Post by gregor on Nov 25, 2017 13:00:36 GMT -5
During my occupation with the Chiricahua Apaches and their fate as a prisoners of war, I repeatedly came across the name "George Wratten".
Here is what I compiled about this interesting person.
Wratten, George Medhurst
1865 - 1912
George Medhurst Wratten Junior was a well trusted interpreter, supporter and supervisor of the Chiricahua Apaches. He accompanied them into exile/captivity to Florida, Alabama and Oklahoma, caring very much about their welfare for over 20 years.
His parents were of English descent; his father George Senior - a Lawyer - moved his family from Sonoma (California) to Arizona in 1879. There are different versions of the further development. One says that George Senior worked for the San Carlos Agency and his intelligent son spent his teenage years among Apaches and so learning their dialects fluently. In addition to the Apache dialects Wratten Junior learned Spanish and won – most important – the respect and friendship of not a few Apaches. The later known Apache scouts Ahnandia and Rogers Toclanni, a brother-in-law of Geronimo, called George Junior “brother”.
Another version says that 14 year old George became restless in his new home and obtained permission to live with his older sister in nearby Globe (Arizona). Later that year young Wratten went from Globe to San Carlos Reservation where he arrived late 1879. It took him several days to arrive there riding a broken-down burro and possessing nothing more than a bridle, a rope, and the clothes on his back. He worked at various jobs in the trading post, as a mule packer and from 1881 as a scout and interpreter.
On April 15, 1955, Jason Betzinez stated in an interview with George Wratten’s son Albert:
“I have known George Wratten ever since he was 16 years old. He ran away from his home in Florence, Arizona, and came to San Carlos with a party of people who built a general store and young Wratten was one of the clerks in the store, where he was in daily contact with the Indians constantly, and soon learned their language. The Apache Indian language is the hardest to learn but young Wratten exceptionally learned and understood the language in such a short time and as far as we know there isn’t another white man who can speak the Apache language as freely as George M. Wratten.”
In 1886 Wratten was selected by Lt. Charles B. Gatewood to be a part of the expedition that went into Mexico to find Geronimo and his band. He was present during Gatewood’s conference with Geronimo (September 4, 1886) and assisted Gatewood and Captain Henry Lawton in escorting the Apaches back across the border to Skeleton Canyon.
When Geronimo’s renegades were taken to Fort Bowie, Wratten went with them. He was also on the Train to Florida and moved with them from Fort Pickens (Florida) to Mount Vernon Barracks (Alabama) and to Fort Sill (Oklahoma). On their way to Florida the train was stopped at San Antonio, where the band lived from September 19 to October 22. On October 25 the Geronimo group reached Pensacola, where the men were separated from the women and children. The women and children were sent to Fort Marion, the 15 men – and Wratten - were taken to Fort Pickens. George Wratten would not leave his friends and was in constant contact with these people up until the point of his death in 1912. In April 1887 the men were reunited with their families.
In May 1888 the Fort Pickens prisoners joined the remaining Chiricahuas at Mount Vernon Barracks in Alabama. In the same year Wratten married 17 years old Nah-goy-yah-kizn (aka Annie, abt. 1871 – 1913), a young Apache woman with Chokonen and Chihenne roots. George and Annie had two daughters, Amy (1890 - 1956) and Blossom (1894 – 1981). About 1894 Wratten and Annie divorced and in 1899 he would marry Julia Elizabeth Cannon from Mount Vernon. George and Julia had three sons and two daughters. And Annie? She married Talbot Gooday. George and Annie’s daughter Amy married Richard Imach and would become the mother of the famous Fort Sill Apache Tribe chairperson, Mildred Imach Cleghorn (1910 – 1997).
In 1894 the trust between Wratten and Geronimo got cracks. Geronimo unsuccessful appealed to the Fort Sill commander to remove Wratten as interpreter and Culture mediator. It is said that Geronimo hoped to succeed Wratten by a relative who was sent back from Carlisle Indian School.
Beginning October 1894 the whole Chiricahua group was moved from Mount Vernon to Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Under George Wratten’s supervision the Apaches started building Houses, which were clustered in small groups. Each little hamlet was led by a chief. Normally the former rancheria leaders: Naiche , Geronimo, Perico, Chatto etc.
After the turn of the century Wratten and Geronimo were reunited for a big event. On March 4, 1905 the new President Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated. Geronimo was invited to take part in the Inaugural Parade and Wratten accompanied the chief to Washington. The day after the parade both were interviewed at their Hotel. For the first and only time Wratten commented his relationship to Geronimo and Indians at large.
Wratten said: ”The best way to get along with an Indian is to make him a pal … what civilization or education he [Geronimo] has, he owes to me. He will print his name for you if you ask him. He is very fond of doing that”. Hearing that Geronimo wrote his name on a card and offered it to the journalist, obviously he understood more English than he wanted to admit.
In February 1908 George Wratten resigned his position and went with his wife Julia “Bessie” Cannon back to Mount Vernon. Not successful with his enterprises, he returned to Fort Sill after two years. At that time he was in bad health. This condition deteriorated rapidly, when the doctors diagnosed tuberculosis.
Wratten died on June 23, 1912. He was buried at Fort Sill (Oklahoma).
Here is what I compiled about this interesting person.
Wratten, George Medhurst
1865 - 1912
George Medhurst Wratten Junior was a well trusted interpreter, supporter and supervisor of the Chiricahua Apaches. He accompanied them into exile/captivity to Florida, Alabama and Oklahoma, caring very much about their welfare for over 20 years.
His parents were of English descent; his father George Senior - a Lawyer - moved his family from Sonoma (California) to Arizona in 1879. There are different versions of the further development. One says that George Senior worked for the San Carlos Agency and his intelligent son spent his teenage years among Apaches and so learning their dialects fluently. In addition to the Apache dialects Wratten Junior learned Spanish and won – most important – the respect and friendship of not a few Apaches. The later known Apache scouts Ahnandia and Rogers Toclanni, a brother-in-law of Geronimo, called George Junior “brother”.
Another version says that 14 year old George became restless in his new home and obtained permission to live with his older sister in nearby Globe (Arizona). Later that year young Wratten went from Globe to San Carlos Reservation where he arrived late 1879. It took him several days to arrive there riding a broken-down burro and possessing nothing more than a bridle, a rope, and the clothes on his back. He worked at various jobs in the trading post, as a mule packer and from 1881 as a scout and interpreter.
On April 15, 1955, Jason Betzinez stated in an interview with George Wratten’s son Albert:
“I have known George Wratten ever since he was 16 years old. He ran away from his home in Florence, Arizona, and came to San Carlos with a party of people who built a general store and young Wratten was one of the clerks in the store, where he was in daily contact with the Indians constantly, and soon learned their language. The Apache Indian language is the hardest to learn but young Wratten exceptionally learned and understood the language in such a short time and as far as we know there isn’t another white man who can speak the Apache language as freely as George M. Wratten.”
In 1886 Wratten was selected by Lt. Charles B. Gatewood to be a part of the expedition that went into Mexico to find Geronimo and his band. He was present during Gatewood’s conference with Geronimo (September 4, 1886) and assisted Gatewood and Captain Henry Lawton in escorting the Apaches back across the border to Skeleton Canyon.
When Geronimo’s renegades were taken to Fort Bowie, Wratten went with them. He was also on the Train to Florida and moved with them from Fort Pickens (Florida) to Mount Vernon Barracks (Alabama) and to Fort Sill (Oklahoma). On their way to Florida the train was stopped at San Antonio, where the band lived from September 19 to October 22. On October 25 the Geronimo group reached Pensacola, where the men were separated from the women and children. The women and children were sent to Fort Marion, the 15 men – and Wratten - were taken to Fort Pickens. George Wratten would not leave his friends and was in constant contact with these people up until the point of his death in 1912. In April 1887 the men were reunited with their families.
In May 1888 the Fort Pickens prisoners joined the remaining Chiricahuas at Mount Vernon Barracks in Alabama. In the same year Wratten married 17 years old Nah-goy-yah-kizn (aka Annie, abt. 1871 – 1913), a young Apache woman with Chokonen and Chihenne roots. George and Annie had two daughters, Amy (1890 - 1956) and Blossom (1894 – 1981). About 1894 Wratten and Annie divorced and in 1899 he would marry Julia Elizabeth Cannon from Mount Vernon. George and Julia had three sons and two daughters. And Annie? She married Talbot Gooday. George and Annie’s daughter Amy married Richard Imach and would become the mother of the famous Fort Sill Apache Tribe chairperson, Mildred Imach Cleghorn (1910 – 1997).
In 1894 the trust between Wratten and Geronimo got cracks. Geronimo unsuccessful appealed to the Fort Sill commander to remove Wratten as interpreter and Culture mediator. It is said that Geronimo hoped to succeed Wratten by a relative who was sent back from Carlisle Indian School.
Beginning October 1894 the whole Chiricahua group was moved from Mount Vernon to Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Under George Wratten’s supervision the Apaches started building Houses, which were clustered in small groups. Each little hamlet was led by a chief. Normally the former rancheria leaders: Naiche , Geronimo, Perico, Chatto etc.
After the turn of the century Wratten and Geronimo were reunited for a big event. On March 4, 1905 the new President Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated. Geronimo was invited to take part in the Inaugural Parade and Wratten accompanied the chief to Washington. The day after the parade both were interviewed at their Hotel. For the first and only time Wratten commented his relationship to Geronimo and Indians at large.
Wratten said: ”The best way to get along with an Indian is to make him a pal … what civilization or education he [Geronimo] has, he owes to me. He will print his name for you if you ask him. He is very fond of doing that”. Hearing that Geronimo wrote his name on a card and offered it to the journalist, obviously he understood more English than he wanted to admit.
In February 1908 George Wratten resigned his position and went with his wife Julia “Bessie” Cannon back to Mount Vernon. Not successful with his enterprises, he returned to Fort Sill after two years. At that time he was in bad health. This condition deteriorated rapidly, when the doctors diagnosed tuberculosis.
Wratten died on June 23, 1912. He was buried at Fort Sill (Oklahoma).
