For the second time within two years, the chief of the Apache, Geronimo, escapes from an Arizona reservation, causing panic among settlers in Arizona.
Geronimo, a renowned medicine man and leader of the Chiricahua Apache, gained national recognition as he became the last American Indian to formally surrender to the United States.
For almost three decades, Geronimo and his followers resisted the efforts of Americans to seize their southwestern homeland and confine them to a reservation. A fearless warrior and an expert in desert survival, he proved nearly impossible to catch or defeat for the finest officers of the U.S. Army.
In 1877, Geronimo was compelled to relocate to the San Carlos reservation in Arizona for the first time, yet he was far from defeated. Geronimo viewed the reservation merely as a small section of the extensive land he maintained belonged to the Apache. Discontented with the corruption and restrictions of the reservation, he and numerous other Apache escaped for the first time in 1881. For nearly two years, the Apache band conducted raids throughout the southwestern region, despite the army’s best attempts to intercept them. Ultimately, in 1884, Geronimo grew weary of the relentless harassment from the U.S. Army and consented to return to the reservation, doing so largely on his own terms.
However, his stay was short-lived. Among the numerous regulations imposed on the Apache at the reservation was a ban on any form of alcohol, which included a light beer traditionally brewed from corn. In early May 1885, Geronimo, along with a dozen other leaders, orchestrated a corn beer festival intentionally. They believed the authorities would hesitate to penalize such a large group, openly admitting to their actions in hopes of initiating negotiations. Unfortunately, due to a communication error, the army did not respond. Geronimo and his followers interpreted the delay as an indication that the army was planning severe repercussions for their transgression. Choosing not to remain exposed and defenseless on the reservation, Geronimo fled with 42 men, along with 92 women and children.
Rapidly heading south, Geronimo raided neighboring settlements for necessary supplies.
In one notable incident, he attacked a ranch owned by a man named Phillips, resulting in the deaths of Phillips, his wife, and their two children. Alarmed settlers demanded prompt military intervention, leading General George Crook to organize a joint manhunt for the Apache involving both American and Mexican forces. Despite thousands of soldiers tracking the fugitives, Geronimo and his group dispersed into smaller bands, successfully evading capture.
Crook’s inability to apprehend the Indians ultimately resulted in his resignation. General Nelson Miles took command and committed 5,000 troops to the effort, even setting up 30 heliograph stations to enhance communication. Despite these measures, Miles too was unable to locate the elusive warrior. Learning that many of the Apache from the reservation, including his family, had been sent to Florida, Geronimo reportedly lost his motivation to continue fighting. After a year and a half of evasion, Geronimo and his remaining 38 followers surrendered unconditionally to Miles on September 3, 1886.
After being relocated to Florida, Geronimo was imprisoned and separated from his family for two years. Eventually released, he and his family moved to Indian Territory in Oklahoma.
He passed away from pneumonia at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1909.
