Geronimo(1829-1909)
A fearsome Apache Indian warrior and medicine man of mythic stature,
Geronimo was born about 1829 on the upper reaches of the Gila River
(near the present-day mining town of Clifton, AZ). He belonged to the
Be-don-ko-he band of the southern Chiricahua Apaches. He was known as
Goyathlay or Goyaklay, meaning "one who yawns." It's not clear how he
came to be called Geronimo, but conventional wisdom is that it was
bestowed upon him by Mexicans during his many raids into that country.
Few specifics are known of his early life, but he emerged as a leader
of the Chiricahuas in 1858 in the wake of personal tragedy. According
to Geronimo, he had gone in the company of other Apaches and their
families to trade peacefully with settlers around the Mexican military
post at Janos in northern Chihuahua. While he and other adult males
were away, a troop of Mexican soldiers from the neighboring state of
Sonora swooped down on the family encampment and slaughtered most of
the Apaches there, including Geronimo's mother, wife and three
children. As a result, Geronimo swore revenge on Mexicans. Soon after
the massacre at Janos, Geronimo received a spirit's voice that told him
to fight the Mexicans. In the ensuing forays Geronimo was wounded many
times but always recovered, and as late as 1897 he was still boasting
to those who would listen that no bullet could kill him. Indeed, foes
and followers alike thought that Geronimo was endowed with supernatural
powers. Eyewitnesses declared him clairvoyant; according to them, he
could interpret signs, explain the unknowable and predict the future.
In line with its uncertain and fluctuating policy, the US government
tried to "civilize" the Apaches by shifting them from one reservation
to another in Arizona and New Mexico. Although they would "settle down"
for a spell on reservation land, sooner or later one or more bands
would break out and go on the warpath, and the resulting plundering,
burning and killing terrorized the civilian populace from Arizona down
into Mexico. Geronimo himself often led these warring factions. Several
times he was captured or forced to surrender and was returned to a
reservation for a period of time (although other Apaches might be on
the warpath), but he eventually would break out again. In May 1885 he
fled the reservation with 35 men, 8 boys and 101 women. Ten months
later he again surrendered to the American military in northern Sonora
(a treaty between the US and Mexico allowed security forces from each
nation to cross the border in pursuit of hostile Indians) only to bolt
for freedom one more time. With 5,000 American soldiers and 500 Apache
scouts and police in pursuit, Geronimo--with 16 warriors, 14 women and
6 children--surrendered to the US Army for the last time on September
3, 1886, at Skeleton Canyon in southern Arizona.
Thus ended an epoch called "The Apacheria", a period of almost constant
warfare involving whites, Mexicans and Apaches that lasted for nearly
two centuries. Geronimo was exiled to Florida but was promised that
afterwards he and his followers would be allowed to return to
Arizona--a promise that was not kept. They were placed under military
confinement and later scattered among various reservations, with
Geronimo and some of his people being sent to Oklahoma. He later became
a farmer there and adopted Christianity. He dictated his autobiography,
"Geronimo: His Own Story", published in 1906. In February 1909 the
85-year-old warrior fell off of his horse and remained in a ditch until
the next day. He caught pneumonia and died a few days later. He was
buried in the Indian cemetery at Fort Sill, OK.
Geronimo was born about 1829 on the upper reaches of the Gila River
(near the present-day mining town of Clifton, AZ). He belonged to the
Be-don-ko-he band of the southern Chiricahua Apaches. He was known as
Goyathlay or Goyaklay, meaning "one who yawns." It's not clear how he
came to be called Geronimo, but conventional wisdom is that it was
bestowed upon him by Mexicans during his many raids into that country.
Few specifics are known of his early life, but he emerged as a leader
of the Chiricahuas in 1858 in the wake of personal tragedy. According
to Geronimo, he had gone in the company of other Apaches and their
families to trade peacefully with settlers around the Mexican military
post at Janos in northern Chihuahua. While he and other adult males
were away, a troop of Mexican soldiers from the neighboring state of
Sonora swooped down on the family encampment and slaughtered most of
the Apaches there, including Geronimo's mother, wife and three
children. As a result, Geronimo swore revenge on Mexicans. Soon after
the massacre at Janos, Geronimo received a spirit's voice that told him
to fight the Mexicans. In the ensuing forays Geronimo was wounded many
times but always recovered, and as late as 1897 he was still boasting
to those who would listen that no bullet could kill him. Indeed, foes
and followers alike thought that Geronimo was endowed with supernatural
powers. Eyewitnesses declared him clairvoyant; according to them, he
could interpret signs, explain the unknowable and predict the future.
In line with its uncertain and fluctuating policy, the US government
tried to "civilize" the Apaches by shifting them from one reservation
to another in Arizona and New Mexico. Although they would "settle down"
for a spell on reservation land, sooner or later one or more bands
would break out and go on the warpath, and the resulting plundering,
burning and killing terrorized the civilian populace from Arizona down
into Mexico. Geronimo himself often led these warring factions. Several
times he was captured or forced to surrender and was returned to a
reservation for a period of time (although other Apaches might be on
the warpath), but he eventually would break out again. In May 1885 he
fled the reservation with 35 men, 8 boys and 101 women. Ten months
later he again surrendered to the American military in northern Sonora
(a treaty between the US and Mexico allowed security forces from each
nation to cross the border in pursuit of hostile Indians) only to bolt
for freedom one more time. With 5,000 American soldiers and 500 Apache
scouts and police in pursuit, Geronimo--with 16 warriors, 14 women and
6 children--surrendered to the US Army for the last time on September
3, 1886, at Skeleton Canyon in southern Arizona.
Thus ended an epoch called "The Apacheria", a period of almost constant
warfare involving whites, Mexicans and Apaches that lasted for nearly
two centuries. Geronimo was exiled to Florida but was promised that
afterwards he and his followers would be allowed to return to
Arizona--a promise that was not kept. They were placed under military
confinement and later scattered among various reservations, with
Geronimo and some of his people being sent to Oklahoma. He later became
a farmer there and adopted Christianity. He dictated his autobiography,
"Geronimo: His Own Story", published in 1906. In February 1909 the
85-year-old warrior fell off of his horse and remained in a ditch until
the next day. He caught pneumonia and died a few days later. He was
buried in the Indian cemetery at Fort Sill, OK.