General George Crook Character Analysis in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

George Crook is, along with General William Sherman, the most complex and ambiguous white character in the book. A brutal, notoriously cruel general in the 1870s, Crook was responsible for the forced relocation of the Apache tribe, and the long manhunt that culminated in the killing of the Apaches’ leaders. But in the 1880s, Crook began using somewhat gentler methods to do business with the Apaches, and in 1886, he resigned from his position rather than participate in mass-murder. Much like Sherman, Crook is a man whose cruelty catches up with him.

General George Crook Character Timeline in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

The timeline below shows where the character General George Crook appears in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...met with Eskiminzin in order to persuade him to remain peaceful. Colyer was accompanied by General George Crook . Colyer promised that he would express Eskiminzin’s need for food to the president. Colyer... (full context)

After months, General Crook ’s agents tracked down Cochise. By this time, Cochise was an old man. Crook’s agents... (full context)

...of 1873, Apaches killed an American lieutenant and then fled. For the next few months, General Crook tracked the Apache aggressors. Later on, two separate mercenaries presented Crook with a severed head... (full context)

General Crook learned of the Poncas’ relocation. Even though he’d participated in the relocation or murder of... (full context)

In order to ensure order in the Southwest, the government sent General Crook to control the Chiricahua and Apache reservations. Crook, a gentler man than he’d been when... (full context)

General Crook led his army into Mexico in search of Geronimo and his men. He and Geronimo... (full context)

...a terrifying killer. This caused such an uproar that many in the area insisted that General Crook personally hunt down Geronimo and arrest him. In April 1886, however, Crook resigned. (full context)

...a bill that would deprive the Sioux of their territory in the Midwest. Politicians convinced General Crook to persuade the Sioux to comply with Washington, on the ground that complying was the... (full context)