In the popular idiom, Geronimo is the stereotype of the Indian
warrior - fierce, intractable, master of the surprise attack; in
actual fact he was also a victim, first of neighboring Mexicans,
later of Manifest Destiny and the US Indian Office which promised
land "forever" and reneged, then relentlessly pursued and briefly
imprisoned him. Debo, aware of the difficulties of establishing a
chronology, has consulted a wide range of 19th-century sources and
the few 20th-century survivors; even so, the facts are frequently
elusive, accounts contradictory, and much about the man remains
uncertain, including date and place of birth and the origin of his
name. Aroused early when his mother, wife, and three children were
savaged by treacherous Mexicans, he got the "Power," a gift of
prophecy that recurred periodically and strengthened his position
as a leader. Debo is adept at detailing the Southwest maneuvers
(border raids, intercepted pack trains, uneasy truces) and
following the circuitous trails of Geronimo himself, his numerous
wives, children, and relocated tribal factions. After his fourth
and final surrender, he became relatively docile and accepted many
white ways, developing into a kindly, enterprising old man who
signed autographs, peddled photographs of himself, and cleaned up
doing Wild West shows. A steadfast, absorbing portrait of an
enigmatic figure - the only one available. (Kirkus Reviews)
On September 5, 1886, the entire nation rejoiced as the news
flashed from the Southwest that the Apache war leader Geronimo had
surrendered to Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles. With Geronimo, at
the time of his surrender, were Chief Naiche (the son of the great
Cochise), sixteen other warriors, fourteen women, and six children.
It had taken a force of 5,000 regular army troops and a series of
false promises to ""capture"" the band.Yet the surrender that day
was not the end of the story of the Apaches associated with
Geronimo. Besides his small band, 394 of his tribesmen, including
his wife and children, were rounded up, loaded into railroad cars,
and shipped to Florida. For more than twenty years Geronimo's
people were kept in captivity at Fort Pickens, Florida; Mount
Vernon Barracks, Alabama; and finally Fort Sill, Oklahoma. They
never gave up hope of returning to their mountain home in Arizona
and New Mexico, even as their numbers were reduced by starvation
and disease and their children were taken from them to be sent to
the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania.
General
Imprint: |
University of Oklahoma Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
The Civilization of the American Indian Series |
Release date: |
April 2021 |
First published: |
October 1982 |
Authors: |
Angie Debo
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 26mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
500 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8061-1828-4 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
American history >
General
Books >
History >
American history >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8061-1828-8 |
Barcode: |
9780806118284 |
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