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Al Sieber: Chief of Scouts

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Dan L. Thrapp provides an excellent view into the life of one of greatest indian fighters in history. While some may love or hate Al Sieber for his role in ending the Apache wars Thrapp provides a well written and detailed look at a Cival War hero turned cowboy turned scout. To better understand the history and people of the time read this book and add it to your library.

Information of Al Sieber is hard to come by, but this book provides an excellent source for his life. I interested mainly in his work on the Geronimo Campaign and was very sastified with this book.

This book is not only an exhaustive biography of Army Scout Al Sieber, but a snapshot of life in Globe Arizona when the Apaches outnumbered the white men by a long shot. Sieber is memorialized on Crook's monument in Arlington and also inspired the Charlton Heston character in the movie ARROWHEAD. Basically Sieber's job was to help the Army put Apaches back on the Reservation when they strayed off it. He did this by using Apache scouts, whom he dominated by out-thinking, out-fighting, out-riding and out-shooting them, all the while treating them with respect and scrupulous honesty. The book covers his life from his immigration to the US from Germany on through his retirement working at the Indian Agency, insuring that the Apaches weren't cheated by the white men sent out by the Indian Bureau. The only flaw in the book is that Siber never strayed far from Globe, and the story doesn't either. You're left wanting to find biographies of Crook, Geronimo and the other characters that pass through Sieber's life.

This is the book that brought Dan L. Thrapp to my attention, this first book of his published in 1964 by the University of Oklahoma.

Al was a German immigrant, as were some of my ancestors, who came to this country just in time to put on Union blue, as too with 5 of my ancestors, during the Civil War. He received a wound at Gettysburg, causing him to limp the remainder of his life. After the war, he found himself in Arizona just in time for the Apache wars.

Al was a favorite of General Crook, serving him for many years. Being a manager for a quarter century, I've always felt alot is told about a person by the people reporting to them. In Al Sieber's case, or 'Sibi' as he was called, strong people such as Mickey Free, Tom Horn, Sam Bowman, Archie MacIntosh, and Severiano, among others, all reported to Al, helping to get the job done.

One important point to recall: the Apaches both respected and trusted Al, which did not happen with many whites. Many times Al called Geronimo a liar to his face, (see A Kinney Griffith book on Mickey Free). He frequently was among all the 'wild ones'. Should Al ever wanted to kill Geronimo, he certainly had the opportunity several times to do so. In fact, trust was a two way street, both in Al's relationship with the Apache Kid and many other Apaches. His close working during and after the wars eventually lead to his death at the hands of the Apache.

After all the years, this is still a remarkable book, well worth reading.

Semper Fi.

Like many books on the American Indian Wars "Al Sieber: Chief of Scouts" is certainly a product of its time. Written by Dan Thrapp at the dawn of the revisionist period of popular Western History, modern readers will probably be aghast at the sheer violence and cruelty on display. Sieber, a hero in his time and place, definately comes off the hero in Thrapp's take on the subject. But the casual reader should be aware that regardless of how one feels about this time in American History, it was brutal and deadly. Thrapp illustrates that quite well. The modern reader should know ahead of time to leave their personal feelings at the door before they turn the first page. Sieber hunted and killed men, plain and simple.

The value of this book though goes beyond the study of the controversial man, who if not for a few other books and Robert Duvall's portrayal in 1993's "Geronimo", would probably be forgotten today. In fact this book serves as a solid introduction to the Apache Wars as a conflict of cultures. The reader is also introduced to other historical figures, men like John Townsend, Dan O'Leary, Ed Peck, and Hi Jolly, who along with a score of soldiers and other frontiersmen came in and out of Sieber's adventurous life. Thrapp also does much to trace Sieber's roots back to Germany, his immigration to America, service in the Civil War and arrival on the frontier.

But the meat and bones of the narrative really takes off about the time Sieber arrives in 1860s Arizona, just in time for one of the darkest and most violent chapters in the history of the Southwest. Here, we see a young man gradually go from a would be prospector, to an expert tracker, Indian fighter, and killer. Then, through the retelling of the campaigns of Arizona Sieber emerges as the manhunter he became. In short, he found his niche.

If you're looking for a sensitive take on the Indian Wars or ethnography on the Apache look elsewhere. If you're looking for an un-apologetic look at the Apache Wars, this book belongs on your shelf beside "On the Border with Crook".

some time ago i read this book. i must admit it made a lasting impression on me. i feel at this writing, that the high esteem people had for al sieber in his day, was due to the equally felt, fear and scorn they had for the apache. al sieber became an embodiment of this fear and scorn. other methods of behavior might of succeeded, but the ideology of the time was, that only apache could conquer apache. al, it seems to me, became a little better at this than necessary. this aside few can compare with dans ability to transport you back in time to let you see for yourself how events unfolded. contains a wealth of information, enjoy it or not, it is a must read for every serious student of the apache conquest.

it is a verry good book well writen on what i think is one of the lost person. that help settle the west. yes he was a hard man .but those were hard times. none of us can ever imagine. what settlers .went through. when the apache were raiding. yes the indians also had hardships with the whites moveing forward.but at the time al sieber.was a need the us army and settlers needed.the book is hard to put down .and gives the reader great insight. to those wild times.

al sieber was a murderous thug who killed indeans for breakfast. he is certainly no hero,just a killer for the army. he participated in the annialation of the western apache thru the killing of men , women and children. this book shows how sieber and men like him including the army destroyed an intire culture.sieber wanted to kill geronimo,but could never find him. so he shot and killed any apache in sight,this man was a true psychotic, disquisd as an army scout.