Original subtitles

They'll fight a delaying action.

Twenty-five, thirty warriors, maybe.

Hundred women and children.

That's it.

The warriors will turn and fight.

-No avoiding that. -No.

It'll give the women and children time to take cover.

One thing for damn sure, they already know we're here.

-Captain Ragsdale! -Sir.

Troopers on the flat, form a line!

Company!

-Mr. Ragsdale! -Sir!

Advance carbines.

Company! Advance carbines!

-Sound the march. -Bugler!

The Chiricahua Apache from the American Southwest...

...were the last of the great tribes to defy the United States government...

...and its effort to impose the reservation system.

The Army, under the command of Brigadier General George Crook...

...was entrusted with the responsibility of breaking this resistance.

His campaign ended the Chiricahua strongholds below the Mexican border.

Brought to a conclusion the conflict...

...that had raged through the Southwest for nearly two decades.

Tell old Nan and the others we're not going to hurt them.

We're not going anywhere.

We don't want to fight.

We came here to bring you to our reservation.

Tell your men that.

Nantan Lupan only wants peace with the Chiricahua.

Live on the reservation.

Only one Chiricahua warrior and his band of renegades held out.

Then, even he sent word that he would give himself up in two months time.

He was called Goyakla.

But years before, the Mexicans had given him another name:

Geronimo.

One month before my 22nd birthday...

...l reported for duty in the Arizona territory.

It was my first post into garrison life.

In looking back, it is now clear to me that I was as much a stranger to myself...

...as I was to the great western desert.

My name is Britton Davis.

I was a participant in what the Army later called the Geronimo Campaign.

It is my wish to throw some light upon the extraordinary events that I witnessed...

...and on the men that lived them.

The beginning of my life as a frontier soldier was at hand...

...and no amount of military training could disguise the excitement I felt.

-Howdy. -Welcome. It's good to see an army fellow.

Whiskey?

No, thank you, sir.

You don't have to 'sir' me, son.

I ain't no officer.

-Looks like you are, though. -Second Lieutenant Britton Davis.

-At your service. -Proud to know you.

Where you from, Lieutenant?

Born in Texas, near Brownsville.

Texas? Why, hell, son, I thought you was from back east!

Kind of got that manner about you.

Well, I been the last four years at West Point.

-Senor. -Yeah?

Soldados vienen.

My initial impression of First Lieutenant Charles Gatewood...

...remains distinct in my memory.

His brusqueness was entirely military, balanced by unfailing good manners.

In his most matter-of-fact way, he gave me my first order...

...as an officer of the United States Cavalry.

I was to accompany him south.

We were going to bring in Geronimo.

He's due in a few days.

We'Il go on down to the border and escort him to San Carlos.

About 75 miles to the border from here, Mr. Davis.

Plenty of time to get acquainted with your new mount.

-Sir? -Yes?

Just you and me?

The General figured that if we had Geronimo we didn't need much protection.

Yes, sir.

A small detachment means we're not threatening the hostiles.

You wouldn't want to pose a threat to Geronimo, would you?

No, sir.

The Lieutenant was a man of confidence and experience in the Apache wars.

In time I came to realise he was much admired by his peers...

...much respected by his superiors.

That's the border, Mr. Davis.

-How will he find us? -Easy. We're the only ones out here.

Lieutenant?

Apache medicine man.

Probably on a pilgrimage.

The Apaches, they believe in that power. It's a kind of...

...spirit they carry inside them.

Sir, Geronimo's just going to come on in and give himself up?

That's what he promised.

Chiricahua doesn't give his word much, but when he does, he keeps it.

As long as you keep yours.

When the medicine man joined our camp, I was filled with curiosity.

By personal inclination, Lieutenant Gatewood kept his own counsel.

He met questions from an inexperienced officer with patience and courtesy.

What fascinated me most...

...was his sympathy and knowledge of all things pertaining to the Apache.

You don't talk to them much, do you?

To an Apache, stillness is a pleasure.

It's something they're taught while they're young.

Helps someone who may have to hide and wait.

What's he singing about?

Trying to locate Geronimo.

Says he'Il be here tomorrow.

On a white horse.

Superstitious, aren't they?

$5 says he rides in here on a white horse.

Just because the medicine man says so?

You've got a bet, Lieutenant.

Question?

These scouts that we have with us, they're Apache.

Why would they work for the Army? Fight their own kind?

There are lots of different Apache tribes that don't much like each other.

Most of all, Apache go where the best fight is.

It's a morality, once you understand it.

All right, l'Il see your $2...

...and l'Il raise you $1 .

Lieutenant, just curious: are you a family man?

I have a son and a daughter.

They and my wife are back in Virginia.

-You must miss them. -Every hour of every day.

Goyakla is coming.

Rides a white horse.

You owe me $5, Mr. Davis.

I heard you were wearing the blue coat.

I did not believe it.

Now I know your heart.

First Lieutenant Charles P. Gatewood.

It is good to see the great warrior.

You speak pretty good Apache.

Second Lieutenant Britton Davis, Sixth Cavalry.

You are now under the protection of the United States Army.

We will escort you to General Crook at San Carlos.

Nantan Lupan waits for you with an open heart.

They are something.

Chiricahua are special.

Even amongst the Apache.

The second night of our trek to San Carlos, we put up at the Overland way station...

...at the foot of the Dragoon Mountains.

The following morning I had my first opportunity to write home...

...being careful to include in the letter an offhand reference to my participation...

...in the capture of Geronimo.

Two men are coming. Man with white hat carries shotgun.

I'm looking for the officer in charge.

Lieutenant Charles Gatewood at your service.

Heard the Army was travelling through with hostiles.

Especially one hostile in particular.

City Marshal Joe Hawkins, Tombstone.

Apaches over yonder are under arrest.

I'm deputizing you to hold these criminals until we get back...

...with a posse and a warrant.

These Apache are in our custody.

The warrant's going to specify murder of white citizens...

...horse thievery and hostile lndianism. Now, is that good enough for you?

We want to do what's right, which is hang them.

I have orders to turn these Apache in to General Crook.

The United States Army doesn't need your help.

Lieutenant....

Don't sass me, blue coat.

Great Geronimo.

I think you're nothing but a murdering red bastard.

I'd ride on if I were you, sir.

You seem to have provoked the hostiles.

And I don't think you want to get into a contest with the Sixth Cavalry.

Let me tell you something.

Even the Sixth Cavalry is subject to a Federal warrant.

Justice will be served...

...one way or the other.

Toothy.

Get the Apaches going, Mr. Davis.

Now.

Sir.

We moved north with all possible speed...

...but our pack mules prevented us from making good progress.

Around 4:00 in the afternoon, we caught sight of the Tombstone Posse.

Faced with the potential enemy that possessed superior numbers...

...Lieutenant Gatewood hit upon an unusual tactic.

He divided his forces.

He sent me ahead with the others, while he and Geronimo remained behind.

The lieutenant had two objectives.

First, to attempt a rear-guard protective action.

Second, and most important, never to lose sight of Geronimo.

Easy, steady!

What you seeing, Davy?

Looks like some of them split off.

Six or seven of them headed to San Carlos...

...other two up yonder.

That's more of a lynch mob than a posse.

But if they serve those warrants, l'm going to have to give you up.

You have a good long glass, Gatewood.

If I scare them off...

...we trade.

I can't let you kill any of those men.

That was a great shot.

Not so great, I aimed for his head.

We best catch up to Mr. Davis and the others now.

This your name?

Gatewood?

Yes.

A gift from my troops.

They must think you're a fine chief.

No.

Not a chief, just a soldier.

Your glass much better than mine.

Blue stone is valuable to Apache.

Well, thank you.

The following afternoon, we arrived at the military base...

...of operations at San Carlos.

This afforded me my first glimpse of General Crook...

...who the Apache called Nantan Lupan, Grey Wolf Chief.

Our arrival was laid out with great military ceremony.

The surrender of Geronimo was no small event.

General.

My compliments, Lieutenant.

Nantan Lupan.

It does my heart good to see you, Geronimo.

I accept your surrender.

I accept the surrender of a great warrior.

Now, let's have a cup of coffee and smoke a cigar.

Got a lot to talk about.

It's old Geronimo.

Good to see you, ain't it?

You know my friend, AI Sieber.

Yeah. I was always hoping to catch up to you myself, but...

...l guess l'Il never get that chance now.

-Mr. Sieber. -Lieutenant.

I see you have your cigar and coffee.

Lieutenant Gatewood told me of your trip up from the border.

Sounds like quite a story.

I'm glad to see that Geronimo's a man of his word.

Washington's ordered me to detain you here for a short period...

...and then send you and your band of Chiricahua on to Turkey Creek.

We keep our rifles for hunting.

Yes, but only on the reservation.

I'Il put one of my officers in charge there.

Gatewood.

No, l'm sorry, Lieutenant Gatewood is a company officer.

He has his responsibilities here.

Then we take Davis.

I like Davis.

I'm sure Mr. Davis will be a fine officer...

...but I had somebody more experienced in mind.

I like Davis.

-What do you think, Lieutenant? -I'm sure it will be his privilege...

...as well as his duty.

Mr. Davis, it is.

To be accompanied by a small detachment of soldiers.

The Apache will be under the protection of the United States Army.

Mr. Davis is young.

Young Apache, young White-Eye, the hope of the West.

Gatewood.

You come visit me.

I would like that.

I hope the wars are over, my friend.

Nantan Lupan wants the Chiricahua to learn to be farmers.

It's their only chance.

They must change.

The old days are gone.

Nantan Lupan says there must be no leaving this reservation...

...even for a few hours without permission.

There must be no drinking of whiskey or Tizwin.

Any violations of these rules...

...will result in confinement in an Army prison stockade.

He want to know why these rules.

Why they be punished?

What you care if Apache drink? Soldier drink.

Nantan Lupan says if Apache drink, Apache fight.

Apache get into trouble.

It's bad for everyone.

It's bad for the Apache, it's bad for soldiers...

...bad for all the White-Eyes.

Say, why, if some Apache do bad things, all are punished?

That will not happen.

All Apache should not be punished for the mistakes of only a few.

We will determine who is responsible and only those few will be punished.

Six weeks after I took up residence at Turkey Creek, Lieutenant Gatewood...

...and AI Sieber came to visit.

Sieber, as Chief of Scouts, was in charge of recruiting Apache for the Army.

Hello there, Mangas. Just the fellow I want to see.

I want you to join the Army, all right?

Wolves with blue coats, scouts to help us fight the renegades.

You'Il be a sergeant, wear a blue coat, stripes on your coat, with Army pay.

I don't know, Sieber.

Well, you are a warrior. You hunt men.

You'Il make your woman, make your children proud of you.

Mexicans, they took my wife, my little boy.

Maybe the Army could help get them back.

I think maybe I stay here.

If I was asking you out on a raiding party, I expect you'd be a lot more willing.

Federal government had forced over 500 Chiricahua...

...to take up residence within Turkey Creek's narrow borders.

Corn was the main crop, but the land was not fertile enough to be self-sufficient.

The Chiricahua became dependent on government supplies for their well-being.

Gatewood. You come to visit me.

Makes my heart glad to see Geronimo.

How's the life of a farmer?

Some Apaches are good farmer.

Others miss the old way.

I'm not good farmer, Gatewood.

I have come here to visit my friend...

...but I have some questions I need to ask you.

There are rumours that a medicine man is speaking against the White-Eye.

That he is calling for a return to the war trail.

It was told by a medicine man...

...many more Apache would die fighting White-Eye.

And in the end...

...we will win because we will die free of them.

Is the only way for an Apache to be free...

...to die?

Well, which medicine man is this? I should talk to him.

Find out what he's saying.

There are many.

Some have the power.

Some just talk.

He's a warrior.

Every bit born in battle.

Fighting a lost cause.

I'm familiar with the type.

My two older brothers and my father fought for the Army of Northern Virginia.

My oldest brother was killed.

My father was wounded, crippled.

After the war, he took me aside and said, 'You'Il carry the new flag.'

Sent me off to the Academy.

First of my family north of the Mason-Dixon line.

So, like our friend, I know what it's like to hate the blue coat.

Before the White-Eye came we had a good life.

Now we are forced to stay on this tiny piece of land.

The White-Eye do not understand the way of the Apache.

The medicine man at Cibecue is called the Dreamer.

He says the dead chiefs will rise.

He says the Apache are the true keepers of the land.

I will go to him.

I want to hear his words.

Today while Gatewood talked with me, I looked into my power.

I saw a white horse running.

I saw signs of war.

Nothing so concentrated the bureaucratic mind...

...in dealing with the lndians as rumours of a troublesome medicine man.

When a religious leader showed up among the tribes...

...preaching doctrines perceived to be dangerous, the government policy...

...was to have the Army deal with it immediately.

I am here by order of General Crook.

Nantan Lupan.

The dead chiefs will not rise if you are here.

The White-Eye must leave. I pray this will happen.

This dance is a demonstration hostile to the citizens of the United States.

And this demonstration is unlawfully assembled.

I order you to stop at this instant!

Stop that!

Stop him! Arrest him!

Watch it!

You didn't have to shoot him, goddamn it! I can handle this myself!

-What's he got there? -He had a rock!

He has not done nothing!

We're not bothering no one!

You leave here!

You leave us alone!

Arrest him! Arrest Geronimo!

Where is your heart?

Arrest Geronimo! Arrest him!

-David never really-- -General Crook. Telegram, sir.

Pardon me.

Get a staff officer to me immediately.

Captain Ragsdale. Now!

General?

Geronimo's jumped Turkey Creek.

The Apache are out.

It all blew up at Cibecue.

Whole damn thing is a shambles.

Geronimo has taken half of the reservation with him.

Men, women and children.

Spread the word. All officers to their commands.

Yes, sir.

Geronimo had quickly divided his forces into small bands...

...each headed for Mexico.

By the day after Cibecue, Crook had five columns in the field.

The Geronimo Campaign had begun.

On the point!

Circle back!

Sir?

Yes, I see them, Mr. Davis.

Steady in the rank.

Go slow.

Beg your pardon, sir.

Do we attack?

Hold the column.

Sergeant!

Steady in the rank!

Steady!

-Sergeant. -Column halt!

Whatever happens, the Apache will take off.

Don't let the column pursue at speed.

Whenever you can, you choose your ground to fight on.

Chato?

What the hell is going on?

Raiding party, split off from Goyakla.

Apache challenge Gatewood to come out and fight.

Want to show off power to other Chiricahua.

Chato.

Is there anything that should be done?

Geronimo's band had gone east into the copper mining country...

...of the low hills.

His tactics were resupply at the expense of the civilians...

...who had settled on Chiricahua land.

This is Apache land.

This has always been Apache land!

We ain't never done nothing to you. I mean, it ain't right.

Stop crying, damn it!

He's going to kill you anyway.

We make things out of this country!

There was nothing here before us, there'd be nothing if we left it to you.

You are a fool...

...but at least you are brave.

Get off Apache land.

The next time, I will kill you.

Detail halt!

-Troops, right, straight! -Left, right, face.

'The Apache known as Dandy Jim and Skip-Hey...

'...have been found guilty by the Military Court, Department of Arizona...

'...of insurrection at Cibecue Creek.

'The Apache Dead Shot...

'...Sergeant, Military Scouts, Sixth Cavalry...

'...been found guilty of treason.

'The sentence of the court for the three prisoners...

'...is death by hanging.'

Do any of you have anything to say to me as Chaplain?

Are any of you Christians?

Nantan Lupan...

...l give you my hat.

Maybe you think my wife, my baby.

Don't trust the White-Eye.

With them there is no right way.

I am not afraid of their preacher.

The One God will welcome me.

There's three of them.

The driver should be nearby.

They didn't have to kill them just to get their horses.

No, they didn't.

AI Sieber had had his wound from Cibecue cauterised with a hot poker...

...and was back in the saddle the following day.

All told, he had suffered 17 gunshot and arrow wounds...

...in his many years of fighting Apache.

The General wants to deploy me and Dutchy to your column.

How's that wound, Mr. Sieber?

Which one?

Down here, here, here, here?

Hell, l'm in real good. Ain't slowing me down none.

We came across an overland. Four dead, horses gone.

If they've burned two spreads off to the west...

...they've picked up horses, food, a lot of ammunition.

I figure l'Il just keep tracking off to those hills there.

All right.

Mr. Davis, you and Sergeant Mulrey stick with Mr. Sieber.

Be sure that he gets back to the column by sundown.

Yes, sir.

That raiding party is real close.

Yup.

I want you to ride for the column.

Bring them back to pick up this trail.

On the double, pronto, go on, get out of here!

You take him!