Geronimo’s Grave at Fort Sill, Oklahoma

In a quiet, lonely spot on the Fort Sill, Oklahoma military installation there is an old Apache cemetery. Beneath a pyramid of rounded cobblestones that are native to the Wichita Mountains, lie the remains of Geronimo, the great Apache warrior. But part of his skeleton may be missing.

In 2006 reports surfaced that a Yale historian had uncovered a letter, which suggested that the story of Geronimo’s bones having been taken from his grave by the clandestine Skull and Bones Society of Yale was more than just a legend. A member of Skull and Bones wrote to another member and suggested that Geronimo’s grave at Ft. Sill had been raided and his remains taken to the stone tomb in New Haven, CT, that acts as the Skull and Bones meeting place. The letter also mentioned Geronimo’s bit and saddle horn being with the skull and bones

Geronimo was born in 1829 into the Bedonkohe tribe of Apache Indians in what is present day New Mexico. His name was originally “Goyathlay”, which means “one who yawns”. It has been rumored that he was given the name Geronimo by Mexican soldiers.

Geronimo was not an Apache chief, but he was a warrior, being sent to fight with Cochise’s band of Indians in an effort to seek revenge against the Mexicans who killed his wife, mother, and children. He fought tirelessly against both Mexican and United States troops who threatened to encroach on the Apache lands, refusing to accept the U.S. Government.

In 1886 Geronimo finally gave up the fight and surrendered to General Nelson Miles. The Apaches were sent to Fort Pickens, Florida and later to Mount Vernon barracks in Alabama before Geronimo and 341 fellow Apache prisoners were brought to Ft. Sill in 1894. They established villages on the range where they lived and learned to construct houses, raise cattle, and grow crops.

It was at Fort Sill that Geronimo made a daring escape attempt, riding his horse off Medicine Bluff into Medicine Creek. A popular movie depicted the character yelling out his name as he jumped. This is why even today people yell “Geronimo” when jumping from high places.

Geronimo became a Christian in his later life and also a minor celebrity. For a brief time he traveled with Pawnee Bill’s Wild West show. He appeared at fairs, such as the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 and he rode in Theodore Roosevelt’s inaugural parade in 1905.

Geronimo died of pneumonia at Fort Sill, Oklahoma on February 17, 1909, still a prisoner of war. His ghost has reportedly been seen at the old Blockhouse on Fort Sill.

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