Geronimo
~1829–1909 · Apache (Native American) · Apache Wars
Known for: Last major Native American leader to surrender—evaded 5,000 US troops with 36 warriors for years
Geronimo was a Chiricahua Apache leader who fought against both Mexican and American forces for over 30 years after soldiers killed his wife, children, and mother. He was not a chief but a medicine man and war leader whose guerrilla tactics tied down thousands of soldiers with a handful of warriors.
His final campaign—evading 5,000 US troops and 3,000 Mexican soldiers with just 36 warriors including women and children—was one of the most remarkable guerrilla operations in history. He finally surrendered in 1886 and spent his remaining years as a prisoner of war, becoming a celebrity who appeared at the 1904 World's Fair and Theodore Roosevelt's inauguration.
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