Tales from Tennessee and Beyond: Geronimo

Geronimo was a leader of the Apache Indians. He led the Apaches in the fight against Texas and Spain after they tried to encroach on their land. He was given the nickname Geronimo by Mexican soldiers. Geronimo was a warrior who fought to protect his land and people. He had been raised based on Apache tradition. His dad died early in his life, and his mom was left to raise him. Geronimo eventually married and had a daughter. On March 6, 1851 Mexican soldiers attacked the camp where Geronimo and his family were living. His wife and daughter were killed in the attack. This is widely accepted by historians as being the reason that Geronimo had such a strong dislike for the Mexicans. Geronimo was encouraged to fight by the chief of his tribe Mangas Coloradas. Geronimo saw his first real action during the raids on Sonora and Chihuahua. The goal for the Apaches was to destroy as many Mexican villages as possible. These raids introduced Geronimo to guerrilla warfare. These raids continued until long after the Civil War. One of the most notable skirmishes was at Casa Grande. The Apaches and the Mexicans had spent many months fighting in the mountains. The Apaches finally decided to make a peace treaty with the Mexicans. The Mexicans however, attacked the Apaches killing many Apache Indians. This skirmish is known as the Casa Grande Massacre. This marked the end of Geronimo's military career. Not long after Geronimo gathered a group of men together and went about Mexico and Texas with the goal of killing all the Mexicans. This was the beginning of the guerrilla war among the Indians. Many Apaches disapproved of what Geronimo was doing and decided to join the army as scouts. The U.S. army wanted Geronimo dead or alive. Captain Henry Lawton led the search for Geronimo. Meanwhile Geronimo and his men were continuing to roam the Mexican and Texas wilderness terrorizing citizens. On March 27, 1886 Geronimo surrendered to Capt. Lawton. Geronimo and his men were taken as prisoners of war to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. After awhile Geronimo was released and became a celebrity. He and his family moved to Pensacola, Florida where he told his story at wild west shows. He became the subject of many books and newspaper articles. Geronimo died on February 17, 1909 of pneumonia after being thrown off his horse. He is buried in the Apache Prisoner of War Cemetery in Fort Still, Oklahoma. Geronimo was truly an American tragedy.