Albert Sieber
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Albert Sieber (1843 - 1907) was born 1843 February 27th in the morning "früh 9 Uhr" in Mingolsheim, Baden, Germany as 13th of 14 children. (He was baptized in 1843 March 1st in St. Lambertus Church, Mingolsheim.) His father Johannes died in 1845 September 16th . Between 1848 and 1849, shortly after the "Badian Revolution", his mother Eva Katharina nee Fischer, emigrated with her still living 8 children (6 have died in the meantime) to "The New World" North America and Albert grew up in Pennsylvania and Minnesota. He enlisted on 4th March 1862 in the Minnesota Infantry during the Civil War. After the war he was a prospector in California, Nevada and then ended up in Arizona 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 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 surrended to Lt Gatewood and General Nelson Miles in 1886. Sieber was shot 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 (on 19.February 1907, 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.
Al Sieber was colorful character of the Southwest.
[edit] References
- Bourke, John G. [1891] (1971). On the Border with Crook. Lincoln: Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 00-8032-5741-4.
- Thrapp, Dan L. (1967). The Conquest of Apacheria. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. LCCN 67-15588.
- Thrapp, Dan L. (1964). Al Sieber: Chief of Scouts. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. LCCN 64-11328.
