Mickey Free facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mickey Free
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Free (date unknown)
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| Born | 1848 or 1851 Mexico
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| Died | 1914 Navaho County Arizona
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| Other names | Felix Telles, Felix Ward |
| Occupation | US Army Indian scout |
Mickey Free was a famous Apache Indian scout and bounty hunter who lived in the American frontier. He was born around 1847 or 1848 with the name Felix Telles. His Apache name was Mig-gan-la-iae.
When he was a child, Apaches kidnapped him. He was then raised as an Apache warrior. Later, he joined the US Army's Apache scouts. He worked at Fort Verde from 1874 to 1878. That's when he got the nickname Mickey Free. He passed away in 1914.
Early Life and Family
Mickey Free's mother was Maria Jesus Martinez, a Mexican woman. His father was Santiago Telles. Maria Jesus and Santiago met when they were teenagers. They fell in love, but they did not get married.
Felix was born with the name Felix Telles. In 1858, his mother and his half-sister, Teodora Rangel, moved in with John Ward. John Ward was an Irishman who had a ranch in the Arizona Territory. Maria Jesus and John Ward had five children together.
Kidnapped by Apaches
Felix was about 12 years old when he was kidnapped. This happened on January 27, 1861. A group of Pinal Apache raiders took him. Later, he was traded to the Coyotero Apache, also known as the White Mountain Apaches.
This kidnapping had a big impact on how the Apache and the United States got along. John Ward, Felix's stepfather, was away from home. When he came back, he found out his cattle and Felix were gone. He believed Chiricahua Apaches had taken them.
Ward asked the army for help right away. Lieutenant George Nicholas Bascom was sent to find Felix. Bascom thought the Chiricahua Apaches were responsible. This event became known as the Bascom Affair. It led to the start of the Chiricahua Wars.
Bascom tried to get Felix back. He met with Cochise, a famous Apache leader. Cochise said he didn't have the child. Bascom then held some Apaches hostage. Cochise escaped and took his own hostages. Both sides refused to give in. This led to many fights and eventually, the Chiricahua Apaches went to war.
Felix was adopted by a White Mountain Apache named Nayundiie. He grew up as Nayundiie's foster son. He became like a brother to Tlol-dil-zil, who was later known as John Rope.
Scout for the US Army
Mickey Free joined the U.S. Army's Apache Scouts in December 1872. Within two years, he became a sergeant. He worked at Camp Verde as an interpreter. There, he met a famous scout named Al Sieber.
Soldiers often gave nicknames to the Apache Scouts because their names were hard to say. Felix had red hair and other features that reminded soldiers of a character named "Mickey Free" from a book. That's how he got his famous nickname.
Mickey Free worked as a scout for General George Crook. He helped Crook track down Apache leaders like Geronimo and Nana. He even traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1886 with other Apache leaders. He left the scouts in 1893.
He also worked as a bounty hunter. He once tracked the Apache Kid, who had a very large reward for his capture.
Later Life and Death
After leaving the Army, Mickey Free moved to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. He lived there with other White Mountain Apache Scouts. He became a farmer and lived the rest of his life there.
Mickey Free married four times during his life. He had two sons and two daughters. He passed away in 1914.
