Springfield, you are correct. The dear hunting story was true, but it wasn't the whole truth. Doc, years later revealed to Letha his step daughter, that he got the story of the Peak's location from an old dying indian.
In 1909, Doc was a young boy in Oklahoma and was put in an Indian portion of a jail as a young half breed Indian for stealing a horse named Jilly with another older boy. They were caught by the rancher who owned it. Doc was thrown in jail at Ft. Sill, OK. Now, I don't think anybody has any proof but Geronimo was in that same jail as well and was dying from a fall he had suffered. It may be possible he received it from Geronimo. Coincidently, Geronimo Peak is the twin mountain next to Victorio Peak there in the Hembrillo Basin, New Mexico. The entire area was the last hiding spot for the Apache Indians. They fought to the death at the base of the Peak and so ended the Indian Wars. Victorio escaped and was killed in Mexico three days later. Victorio Peak was also the location in early 1992 for a large metal detecting project. Letha, personally guided our team of 50 metal detectors to the location of the battle which she had stumbled upon while walking around the Peak area in 1938. Our team flagged hundreds of shell casings, etc. This information was given to the White Sands Missile Range head archeologist Bob Burton who received special funding and did a full investigation of this historic battle. Here is a link of their work, a well done job.
http://www.wsmr-history.org/Hembrillo.htm
So there may be something to the Ft. Sill story, Doc never said Geronimo, but no one knew to ask. He may have not wanted the Apaches to have a claim if it got out. Not sure. This story is available in detail in book one The Gold House. Soon to be out. victoriopeak.com I have attached some relevant photos to this story.
