Geronimo’s Surrender: September 4, 1886

On September 4, 1886, the renowned Apache leader Geronimo surrendered to U.S. General Nelson A. Miles at Skeleton Canyon in present-day Arizona. This pivotal event marked the effective end of the Apache Wars, a long series of conflicts between the United States and various Apache groups resisting displacement and encroachment on their ancestral lands.

Context and Prelude

The Apache Wars, stretching intermittently over several decades, were characterized by fierce resistance against U.S. and Mexican military campaigns. As settlers moved westward, the U.S. government sought to confine indigenous peoples to reservations, which were often on less desirable lands. Geronimo, born in the 1820s in what is now Arizona, emerged as a prominent leader among the Chiricahua Apache due to his tactical prowess and ability to elude capture.

Following years of raiding and relocating to avoid capture, Geronimo’s band was finally cornered by U.S. troops. Prior to his final surrender, Geronimo had spent many months on the run, evading thousands of troops with a small contingent of followers.

The Surrender

The surrender took place in a remote part of the Arizona Territory known as Skeleton Canyon. By this point, Geronimo was leading a small band of warriors, women, and children who were exhausted after months of pursuit. General Nelson A. Miles, a U.S. Army officer who had taken command of the Department of Arizona, promised Geronimo and his followers safety and eventual return to their homelands if they ceased hostilities.

Significance and Consequences

Geronimo’s surrender marked the close of the final significant Apache uprising. Although General Miles had promised a return to their land, Geronimo and his followers were taken as prisoners of war. Initially sent to Fort Marion in Florida, they faced harsh living conditions. Following continued negotiations, the group was eventually relocated to Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Geronimo spent the rest of his life on the reservation, becoming something of a celebrity, appearing at events like the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis and the inauguration parade of President Theodore Roosevelt.

The surrender of Geronimo symbolizes the end of armed Native American resistance in the southwestern United States and highlights the broader campaign of displacement faced by indigenous populations during this time in American history. It underscores the profound changes and challenges Native American communities endured at the hands of expanding U.S. territories.