Geronimo Walked Into This Remote Arizona Canyon a Free Man & Left a Prisoner Forever

Skeleton Canyon, Arizona

It took over 5,000 U.S. soldiers to hunt down just 38 Apache warriors in the final campaign of 1886. Completely worn out from constant pursuit, Geronimo and his small band officially surrendered on September 4, 1886.

Here’s how the Apache Wars finally ended at a remote canyon near the Mexican border.

Geronimo’s May 1885 Escape

On May 17, 1885, Geronimo led 42 men and 92 women and children away from the San Carlos Reservation. The escape happened after he and other Apache leaders held a forbidden corn beer ceremony called tiswin.

When reservation officials didn’t respond right away to reports of the ceremony, Geronimo feared they were planning harsh punishment. He gathered his followers and fled into Mexico.

This escape triggered the final military campaign to capture Geronimo, a hunt that would last more than a year.

Failed Negotiations In The Cañon De Los Embudos

General George Crook found Geronimo in March 1886 at a canyon in Mexico called Cañon de los Embudos.

Their talks lasted three days, with photographer C.S. Fly taking pictures – the only photos ever taken of American Indians still at war with the United States. At first, Geronimo agreed to surrender.

But that night, a soldier sold whiskey to the Apache camp and warned them they would be killed when crossing the border. Frightened by these claims, Geronimo and a small group escaped during the night.

Miles Deploys Massive Force Against Small Apache Band

After Geronimo’s escape, President Cleveland replaced General Crook with General Nelson Miles in April 1886.

Miles took a different approach to capturing the Apache leader. He sent 5,000 soldiers, 500 Apache scouts, 100 Navajo scouts, and thousands of civilian fighters after Geronimo’s tiny band of just 24 warriors.

Miles also set up a network of 30 sun-powered signal stations called heliographs across the territory. These mirror stations flashed messages using sunlight, helping troops share information quickly across vast distances.

Strategic Relocation Of Apache Families To Florida

General Miles ordered all Chiricahua Apaches from the San Carlos Reservation sent to Florida. This included Geronimo’s family and even the Apache scouts who had helped the Army. Miles did this to cut off any help Geronimo might get in Arizona.

Without friends or family to provide food, shelter, or information, Geronimo became more isolated. When news reached Geronimo that his people had been moved across the country, it became a key reason he finally decided to end his fight.

Lieutenant Gatewood’s Dangerous Mission Into Mexico

The Army sent Lieutenant Charles Gatewood to find Geronimo in the Sierra Madre mountains. They picked Gatewood because he spoke some Apache and respected their customs.

Traveling with just a small group, Gatewood risked his life to deliver surrender terms. After a difficult journey, he found Geronimo at Skeleton Canyon in August 1886. During their meeting, Gatewood told Geronimo about his family’s forced move to Florida.

Captain Lawton Wears Down Apache Resistance

Captain Henry Lawton led soldiers tracking Geronimo through Mexico during summer 1886. His troops kept constant pressure on the Apache band, never letting them rest in one place.

This forced Geronimo’s group to keep moving, making it hard for them to set up camps or find food. The constant movement wore down his followers, who grew tired and hungry. Geronimo later said Lawton’s steady pursuit played a big part in his decision to surrender.

After months on the run, his small band simply couldn’t keep going.

Historic Meeting At Skeleton Canyon

Geronimo met General Miles at Skeleton Canyon near the Arizona-Mexico border on September 3, 1886. For two days, they discussed terms of surrender in this remote location.

After the meeting, Captain Lawton built a pile of rocks ten feet across and six feet high to mark the spot. He placed a bottle inside with the names of all officers who were there.

On September 4, 1886, Geronimo formally ended his resistance by signing an agreement with the United States government.

Geronimo’s Words Mark End Of Native Resistance

When surrendering, Geronimo spoke briefly but powerfully: “Once I moved about like the wind. Now I surrender to you and that is all.” By this time, his once-large group had shrunk to just 38 people.

Years of fighting had reduced his followers to this small band of loyal warriors and family members. When he gave up, Geronimo carried a special Winchester rifle with a silver-decorated barrel.

This gun, with serial number 109450, is now kept at West Point Military Academy.

Final Journey To Fort Bowie

After surrendering, U.S. troops took Geronimo to Fort Bowie. This fort had directed operations against Apache bands for many years. At Fort Bowie, Geronimo drank from Apache Spring one last time.

This same spring had been the site of his battles with Chief Cochise during the 1862 Battle of Apache Pass. Military staff processed Geronimo and his followers as prisoners of war at the fort before sending them east by train.

Exile And Imprisonment In The East

Soldiers put Geronimo and his band on trains headed for Florida, thousands of miles from their desert homeland in the Southwest. For two years, the government kept Geronimo apart from his family.

Many Apache prisoners became sick in Florida’s humid climate, which was so different from the dry Arizona desert. The Chiricahua Apache remained prisoners of war for 27 years, until 1913.

Their numbers fell from about 500 in 1886 to just 261 by the time they were freed.

After The Apache Wars

Geronimo spent his final years as a prisoner far from Arizona. The government never allowed him to return to his homeland. He became famous in American culture, appearing at fairs and exhibitions.

In 1905, he even rode in President Theodore Roosevelt’s inaugural parade. Geronimo died of pneumonia at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1909. Until his death, he hoped to return to the Southwest, but this wish was never granted.

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