James Kirker (1793–1852) was an Irish-born American privateer, soldier, mercenary, merchant, Mountain man, and scalp hunter. He is best known for his contracts with the Mexican government to enslave, kill and scalp ApacheIndians.[1]
Kirker was born in Killead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, to an Ulster Scots family, but left for New York City, United States, at the age of 16 to avoid conscription in the Royal Navy. In an ironic twist, he became a "legal" American privateer to raid British ships off the East Coast of the United States in the War of 1812. He was a privateer for a year, but returned to New York in 1813 and married Catherine Donigan and had a son, James B. Kirker. In 1817, Kirker abandoned his family to go to St. Louis, Missouri with several kinsmen. In St. Louis, Kirker worked as a merchant.[2]
Kirker is described as a "large, agile man," fearless, an excellent marksman and horseman. He was considered during his lifetime as having "great enterprise and vision."[2]
Mercenaryedit
Kirker had become familiar and friendly with the Apache during his years of work and travel. He sold arms and ammunition to them and was alleged to have accompanied Apache bands on livestock raids into Mexico. Beginning in 1831, Apache raids became a serious problem in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora. In December 1839, Kirker was given a contract by the government of Chihuahua to fight Apaches. He was authorized to raise 200 men and would be paid for Apache prisoners.[3] The core group of his force was about 25 men, called "Sahuanos" (Shawnees) which included Anglos, Mexicans, escaped Black slaves and Shawnee, Delaware, and Creek Indians, including his second in command, a Shawnee named Spybuck.[4]
Kirker's first operation in 1840 was to kill 10 Apache men and take 20 women and children prisoners from a group that had begun peace negotiations with Mexican authorities. He continued to have some successes killing and capturing Apache, but Apache raids increased in 1841 rather than decreased. Kirker was reemployed in 1846 and he and local Mexicans were responsible for a massacre of 130 peaceful Apache at Galeana, Chihuahua. Kirker claimed that he had followed the trail of stolen livestock to the Apache encampment.[5] However, the bankrupt Chihuahua government could not afford to continue paying Kirker and offered him instead a commission as Colonel in the Mexican Army. Kirker turned down the offer. In ill repute and with the Mexican–American War inflaming public opinion against Anglo-Americans, Kirker fled Mexico. He was declared an enemy of the state with a 10,000 peso price on his head.[2]
After Mexicoedit
Kirker was employed by Col. Alexander William Doniphan's American army as a scout, and participated in the American invasion of northern Mexico during the Mexican–American War. In 1848, he served as a scout in an American expedition against the Apache and Ute. In 1849, he guided a wagon trail of "Forty-Niners" to California. He settled with his family in Contra Costa county in California. Kirker Creek[6] and Kirker Pass[7] are named after him, with controversy arising by 2022 about using his names after the slaughter he committed.[8] He died in 1852.[2]
It is difficult to untangle fact from folklore in the details of Kirker's life.[9]
Footnotesedit
^Kiser, William S (2023). "The Business of Killing Indians: Contract Warfare and Genocide in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands". Journal of American History. 110 (1): 15–39. doi:10.1093/jahist/jaad095. ISSN 0021-8723.
^ abcdeSmith, Ralph A. "Kirker, James." Handbook of Texas Online, [1] accessed 16 Jul 2012
^Griffen, William B. Utmost Good Faith: Patterns of Apache-Mexican Hostilities in Northern Chihuahua Border Warfare, 1821-1848 Albuquerque: U of NM Press, p. 58
"Borderlander: the life of James Kirker, 1793-1852" By Ralph Adam Smith
April 18, 2024
james, kirker, 1793, 1852, irish, born, american, privateer, soldier, mercenary, merchant, mountain, scalp, hunter, best, known, contracts, with, mexican, government, enslave, kill, scalp, apache, indians, signed, santiago, bottom, photo, 1847, thomas, martin,. James Kirker 1793 1852 was an Irish born American privateer soldier mercenary merchant Mountain man and scalp hunter He is best known for his contracts with the Mexican government to enslave kill and scalp Apache Indians 1 James Kirker signed Don Santiago at bottom of photo 1847 by Thomas Martin EasterlyContents 1 Early life 2 Mercenary 3 After Mexico 4 Footnotes 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editKirker was born in Killead County Antrim Northern Ireland to an Ulster Scots family but left for New York City United States at the age of 16 to avoid conscription in the Royal Navy In an ironic twist he became a legal American privateer to raid British ships off the East Coast of the United States in the War of 1812 He was a privateer for a year but returned to New York in 1813 and married Catherine Donigan and had a son James B Kirker In 1817 Kirker abandoned his family to go to St Louis Missouri with several kinsmen In St Louis Kirker worked as a merchant 2 In 1822 Kirker joined a William Henry Ashley fur trapping expedition up the Missouri River In 1824 he followed the Santa Fe Trail to New Mexico and spent winters during the next decade trapping and trading beaver pelts in the southern Rocky Mountains He began working at the Santa Rita mine near Silver City New Mexico in 1826 and escorted wagon trains of copper to Chihuahua Mexico In 1833 without divorcing his first wife he married Rita Garcia and in 1835 he became a Mexican citizen The couple had three sons and a daughter 2 He became known in Mexico as Santiago Querque or Quirque Kirker is described as a large agile man fearless an excellent marksman and horseman He was considered during his lifetime as having great enterprise and vision 2 Mercenary editKirker had become familiar and friendly with the Apache during his years of work and travel He sold arms and ammunition to them and was alleged to have accompanied Apache bands on livestock raids into Mexico Beginning in 1831 Apache raids became a serious problem in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora In December 1839 Kirker was given a contract by the government of Chihuahua to fight Apaches He was authorized to raise 200 men and would be paid for Apache prisoners 3 The core group of his force was about 25 men called Sahuanos Shawnees which included Anglos Mexicans escaped Black slaves and Shawnee Delaware and Creek Indians including his second in command a Shawnee named Spybuck 4 Kirker s first operation in 1840 was to kill 10 Apache men and take 20 women and children prisoners from a group that had begun peace negotiations with Mexican authorities He continued to have some successes killing and capturing Apache but Apache raids increased in 1841 rather than decreased Kirker was reemployed in 1846 and he and local Mexicans were responsible for a massacre of 130 peaceful Apache at Galeana Chihuahua Kirker claimed that he had followed the trail of stolen livestock to the Apache encampment 5 However the bankrupt Chihuahua government could not afford to continue paying Kirker and offered him instead a commission as Colonel in the Mexican Army Kirker turned down the offer In ill repute and with the Mexican American War inflaming public opinion against Anglo Americans Kirker fled Mexico He was declared an enemy of the state with a 10 000 peso price on his head 2 After Mexico editKirker was employed by Col Alexander William Doniphan s American army as a scout and participated in the American invasion of northern Mexico during the Mexican American War In 1848 he served as a scout in an American expedition against the Apache and Ute In 1849 he guided a wagon trail of Forty Niners to California He settled with his family in Contra Costa county in California Kirker Creek 6 and Kirker Pass 7 are named after him with controversy arising by 2022 about using his names after the slaughter he committed 8 He died in 1852 2 It is difficult to untangle fact from folklore in the details of Kirker s life 9 Footnotes edit Kiser William S 2023 The Business of Killing Indians Contract Warfare and Genocide in the U S Mexico Borderlands Journal of American History 110 1 15 39 doi 10 1093 jahist jaad095 ISSN 0021 8723 a b c d e Smith Ralph A Kirker James Handbook of Texas Online 1 accessed 16 Jul 2012 Griffen William B Utmost Good Faith Patterns of Apache Mexican Hostilities in Northern Chihuahua Border Warfare 1821 1848 Albuquerque U of NM Press p 58 Often called Skybuck but Spybuck is more likely given that a well known Shawnee family is named Spybuck James Kirker the King of New Mexico http xroads virginia edu HYPER HNS scalpin children html accessed 13 Jul 2012 Griffen Utmost Good Faith pp 58 61 119 171 172 U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Kirker Creek U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Kirker Pass The Washington Football Team rebranded California s Kirker Pass should too 5 February 2022 Mero William E Myths Legends and Facts the final days of James Kirker 2 Archived 20 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine accessed 3 Jun 2019References editBorderlander the life of James Kirker 1793 1852 By Ralph Adam Smith ISBN 0 8061 3041 5 1999 University of Oklahoma Press The Scalp Business on the Border 1837 1850 By Ray Brandes 1962 Savage Scene by William C McGaw 1972External links edithttp xroads virginia edu HYPER HNS Scalpin children html Borderlander the life of James Kirker 1793 1852 By Ralph Adam Smith Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Kirker amp oldid 1208225302, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
