Albert Sieber

Albert Sieber (February 27, 1843 – February 19, 1907) was a German-American military figure, prospector, and Chief of Scouts during the Apache Wars.

Biography

He was born in Mingolsheim, Baden, Germany as the 13th of 14 children. He was baptized in 184March 3, 1st in St. Lambertus Church, Mingolsheim. His father Johannes died on September 16, 1845.

Between 1848 and 1849, shortly after the "Badian Revolution", his mother Eva Katharina née Fischer, emigrated with her still living 8 children (6 had already died) to the United States.

Albert thus grew up in Pennsylvania and Minnesota. He enlisted on March 4, 1862, in the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War. After the war, he was a prospector in California, Nevada, and then ended up in Arizona Territory, where he managed a ranch from 1868 to 1871.

General George Crook hired him to be Chief of Scouts in 1871 for much of the Apache Wars. He participated in Crook's Tonto (Apache) campaign (1871-1873). When the Camp Verde reservation was closed, Sieber was told to move Yavapais and Tonto Apaches to the San Carlos Reservation in the middle of winter. He remained employed there and participated in several engagements with Apache groups that had left the reservation.

In 1883 Crook went into the Sierra Madre of Mexico following Geronimo. Sieber was Crook's lead civilian scout. Sieber was in the field but not present when Geronimo surrendered to Lt Gatewood and General Nelson Miles in 1886. Sieber was shot and wounded while on the job in 1887 trying to prevent an outbreak from the reservation. However, he was not happy with the treatment of the Apaches at San Carlos and resumed prospecting in 1891.

Sieber died at Apache Trail, Gila County, Arizona, in a construction accident while leading an Apache work crew that was building the Tontoroad to the new Roosevelt Dam site.

He was portrayed by Robert Duvall in the film "".He was portrayed by John MacIntire in the film "Apache"The character "Ed Bannon" portrayed by Charlton Heston in the film "Arrowhead" was based on Sieber.

References

*cite book | author=Bourke, John G.| authorlink=John Gregory Bourke|title=On the Border with Crook | location=Lincoln: Nebraska | publisher=University of Nebraska Press | origyear=1891| date=1971 | id=ISBN 00-8032-5741-4
*cite book | author=Thrapp, Dan L. | title=The Conquest of Apacheria | location=Norman, OK | publisher=University of Oklahoma Press | year=1967 | id=LCCN 67-15588|ISBN 0-8061-1286-7
*cite book | author=Thrapp, Dan L. | title=Al Sieber: Chief of Scouts | location=Norman, OK | publisher=University of Oklahoma Press | year=1964 | id=LCCN 64-11328|ISBN 0-8061-2770-8
* Lockwood, Frank C. (1943): "More Arizona Characters..." University of Arizona
* Goff, John S. (1983): "Arizona Biographical Dictionary". Black Mountain Press, Cave Creek, Arizona
* Traywick, Ben T. (1992): "Legendary Characters of Southeast Arizona".

External links

*findagrave|8187768 Retrived on 2008-02-10

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