Description
A legendary warrior and shaman recounts the beliefs and customs of his people in one of Native American history's most extraordinary documents. “He and his men were the terror of the country, always leaving a trail of bloodshed and devastation.” -The New York Times “I am thankful that the President of the United States has given me permission to tell my story. I hope that he and those in authority under him will read my story and judge whether my people have been rightly treated.” “Because he has given me permission to tell my story; because he has read that story and knows I try to speak the truth; because I believe that he is fair-minded and will cause my people to receive justice in the future; and because he is chief of a great people, I dedicate this story of my life to Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States. Geronimo The initial idea of the compilation of this work was to give the reading public an authentic record of the private life of the Apache Indians, and to extend to Geronimo as a prisoner of war the courtesy due any captive, i. e., the right to state the causes which impelled him in his opposition to our civilization and laws. If the Indians' cause has been properly presented, the captives' defense clearly stated, and the general store of information regarding vanishing types increased, I shall be satisfied. I desire to acknowledge valuable suggestions from Maj. Charles Taylor, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Dr. J. M. Greenwood, Kansas City, Missouri, and President David R. Boyd, of the University of Oklahoma. I especially desire in this connection to say that without the kindly advice and assistance of President Theodore Roosevelt this book could not have been written.” Respectfully, S. M. Barrett. Lawton, Oklahoma. August 14, 1906.
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