GERONIMO IN MEXICO “Tequila Sunset: 1864”

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 fall of 1864, twenty Apache warriors were willing to go with Geronimo on another raid into Mexico. These were all carefully chosen men, well armed and equipped for battle.

As usual, the Indians provided for the safety of their families before starting on the raid. The whole tribe scattered and then reassembled at a camp about forty miles from their former location.  In this way it would be hard for the Mexicans to trail them and the warriors would know where to find their families when they returned. Moreover, if any hostile Indians should see this large a number of warriors leaving their range, the hostiles might attack the Apache camp.  This way, if the unfriendly Indians found no one at the usual place, their raid would fail.

Geronimo and the war party went south through the Chokonen Apaches’ range, entered Sonora, Mexico, at a point directly south of Tombstone, Arizona, and went into hiding in the Sierra de Antunez Mountains.

The Apaches raided several settlements in the neighborhood and secured plenty of provisions and supplies to support the war party.  After about three days, the warriors attacked and captured a Mexican mule pack train at a place called by the Indians “Pontoco.”  Pontoco is situated in the mountains due west, about one day’s journey from Arispe.

There were three drivers with the Mexican pack train. One Mexican driver was killed and the other two escaped. The pack train was loaded with mescal, which was stored in bottles held in wicker baskets. As soon as the Apaches made camp, the Indians got into the mescal.  This led to most of them getting drunk and fighting each other. Geronimo, too, drank enough mescal to feel the effect of it, but he always claimed that he was not under the influence. 

Geronimo ordered the fighting stopped, but, given the circumstances, the order was disobeyed. Soon a general fight was in progress. Geronimo tried to place outside guards around the camp, but all the Indians were intoxicated and refused to serve.  Geronimo expected an attack from Mexican troops at any moment.  This was a serious matter for Geronimo because being in command he would be held responsible for any misfortune attending the expedition. Finally the camp became comparatively still, for the Indians were too inebriated to walk or even to fight.  

While the Apaches were in an alcohol stupor, Geronimo spilled all of the remaining mescal on the ground.  In case Mexican troops were watching, Geronimo then put out all the fires and moved the pack mules to a considerable distance from camp.  After this Geronimo returned to camp to try to do something for the wounded. He found that only two of his war party were dangerously injured. Geronimo proceeded to cut an arrow head out of the leg of one of these, and from the shoulder of another he withdrew a spear point.  When all the wounds had been cared for, Geronimo himself kept guard till morning.  

The next day the Apaches loaded their wounded on the pack mules and started back to Arizona.  On the journey the Indians captured some cattle from a Mexican herd and drove them back home with them. It turned out to be a very difficult task for the war party to drive cattle when the Indians were on foot.  Caring for the wounded and keeping the cattle from escaping made the journey rather tedious. Luckily, the Apaches were not trailed by the Mexicans, and the Indians arrived safely at home with all the plunder.

Geronimo then gave a feast and a dance, and divided the spoils among the tribe.  After the dance they slaughtered all the cattle and dried the meat.  The Indians dressed the hides and then packed the jerked meat in between layers of the hides to store it.  All that winter of 1864-65, the Apaches had plenty of meat.

These were the first cattle the Apaches had ever been able to successfully steal and get to the Homeland to be prepared for food.  Usually, the Apaches killed and ate some of the mules they captured. It seems that the Apaches had little use for mules, and if they could not trade them for something of value, the Indians killed and ate them.