James Kirker (1793–1852) was an Irish-born American privateer, soldier, mercenary, merchant,Mountain man, andscalp hunter. He is best known for his contracts with theMexican government to enslave, kill and scalpApacheIndians.[1]
Kirker was born inKillead,County Antrim, Northern Ireland, to anUlster Scots family, but left forNew York City, United States, at the age of 16 to avoid conscription in theRoyal Navy. In an ironic twist, he became a "legal" American privateer to raid British ships off theEast Coast of the United States in theWar 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 toSt. Louis, Missouri with several kinsmen. In St. Louis, Kirker worked as a merchant.[2]
In 1822, Kirker joined aWilliam Henry Ashley fur trapping expedition up theMissouri River. In 1824, he followed theSanta Fe Trail toNew Mexico and spent winters during the next decade trapping and tradingbeaver pelts in the southernRocky Mountains. He began working at theSanta Rita mine nearSilver City, New Mexico in 1826 and escorted wagon trains of copper toChihuahua, 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]
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 ofChihuahua andSonora. 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 andShawnee,Delaware, andCreek 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 atGaleana, 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 theMexican Army. Kirker turned down the offer. In ill repute and with theMexican–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]
Kirker was employed by Col.Alexander William Doniphan's American army as a scout, and participated in the American invasion of northern Mexico during theMexican–American War. In 1848, he served as a scout in an American expedition against the Apache andUte. In 1849, he guided a wagon trail of "Forty-Niners" toCalifornia. He settled with his family inContra Costa county in California.Kirker Creek[6] andKirker 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]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
