So little is known of Jeffords' history -- at least in detail -- that he has come to symbolize the iconic frontiersman:  A loner, possessing an uncommonly strong sense of self and an unshakable faith in his own abilities.  Described by some as friendly and congenial, by others (most likely those he offended) as a greedy scoundrel who was no better than the "filthy" Indians he seemed so attracted to.  History paints a rather shallow picture of this remarkable man but there is little argument that the monumental courage his legend imparts to him was in fact a critical component in his having won Cochise's respect.  True, as well, is the notion that he was an honest man at heart, in spite of the opinions of his detractors, for Cochise was completely intolerant of dishonesty -- another irony when one considers that the Americans of that time were convinced the Apaches, and all other Indians, were lying, thieving "savages".

     To his credit, Jeffords did have many friends and though he preferred to live alone he clearly valued the company of a trusted companion.  It is for this reason that his close affiliation with Cochise -- a legendary figure even at that time and one whose name inspired terror in the hearts of virtually every other white man, gives credence to the idea that Cochise was himself a lonely man with a need for a good friend.  It seems to have been nothing less than a stroke of divine fortune that these two men came together when they did, for it not only provided them both valued friendship, it ultimately paved the way for an end to one of the bloodiest periods of warfare in the history of the American West.

     One can only imagine the dialog that occurred between the two of them at their first meeting, whenever and however that actually took place.  It was probably in broken Spanish, and most likely with the aid of an interpreter, although that certainly doesn't fit with the scenario we've come to cherish.  Jeffords almost certainly new some Spanish and we know for a fact that the Apaches used it -- though probably poorly -- when they needed to communicate with their Mexican enemies.  It's not likely that Cochise knew more than a few English words.  The story goes that Jeffords had learned to speak Apache -- in fact in an interview near the end of his life Jeffords told Robert Forbes that he had carried on a dialog with Cochise in the chief's native tongue.  To what extent this is true is not known.  It certainly could be accurate because we know that Jeffords, even before meeting Cochise, had been a trader and had likely picked some of the language up from his experiences with other Apache tribes.  But a better bet, at least in the opinion of this writer, is that a good deal of their first encounter was probably spoken in Spanish.  The fact that the two men conversed in Spanish almost exclusively during the Howard peace mission gives credence to this theory.