Background
George Crook was born on September 8, 1828, on a farm near Taylorsville, Ohio, United States; the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Matthews Crook.
( Renowned for his prominent role in the Apache and Sioux...)
Renowned for his prominent role in the Apache and Sioux wars, General George Crook (182890) was considered by William Tecumseh Sherman to be his greatest Indian-fighting general. Although Crook was feared by Indian opponents on the battlefield, in defeat the tribes found him a true friend and advocate who earned their trust and friendship when he spoke out in their defense against political corruption and greed. Paul Magids detailed and engaging narrative focuses on Crooks early years through the end of the Civil War. Magid begins with Crooks boyhood on the Ohio frontier and his education at West Point, then recounts his nine years military service in California during the height of the Gold Rush. It was in the Far West that Crook acquired the experience and skills essential to his success as an Indian fighter. This is primarily an account of Crooks dramatic and sometimes controversial role in the Civil War, in which he was involved on three fronts, in West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia. Crook saw action during the battle of Antietam and played important roles in two major offensives in the Shenandoah Valley and in the Chattanooga and Appomattox campaigns. His courage, leadership, and tactical skills won him the respect and admiration of his commanding officers, including Generals Grant and Sheridan. He soon rose to the rank of major general and received four brevet promotions for bravery and meritorious service. Along the way, he led both infantry and cavalry, pioneered innovations in guerrilla warfare, conducted raids deep into enemy territory, and endured a kidnapping by Confederate partisans. George Crook offers insight into the influences that later would make this general both a nemesis of the Indian tribes and their ardent advocate, and it illuminates the personality of this most enigmatic and eccentric of army officers.
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George Crook was born on September 8, 1828, on a farm near Taylorsville, Ohio, United States; the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Matthews Crook.
George Crook was appointed to the U. S. Military Academy in 1848. Four years later he graduated thirty-eighth in a class of 56 and was commissioned a lieutenant of infantry.
Assigned to the Pacific Northwest, he spent the next 9 years exploring the area and fighting Indians. During the Civil War, Crook was appointed colonel of the 38th Ohio Infantry, in command of the Department of West Virginia. By 1865, having distinguished himself in numerous battles, he was commissioned a major general of volunteers. At the end of the Civil War, Crook reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and commanded the 23rd Infantry, which was headquartered at Boise, Idaho. He campaigned against Native Americans until 1871, when President Grant sent him to command the Department of Arizona. By this time he usually wore a weather-beaten canvas suit and a Japanese summer hat but no military trappings of any type, not even a symbol of his rank. Because of his manner of dress and his peculiar whiskers, the Apache dubbed him "Gray Fox. "
In 1875 Crook was transferred to command the Department of the Platte, where he had to contend with the Sioux. His success on the northern plains was not so great as it had been in the Southwest, and in 1882 he returned to quell disorders in the Department of Arizona. He quickly restored order, forcing renegade Apache to return to their reservation. He also conducted the final Geronimo campaign of May 1885 through March 1886, which brought Geronimo to the conference table, where surrender terms were arranged. Geronimo returned to the Sierra Madre of Mexico, however, and Crook was pressured into asking for a transfer. Politics dictated a military solution to the Apache wars, while Crook believed in diplomacy. In 1886 Crook resumed command of the Department of the Platte; then, in 1888, upon his promotion to major general, he was assigned the Division of the Missouri, with headquarters in Chicago. He died there on March 21, 1890.
Using unorthodox techniques, such as the enlistment of Apache scouts to guide his troops, Crook quickly brought peace to Arizona. For this feat he received a spectacular promotion in 1873, from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general. In his years in the West he fought corrupt Indian agents and spoke and wrote in favor of granting the Indians full citizenship and the right to vote. Crook County in Wyoming and Oregon were named for him, as was the town of Crook, Colorado.
( Renowned for his prominent role in the Apache and Sioux...)
Crook was a model soldier-fearless, modest, a good listener. He did not drink or use strong language.
His wife, Mary, supported him throughout his long and colorful career.
