Hero of Apache Wars Transferred to Fort McKinney

Photo of Fort McKinney parade ground, circa 1884 courtesy of Johnson County Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum

In the movie, “Geronimo, An American Legend, one of the soldiers who was instrumental in getting Geronimo to agree to surrender was Lt. Charles B. Gatewood, played by Jason Patric. At the end of the movie, Gatewood is riding away, and the narrator said he was ‘reassigned to a remote post in Wyoming.” That remote Wyoming post was Fort McKinney, in Buffalo.

While in Arizona, Gatewood, a Lieutenant in the 6^th Cavalry fought against Geronimo and his forces, during which time the Apache’s began to respect Gatewood. He was known to them as Bay-chen-daysen, or Long Nose.

In 1886, General Nelson A. Miles sent Gatewood and a party, which included Scout Tom Horn, to find Geronimo and persuade him to surrender. Many feel that history does not afford Gatewood enough credit for helping to stop the Apache Wars in Arizona.

After Geronimo’s surrender, the city of Tuscon held a gala event to celebrate and invited Gatewood to be the guest of honor, but General Miles refused to let him attend. Miles downplayed Gatewood’s role in Geronimo’s surrender mostly because it would have given legitimacy to Crook’s strategy.

After the Arizona wars, in February of 1891 Gatewood and his 6^th Cavalry troop was reassigned to Fort Mckinney, near Buffalo, Wyoming.After the long running battles with the Apaches, the 6^th Cavalry must have felt that Fort McKinney was a rest stop, as is evidenced by a June 18^th Buffalo Bulletin, article.

The headline reads,

“Last Nights Reception (at Fort McKinney) was one of the most brilliant ever held in Northern Wyoming.

The reception was held for Colonel Van Horn, the new commandant of the 8^th infantry. For two days officers and their ladies pillaged their trunks and wardrobes for their suits, silks and jewels. The lavishness and splendor of color appeals to tho imagination. The hall where the reception was held looked surprisingly beautiful. The decorations were unique pleasing to the eye. On the walls were pretty designs made from bayonets and sabers, troop and company guidons, while in front of the stage was a miniature forest of evergreens, and behind that the infantry band was discoursing lovely music. Many of the officers were in evening dress, while others were full dress uniforms, every one of them looking like a true Knight. Those present at the reception were Colonel James Van Horn and wife… and several others including Lieut. Gatewood and wife.

However, the year 1892 was full of unrest in Buffalo. In April of 1892, the 6^th Cavalry was called up to ride to the TA Ranch, to stop the fighting between the cattlemen and the homesteaders, and arrest the invaders and take them to the fort.

Later in May, while the invaders were being held at the fort, there was an incident involving arsonists who set fire to the Post Exchange Building. In attempting to save other buildings at the fort, Lt. Gatewood was badly injured.

In the Sundance Gazette, May 27, 1892 the following article appeared:

Special Dispatch to The Sun. Fort McKinnev, May 18.— Fire broke out early this morning in the canteen building at Fort McKinney and entirely destroyed the cavalry quarters and canteen. Lieut. Gatewood, the captor of Geronimo, and a private of the Sixth cavalry, volunteered to enter and blow up the building to arrest the progress of the fire.

The powder exploded prematurely, blowing Gatewood across the room. A cry was raised that another bag of powder was yet to exploded and all were warned back from the building.

In the face of this a private, whose name we could not learn, dashed forward to the rescue of Lieut. Gatewood. The latter emerged from the building as it collapsed and both his and his and his intended rescuer were crushed by the falling timber. The latter’s arm was broken. Lieut. Gatewood was much burnt and his left arm badly shattered from the elbow down, but although his injuries are very severe, they are not thought to be dangerous. The two cavalry troops are now under canvas on the parade ground.

After recovering from his wounds, the following brief post appeared in the Buffalo Bulletin on Oct 6, 1892.

Lieut. Gatewood, 6th cavalry, left on Friday of last week for Fort Casper to be to be examined for promotion to the rank of captain.

It appears this commission never went through.

He was also nominated for the Medal of Honor, in his work with Geronimo, but was denied the award

Gatewood, according to history, was not strong physically and soon after the Fort Mckinney incident he was granted a discharge and moved first to Denver, then back to Virginia, where he was born, and where he died on May 20, 1896. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Lt. Charles Gatewood was married and had at least one child, a son, Charles B. Gatewood, Jr. (1883–1953). Charles Gatewood Jr, also joined the Army attaining the rank of colonel. He campaigned for recognition of his father’s name and later compiled and published his father’s memoirs.

From Arizona and the Apache Wars to Buffalo, Wyoming and the Johnson County Invasion, Gatewood was a soldier and did his duty honorably. Unfortunately, history doesn’t always reward those who deserved the recognition. In the words of historian Louis Kraft, Gatewood’s reward for the capture of Geronimo was “…obscurity.”