Geronimo in Mexico: “Facing the Mexican Cavalry”

Most of us know of the Apache leader Geronimo but most of what most of us know we learned at the movies.  Leader of the Chiricahua Apaches, Geronimo led the fight against the expansion into Apache tribal lands by the United States during the Apache Wars.  But you knew that much from the movies.  The greatest wrongs that were visited upon the Apaches were from the United States government.  But it all started in Mexico…and we continue with the story.

In the summer of 1860, Geronimo was again able to take the warpath against the Mexicans, this time with twenty-five warriors. They followed the trail of the Mexican troops last mentioned, the Mexicans who had attacked the Apache settlement in Arizona, and entered the Sierra de Sahuaripa Mountains.

On the second day in these mountains, the Indian scouts discovered mounted Mexican troops. There was only one company of cavalry in this command, and Geronimo thought that by properly surprising them he could defeat them. The warriors set up an ambush on the trail over which the Mexicans were to come.  This was at a place where the whole company had to pass through a mountain defile. The Apache war party held their fire until all of the troops had passed through; then Geronimo gave the signal to fire.  The Mexican troopers, seemingly without a word of command, immediately dismounted, and placing their horses on the outside of the company for breastworks, made a good fight against the Indians.

Geronimo saw that the warriors could not dislodge the Mexicans without using up all their ammunition, so Geronimo led a charge. The Indians suddenly pressed in from all sides and they fought hand to hand.  During this encounter, Geronimo raised his spear to kill a Mexican soldier just as the Mexican leveled his gun at him.  Geronimo was advancing rapidly but his foot slipped in a pool of blood.   Geronimo fell beneath the Mexican trooper. The Mexican struck Geronimo over the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him senseless.  Just at that instant, a warrior who had been following in Geronimo’s footsteps killed the Mexican with a spear.

Within a few minutes, not a Mexican soldier was left alive. When the Apache war-cry had died away, and their enemies had been scalped, the Indians began to care for their own dead and wounded.  Geronimo was found lying unconscious where he had fallen. They bathed Geronimo’s head in cold water and restored him to consciousness. Then they bound up Geronimo’s wound and the next morning, although weak from loss of blood and suffering from a severe headache, he was able to march on the return to Arizona. Geronimo did not fully recover for months, and for the rest of his life wore the scar given him by that Mexican musketeer.

In this fight, the Apaches had lost so heavily that there really was no glory in their victory, and they returned to their home in Arizona. No one seemed to want to go on the warpath again that year.