“Colorado Cannibal”

Question

Hi Wikitreers

Once again we have a very bizarre and interesting story of a Alferd E. Packard who was a Colorado prospector and wilderness guide. Alfred is a notable with a Wikipedia who was born January 21, 1842 and died April 23, 1907. He apparently was a “U.S. Union Army soldier convicted of manslaughter.”

Id like collaboration in his genealogy and finding better sources

1). Does he have a Memorial on FindAGrave?

2). What was his Regiment and company during his service during the U.S. Civil War?

Any collaboration in this very intriguing civil war veteran is appreciated.

Thank you

Edit: found match and merge request initiated the match didn’t appear when created as LNAB was a typo

Answer 1

Andrew, there is a memorial - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/785/alfred-packer

This is on Wikipedia, haven't confirmed

Packer served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He enlisted on April 22, 1862, in Winona, Minnesota, and was assigned to Company F of the 16th Infantry Regiment. Eight months later he was honorably discharged due to epilepsy, which had triggered seizures.[5] On June 25, 1863, Packer enlisted in the 8th Iowa Cavalry Regiment at Ottumwa, Iowa, only for his epilepsy to result in a second discharge on April 22, 1864

Comments

Thank you 

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Just confirmed on Civil War Research.  He is not listed under 1st enlistment in Minnesota but he is for Iowa - https://civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?U&1985934

Do you have access to newspapers.com?  There are several articles.

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Yes I’ll put the source on his page. Very big news in his time when he passed in 1907.

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What's more interesting he went from getting the death penalty, reversed by Colorado Supreme Court, given 40 years, received conditional parole and became a lifetime vegetarian once he was released.

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Added the civil war sticker to the profile of merge. Added civilwardata source to his sources. Improvements are welcome.

Answer 2

It appears there are two profiles for Alfred Packer.

Packer-1308

Packer-2490

Aaron

Comments

Yes the merge request I initiated and is pending. The PM hasn’t had any contributions since March and the pm for the paternal grandparents haven’t been active in years since 2014; so might take a while.

The match for him during his profile creation didn’t appear as the LNAB had a typo “Packard”  even his name was spelled “Alferd” as per his memorial “His name is often misspelled as "Alferd", an error that stems from his own illiteracy.”

Answer 3

Hi Andrew, I hadn't known he enlisted, I'm in Colorado and have visited the site where the cannibalization happened.  You find the most interesting articles and soldiers 

Comments

His grave marker was replaced as the first one was taken from what I’ve read.

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That's not surprising it is a grizzly story, some kid probably took it

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He is one bizarre interesting veteran story! I’ve added some clips to his profile. It doesn’t appear he had children or was married?

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Andrew, I found another story but I was waiting to add until the merge.  

I found this article by David P. Bailey who wanted to prove that Alfred was innocent of the crime of intentional homicide.  A "mock trial" was done in 2002 and they found him innocent, not of cannibalism but of intentional murder.

https://web.archive.org/web/20130117101738/https://www.museumofwesternco.com/media/cms/includes/pathways_article_packer_solve.pdf

Cannibalism aside, he's a fascinating Civil War Veteran

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Google Lake City, Alfred Packer and you will find the memorial that marks where the men died

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Interesting the memorial for the men who died so tragically has been preserved so many years. Amazing! They had families and dreams of finding a better life in their journey. Gold fever was always the big lure in those days. Prospecting was dangerous business from what I’ve read

Edit: this historic site seems closed see https://www.uncovercolorado.com/activities/alferd-packer-massacre-site/

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I am not so sure but intriguing possibility. The newspapers of the day seem to state otherwise especially the article about how the mens remains were found and how they died in their sleep…

Edit: see article titled “A Human Fiend”

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As a note, the student grill at the University of Colorado is the Alferd Packer Grill. At one time there was an Al Packer Day celebration, including a raw meat eating contest, but those are long since past. The wall of the grill did/does include the legend of Al Packer, complete with the quote from the judge, "There were seven Democrats in Hinsdale County, and you ate five of them." Fun what students will come up with.

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I remember hearing about that raw meat eating contest in the media. Interesting event! Seems the Packer story is a big tourism event their in the area

Answer 4

I wonder how he stacks up compared to the Kentucky Cannibal?

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Helm-1612

Comments

No way 

A mountain man gunslinger on top of it! 

Well done profile 

Answer 5

My mother being a PACKER, had years ago, collected newspaper clippings, photos, and other items on Alfred Griner Packer.  I have photocopies somewhere in storage, of items she had.  My mother has passed away, and the files I do not have, are in storage with my siblings.  I will attempt to find my copies and if I have anything not yet posted on the profile, I will post it.

Comments

Thank you!