Geronimo's Resting Place
The 7th Cavalry along with the 19th Kansas Cavalry on January 10, 1869 arrived at Cache Creek, January 12th, the men learn that a new fort will be built on their camp site, by orders of Major General Philip H. Sheridan who was head of the Indian Wars “Winter Campaign of 1868-1869”. To stop the raiding of the Indians who were terrorizing the white settlers in Kansas, and Texas territory.
At first the Fort was Called “Camp Elliott, for Major Elliott who was killed in the Battle of the Washita”, then they started calling it “Camp Wichita”, the Indians sometimes referred it as “Soldier House at Medicine Bluffs.” But later word came from Congress that the fort was to be named “Fort Sill” in honor of Brigadier General Joshua W. Sill, who was killed in the Civil War. Brevet Major General Benjamin Grierson became the first post commander and his Indian agent was a Colonel Albert Gallatin Boone, the grandson of “Daniel Boone.
Heading the Six Cavalry regiments who were in the field were frontier scouts “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Ben Clark, Jack Stilwell, and “Wild Bill” Hickok. The troops that started building the fort were men from the 7th Cavalry, 19th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, and the “Buffalo Soldiers” 10th Cavalry who did most of the construction of the fort, especially the stone work surrounding the post quadrangle.
A few months after the completion of the fort, President Grant approved a peace policy making Quaker Indian agents responsible for all the Southwest tribes. What the new policy meant to the soldiers of the new fort was to stop retaliation against the Indians, which interned was interpreted by the natives as a sign of weakness. So taking advantage of the new policy the Indians again resumed raiding the Texas frontier, using Fort Sill as a sanctuary per say.
General of the Army “William Tecumseh Sherman” in 1871 arrived at Fort Sill, soon afterwards he heard of several Kiowa Chiefs bragging about a wagon train massacre. Sherman called for a meeting with Grierson and the two bragging Indians on the porch of the Commanding General’s Headquarters. General Sherman turned and ordered the arrest of the two tongue wagging Indians, they jumped up and tried to kill the General, and so in honor of this event the Commanding general’s Quarters were re-named “The Sherman House”.
June of 1874 found the South Plains again shaking with the hoof beats of warring Indian warriors. Resulting in the Red River Campaign that became a war of attrition, which lasted a year. But what really brought the Indians back to the fort, was their buffalo hears were quickly disappearing, and with no chance to graze their livestock the tribes surrendered. But still a few held out, it wasn’t until the Quohada Comanche’s lead by “Quanah Parker” arrival at the fort mark the end of hostilities on the South Plains.
Up until the territory was opened for the settlers, the mission for the men of Fort Sill was to enforce the law, and protect the tribes from outlaws, squatters and cattle rustlers.
1894 Geronimo along with 341 Apaches were captured and brought to Fort Sill, and forced to live in villages on the surrounding range. Later Geronimo was granted permission to travel with “Wild Bill’s Wild West Show”, before dying in 1909 of pneumonia, Geronimo meet with President Theodore Roosevelt.
Lieutenant Hugh L. Scott of the 7th Cavalry began teaching the Apaches how to build homes, raise crops and heard their cattle, so the remaining Apaches stayed at the fort until 1913. Lieutenant Scott commanded Company “L” of the 7th Cavalry, which was comprised entirely of Indians, which was considered on of the best companies on the plains. History writes that a Indian scout named “I-See-O along with other members of the Company were responsible with helping the tribes that lived on the Southern Plains, to Avert from Dancing the “Ghost Dance”, uprising of the 1890’s where many Native Americans were slaughtered in a ravine and buried on a hill above, is called “Wounded Knee”.
If you happen to go to the “Knee” Please, Please, go with reverence, and respect, with the intention of honoring those who died there, Please Honor the tribal customs of NO PICTURE TAKING, Don’t act like a tourist, show reverence, take a long look around, you will realize what happened there, without anyone having to say a word, you will know.
Ronald Roy Wallace
