Albert Sieber (1843-1907) - Find a Grave Memorial

Western Frontiersman. A legendary United States Army scout and "Indian fighter, he was a native of Mingolsheim, Germany and later migrated to the United States. From his home in Minnesota, he enlisted at the age of 18 in Company B, 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and fought in the Civil War, including the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg, At Gettysburg, he was seriously wounded in his regiments famous "forlorn hope" charge on the 2nd day of the engagement. He headed west after the war and prospected for a short while in both California and Nevada. He later moved to Prescott, Arizona, where he managed a ranch and learned Indian fighting skills. By 1871 he was well-known throughout the territory for his remarkable scouting skills. He was hired by General George Crook to be Chief of Scouts in 1871. For the next few years he was involved in most of the major engagements during Crook's great Tonto campaign. He later was occasionally sent as a spy into Mexico and participated in a major expedition that Crook led into the Sierra Madre of Mexico against the Chiricahua Apaches who were followers of Geronimo. He was killed by a falling boulder while supervising a work detail during the construction of the Roosevelt Dam in Arizona. He is memorialized on the Crook monument at Arlington National Cemetery. The character "Ed Bannon," portrayed by Charlton Heston in the movie "Arrowhead" (1953), is based on his exploits. He was portrayed as himself by actor John McIntyre in the movie "Apache" (1954) and by actor Robert DuVall in the movie "Geronimo" (1993). He is the subject of a book "Al Sieber, Chief of Scouts."

Bio by: Warrick L. Barrett