Army Scouts - Al Sieber

Albert Sieber was born in Germany on 29th February, 1844. His family emigrated to the United States and they settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Later they moved to Minnesota.

During the American Civil War Sieber joined the Union Army and as a member of the 1st Minnesota Infantry fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg.
After the war Siebler he went to Nevada where he unsuccessfully searched for silver. He travelled to California and worked as a cowboy in San Bernardino. Sieber also managed the Williamson Valley ranch until joining General George Crook as a scout. By 1872 he was appointed chief of scouts and was placed in charge of 80 Hualapais.

In 1875 Sieber was one of those involved in escorting 1,500 Native Americans from Camp Verde Reservations to San Carlos, Arizona. In 1876 he helped move the Chiricahuas from their reservation in Arizona to San Carlos.

Sieber remained in the army and was chief scout to Major Tullius Tupper in the Sonora campaign. In 1882 Sieber took part in the fighting that took place at Big Dry Wash in Arizona.

In 1883 General George Crook appointed Sieber as chief scout on the Sierra Madre Expedition. On his return he was stationed at San Carlos. In 1887 Sieber was involved in a dispute with the Apache Kid. During the dispute someone (not the Apache Kid) shot Sieber in the leg. The Apache Kid escaped but later surrendered to the authorities.

After Major John Bullis sacked him as chief of scouts at San Carlos in December, 1890, Sieber became a prospector. He continued with this work until he was killed by a falling boulder in Arizona on 19th February, 1907. In the made for television movie “Geronimo”, Al Sieber was played by Robert Duvall. I imagine Al Sieber was much like how Robert Duvall portrayed him.