War Planner

In March, 1886, Department of Arizona Army commander Brigadier General George Crook received word that the Apache leader Geronimo would surrender to him in The Cañon de los Embudos (Canyon of the Funnels), in the Sierra Madre Mountains in northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Camillus Sydney Fly learned of the meeting and on March 20, 1886, took his photography equipment, met up with Crook on March 23 at Silver Springs, and rode out to the surrender site with them. During the three days of negotiations (March 25-27), Fly took at least 15 pictures, two of which appeared on the cover of the April 24, 1886 edition of “Harper’s Weekly.”

Allegedly a soldier who sold Geronimo’s men whiskey told Geronimo that his band would be murdered as soon as they crossed the border into the U.S., specifically, when Geronimo brought his band in to fulfill the surrender at Fort Bowie, Arizona, after the summit. Geronimo and 25 of his followers heeded this warning and on March 30th, slipped away from their encampment during the night. Their escape cost Crook his command. Crook was succeeded by Brigadier General Nelson Miles.

Like with the “Tax Regressor” skit, this is a highly fictional account of events leading up to the Geronimo’s escape and Crook’s dismissal. It suggests “cheapskate” Crook ordered his subordinate Miles to ride 80 miles through the desert, dodging snakes and highway robbers, go to Fly’s studio and make Fly an insulting offer of 25 cents to take some pictures of the surrender (which included at least 320 miles of travel though the dangerous desert, assuming Fly was crazy enough to actually take the offer, which he was, sort of). Miles was so pissed off that he decided to get back at Crook, go directly back to Geronimo’s camp and tell Geronimo of the plot to kill him. The skit suggest that Miles was actually the soldier who sold whiskey to Geronimo. Geronimo surrendered for real about six months later, in September of 1886, in Skeleton Canyon in Arizona to Miles himself.

There is a semi-famous t-shirt which reads “Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492.” The picture features (from right to left): Geronimo, Yanozha (Geronimo's brother-in-law), Chappo (Geronimo's son by his second wife), and Fun (Yanozha's half-brother). That picture was taken by Fly.

Camillus Sydney Fly (1849-1901) was well-remembered in Arizona. A replica of his gallery is in Tombstone. In southeast Arizona, there is a National Forest called The Coronado National Forest. The second highest peak in the forest, at about 9,667 feet above sea level, is called Fly’s Peak. It is named in honor of Mr. Fly.