Background
He was born May 17, 1853 in a part of the Arizona Territory known as Limestone Canyon.
He was born May 17, 1853 in a part of the Arizona Territory known as Limestone Canyon.
He received the United States military"s highest decoration for bravery, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Indian Wars. He tried to convince Geronimo to surrender peacefully on behalf of the United States government and remained friends with Geronimo until his death. He joined the Indian Scouts at Camp Verde December 2, 1872 and served under General George Crook in actions against an uprising of the Chiricahua Apache in the winter of 1872–1873, holding the rank of Sergeant.
He was cited for gallantry, and acted as an envoy from Crook to Geronimo, trying to convince him to surrender peacefully.
He fought again under Crook in the campaign against the Chiricahua Apache in the Sierra Madre of Mexico in 1883 and his last military duty was as an advisor during the pursuit of Geronimo in Mexico in 1885. The Apache Wars officially ended with the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and Alchesay returned to his family and his home.
He became a successful cattleman and farmer, living for a while in Forestdale and later in North Fork. As a leader, Alchesay sought better conditions for his people in Washington, District of Columbia In 1887 he traveled to the Capital to speak to President Grover Cleveland.
He met with President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909, and with Warren G. Harding in 1921.
When the military left Fort Apache and Theodore Roosevelt Indian Boarding School was built in 1923 for Navajo children, Alchesay traveled to Navajo county to welcome Navajo children to the White Mountain reservation. He was instrumental in getting federal compensation for the families that were removed because of the school. He and Geronimo remained close friends until Geronimo"s death in 1909.
He filed for an Indian Wars pension under the name William Alchesay and resigned from active chieftainship in 1925.
Alchesay died August 6, 1928 at North Fork, Arizona and is buried on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona. Medal of Honor citation Other honors.