Geronimo’s Story of His Life

In the mid 1800s, few names could strike as much fear into the hearts of the settlers of the Western U.S. than Geronimo, the famous Apache leader. Born in what was then Mexico, but is now modern New Mexico, he was raised in the Apache tradition. When he was a young man, a group of Mexican soldiers raided his camp, killing his wife and children and instilling in him a lifelong hatred of Mexicans. Geronimo spent the next years of his life leading raids against his foes the Mexicans, and, once the U.S. annexed Mexican territory at the end of the Mexican-American War, against the new American settlers as well. Only after the U.S. government began forcing Native Americans onto reservations and deployed over 5,000 troops to combat Apache resistance did Geronimo finally surrender. He remained a U.S. prisoner of war for the rest of his life. This autobiography, narrated in the first person, was told by Geronimo to S. M. Barrett, the Superintendent of Education of Lawton, Oklahoma, after Barrett petitioned President Roosevelt to allow the story to be told. Geronimo, speaking through a translator, dictated his story precisely, refusing questions or to change what he had said. Since Geronimo was direct in expressing his low opinions of many of the U.S. officials he had dealt with (and who were still living at the time the book was published), Barrett often includes endnotes clarifying that these words are Geronimo’s and not his own opinions. The story is a fascinating window into the lifestyle, beliefs, and motivations of one of the most recognizable figures in the history of the western U.S.