GERONIMO AND CHATTO - FRIENDS APART

The two Chiricahua leaders were friends for over three decades until in 1885 when Geronimo angered Brig. General George Crook and he sent his most loyal scout, Chatto after the renegade Apache.

'I am willing to lay down my life for Crook.' Chatto, 1885

In 1886 Brigadier General Crook had every reason to believe the ten month long Geronimo war was over. For three days he had discussed terms of surrender with the Chiricahua leaders Geronimo, Naiche and Chihuahua. The Apaches had finally agreed to peace on the 27th March 1886.

Crook gave the credit for the peace talks to his chief scout, Chatto often spelt Chato) who had led Crook and his army into the Apache camp where Geronimo and the rest of the hostiles were hiding out.

Geronimo and Chatto had once been firm friends but by now they detested each other, with Geronimo claiming that Chatto was serving the whites against his own people and had sold his soul.

'Geronimo is such a liar that I can't believe a word he says.' General Crook 1890

Geronimo died in 1909. He was a prisoner of war at the time of his death.

Chatto died in 1934 from complications after an auto mobile accident.

History remembers Chatto as a traitor to his own race but the chief firmly believed that by helping the whites he was better serving his people. While Geronimo is a symbol of freedom and great courage. This history however is much more complicated and fascinating.


See Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown for an excellent and exhaustive look at the American Indian wars, including the Geronimo/Chatto saga

Wild West round -up

Present day Salt Lake City, Utah - Lee Redmond, 67, had not cut his fingernails since 1979 and was listed in the Guinness book of records as having the world's longest fingernails. Their combined length was 28 feet, with the longest single nail being on her right thumb and measured 35 inches. However the nails were snapped when Ms. Reed suffered a serious car accident in Feb 2009.

Get this - two thieves were arrested with a large bag of frozen food after a robbery at a meat plant in Kansas. The arresting officer was named Clayton Frost.

The Oklahoma based Cherokee Nation now have their own cultural tourism website. CherokeeTourismok.com
Is now online and has been since Jan 2009. It's a great site with some nice history features of famous member of the tribe.


Sopranos creator is working on a new series called Hollywood for HBO. The series is to be set in 1913 and it is strongly expected to feature many plots involving early western film making. Expect characters based on John Wayne, John Ford and Raoul Walsh

The fight over Geronimo's remains put forward by the Indian chief's great grandson who wants the warrior remains reburied back in New Mexico has taken a bizarre turn. It seems that a 1918 letter which was discovered three years ago claims that Geronimo's skull was stolen by the Skulls and Crossbones Society. Members of the society which is still active include George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush and Senator John Kerry.

Dorchester publishing continue their Zane Grey reprint line by this month publishing Dorn of the Mountains. This is actually the first time the book has been available in paperback. Something to get classic western fans excited.

Rumours are that Mel Gibson, Kurt Russel and Robert Duvall are in the running to play the Rooster character in the Coen brothers re-make of True Grit. Russel did create his own one eyed icon in John Carpenter's Escape to New York and starred in the western classic, Tombstone so he may be a good choice. Gibson's western credits are the Maverick re-make. Duvall though appeared in the original True Grit and has many western credits including the brilliant Lonesome Dove. The Archive thinks both Russel and Duvall could do it fine with possibly a slight bias towards Duvall because of his age. But the dream casting would be Clint Eastwood.