[music]
Howdy I'm Bob Terry welcome to the
forsaken westerns. Up next from 1956 we
have an episode out of a almost
completely lost and almost completely
forgotten anthology series. It's amazing
this episode still exists. There are a
few actors that even though they've done
diverse roles, just to mention their name
makes you think about the westerns
they've done. Like John Wayne, Audie
Murphy, Randolph Scott, Gary Cooper. We
have such an actor in this episode. Our
stars in this episode are John Howard,
Richard Gaines, Rhoades Reason and the
very first appearance by Clint Eastwood
in a Western, as lieutenant Wilson. The
title of this episode is Cochise
greatest of the Apaches. Sit back relax
kick your boots up and enjoy this and we'll
see you after the show.
[music]
The war was over the wars of
expansion and development still smoldered
in the Far West. Most valiant in the
defense of his rights. Was Cochise an
Apache chief of the Chiricahua. When
commander after commander had failed to
bring him to heel,
Ulysses S. Grant then president of the
United States determined to put an end to these
bloody wars. He dispatched general Oliver
Otis Howard a civil war hero, founder of
Howard University to seek out Tom
Jeffords the only white man Cochise
admitted to his presence. General Howard
arrived at Fort Buchanan near Tucson in
the early autumn of 72.
[knock]
Come in. Mr. Jeffords is here sir.
Would you like to see him? Yes bring him in
at once Captain.
Well it was very good of you
to come to see me so promptly Mr. Jeffords.
Did I have a choice? Of course,
you're not under arrest!
Please sit down. I want your help Mr.
Jeffords. General if you've come here to
make war on Cochise you might as well
know now that you'll never get any help
from me. I came here to make peace with
Cochise peace! Peace? On whose terms,
his or yours? Fair terms Mr. Jeffords.
Fair terms to both of us. Of course it's
just barely possible that you personally
do not desire peace, that for you a state
of war is preferable. So you've been
hearing stories about me and Cochise have you?
According to one you were on a stagecoach
leaving Tucson. It was captured by
Apaches! The driver and all the other
passengers were killed but not you.
That's true. They tell of a number of
other occasions when you've fallen into
the hands of the Apaches, sometimes in
the company of other white men. Always
you're the only one who has escaped.
That's true too. They say you sell the
Indians whiskey and ammunition. That's a
lie! But the reason the Apaches never
kill you is that you bought them up. And
that's the biggest lie of all. Then why is
it that you alone have been spared by
this bloodthirsty savage? Bloodthirsty
savage?
You don't consider him a bloodthirsty
savage? I consider him a, if the army had
kept faith hadn't betrayed and
double-crossed him.
Had only understood. Have you any idea
how this war began General?
Yes I've read the reports. Cochise started
after kidnapping a half-breed child
named Mickey Free. The war was started by
one of your own soldiers, a 22 year old
second lieutenant fresh from West Point.
Before that Cochise was the best friend
Arizona territory had. You should have
seen it then, filling up with settlers
mining booming, ranchers prosperous and
the Chiricahua Apaches giving it all
their blessing. Pointing out their
precious waterholes, hauling firewood,
serving as Scouts. All because Cochise
told them to be friendly. Then your
lieutenant Bascom took a hand in the
game. He had nothing to go on but
suspicion, but he took his troops into
the Dragoon mountains and sent out an
invitation to Cochise to come and powwow
with him.
[footsteps]
So you're the great Cochise huh. Can you
understand English? I speak your language.
Good then we don't have to beat around the
bush. Where's the boy? What boy
do you ask? Mickey Free the boy who was
kidnapped. Let me tell you, if any harm
comes to him I'll take it out of your
hides.
Everyone one of you. My people have kidnapped
no one. You are mistaken!
The boy's father says it was a
Chiricahua warrior who took the child.
They were not Chiricahua. We are at
peace with the white man. The boy's father see who
took his son? Don't be impertinent.
Are you questioning the word of a white
man?
I have often helped the white man, I'd be
glad to do so again. I send warriors to
the other Apache tribes. If the child is
with one of them. You're a lying Indian!
You can't pull the wool over my eyes. You
know where that boy is all right! It's high
time we taught you beggars and who's
boss around here.
I'm putting you under arrest. You
understand?
I'm holding you as hostages until the
child is returned. If anything happens to that boy
I'll shoot you all down! You and your family
and any other Indian I can lay my hands on.
I'm no prisoner of yours! Follow me.
Guards, after him.
Put them under arrest.
He got away. You deliberately let him get
away. Of course not sir, one of the men
got him with a bayonet in the leg. He managed
to escape from the bush before we could
stop him. Then take a squad and follow him.
We couldn't catch Cochise! We'd be killed
before we got a mile away from here.
You'll find him all right. Because if he
isn't back here in 24 hours with the
kidnapped boy, I'll hang his whole family.
[music]
And that's the kind of spoiled brat the army
let kick around a man like Cochise.
Unfortunate. Unfortunate? It was tragic.
The report said the Cochise took white
hostages retaliation. Report, he captured
the soldiers sent after him and held him
in exchange for his family. He was sure
that Bascom would come to his senses.
[drums]
The boy soldier's new to this country. Some of
the older warriors will soon instill
wisdom. I cannot agree. Cochise is misled
by his desire for peace. We shall have no
peace until we destroy the white
soldiers. By force we shall never have
peace. There is no peace in war. Where are they?
Where are my chiefs who went to counsel with the
white soldiers? Where are they? Speak. Dead
all dead the white soldier fired on them
as they fled from the meeting place. My
family, my brother's, my child?
Dead also hanged by the neck.
And these are the men with whom you
would talk peace Oh Cochise? Peace with
white savages? Then let there be war, war
to the end. For every one of my people that
will be slain ten yes a hundred of the
enemy shall die. None will be spared in
this war. The next ten years were bloody ones.
Cochise kept his word and no white man
was ever safe in these territories again.
Does he expect to find justice in
violence? That's a funny thing for a
soldier to say general! Isn't war the way
to justice? I am a soldier who does not
believe in war. Battle never settle
anything except which side was the
strongest. I have heard Cochise say the same
thing general. How did you earn his trust
Mr. Jeffords? By trusting in him general.
It began when I got the job of
supervising the mail run, out of Tucson. I
didn't know how dangerous a job it was.
16 and my boys were killed the first few
weeks. 16? By that time I'd been studying
how to speak Apache. Not just the
language but the customs and the manners.
It occurred to me that maybe Cochise was
human, that I might reason with him. So I gambled.
[music]
Cochise, I have come a long way to see
you. You see me. You think now you leave
here alive? Yes. Why? Because I have come un
armed, openly
trusting in your fairness.
[footsteps]
Speak. I would speak of the men who work
for me,
carrying the white man's messages. These
messages are not signals in the war
against Apaches. Such messages are
carried by the military in special ways.
The men who work for me make their
living bringing the messages back and
forth. They do not seek trouble. They do
not cause trouble. I, I ask you to spare
their lives. There are Indians who caused your
people no harm. They were hunted like
animals and killed. Do the white men try to
find which Indians are good, which are
bad? No.
You asked me to be better than the white
men? Can an Indian be greater than a white
man? Any man can be great Cochise. If in
his heart he is great.
That was well said if what you say comes from the
heart, not from the mouth. What trick you
up to? White man who talks of equality
with an Indian as mischief in him. Is it
to spy on us? Speak the truth. Death we
take your life be Swift without torcher.
I speak the truth. When I say I come to
you as a friend,
to meet a friend. You never killed an Indian?
Never. Ever wish to? Never. Not even now?
When they stand around you ready to take your
life? Not even now.
Take this knife, now you have a chance to
kill your enemy plunge a knife into my
heart. Your death is already ordered and
you have nothing to lose. Plunge it into
my heart. Be avenged as you died.
[music]
Not you Cochise, but I will die if in doing
so you will be convinced that my words
are true and that they come from my
heart and not my mouth. Enough, I am
convinced we are friends. Over the years
our friendship grew and then one night
we became blood brothers.
Was it a trick? Did you merely
succeed not bluffing him? It was no trick,
I meant it and he knew I meant it.
I can well understand how Cochise regards you
as a friend. I too would like to think of
you as a friend. And as a friend asked
you to make it possible for me to meet
with Cochise. That will not be easy. I'm
the only white man with whom Cochise
will speak. I have promised never to
betray his confidence in me by bringing
another to him. I merely ask that you
convey to Cochise my great desire to
discuss as equals, the problem which
keeps our two nations from enjoying
peace. Two nations General? Not an inferior
race being dictated to by a superior
race? I use the word equals. I do not
regard the Indians as an inferior race
or an inferior nation. They are people
with rights that must be respected.
General, I will try. I cannot promise success,
but I will try. Because like you I long
to see peace brought again to this land.
To these people and to Cochise. Thank you
Perhaps we could arrange the meet on
neutral territory.
I will do my best to arrange it.
[music]
No my
brother I will not go to meet the
American general. It does not do well for
you that you asked me! I break my word
because I believe that from this meeting
some good may come. I do not doubt your
intentions, I doubt your wisdom. Because
of this meeting we again should be
betrayed my people would demand your life.
Then I will risk my life for what I
believe may be an open door to
everlasting peace, between your people
and mine. Again the knife turned at
your own heart. You are careless with
your life my brother. I believe in this
meeting and I believe in you and general
Howard. I believe that between you there
is a common ground of agreement. I will
see him, but he must come here to me. Will
you promise him safe conduct?
I promise nothing. Unless they are prevented your warriors will ambush him and
strike him down before he gets here. He
is a great soldier you tell me. Great
soldier cannot expect to win a battle,
not danger. Let your general begin the
fight by exposing himself. I will await
him. If he dare come at all.
[music]
But it's suicidal General. I'm definitely
opposed to your taking this journey.
I agree with captain Slayton sir, nothing
would suit the Indians more than to take
you prisoner. If anything happens to you
sir, she'll hold us all responsible.
I've already written an official report
to Washington, explaining what I'm doing
and freeing you of responsibility. It's
not official responsibility to concerns
me. I'm worried for your life General. Let
me attend you with a military escort.
That would only guarantee trouble. Agreed
The only way I can convince Cochise of
my sincerity is to accept his challenge.
Regardless of the risk that it entails.
Sir your imputing motives that Cochise
doesn't even understand. Why he's nothing
but a bloodthirsty savage. It maybe
something of a shock to you lieutenant
to learn the Cochise thinks exactly the
same about you. I beg you. You're throwing
your life away on a useless errand.
Whosoever will save his life shall lose
it, but whosoever will lose his life for
my sake the same shall save it.
[music]
We set out straight into the Dragoon mountains
the stronghold which no American officer
had previously dared approach.
[music]
You are brave man general. Not many white
soldiers would dare enter into my
country. Alone and unguarded. So I have
been told. You too would have been captured and
put to death long before you reached me.
Had you not been accompanied by my blood
brother, my good friend. It was his presence
that led me to believe I should make the
journey safely. You are wise. What do you
wish to speak to me? Of peace. Peace, that is
strange word to us.
There has been no peace for many years.
Amongst my people there are those who
cannot remember peace. By peace do you
mean slavery? Lies? Injustice? By peace I
mean the love that exists between
brothers, brothers who understand each
other, believe in each other and honor
each other.
Peace, on what terms?
[music]
I would like to persuade you to bring
your people to a fertile land on the Rio
Grande. No, my people will never be shut
up away on some small reservation! We'll
go wherever it suits us. We are a free
people. Not go to the Rio Grande.
Stay on a hunting ground we've always
known. Here from the Dragoon mountains up
to here, the Chiricahua mountains and
here the Peloncillo mountains and then
all the way down to here. That will be
the reservation of the Chiricahua
Apaches. That's impossible.
I will never get my government to
consent to anything so extensive. Peace
talk is ended.
These terms are unprecedented. However I will think them
over and return. I promised you nothing and
you came here. If you wish now, I will
come to you. Thank you. You will find me
at Fort Buchanan.
I will leave orders that you'll be
allowed to approach unharmed.
I will come to you there.
[bugle]
I have considered your peace terms Cochise.
They are harsh. Far in excess of what my
government had expected.
Tell your government my people prefer to
die, rather than accept less and what
they deserve.
No people deserve less than freedom. The
right to live in equality with their
neighbors. This is a Christian principle
stronger than the rights of government
or the whims of its leaders. There can be
no peace on earth with bad will toward
men. Peace goes hand in hand with
goodwill. On what terms and conditions
can good will be bought? That we shall have
peace on no terms and no conditions. That
we shall have peace because there is
peace in our hearts and because we
desire peace.
Let there be no bargaining, no
contracts. Take for your people what they
need let them live as it becomes a free
people to live. And in return let us live
as it becomes a free people to live.
Without fear, free of the oppression of
war.
That's a magnanimous statement General.
Will Grant back it up? I give you my word
that he will. I accept your way, because I
know that your word is not a light thing.
And I accept the peace you offer because
you have spoken things which I had never
expected to hear from the lips of any
man. It is true what you have said. Peace
cannot be had by guns or by treaties.
Peace can come only out of the hearts of
men when they truly desire peace. From this
moment your people they walk amongst
mine as brothers and we in turn shall
walk amongst yours as brothers. Let there
be an end to fighting.
[music]
Last time I had to cut my way out of a
tent. This time I shall walk through the door.
[music]
Well done General. Well done. Well
done Mr. Jeffords.
[music]
There's a lot of truth in this episode. The Spanish of the
Mexican settlements had a lot of trouble
with the Apaches dating back to the
1600s but in 1850 the United States
acquired the territory and a peace was
developed between the settlers and the
Apaches. In fact the Apaches are said to
supplied firewood to the Butterfield
stage station at Apache pass. But then
the wicked things that are shown in this
episode happened in 1861. Starting with a
Coyotero Apaches who are actually the
ones who kidnapped the boy and stole the
cattle. And the George Bascom accusing
and convicting the innocent. Strange how
the wicked actions of a few individuals
can set two ethnicities completely
against each other.
And thank God for good men of all races
that are willing to use their wisdom and
risk their lives to establish peace. My
name's Bob Terry, thank you for joining
us for the forsaken westerns. We hope
you'll join us again here next time. Have a great day.
[music]
