USA > Colorado > History of Colorado; Volume I > Part 10
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The early Spanish and French explorers came into frequent contact with the Indians, with whom they traded and from whom they obtained information, often fanciful, of the country. These foreigners gave the Indian tribes names which have long since disappeared from use. The early maps gave to the various tribes certain sections of the country such, for instance, as that of Delisle's map of Moscasco's journey west of the Mississippi. Here what is now Colorado and the northern part of New Mexico was designated as the "Country of the Apaches and Padoucas," and upon a later map the country between the North and South Platte is occupied by the "White Padoucas" and the valley of the Arkansas by the "Black Padoucas." The Padoucas apparently were in the majority at the time of French exploration, as the name predominates in every French descrip- tion of the country. Upon other old charts of the country the Platte River has been given the name of Rivière des Padoucas.
The central part of Colorado, in the vicinity of Denver, was occupied largely by the Arapahoes. Of this tribe little can be said in commendation. They com- bined all the characteristics which go to make up the "bad Indian." Crafty, treacherous, cruel, pugnacious, dishonest and even murderous they were. The site of Denver was a favorite camping ground for them and when the first set- tlements were made there arose many difficulties between them and the white people. The contact of civilization did them no good, as it brought to them all the vices, including whiskey, to further inflame their warlike propensities.
Left Hand, Little Raven, and Buffalo Billy were noted Arapaho chiefs of this day ; the former met his death when Chivington massacred the Indian band at Sand Creek in 1864 and the latter was killed in 1860 during a drunken spree at the camp southeast of Denver.
The Pawnees occupied only a part of what is now Colorado, to be exact, the northeast corner. Their country was along the Platte River principally, in the west half of Nebraska, but their excursions took them over into Colorado many times ; whence they were generally driven back by the enemy tribes.
The Cheyennes, probably of the Algonquin family, were so relentlessly warred upon by the Sioux that they were driven from their native habitat along the Cheyenne River and a large number of them came southward to form an alli- ance with the Arapahoes. They were good warriors and hunters and consider- ably strengthened the latter tribe. Roman Nose, whose name is identified with the history of Colorado, was a Cheyenne chieftain who fomented a large amount of trouble wherever he went, and whose activities eventually cost him his life on the Arickaree while attacking Forsyth's troops.
The Crows, an exiled branch of the Sioux, were feared in Colorado on ac- count of their depredations. The Sioux Indians considered a Crow a natural
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enemy despite the distant relationship and, for that matter, the white settlers never trusted one of the tribe whose raids reached as far as the site of Denver.
The Kiowas, thought by many writers to be of Shoshone blood, were once inhabitants of the upper valley of the Arkansas and on the South Platte. From here the Arapahoes, with the Cheyennes, compelled them to migrate southeast- ward, where they found refuge on the lower Arkansas and its tributaries.
The Utes, of the Shoshone family, were closely identified with Colorado's period of settlement and were the cause of most of the Indian troubles of the time. They once occupied all of the mountain country of Colorado, the south- western part of Wyoming and a great part of Utah. They were at peace with no other Indian tribe, except the notorious Apache on the South, with whom they were allied mostly for defensive purposes. The Ute Indian was of a high order and possessed many qualities not ordinarily associated with the American In- dian.
At least two chieftains of more than ordinary intelligence were produced among the Utes. Ouray, without question the best of the Utes, was a man of great sagacity and administrative ability. He was a pacifist and continually strived for peace between his people and the whites. The White River massacre by the Utes was contrary to his advice and his services in the investigation after- wards were meritorious. Ouray was born in 1839, the son of a Ute father and an Apache mother, and died at the Southern Ute Agency in Colorado during the year 1883.
Ignacio, of the Weeminuche tribe of Southern Utes, was another chieftain of high intellect and wisdom. He succeeded Ouray as the head of the tribe and always followed in his predecessor's course of promoting peace and prosperity among his people. He understood thoroughly that the Indian could not with- stand the civilization of the white man, also that hostile opposition only hastened the doom of his people. With this view strongly inculcated into his every pur- pose, he performed a notable work during his life-that of keeping his subjects at peace.
On the other hand there were a number of Ute chieftains who were personi- fications of everything despicable-treachery, cruelty, immorality, inebriety and love of bloodshed. Captain Jack, chief of the Yampai White River Utes, was a man of this character. He refused to acknowledge the wisdom of keeping peace with the whites, was forever an enemy of the settlers, and strongly resisted any attempt to civilize his race. Land cultivation or, to his mind, manual labor, was very distasteful. He led the band of Utes which ambushed Major Thornburg and his troops in 1879, at the time of the attack on the White River Agency. Captain Jack was killed in October, 1897, during a drunken carousal at Navajo Springs, Colorado.
Douglas, who led the attack on the White River Agency in 1879, was a chief- tain of ability and intelligence, but combining with those laudable qualities others of criminal character, which made him all the more dangerous. Until the time of his dastardly attack on the Meeker family he had professed a desire for peace with the whites. However, the opportunity had no sooner arrived than he changed and literally bathed his hands in blood. Douglas was never punished for this act and lived until 1885, dying at the Uintah Agency, White Rocks, Utah.
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Colorow was a chieftain who was more thoroughly disliked, both by the whites and the Indians themselves, than any other leader of the Utes. He had the qualities of a wolf and a coyote, with not enough character to inspire respect even among his kinsmen. It is said that he traveled around the country alone, visiting ranch houses when the men were absent and frightening the women. After the White River Agency massacre, he was taken to the Uintah Reserva- tion in Utah. He declared boastfully that he would not stay in Utah and in 1887 he, with his small band, left and came back to southwestern Colorado. He speedily got into a quarrel with the authorities of Garfield County and state troops were sent there to subdue him. The troops came into conflict with the Utes, killed several of them and suffered slight casualties themselves, but old Colorow was taken back to Utah. He died there in 1888.
Buckskin Charley, a chieftain of the Southern Utes, was a natural leader. He was very tactful and shrewd, but did not rank with Ouray and Ignacio in intelligence. Having had an Apache father, it was hardly possible for him to be wholly good. However, he did not antagonize the whites to any extent and always managed to maintain a high position of leadership among his people. He was a familiar figure in Denver during the later years of his life.
COL. HENRY DODGE'S EXPEDITION
The desire of the United States Government to bring about a peaceable re- lationship and amicable understanding with the Indian tribes of the Great West and also to encourage friendship between the tribes was the foundation of sev- eral military expeditions to the western country about the middle of the Nine- teenth Century.
The first of these was that of Col. Henry Dodge, of the First Regiment of United States Dragoons, in 1835. This was the first expedition of strictly mili- tary character to march to the Rockies. The personnel of the expeditionary force, as described by Colonel Dodge's own adjutant, was as follows :
"Company G, 37 men, commanded by Captain Ford.
"Company C, 40 men, commanded by Captain Duncan.
"Company A, 40 men, commanded by Lieutenant Lupton.
"Lieutenant Wheelock doing duty in Company C; Lieutenant Steen, ord- nance officer, in command of two swivels. Lieutenant Terrett, assistant commis- sary of subsistence, etc. Lieutenant Kingsbury, acting adjutant, and Doctor Fellows, assistant surgeon. Major Dougherty, Indian agent, was to accompany the command as far as the Pawnee village; and Captain Gantt, Indian trader, who was well acquainted with the country over which we were to march, accom- panied the detachment in the capacity of guide.
"The companies were directed to take sixty days' rations of flour, and ten days' rations of pork; and the assistant commissary of subsistence to take twenty- five beeves and two wagon loads of flour."
The Dodge expedition left Fort Leavenworth on May 29th and proceeded to the Platte River at a point forty miles above its mouth, where a grand council was held with the Otoe Indians. Later, the Omaha Indians under Big Elk met Colonel Dodge here and another council was held. The journey was then con- tinued up the south side of the Platte to the camp of the Grand Pawnees (below
VIEW OF A PART OF A LARGE COMMUNITY DWELLING-THE "SQUARE TOWER HOUSE"-SIT- UATED IN A RECESS IN THE EASTWARD CLIFF OF THE NAVAJO CANON, IN THE MESA VERDE DISTRICT, IN THE FAR SOUTHWESTERN SECTION OF COLORADO
Four stories of a tower-like portion of the edifice still remain.
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the foot of the Grand Island). Although the Pawnees distrusted the Americans, they received Colonel Dodge with all Indian hospitality and despatched messen- gers to outlying Indian villages, calling the chiefs in to a grand council. This formal gathering was held on June 23d and was a success. The Indians promised to be more friendly among themselves and also to make peace with the Chey- ennes and Arapahoes.
Upon the continuation of the march up the Platte, negotiations were opened with the Arickaras, considered to be the most warlike of the tribes west of the Missouri. A council was held with this tribe a short distance beyond the forks of the Platte, when Dodge assured them of the Whites' friendship and desire for their welfare. Nothing of interest or pertinent to the history of Colorado occurred at this meeting.
On the afternoon of July 9th the expedition entered Colorado at the north- eastern corner of the state, following the right bank of the South Platte. The command went up the east side of the river, crossing Denver's site, and pro- ceeded almost to the Platte Cañon mouth, then up Plum Creek, over the ridge to Monument Creek, down the Monument to the Fontaine qui Bouille, thence down the stream to a place within fifteen miles of the mouth, thence south- east to the Arkansas and down this stream into Kansas. Bent's Fort was visited on the route.
In his formal report to the Government, Colonel Dodge writes as follows :
"On the 28th of July, I encamped in full view of Pike's Peak, on the Rocky Mountains. The next morning two Spaniards arrived at my camp and stated that they had been sent by traders from the Arkansas River in search of the Arepaha (Arapaho) Indians. On the 30th of July, I arrived at the Arkan- sas River, about five miles from the point where that river leaves the Rocky Mountains. Here I saw about sixty lodges of the Arepaha Indians with their families. This nation claims the country from the south fork of the Platte River to the Arkansas, and numbers about eleven hundred warriors. They have never entered into a treaty with the United States. They are said to have come from the Rocky Mountains, and are the descendants of the Blackfeet Indians, whose tongue they speak. I found them desirous of cultivating the most friendly understanding with me. From this place I despatched a messenger, with a few dragoons, in search of some of the principal chiefs of the Arepaha, with some of the Cheyenne and Blackfeet Indians, who were on the waters of the Platte.
"On the 31st of July, I commenced my march down the Arkansas, and arrived at the fort of Bent and St. Vrain on the 4th of August. This fort is built on the Arkansas River, about one hundred and thirty miles from the Rocky Moun- tains, and its owners are. trading under a license from the superintendent of Indian affairs at St. Louis. They erected the fort to protect them against a sudden attact of the Indians, and have a six-pounder and several light field- pieces; they trade with the Arepaha and Cheyenne Indians, and also with the Camanches of the Red River. At this place I met a number of the Cheyenne Indians. On the 6th of August, my messenger arrived with one of the principal chiefs of the Arepaha Indians and some of the Blackfeet who reside with the Arepahas. At Fort William (Fort Bent), on the 7th of August, I met a large assembly of Indians in council, and endeavored to explain to them the views
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and wishes of the Government in relation to them. A small deputation of Pawnees accompanied my command from the Pawnee village, and had a friendly understanding with their old enemies, the Arepahas and Cheyenne Indians. I made a few presents to them, in the name of the great father, the President of the United States, which appeared to have a great effect upon them, they being the first ever made to the Arepaha or Blackfeet. At this council, I learned that the Osages and the Arepahas, who had been at war for many years, had made peace, and that a party of the Osages had gone to the Camanches, on the Red River, to confirm the peace made between them last year. Mr. Bent, of the trading-house of Bent and St. Vrain, arrived at Fort William, on the Arkansas, the day after I had held the council with these Indians. He had visited the Camanches on the Red River, and stated that he had seen upwards of two thousand, and they treated him with great kindness, and expressed a desire to be included in the peace made by me with the Camanches last year.
"When the boundary line is run between the United States and Mexico, I believe that more than one-half of the country now claimed by the Camanches will be within the territorial limits of the United States.
"On the 12th of August, I took up my line of march down the Arkansas, and on the 14th arrived at a village of the Cheyenne Indians, composed of about sixty skin lodges. In the evening after my arrival, I held a council with the principal braves of this band. About eight o'clock, next morning, my attention was directed to the firing of a number of small-arms in quick succession, at the distance of about one-half mile; more than one hundred guns were fired in one or two minutes. Supposing this firing to be an attact on the Cheyenne Indians by some of their enemies, and that this band might ask protection from me, I instantly formed the dragoons in order of battle, until I could be informed as to the cause of the firing. It was, however, soon ascertained to be a party of the Pawnees and Arickaras, about one hundred ir. number, under the command of one of the principal chiefs of the Pawnees, which Indians, upon arriving in the vicinity of their enemies, the Cheyennes, had fired their guns, to prove to them their friendly disposition, by approaching with empty guns. I was much gratified to meet the Pawness and Arickaras at the village of the Cheyennes, on the Arkansas River. I had advised them in council, on the river Platte, to make peace with their old enemies, the Arepahas and Cheyennes. This I con- sidered a fortunate meeting of the old enemies, as it enabled me, as the mutual friend of all, to effect, I hope, a lasting peace between them. The Cheyennes made presents to the Pawnees and Arickaras, of upwards of one hundred horses ; and the latter made a present of fifty of their guns to the Cheyennes. I en- deavored to impress strongly on the minds of these Indians, the mutual advantage that would result to them by making a lasting peace."
Lieutenant Kingsbury was the chief journalist of the expedition and recorded in excellent language the appearance of the Colorado country through which they passed and the Indians with whom they became acquainted. He found the country literally blackened with buffalo herds, also saw droves of wild horses. The sight of the mountains, with their snow-capped peaks extending above the clouds, impressed him with their "beautiful and splendid appearance." Not- withstanding the intelligence of the members of the Dodge expedition, the description of the route taken, distances, and names of rivers are recorded Vol. 1-6
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incorrectly many times. The official map published after the return is also seriously in error. Of the Indian descriptions, however, more confirmation can be given. Colonel Dodge and Lieutenant Kingsbury both made accurate and colorful narratives of the red man, his life and habits. Naturally, as their principal object was to make friends with the native, their observation was both thorough and unbiased. Of the Cheyennes the record states: "The Chey- ennes are a bold and warlike band of Indians, and at the time of our arrival were in a state of great disorganization. They had just killed their principal chief, and had separated into three villages, and were wandering about the prairie without any leader. They were at war with the Camanches, Kiowas, Pawnees and Arickaras; a large war party had gone out against the Camanches, and had not returned at the time of our arrival. The Osages had visited the Cheyennes and Arepahas early in the summer, and had made peace with them. A party of the Arepahas then went with the Osages to visit the Camanches, with whom they wished to establish friendly relations. The Cheyennes are a better looking race of Indians than any we have seen, and more cleanly in their appearance. The women are remarkable for their beauty and the neatness of their personal appearance. The Cheyennes formerly lived on the Missouri River, where they were visited by General Atkinson in 1825. They left that country shortly after, and came to the south fork of the Platte, and have since been living with the Arepahas, with whom they have entered into the strictest terms of alliance, both offensive and defensive, and will, doubtless, in a few years, become incorporated with that nation. They are now about two hundred and twenty lodges, six hundred and sixty men, or two thousand six hundred and forty souls in all. They range between the Platte and Arkansas, near the mountains, and subsist entirely upon buffalo and the wild fruit they gather along the moun- tains.
"Of the Arepahas, there are about three hundred and sixty lodges, one thousand and eighty men, or three thousand six hundred souls in all. They are a less warlike nation than the Cheyennes, and appear to be a small and more delicate looking race of Indians, and are governed in their war movements almost entirely by the Cheyennes. The names of their principal chiefs : Ena- cha-ke-kuc, or buffalo bull that carries a gun; Oe-che-ne, or old raven; E-thaw- ete, or strong bow; Waw-lau-nah, or black dog; Waw-hin-e-hun, or mad bear ; Naw-tuh-tha, or buffalo belly. They are less neat in their appearance than the Cheyennes, and make their clothes of buffalo skins. They range with the Chey- ennes between the Platte and the Arkansas, and subsist entirely upon buffalo. The bow and arrow is the principal weapon they make use of in war, and in killing game. Some few of them have guns and ammunition that they have bought of the American traders for robes and fur. They kill their buffalo upon horses, by running at full speed into a large gang and shooting them with their arrows. The Arepahas formerly lived upon Maria's River, near the forks of the Missouri, but emigrated to this country a long time since.
"The Gros-ventres of Fort du Prairie, now living with the Arepahas, are a band of the Blackfeet. They speak the same language with the Arepahas, emigrated from the same country, and have the same manners and customs. There are now about three hundred and fifty of them living with the Arepahas. Seven hundred lodges came to the Arkansas in the summer of 1824 and returned
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in 1832, and are expected again on the Platte and Arkansas, in September, 1835. The names of their principal chiefs are Nash-hin-e-thow, or elk tongue; Ka-aw- che, or bear tooth. There is also a small band of the Blackfeet proper, consisting of about fifty, who live with the Cheyennes and the Arepahas. A band of Kiowas, called the upper band, consisting of one thousand eight hundred or two thousand, and another who are called the Apaches of the plains, consisting of about twelve hundred, also frequent this portion of the country. All these Indians frequent the Arkansas and the Platte near the mountains, for the pur- pose of killing buffalo, upon which they subsist, and make their clothes of the skins. They all have large numbers of horses, upon which they hunt buffalo and pack their baggage. The women do all the work, and wait upon the men, who do nothing but kill the game."
Throughout his journey among the plains Indians, Colonel Dodge never was met with hostility. He was an emissary of peace and as such he was ex- tremely successful; for the time being he aroused better feelings among the Indians, both toward the white men and toward each other. He pointed out to the savage the economic benefits to be gained by friendly intercourse. Maj. Gen. Edmund P. Gaines, writing to the adjutant-general at Washington, stated that the results obtained "are not only altogether deeply interesting, but are, in part, extraordinary, and I may add, unprecedented. For example, the ex- pedition embracing a traverse of 1600 miles of continuous wilderness, alternate prairie and woodland, in which many nations of Indians were conferred with, and most judiciously impressed with the justice, humanity and power of our Government and Country, and then passed by without sustaining any injury or loss by any casualty, excepting only the short illness and death of one of the brave dragoons, and without loss or any material injury done to the horses of the battalion."
Henry Dodge reached the rank of colonel, which he bore at the time of his expedition ; served in the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk war; was the first governor of Wisconsin Territory; elected the first junior senator from the State of Wisconsin in 1848 and continued until 1857. He died July 9, 1867.
THE KEARNEY EXPEDITION
Of slightly different character was the military expedition commanded by Col. Stephen W. Kearney, which visited the plains Indians in 1845. Wherein Colonel Dodge effected his purpose by conciliation and mediation, Colonel Kearney sought to accomplish his purpose by an exhibition of the "mailed fist." Indian raids had been made upon the emigrants traveling to the Oregon country and more were anticipated, so it was believed by the governmental authorities at Washington that a lasting impression should be made upon the Indians by proving to them the military power of the white men. Colonel Kearney was in command of the First Regiment of United States Dragoons.
With several companies of this regiment, Kearney left Fort Leavenworth on May 18, 1845, and pursued a westerly course until he arrived at the Oregon Trail in the valley of the Big Blue. He followed this trail to the Platte River, thence up the North Fork to Fort Laramie, from where he journeyed beyond the South Pass. He returned to Fort Laramie during the middle of July, then
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struck out in a southerly direction through what is now Colorado, along the foothills, to the Arkansas. The expedition then turned eastward, followed the river to the Santa Fe Trail, thence to Leavenworth. In his official report, Colonel Kearney stated :
"During our march we met with the Pawnees-with several tribes of the Sioux Indians-with the Cheyennes and Arapahoes. They were distinctly told that the road opened by the dragoons must not be closed by the Indians, and that the white people traveling upon it must not be disturbed, either in their persons or property. It is believed that the Indians will remember to observe what has been told to them on this subject.
"There are a number of white men from our own states, who have nomin- ally their residence near Taas (Taos) and Santa Fé, and who come frequently into the Indian country between the upper Arkansas and the Platte, between 'Bent's Fort' and 'Fort Laramie'; bringing whiskey with them, which they trade to the Indians ; consequently causing much difficulty and doing much harm. This should be prevented ; and possibly might, by the appointment of a sub-agent, which I recommend, located at 'Bent's Fort,' who, under instructions from the War Department, might put a stop to that traffic in that section of the country."
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