, which stated: "It is with extreme sorrow and regret that the Colonel commanding the regiment announced the death of First Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewood at Fort Monroe May 20. Too much cannot be said in honor of this brave officer and it is lamentable that he should have died with only the rank of a Lieutenant, after his brilliant services to the Government. That no material advantages reverted to him is regretted by every officer of his regiment, who extend to his bereaved family their most profound, earnest and sincere sympathy. As a mark of respect to his memory, the officers of the regiment will wear the usual badge of mourning for the period of 30 days."
His son, Charles B. Gatewood, Jr (January 4, 1883 – November 13, 1953), joined the Army and rose to the rank of colonel. He campaigned for recognition of his father's name and later compiled and published his father's memoirs.
Gatewood was portrayed by Jason Patric
in the 1993 film Geronimo: An American Legend
.
Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,097 according to the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shenandoah County....
. He served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in the 6th Cavalry after graduating from West Point. Upon assignment to the American Southwest, Gatewood led platoons of Apache and Navajo scouts against renegades
Renegade period of the Apache Wars
The Renegade period of the Apache Wars refers to the conflicts between the United States and the Apache people who left the reservation system between 1879 and 1886, and renegade Apaches who lived in northern Mexico into the 1920s. Chief Victorio and the medicine man Geronimo were perhaps the best...
during the Apache Wars
Apache Wars
The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States and Apaches fought in the Southwest from 1849 to 1886, though other minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. The Confederate Army participated in the wars during the early 1860s, for instance in Texas, before being...
. In 1886 he played a key role in ending the Geronimo Campaign by persuading Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
to surrender to the army. Beset with health problems due to exposure in the Southwest and Dakotas, Gatewood was critically injured in the Johnson County War
Johnson County War
The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River, was a range war which took place in April 1892 in Johnson County, Natrona County and Converse County in the U.S. state of Wyoming...
and retired from the Army in 1895, dying a year later from stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
. Before his retirement he was nominated for the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, but was denied the award. He was portrayed by Jason Patric
Jason Patric
Jason Patric is an American film, television and stage actor. He may be best-known for his roles in the films The Lost Boys, Sleepers, Your Friends & Neighbors, Narc, The Losers and Speed 2: Cruise Control. His father was actor/playwright Jason Miller...
in the 1993 film Geronimo: An American Legend
Geronimo: An American Legend
Geronimo: An American Legend is a 1993 film, starring Wes Studi as Geronimo, Jason Patric as 1st Lt. Charles B. Gatewood, Gene Hackman as Brig. Gen. George Crook, Robert Duvall as Chief of Scouts Al Sieber, and Matt Damon as 2nd Lt. Britton Davis. The film was directed by Walter Hill from a...
.
Early life
Gatewood was born into a military family in Woodstock, Virginia, on April 5, 1853. He became a Cadet at the United States Military AcademyUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point in 1873 where he earned the nickname Scipio Africanus because of his resemblance to the Roman general of the same name
Scipio Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
. He graduated in 1877 with a commission as Second Lieutenant and received orders to the 6th Cavalry in the Southwest at Fort Wingate, New Mexico.
Apache Wars
Gatewood led companies of ApacheApache scouts
The Apache Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts, most of their service was during the Apache Wars up to 1886 though the last scout retired in 1947. The Apache scouts were the eyes and ears of the United States military and sometimes the cultural translators for the various...
and Navajo Scouts
Navajo Scouts
The Navajo Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts between 1873 and 1895. Generally, the scouts were signed up at Fort Wingate for six month enlistments. In the period 1873 to 1885, there were usually ten to twenty-five scouts attached to units...
in Apache territory throughout the Southwestern United States. He was respected among the Apaches and earned the nickname Nanton Bse-che, meaning "Big-nosed Captain". After one year of service at Fort Wingate, Gatewood was made the commander of Apache scouts from the White Mountain Apache Reservation, and later an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General Nelson Miles. One of his sergeants was a scout who was a former White Mountain Chief named Alchesay.
Gatewood knew his success with the scouts depended on two things: understanding their ways and gaining their acceptance. He accomplished this by meeting with his scouts daily, suppressing any thoughts of racial superiority, and never talking down to them.
Victorio's War
In 1879 Gatewood and his Apache scouts were brought from Arizona to the Black RangeBlack Range
The Black Range is an igneous mountain range running north-south in Sierra and Grant counties in west-central New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. Its central ridge forms the western and eastern borders, respectively, of the two counties through much of their contact...
Mountains of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to capture the Apache Chief Victorio
Victorio
Victorio was a warrior and chief of the Chihenne band of the Chiricahua Apaches in what is now the American states of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua....
in the Victorio Campaign
Victorio's War
Victorios War, or the Victorio Campaign, was an armed conflict between the Apache followers of Chief Victorio, the United States, and Mexico beginning in September 1879. Following his escape from the San Carlos Indian Reservation in southeastern Arizona, Victorio led a guerilla war across the...
. He and his scouts were placed under the command of Major Albert P. Morrow of the Ninth Cavalry at Fort Bayard, New Mexico. Gatewood's scouts skirmished with Victorio's band, but ultimately failed to capture him.
In May of 1881 he returned to Virginia on sick leave because he had developed rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
from exposure to the elements in his two years working with the Apache scouts in the harsh Southwest. He married Georgia McCulloh, the daughter of Thomas G. McCulloh and niece of Richard Sears McCulloh on June 23, 1881 in Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
. His sick leave expired in July and having not returned to his post, he was declared Absent without leave (AWOL). Gatewood returned to the Southwest on September 17, 1881 under the command of Colonel Eugene Asa Carr
Eugene Asa Carr
Eugene Asa Carr was a soldier in the United States Army and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
in his campaign against the Cibecue and White Mountain Apaches.
Geronimo's War
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
to take command of Indian operations in Arizona Territory. Crook was an experienced Indian fighter who had long since learned that regular soldiers were almost useless against the Apaches and had based his entire strategy on employing "Indians to fight other Indians". The Apache, as a mark of respect, nicknamed Crook Nantan Lupan, which means "Grey Wolf". Despite having subjugated all the major tribes of Apaches in the Territory; the Apaches had once again taken up arms, this time under the leadership of Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
. Crook repeatedly saw Geronimo and his band of warriors escape every time.
Knowing Gatewood's reputation as one of the army's "Best Apache Men", Crook made him Commandant of the White Mountain Indian Reservation at Fort Apache
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties. It is home to the federally recognized White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, a Western Apache tribe. It has a land area of 2,627.608...
under Emmet Crawford
Emmet Crawford
Emmet Crawford was an American soldier who rose through the ranks to become an officer. He was most noted for his time spent in the Arizona Territory under General George Crook in the United States Cavalry...
. Gatewood and Crook disagreed on handling of the reservation and treatment of the Apaches. After a clash with local politicians over grazing rights on reservation land, Crook had Gatewood transferred in 1885 to command Navajo Scouts
Navajo Scouts
The Navajo Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts between 1873 and 1895. Generally, the scouts were signed up at Fort Wingate for six month enlistments. In the period 1873 to 1885, there were usually ten to twenty-five scouts attached to units...
. That same year Crook resigned from the Army and Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
had him replaced by General Nelson Miles in the Geronimo Campaign.
Although Crook and Gatewood had a falling-out, Gatewood was regarded by Miles as a "Crook Man"; despite this and Gatewood's failing health, Miles knew that Gatewood was well known to Geronimo, spoke some Apache, and was familiar with their traditions and values; having spent nearly 10 years in the field with them and against them.
Gatewood was dispatched by General Miles to seek out Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
for a parley. On July 21, when he reached Carretas
San Nicolás de Carretas
San Nicolás de Carretas is a town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Gran Morelos.San Nicolás de Carretas was founded as a Franciscan mission in 1688....
, Chihuahua, Gatewood encountered another Army officer, Lieutenant James Parker of the 4th Cavalry, who had orders to follow Geronimo's trail. Parker told Gatewood, "The trail is all a myth—I haven't seen any trail since three weeks ago when it was washed out by the rains."
Despite his rapidly deteriorating health, Gatewood refused to quit and Parker guided him to Captain Henry Lawton, who was leading a mission to find and kill Geronimo with the Fourth Cavalry. It took two weeks through 150 miles of desertmountain ranges to locate Lawton on the banks of the Aros River
Aros River
-References:*Atlas of Mexico, 1975 .*The Prentice Hall American World Atlas, 1984.*Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....
on August 3, 1886. Lawton reluctantly allowed Gatewood and his scouts to join his command. Gatewood's health continued to deteriorate. On August 8 he asked Lawron's Surgeon, Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines. Early in his military career, he received the Medal of Honor. Wood also holds officer service #2 in the Regular Army...
, to medically discharge him, but Wood refused. On August 23, 1886, Gatewood led 25 men and two Apache scouts into the Sierra Madre and found Geronimo's camp: his band reduced to 20 men and 14 women and children. On August 24 Gatewood approached Geronimo's camp with only 2 soldiers: George Medhurst Wratten, who was fluent in all Apache dialects and one other; 2 interpreters: Tom Horn
Tom Horn
Thomas "Tom" Horn, Jr. was an American Old West lawman, scout, soldier, hired gunman, detective, outlaw and assassin. On the day before his 43rd birthday, he was hanged in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the murder of Willie Nickell.-Early life:Born to Thomas S. Horn, Sr...
and Jesús María Yestes; and two Chiricahua
Chiricahua
Chiricahua are a group of Apache Native Americans who live in the Southwest United States. At the time of European encounter, they were living in 15 million acres of territory in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States, and in northern Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico...
scouts: Kayitah, a Chokonen, and Martine, a Nedni, so as not to alarm the Apaches. Kayitah and Martine made the initial contact, being invited into the camp by the Bavispe River
Bavispe River
The Rio Bavispe or Bavispe River is a river in Mexico which flows briefly north then mainly south by southwest until it joins with the Aros River to become the Yaqui River, eventually joining the Gulf of California.-History:...
. Kayitah remained in the camp as a hostage while Martine left and returned with Gatewood and 15 pounds of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. After Gatewood made gifts of tobacco, Geronimo teased Gatewood about his thinness and sickly look, Gatewood was then told by Geronimo, "you are always welcome in my camp, and it was always safe for you to come". Gatewood encouraged Geronimo to abandon his fight against the US Army. When asked by Geronimo what Gatewood would do in his situation and to "think like an Apache", Gatewood advised him to "put your trust in Miles".
Agreeing to meet with General Miles, Geronimo's band rode with Gatewood to Lawton's camp in Guadalupe Canyon
Guadalupe Mountains (Hidalgo County)
The Guadalupe Mountains of Hidalgo County are a 13 mi long, sub– range in southwest Hidalgo County, New Mexico, adjacent the southeast border of Arizona's Cochise County. A small portion of the range is in Cochise County, namely the outlet of Guadalupe Canyon, famous for the Guadalupe...
, the entrance to the United States. Lawton received Geronimo and agreed to allow the Apaches to retain their weapons for defense against nearby Mexican troops. Lawton left for a heliograph
Heliograph
A heliograph is a wireless solar telegraph that signals by flashes of sunlight reflected by a mirror. The flashes are produced by momentarily pivoting the mirror, or by interrupting the beam with a shutter...
station to send word to Miles, leaving Lieutenant Abiel Smith in command. Smith and Wood wanted to disarm the Apaches because they were prisoners-of-war. Smith told Gatewood that he wanted a meeting with Geronimo's men, but Gatewood refused because he knew Smith wanted to murder Geronimo, rather than bring him to Miles. Smith persisted and Gatewood threatened to "blow the head off the first soldier in line", who was Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines. Early in his military career, he received the Medal of Honor. Wood also holds officer service #2 in the Regular Army...
, Wood left to write a dispatch and Gatewood turned to the next man, Smith, who finally relented.
The troops and the Apaches arrived at Skeleton Canyon
Skeleton Canyon
Skeleton Canyon is located northeast of the town of Douglas, Arizona, in the Peloncillo Mountains, which straddle the modern Arizona and New Mexico state line, in the New Mexico Bootheel region. This canyon connects the Animas Valley of New Mexico with the San Simon Valley of Arizona.Geronimo's...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, in the Peloncillo Mountains
Peloncillo Mountains (Hidalgo County)
The Peloncillo Mountains of Hidalgo County, , is a major 35-mi long mountain range of southwest New Mexico's Hidalgo County, and also part of the New Mexico Bootheel region. The range continues to the northwest into Arizona as the Peloncillo Mountains of Cochise County, Arizona...
without incident on September 2, 1886. Miles arrived on September 3, 1886, and Geronimo formerly surrendered for the fourth and final time on September 4. At the conclusion of the surrender, Geronimo turned to Gatewood and said to him, in Apache, "Good. You told the truth". The following day Naiche
Naiche
Chief Naiche was the final hereditary chief of the Chiricahua band of Apache Indians.-Background:Naiche name, which in English means "meddlesome one" or "mischief maker", is alternately spelled Nache, Nachi, or Natchez. He was the youngest son of Cochise and was named after his grandmother...
surrendered, he had been in a nearby canyon mourning his brother, who had been killed by Mexican soldiers, bringing the Apache wars to an official end in the Southwest.
Despite his success, Miles chastised Gatewood for "disobeying orders" as Gatewood made the final approach to Geronimo with only a party of 6 instead of 25. Gatewood reasoned that a larger party would have scared the Apache and made them flee. The city of Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, held a Gala event to celebrate Geronimo's surrender and invited Gatewood to be the guest of honor, but Miles refused to let him attend. Miles appointed Gatewood as his "Aide-de-Camp", to keep the lieutenant under scrutiny, Miles downplayed Gatewood's role in Geronimo's surrender mostly because it would have given legitimacy to Crook's strategy.
Ghost Dance War
In December 1890, Gatewood was reassigned to the Sixth Cavalry, H Troop. His regiment was ordered to South DakotaSouth Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
's Pine Ridge Agency in an operation against hostile Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
Indians but was not engaged in the final campaign that culminated in the tragedy at Wounded Knee
Wounded Knee Battlefield
The Wounded Knee Battlefield, known also as Wounded Knee, was the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890.As "Wounded Knee", an area was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1965....
in December. Gatewood developed rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
in both shoulders and was unable to move his arms, again due to the cold weather, in January and had medical orders to leave in February 1891 for Hot Springs, South Dakota
Hot Springs, South Dakota
Hot Springs is a city in Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,711. It is the county seat of Fall River County...
.
Johnson County War
By September 1891 Gatewood had recovered and he rejoined the Sixth Cavalry, then stationed at Fort McKinney, Wyoming. Wyoming was undergoing a range warRange war
A range war is a type of conflict that occurs in agrarian or stockrearing societies. Typically fought over water rights or grazing rights to unfenced/unowned land, it could pit competing farmers or ranchers against each other...
between ranchers and farmers that would be known as the Johnson County War
Johnson County War
The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River, was a range war which took place in April 1892 in Johnson County, Natrona County and Converse County in the U.S. state of Wyoming...
and the Sixth Cavalry was dispatched at the request of Acting Governor Amos W. Barber
Amos W. Barber
Dr. Amos Walker Barber was an American surgeon and politician. He was the second Governor of Wyoming after that state joined the Union in 1890....
. On May 18, 1892 cowboys from the Red Sash Ranch set fire to the Post exchange and planted a bomb in the form of gunpowder in a barracks stove. Gatewood was responding to the fire and was injured by a bomb blast in a barracks; his left arm was shattered, rendering him too disabled to serve in the Cavalry.
Soon after, The Ninth Cavalry of "Buffalo Soldiers" was ordered to Fort McKinney to replace the Sixth Cavalry.
Death and legacy
On November 19, 1892, Gatewood received orders for Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
to await his muster out of the Army. On June 4, 1894, he sought a position as the military advisor of El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County is the most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States, now more populous than Denver County. The United States Census Bureau concluded that the county population was 622,371 in 2010. In recent years, the population had come closer to that of Denver...
, to aid in the Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894
Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894
The Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894 was a five-month strike by the Western Federation of Miners in Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA. It resulted in a victory for the union and was followed in 1903 by the Colorado Labor Wars...
in Cripple Creek, Colorado
Cripple Creek, Colorado
The City of Cripple Creek is a Statutory City that is the county seat of Teller County, Colorado, United States. Cripple Creek is a former gold mining camp located southwest of Colorado Springs near the base of Pikes Peak. The Cripple Creek Historic District, which received National Historic...
, but was denied. In 1894 he retired from the Army and moved to Fort Myer, Virginia. In 1895 he was recommended for the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
by General Nelson A. Miles
Nelson A. Miles
Nelson Appleton Miles was a United States soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War.-Early life:Miles was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, on his family's farm...
, "for gallantry in going alone at the risk of his life into the hostile Apache camp of Geronimo in Sonora, August 24, 1886," but was denied by the acting Secretary of War because Gatewood never distinguished himself in hostile action. In 1896 he suffered excruciating stomach pains and went to a Veteran's Hospital in Fort Monroe, Virginia, for treatment. Gatewood died on May 20, 1896, of stomach cancer and his body was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
On May 23, 1896, Colonel D. S. Gordon, commander of the 6th Cavalry, issued General Order 19, which stated: "It is with extreme sorrow and regret that the Colonel commanding the regiment announced the death of First Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewood at Fort Monroe May 20. Too much cannot be said in honor of this brave officer and it is lamentable that he should have died with only the rank of a Lieutenant, after his brilliant services to the Government. That no material advantages reverted to him is regretted by every officer of his regiment, who extend to his bereaved family their most profound, earnest and sincere sympathy. As a mark of respect to his memory, the officers of the regiment will wear the usual badge of mourning for the period of 30 days."
His son, Charles B. Gatewood, Jr (January 4, 1883 – November 13, 1953), joined the Army and rose to the rank of colonel. He campaigned for recognition of his father's name and later compiled and published his father's memoirs.
Gatewood was portrayed by Jason Patric
Jason Patric
Jason Patric is an American film, television and stage actor. He may be best-known for his roles in the films The Lost Boys, Sleepers, Your Friends & Neighbors, Narc, The Losers and Speed 2: Cruise Control. His father was actor/playwright Jason Miller...
in the 1993 film Geronimo: An American Legend
Geronimo: An American Legend
Geronimo: An American Legend is a 1993 film, starring Wes Studi as Geronimo, Jason Patric as 1st Lt. Charles B. Gatewood, Gene Hackman as Brig. Gen. George Crook, Robert Duvall as Chief of Scouts Al Sieber, and Matt Damon as 2nd Lt. Britton Davis. The film was directed by Walter Hill from a...
.