The Apache Kid – Outlaw Legend of the Southwest
The American Southwest, a land of stark beauty and unforgiving landscapes, is steeped in tales of pioneers, prospectors, and the indigenous peoples who called it home long before the arrival of Europeans. Among these narratives, few are as enigmatic and controversial as that of the Apache Kid, a figure shrouded in legend and whispered about in hushed tones even today. Said to have been the fiercest Apache next to Geronimo, as well as a notorious outlaw of the late 19th century, was the Apache Kid.
Born sometime in the 1860s on the San Carlos Reservation in the territory of Arizona, the individual known as the “Apache Kid” remains a subject of intense debate. While his birth name was Haskay-bay-nay-natyl, meaning "the tall man destined to come to a mysterious end," its pronunciation proved challenging for the English-speaking residents of Globe, Arizona, leading them to simply call him "Kid." The most plausible consensus points to his tribal affiliation as White Mountain Apache. The young Apache, gifted with an aptitude for languages, learned English at an early age. This skill, coupled with his industrious nature, allowed him to secure various odd jobs in the bustling mining town of Globe. It was there that fate intervened, bringing him into contact with Al Sieber, a renowned scout whose name was synonymous with frontier acumen. Sieber, recognizing the young Apache’s potential, took him under his wing, forging a bond that would profoundly shape the Apache Kid’s destiny.
The late 19th century was a turbulent period in the Southwest, marked by escalating conflict between settlers and various Apache tribes. Raids on homesteads and wagon trains were commonplace, creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. In response to this volatile situation, General George Crook, a seasoned military leader known for his understanding of Native American cultures, conceived a novel strategy. He proposed enlisting Apache warriors as scouts to track down and subdue their renegade counterparts. The logic was simple yet effective: utilizing the Apache’s intimate knowledge of the terrain and their unparalleled tracking skills to combat those who defied the authority of the United States government. These enlisted Indian Scouts, recruited from reservations such as San Carlos, played a crucial role in locating the elusive trails used by the hunted Apache, providing invaluable intelligence to the pursuing soldiers.
In 1881, the Apache Kid took the momentous decision to enlist in the ranks of the Indian Scouts, embarking on a path that would intertwine his fate with the unfolding drama of the American West. His exceptional skills and unwavering dedication quickly set him apart from his peers. So adept was he at his duties that within a year, in July 1882, he earned a well-deserved promotion to the rank of sergeant. This rapid ascent was a testament to his courage, resourcefulness, and profound understanding of Apache tactics and strategies. The following year, in 1883, the Apache Kid’s reputation as a capable scout preceded him when he was chosen to accompany General George Crook on a pivotal expedition into the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. This campaign, aimed at pacifying warring Apache bands operating across the border, further honed his skills and solidified his position as a trusted member of Crook’s inner circle.
The Geronimo Campaign of 1885-1886 saw the Apache Kid once again serving alongside Al Sieber, this time venturing deep into Mexico in early 1885. Their mission was to track and apprehend the elusive Geronimo, whose raids had become a major source of frustration for both the American and Mexican governments. The Apache Kid’s knowledge of the terrain and his ability to interpret subtle clues proved invaluable in the pursuit. However, the campaign was fraught with challenges, and in the fall of 1885, Sieber was recalled to San Carlos. The Apache Kid, loyal to his friend and mentor, accompanied him on the return journey. Upon arriving at the reservation, he promptly re-enlisted in response to Lieutenant Crawford’s call for one hundred scouts to join another expedition into Mexico. In late 1885, he once again found himself heading south, ready to confront the dangers that lay ahead. While stationed in the Mexican town of Huasabas, located on the banks of the Bavispe River, the Apache Kid found himself embroiled in a drunken brawl that nearly cost him his life. The details of the incident remain murky, but it is known that he was involved in a violent altercation that threatened to escalate into a full-blown riot. Fortunately for the Apache Kid, the local judge intervened, imposing a fine of twenty dollars rather than subjecting him to the harsh justice of a Mexican firing squad. The Army, recognizing the potential for further trouble, promptly sent him back to San Carlos.
May 1887 marked a turning point in the Apache Kid’s life, a moment that would irrevocably alter his destiny and propel him down a path of outlawry. With Captain Pierce and Al Sieber away on official business, the Apache Kid found himself temporarily in charge of the Indian Scouts and the guardhouse at San Carlos. Despite the strict prohibition against the brewing of tiswin, a potent alcoholic beverage made from fermented fruit or corn, the Indian Scouts decided to indulge in a clandestine celebration in the absence of their white officers. As the tiswin flowed freely, inhibitions loosened, and tensions simmering beneath the surface began to erupt. In a tragic turn of events, a man named Gon-Zizzie fatally shot the Apache Kid’s father, Togo-de-Chuz. Enraged by this act of violence, the Apache Kid’s friends retaliated, killing Gon-Zizzie in turn. However, the death of his father’s killer was not enough to quench the Apache Kid’s thirst for vengeance. Consumed by grief and a burning desire for retribution, he sought out Gon-Zizzie’s brother, Rip, and took his life as well.
On June 1, 1887, the Apache Kid and four other scouts returned to San Carlos, unaware that Captain Pierce and Al Sieber had arrived before them. Pierce immediately ordered the scouts to disarm themselves, and the Apache Kid was the first to comply. As Pierce ordered them to the guardhouse to be locked up, a shot was fired from the crowd who had gathered to watch the display of events. In no time, the shots became widespread, and Al Seiber was hit in the ankle, which ended up crippling him for life. During the melee that followed, the Apache Kid and several other Apache fled. Though it was never determined who fired that shot that struck Sieber, it was for sure not the Apache Kid nor the other four scouts ordered to the guardhouse as they had all been disarmed.
The Army, reacting swiftly, soon sent two troops of the Fourth Cavalry to find the Apache Kid and the others who had escaped. For two weeks, the cavalry followed the fugitives along the banks of the San Carlos River, when finally, with the aid of more Indian Scouts, they located the Apache Kid and his band in the Rincon Mountains.
The soldiers seized the Apache horses and equipment while the Indians fled by foot into the rocky canyons. In negotiations with the soldiers, Apache Kid relayed a message to General Miles stating that he and his band would surrender if the Army would recall the cavalry. When Miles complied, the Apache Kid and seven members of his band surrendered on June 25.
The Apache Kid and four others were court-martialed, found guilty of mutiny and desertion, and sentenced to death by firing squad. However, General Miles was upset over the verdict and ordered the court to reconsider the sentence. When the court reconvened on August 3, they were re-sentenced to life in prison. Miles was still not satisfied and reduced the sentence to ten years. Beginning their sentence in the San Carlos guardhouse, they were later sent to Alcatraz.
However, their conviction was soon overturned on October 13, 1888, due to prejudice among the officers of the court-martial trial, and the Indians were returned to San Carlos as free men. Causing outrage among the area’s citizens, a new warrant was issued in October 1889 in Gila County for the re-arrest of the freed Apache for assault to commit murder in the wounding of Al Sieber.
On October 25, 1889, four Apache, including the Apache Kid, were found guilty and sentenced to seven years in the Territorial Prison at Yuma. While being transported to the prison, the Apache Kid, along with several others, escaped. During the fighting during the escape, the three guards, Glenn Reynolds, Eugene Middleton, and W. A. Holmes were overpowered. Glen Reynolds was killed, Middleton was wounded, and Holmes died of a heart attack. Middleton later recovered, saying the Kid had prevented another Apache from “finishing” him by bashing his head with a rock.
The Apache Kid and the others fled, their tracks obliterated by a snowstorm. It would be the last “official” sighting of Apache Kid, though unconfirmed reports of his whereabouts would continue to filter in for years.
Over the next few years, the Apache Kid was accused of various crimes and said to have led a small band of renegade Apache followers, raiding ranches and freight lines throughout New Mexico, Arizona, and Northern Mexico as he hid out in the Mexican Sierra Madre Mountains. Others insist that he became a lone wolf who was despised by his people and was feared by the Anglo settlers. Some accounts have the Apache Kid kidnapping an Apache woman until he tired of her, then killing her, before kidnapping yet another. Reportedly, the Kid preyed on lone ranchers, cowboys, and prospectors, killing them for their food, guns, and horses. Before long, the Arizona Territorial Legislature placed a price of $5,000 on his head, dead or alive, but no one ever claimed the reward.
It is impossible to determine how many of the crimes he is blamed for that he committed.
During an 1890 shootout between Sonoran Rurales (a branch of the Army) and Apache, a slain warrior was found to have Reynolds’ pistol and watch, but he was too old to have been the Apache Kid. After 1894, reports of his crimes came to an end. Some sources claimed he died at this time, while others argue that he crossed into Mexico and retired to his mountain hideout.
In 1899, Colonel Emilio Kosterlitzky, head of the Rurales, reported him alive and living with other Apache in the Sierra Madre. In the interim, there were several unconfirmed reports of his death – by gunshot or by tuberculosis. However, southern Arizona ranchers continued to report Apache stock raids into the 1920s.
There are so many different variations of the crimes committed by the Apache Kid, all with the purpose of exacting revenge for the treacherous way in which the Apache scouts had been treated by the Army, that even historians cannot agree on precisely what he was responsible for, nor when he died. Seemingly, his namesake, “the tall man destined to come to a mysterious end,” was a prophecy.
Though the questions are many regarding the death of the Apache Kid, a gravesite memorial can be found high in the San Mateo Mountains of the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico. Here is yet another place that the Apache Kid was said to have been killed after having been hunted down by local ranchers angered by his relentless raids. Reportedly, to mark the site of the Kid’s undoing, the vengeful posse blazed a tree, the hacked remains of which you can see to this day. The grave is one mile northwest of Apache Kid Peak at Cyclone Saddle.