History of Colorado; Volume I, Part 6

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 954

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Pike's first expedition occurred in 1805. On August 9th of that year he left St. Louis with a sergeant, two corporals and seventeen privates, to explore the upper Mississippi River. He states, in his preface to the "Journal," that "I was chosen to trace the Mississippi to its source, with the object in view contemplated by my instructions ; to which I conceived my duty as a soldier should induce me to add an investigation into the views of the British traders in that quarter as to trade, and an inquiry into the limits of the territories of the United States and Great Britain."

In the latter part of August, Lieutenant Pike held a council with the Indians near the town of Montrose, Iowa. No attempt was made to conclude a treaty with the Indians, but Pike's words of cheer made friends of them. Several years later the noted Black Hawk, Sac chieftain, described Pike's visit as fol- lows: "A boat came up the river with a young chief and a small party of sol- diers. We heard of them soon after they passed Salt River. Some of our young braves watched them every day, to see what sort of people were on board. The boat at last arrived at Rock River and the young chief came on shore with his interpreter, made a speech and gave us some presents. We in turn gave them meat and such other provisions as we could spare. We were well pleased with the young chief. He gave us good advice and said our American father would treat us well."

In order to gain a clear understanding of Pike's first trip a summary of his journey is valuable. After leaving St. Louis he met a band of Chippewa chiefs at Prairie du Chien and persuaded them to better their relations with the Sioux Indians. The falls of St. Anthony was reached September 23d and here Pike purchased a tract of land nine miles square at the mouth of the St. Croix, for the location of a fort. In the middle of October, at Little Falls, Pike constructed a stockade, where he left seven men. He arrived at Leech Lake (Lake La Sang Sue) and believed it to be the main source of the Mississippi River. He then traveled thirty miles farther to Cass Lake (Red Cedar). Here Pike spent his time combating the influence of the British among the Indians, then returned along the Mississippi to St. Louis, arriving on April 30, 1806.

PIKE'S SECOND EXPEDITION

In 1806 Lieutenant Pike led his second expedition, under the order of Gen. James Wilkinson, westward to the Rockies, within the present State of Colorado. The object of this expedition was, primarily, to restore to their people a band of Osage Indians which had been held as captives by the Potawatomi of Illinois, also to take home a number of Osage and Pawnee chiefs who had been to Wash-

LIEUT. ZEBULON M. PIKE

This portrait of Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike, of the United States Army and for whom Pike's Peak was named, is reproduced from a photographic enlargement of an engraved portrait of him that was made in 1810. He was the commander of a military ex- pedition, ostensibly for exploring the central parts of the Far West, and which, departing from Belle Fontaine, near St. Louis, crossed the country that now forms the states of Missouri and Kansas, traversed the southwestern quarter of Colorado's area, and thence passed into New Mexico, in the years 1806-07. Pike was born in Lamberton, N. J., on January 5, 1779, and having attained the rank of brigadier-general early in our last war with England, was fatally injured on April 27, 1813, while leading the victorious assault on the British town of York (Toronto), Canada.

HISTORY OF COLORADO

ington to visit the "Great Father." Pike himself wrote: "The great objects in view by this expedition, as I conceived in addition to my instructions, were to attach the Indians to our government, and to acquire such geographical knowl- edge of the southwestern boundary of Louisiana as to enable our government to enter into a definite arrangement for a line of demarkation between that terri- tory and North Mexico."

The United States and Spain were at this time at swords' points over the southwestern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase. Troops of the two govern- ments were several times on the verge of conflict along the frontiers. Burr's conspiracy and its menace to Spanish territory caused great uneasiness among the Spaniards; consequently, Pike was closely watched by secret agents during the time of his preparation at St. Louis.

On July 11, 1806, Pike went to Belle Fontaine, six miles from the mouth of the Missouri River, where a cantonment was located. Late in the afternoon of the 15th he and his party, accompanied by fifty-one Indians, left this point and proceeded up the Missouri River in two large boats; the Indians traveled on foot along the shore. Pike's main command consisted of :

Lieut. James B. Wilkinson, son of Gen. James Wilkinson; John H. Robinson, physician; Joseph Ballenger, sergeant; William E. Meek, sergeant; Jeremiah Jackson, corporal; Baroney Vasquez, interpreter; John Boley, private; Henry Kennerman, private; Samuel Bradley, private; John Brown, private; Jacob Carter, private; Thomas Dougherty, private; William Gordon, private; Solomon Huddleston, private; Theodore Miller, private; Hugh Menaugh, private; John Mountjoy, private; Alexander Roy, private; John Sparks, private; Patrick Smith, private; Freegift Stout, private; John Wilson, private.

The expedition traveled slowly up the Missouri northward to the Osage River, thence along that stream and its north fork to the vicinity of the "Grand Osage" village. One writer locates this village "some fifteen or twenty miles northeastward of the present city of Fort Scott, Kansas." Here the captives were delivered to their people and pack-horses secured for the remainder of the westward journey.

On September Ist Pike and his party, somewhat changed in personnel, left the village of the Osage. His course first took a southeast direction, then bore northwestward through Kansas. He arrived among the Pawnees on September 25th and on the 29th held a grand council. The exact location of this Pawnee village is in doubt. It has been placed just north of the Kansas-Nebraska line on the Republican River and also in the northwestern part of the present Republic County, Kansas. The former version bears the greater weight of opinion. Here Pike learned very interesting news regarding the Spanish, namely, the Malgares expedition, which had previously visited the Pawnees. In all, Pike learned that the Spanish were apprehensive of American intentions in the Southwest.

October 8th was the date of Pike's departure from the Pawnees. He now traveled south by west and reached the Arkansas River on the 14th, near the site of the present Kansas town of Great Bend. A crossing was made and camp tents pitched on the other side. Here a rest of ten days occurred, while a detach- ment of five soldiers and two Osage guides, under command of Lieutenant Wilkinson, descended the Arkansas to visit the post on that river. Recrossing the river, Pike then proceeded westward on the north bank, following an old

HISTORY OF COLORADO

Spanish military trail. On the 30th of October the party recrossed the river again to the south bank and entered the land of Colorado.

FIRST VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS

On November 15th Pike first obtained a glimpse of the Rockies, including what is now Pike's Peak. At this time he was near the mouth of the Purgatory River. In his Journal Pike describes the incident thus :

"At two o'clock in the afternoon, I thought I could distinguish a mountain to our right, which appeared like a small blue cloud; viewed it with the spy-glass, and was still more confirmed in my conjecture, yet only communicated it to Doctor Robinson, who was in front of me, but in half an hour it appeared in full view before us. When our small party arrived on the hill, they with one accord gave three cheers to the Mexican Mountains. Their appearance can easily be imagined by those who have crossed the Alleghanies, but their sides were white as if covered with snow, or a white stone."

Two days later Pike added: "Marched at our usual hour; pushed on with the idea of arriving at the mountains, but found at night no visible difference in their appearance from what we had observed yesterday."

The march was continued until the 23d when the party arrived at the St. Charles, a small tributary of the Arkansas, and encamped. Pike at this point determined to make an ascent of the "Grand Peak," now called Pike's Peak, although the country was in the midst of winter. The distance to be traveled seemed to him to be short, a deception which has occurred to many travelers since. Writing in his Journal on the 23d of November, Pike states that "as the river appeared to be dividing itself into several small branches, and of course must be near its extreme source, I concluded to put my party in a defen- sible situation, and to ascend the north fork to the high point of the Blue Moun- tain, which we conceived would be one day's march, in order to be enabled from its summit to lay down the various branches of the river and the positions of the country." A small log breastwork was accordingly built the next morning "five feet high on three sides and the other was thrown on the river." This insignificant fortification has been located at various points on the Fontaine, one writer placing it at a point in Pueblo, where Union Avenue crosses the river.

However, it is known practically for certain that this small breastwork was the first structure erected by Americans in what is now the State of Colorado.

At one o'clock on the 24th Pike, Doctor Robinson and two of the soldiers started toward the peak, leaving the remainder of the company to hold the fort and guard the supplies. Pike fully expected to reach the mountain before even- ing. Fifty miles was the distance they had to travel in order to accomplish this feat, but they made only twelve before night. Pike's Journal, under date of the 25th, states: "Marched early with expectation of ascending the mountain, but was only able to camp at its base, after passing over many small hills, covered with cedars and pitch pines."

However, instead of being at the base of the "Grand Peak," Pike was fully ten miles from that spot, mistaking another peak-probably Cheyenne- for the main elevation. Upon the 26th the travelers began the torturous ascent of the Cheyenne Peak, alternately marched and climbed all day and in the

HISTORY OF COLORADO

evening made their camp in a cave. They had brought no bedding or food with them, as they had expected to make the round trip in one day. Pike describes the trip in the following words:

"Arose hungry, thirsty, and extremely sore from the unevenness of the rocks on which we had lain all night; but were amply compensated for our toil by the sublimity of the prospects below. The unbounded prairie was overhung with clouds, which appeared like the ocean in a storm, wave piled on wave, and foaming, whilst the sky over our heads was perfectly clear. Commenced our march up the mountain, and in about one hour arrived at the summit of this chain ; here we found the snow middle deep, and discovered no sign of beast or bird inhabiting this region. The thermometer which stood at 9 degree's above zero at the foot of the mountain, here fell to 4 degrees below. The summit of the Grand Peak, which was entirely bare of vegetation, and covered with snow, now appeared at the distance of fifteen or sixteen miles from us, and as high again as that we had ascended ; it would have taken a whole day's march to have arrived at its base, when I believe no human being could have ascended to its summit. This, with the condition of my soldiers, who had only light overhauls on, and no stockings, and were every way ill-provided to endure the inclemency of this region, the bad prospect of killing anything to subsist on, with the further detention of two or three days which it must occasion, determined us to return. The clouds from below had now ascended the mountain and entirely enveloped the summit, on which rest eternal snows. We descended by a long deep ravine with much less difficulty than we had contemplated. Found all our baggage safe, but the provisions all destroyed. It began to snow, and we found shelter under the side of a projecting rock, where we all four made a meal on one partridge, and a pair of deer's ribs which the ravens had left us, being the first food we had eaten for forty-eight hours."

Pike consumed two days' time in returning to the other men and the breast- work. On the morning of the 30th, he abandoned this place and, under stormy and adverse conditions, moved up the Arkansas. On December 3d, Pike, with the assistance of Doctor Robinson and others, took the altitude of the Grand Peak and by their calculations judged it to be 18,581 feet in height, an error of 4,400 feet. This mistake was made in over-estimating the altitude of the base of the mountain.

On the 5th the party encamped very near the present site of Canon City, from where he sent out small scouting parties to locate traces of the Spaniards. This camp was the starting point of a month's wandering through the mountain gullies, canyons and across ridges, the men suffering during all the time from the severe weather. Provisions became scarce, game for themselves and food for the animals were almost impossible to find. A return was made to the Cañon City site on January 5, 1807. While searching for the Red River, Pike came to the South Platte, marched through South Park, left it by Trout Creek Pass and then struck over to the Arkansas, which he thought to be the Red River. While holding forth at Canon City camp, Pike and others of the party made sepa- rate excursions farther up the Arkansas, both for exploration purposes and to bag any game which might appear. He found evidences of the Spanish explorers' trail, but had no actual conflict with any other white men. By January 9th (1807) the small parties which had separated on the 10th of the preceding

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month were reunited at the Cañon City camp. "The whole party was once more joined together," writes Pike, "when we felt comparatively happy, notwith- standing the great mortification I felt at being so egregiously deceived as to the Red River."

."I now felt at considerable loss how to proceed," he continues in his Journal, "as any idea of service at that time from my horses was entirely preposterous. Thus, after various plans formed and rejected, and the most mature deliberation, I determined to build a small place for defense and deposit, and leave part of the baggage, horses, my interpreter, and one man; and with the remainder, with our packs of Indian presents, ammunition, tools, etc., on our backs, to cross the mountains on foot, find the Red River, and then send back a detachment to conduct the horses and baggage after us, by the most eligible route we could discover; by which time we calculated our horses would be so far recovered as to be able to endure the fatigue of the march. In consequence of this determi- nation, some were put to constructing the blockhouse, some to hunting, some to take care of horses, etc. I myself made preparations to pursue a course of observations, that would enable me to ascertain the latitude and longitude of the situation, which I conceived to be an important one."

This blockhouse, or cache, was probably constructed within the corporate limits of the present Canon City.

This strenuous journey in the quest of the Red River began on January 14, 1807. In the party were, besides Pike, the doctor and eighteen soldiers, according to the Journal. There is a discrepancy here, as there were only twelve soldiers in the whole party and one of them was left at the Canon City site with Inter- preter Vasquez. The course first followed Grape Creek into the Wet Mountain Valley and after a few days out the men encamped at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Range. Whatever experiences Pike and his men had undergone before and whatever hardships and privations they suffered were minimized by the intense and terrible suffering which lay just before them. The air was bitter cold and when the encampment was made Pike found nine of his men with frozen feet. Sleep was impossible under these conditions. Pike and Doctor Robinson sallied out the next morning in search of food and on the afternoon of the second day were fortunate enough to kill a buffalo. This was the fourth day since they had eaten. Nothing to be gained by remaining at this point, Pike resolved to continue the hard journey, even in the face of the past experience. Two of the men were unable to move and finally they were left in a shelter, with food and ammunition, to wait until relief could come back to them. This second lap of the trip was in every way a repetition of the first. A crossing of the Sangre de Cristo Range was made and view obtained of the Rio Grande River flowing through what is now the San Luis Park. From here Pike took a southwest course and on the evening of January 30, 1807, came to the river, about the site of Alamosa, Conejos County, Colorado.

After crossing the river the party proceeded southward to the Conejos. Here a fortified station was erected and the American flag raised. The stockade, which was raised on the north bank of the river, is described by Pike thus: "The stockade was situated on the north bank of the western branch, the west fork of the Rio del Norte, about five miles from its junction with the main river, in a small prairie. The south flank joining the edge of the river (which at that place was

HISTORY OF COLORADO

not fordable), the east and west curtains were flanked by bastions in the N. E. and N. W. angles, which likewise flanked the curtain on the north side of the work. The stockade from the center of the angles of the bastions was thirty- six feet square. There were heavy cottonwood logs about two feet in diameter, laid up all around about six feet, after which lighter ones until we made it twelve feet in height; these logs were joined together by a lap of about two feet at each end. We then dug a small ditch on the inside all around, making it perpendicular on the internal side, and sloping next the work; in this ditch we planted small stakes of about six inches diameter, sharpened at the upper end to a nice point, slanting them over the top of the work, giving them about two and a half feet projection. We then secured them below and above in that position, which formed a small pointed frieze, which must have been removed before the works could have been scaled. Lastly, we dug a ditch round the whole, four feet wide, and let the water into it ; the earth taken out being thrown against the work, forming an excellent rampart against small arms, three or four feet high. Our mode of getting in was to crawl over the ditch on a plank, and into a small hole sunk below the level of the work near the river for that pur- pose. Our portholes were pierced about eight feet from the ground, and a plat- form prepared to shoot from.

"Thus fortified, I should not have had the least hesitation in putting the hundred Spanish horse at defiance until the first or second night, and then to have made our escape under cover of darkness; or made a sally and dispersed them, when resting under a full confidence of our being panic struck by their numbers and force."

From here five men were dispatched northward to bring in the men who had been left on the trail. Part of them were brought in, but two others were unable to come, "but they sent on to me some of the bones taken out of their feet and conjured me by all that was sacred, not to leave them to perish far from the civilized world." These men were afterward returned to the main party, also Interpreter Vasquez and the soldier who had been left in charge of the first fort.

FIRST MEETING WITH THE SPANISH

Pike's first meeting with the Spanish occurred on February 16, 1807, while he and one of his soldiers were engaged in hunting. Pike's own account of this incident is as follows :

"Immediately afterwards (the wounding of a deer six miles from the fort) I discovered two horsemen rising the summit of a hill about half a mile to our right. As my orders were to avoid giving alarm or offense to the Spanish gov- ernment of New Mexico, I endeavored to shun them at first, but when we attempted to retreat, they pursued us at full charge, flourishing their lances, and when we advanced they would retire as fast as their horses could carry them. Seeing this, we got into a small ravine, in hopes to decoy them near enough to oblige them to come to a parley, which happened agreeably to our desires. As they came on, hunting us with great caution, we suffered them to get within forty yards, where we had allured them, but were about running off again, when I ordered the soldier to lay down his arms and walk towards them, at the same

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time standing ready with my rifle to kill either who should lift an arm in a hos- tile manner. I then halloed to them, that we were Americans and friends, which were almost the only two words I knew in the Spanish language; after which, with great signs of fear, they came up, and proved to be a Spanish dragoon and a civilized Indian; armed after their manner * *

* We were jealous of our arms on both sides and acted with great precaution. They informed me that that was the fourth day since they had left Santa Fe; that Robinson had arrived there, and had been received with great kindness by the governor. As I knew them to be spies, I thought it proper merely to inform them that I was about to descend the river to Natchitoches. We sat here on the ground a long time, and finding they were determined not to leave me, we arose and bade them adieu ; but they demanded where our camp was, and finding that they were not about to depart, I thought it most proper to take them with me, thinking we were on Red River, and of course in the territory claimed by the United States.

"We took the road to my fort, and as they were on horseback, they traveled rather faster than myself. They were halted by the sentinel and immediately retreated much surprised. When I came up I took them in and then explained to them as well as I was able, my intentions of descending the river to Natchi- toches but at the same time told them that if Governor Allencaster would send out an officer with an interpreter, who spoke French or English, I would do myself the pleasure to give his excellency every reasonable satisfaction as to my intentions in coming on his frontiers. They informed me that on the second day they would be in Santa Fé, but were careful never to suggest an idea of my being on the Rio del Norte. As they concluded I did not think as I spoke, they were very anxious to ascertain our number, etc. Seeing only five men here, they could not believe we came without horses; to this I did not think proper to afford them any satisfaction, giving them to understand we were in many parties."

On the morning of February 17th the two visitors departed from the fort. From this time on Pike fully expected to be visited by a large force of Spaniards and in this expectation he was not disappointed. On the 26th they came.

"In the morning I was apprised by the report of a gun from my look-out guard, of the approach of strangers; immediately after two Frenchmen arrived. My sentinel halted them, and I ordered them to be admitted after some ques- tions. They informed me that his excellency, Governor Allencaster, hearing it was the intention of the Utah Indians to attack me, had detached an officer with fifty dragoons to come out and protect me, and that they would be with me in two days. To this I made no reply, but shortly after, the party hove in sight, as I afterwards learned; fifty dragoons and fifty mounted militia of the Province armed in the same manner, with lances, escopates and pistols. My sentinels halted them at the distance of about fifty yards. I had the works manned; I thought it most proper to send out the two Frenchmen to inform the com- manding officer that it was my request he should leave his party in a small copse of the wood where he halted, and that I would meet him myself in the prairie, in which our work was situated; this I did, with my sword on me only. I was then introduced to Don Ignatio Saltelo and Don Bartholomew Fernandez, two liet- tenants; the former the commander of the party: I gave them an invitation to enter the works, but requested the troops might remain where they were. This was complied with; but when they came round and discovered that to enter they

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were obliged to crawl on their bellies over a small drawbridge, they appeared astonished; they, however, entered without further hesitation.

"We first breakfasted, on some deer, meal, goose, and some biscuit, which the civilized Indian who came out as a spy had brought me. After breakfast the commanding officer addressed me as follows:

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History of Colorado; Volume I, Part 6

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Number of Pages: 954

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 954