History of Colorado; Volume I, Part 8

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

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And again: "In regard to this extensive section of country, we do not hesi- tate in giving the opinion that it is almost wholly unfit for cultivation, and of course uninhabitable by a people depending upon agriculture for their subsist- ence. Although tracts of fertile land, considerably extensive, are occasionally to be met with, yet the scarcity of wood and water, almost uniformly prevalent, will prove an insuperable obstacle in the way of settling the country. This ob- jection rests not only against the immediate section under consideration, but ap- plies with equal propriety to a much larger portion of the country. Agreeably to the best intelligence that can be had concerning the country both northward and southward of the section, and especially from the inferences deducible from the account given by Lewis and Clark, of the country situated between the Missouri and Rocky Mountains, above the River Platte, the vast region commencing near the sources of the Sabine, Trinity, Brasis and Colorado rivers, and extending northwardly to the forty-ninth degree of north latitude, by which the United States territory is limited in that direction, is throughout, of a similar character. The whole of this region seems peculiarly adapted as a range for buffaloes, wild goats, and other wild game, incalculable multitudes of which find ample pastur- age and subsistence upon it.

"This region, however, viewed as a frontier, may prove of infinite importance to the United States, inasmuch as it is calculated to serve as a barrier to prevent too great an extension of our population westward, and secure us against the machinations or incursions of an enemy, that might otherwise be disposed to annoy us in that quarter."

JOHN C. FRÉMONT

The first of the Fremont expeditions in 1842 was the next to be despatched into the western country by the United States Government. John C. Fremont, a lieutenant of topographical engineers in the United States army, in his several trips to the West, covered more ground than any previous explorer and, although in many ways not the first to discover various trails and passes, has been given the sobriquet of "Pathfinder" by the majority of historians.

Frémont's first expedition was organized late in the spring of 1842 and was for the purpose of exploring the frontiers beyond the Missouri River and es- pecially the Rockies in the vicinity of the South Pass, through which the Amer- ican immigrants traveled to the Oregon country ; also to locate sites for military

JOHN CHARLES FREMONT

This portrait, which is an unusual one, is reproduced from a photographic enlargement of an engraved copy of an early photograph of him. He traversed Colorado's soil on several of his exploring expeditions across the old-time Far West, the first of which was made in the year 1842 and the last in 1853. General Frémont was a native of Savannah, Georgia, and died in New York City on July 13, 1890.

HISTORY OF COLORADO

posts, in order to protect the American fur companies from the inroads of the Hudson's Bay Company. In his company upon this first expedition, and in others, was Kit Carson, the noted guide and scout of the frontier.

Having gone from St. Louis to Chouteau's Landing, about ten miles from the mouth of the Kansas River, Fremont there inade final preparations for the trip. Departure was made on June 10, 1842, to the westward. He proceeded along the south bank of the Kansas for several days, crossed to the Blue River, then went northwest to the Platte and along this until the great forks were reached, this occurring about the first of July. Here Frémont split his command into two sections, sending one to Fort Laramie and taking the other with him. For about a week the course led along the South Platte and on July 10th Long's Peak came into view. He then continued as far as the St. Vrain trading post, which was as near the site of Denver as he came upon this expedition. After a short stay here, Fremont started northward to Fort Laramie. The homeward journey was along the North Platte to the Platte, thence to the Missouri and down that stream to St. Louis. Fremont then went to Washington, made his report, and was authorized to conduct a second expedition. In the four months he was absent upon this first trip, he surveyed the Pass and ascended the highest of the Wind River Mountains since known as Fremont's Peak. His right of discovery of the South Pass is, of course, of negligible quality, as there was a well-defined and well-trodden roadway through the pass when he arrived. Had it not been for his intrepid guide-Kit Carson-the little he did in the way of climbing mountains and exploring might never have been done quite so thor- oughly.

THE SECOND EXPEDITION

The second expedition was organized at Westport Landing, now a part of Kansas City, Missouri, with thirty-nine persons, well-equipped and provided with a small piece of brass artillery. On May 29, 1843, the expedition moved in a southwest direction to the Santa Fe Trail and there was joined by William Gilpin, afterwards the first governor of Colorado Territory. The Santa Fé Trail was followed, then the Valley of the Kansas and also the Republican River. Finding the progress of the expedition to be too slow, Frémont on the 16th separated his party, one division to follow with the heavier supplies while the one led by himself was to push on with greater speed. Frémont reached the South Platte on June 30th, at a point near the present southeastern corner of Logan County, Colorado. He then marched up the right bank of this river to the north to Fort St. Vrain, where he arrived July 4th. Two days later he left the fort and began his journey up the South Platte, encamping the night of the 7th "a little above Cherry Creek," which is a point now within the limits of west Denver. In the river bottoms here they found a large village of Arapahoe In- dians, consisting of about one hundred and sixty tepees. The next day he continued up the river almost to the mountains, then up Plum Creek, noted by him as "Vermillion Creek," a name given by Doctor James to Cherry Creek. He then crossed over to the Bijou, thence to the Fontaine-qui-Bouille, which stream he followed to the mouth. Here he again met Kit Carson and, recognizing his worth to the party, Fremont hastened to add the hunter and guide to his ex- pedition.

HISTORY OF COLORADO

From the mouth of the Fontaine, Fremont returned northward along the stream to the springs at Manitou, thence up Monument Creek, over the divide to the head of Plum Creek, and down this waterway to Fort St. Vrain. Leav- ing St. Vrain, the expedition then went northward to the North Platte, then across the mountains to Salt Lake and the Columbia River country.

Upon his return in 1844, Frémont entered the land of Colorado about noon of the 15th of June at the northwestern corner. He followed a southwest course, with the mountains on his right and the North Platte on the left. He described this phase of the journey as follows: "The valley narrowed as we ascended and presently degenerated into a gorge, through which the river passed as through a gate. We entered it, and found ourselves in the New Park (North Park)-a beautiful circular valley of thirty miles diameter, walled in all around with snowy mountains, rich with water and with grass, fringed with pine on the mountain sides below the snow line, and a paradise to all grazing animals. The Indian name for it signifies 'Cow Lodge', of which our own may be considered a transla- tion ; the enclosure, the grass, the water, and the herds of buffalo roaming over it, naturally presenting the idea of a park."

Coursing up the west fork of the North Platte, Fremont crossed the Divide on the 17th and came into what is now Middle Park. By the 21st, the northwest part of South Park was reached and the course followed down the south fork of the South Platte River. During the journey down this stream "the face of an old familiar friend," (Pike's Peak), came into view, also sounds of a conflict between the Ute and Arapahoe Indians were borne to their ears. The party left the river on June 22d and "taking a southeasterly direction, in about ten miles we crossed a gentle ridge, and issuing from the South Park, we found our- selves involved among the broken spurs of the mountains which border the great prairie plains. Although broken and extremely rugged, the country was very interesting, being well watered by numerous affluents to the Arkansas River, and covered with grass and a variety of trees. The streams which, in the upper part of their courses, ran through grassy and open hollows, after a few miles all de- scended into deep and impracticable canyons, through which they found their . way to the Arkansas Valley. Here the buffalo trails we had followed were dis- persed among the hills, or crossed over into the more open valleys of other streams. During the day our road was fatiguing and difficult, reminding us much, by its steep and rocky character, of our traveling the year before among the Wind River Mountains; but always at night we found some grassy bottom, which afforded us a pleasant camp. In the deep seclusion of these little streams we found always an abundant pasturage and a wild luxuriance of plants and trees. After several days' laborious traveling we succeeded in extricating our- selves from the mountains, and on the morning of the 28th encamped immedi- ately at their foot, on a handsome tributary of the Arkansas River. In the afternoon we descended the stream, winding our way along the bottoms, which were densely wooded with oak, and in the evening encamped near the main river. Continuing the next day our road along the Arkansas, and meeting on the way a war party of Arapahoe Indians (who had recently committed some outrages at Bent's Fort, killing stock and driving off horses), we arrived before sunset at the pueblo near the mouth of the Fontaine qui Bouit River, where we had the pleasure to find a number of our old acquaintances."

HISTORY OF COLORADO

The last stage of the journey led them down the Arkansas to Bent's Fort, eastward across country to the Missouri at the Town of Kansas, and then down the Missouri to St. Louis. Fremont was advanced by President Tyler to the rank of captain of engineers in reward for his services upon this expedition.

THE THIRD EXPEDITION

The third expedition commanded by John C. Frémont was equipped and organized in the spring of 1845. The object was to explore the great basin west of the Rocky Mountains, little of which had been thoroughly traversed, and did not include much work to be done within the present State of Colorado. Per- haps the great purpose of this third expedition was to see whether or not a rail- road could be constructed through the Rockies.

The expedition left the old point at the mouth of the Kansas River and traveled the Santa Fe Trail to the Arkansas, thence up that river to Bent's Fort, arriving August 2d. Frémont left the fort on August 16th, proceeded up the Arkansas on the north side, detoured the Royal Gorge, traversed the main mountain range at the head of Eagle River and after going down the Eagle to a point near the Town of Minturn, he turned northwest and crossed the Grand River. From here he continued northwestward to the head of White River, down which he traveled into what is now Utah. Frémont reached California in December of the same year.

THE FOURTH EXPEDITION

The fourth expedition commanded by Frémont was not a government enter- prise, but a private scheme in the interest of the City of St. Louis and for the purpose of surveying a route for a railroad to the Pacific Coast. Frémont and Senator Benton were those chiefly interested in the affair, Frémont having pre- viously resigned his position of lieutenant colonel in the United States army. . The expedition was fitted out at Westport, now a part of Kansas City, in the autumn of 1848, and numbered thirty-three men, most of whom had traveled before with Frémont.

Departure was made on October 19th and a route taken across the plains of Kansas by way of the Kansas River. From the headwaters of its Smoky Hill fork Frémont journeyed southwest to the Arkansas and then to Fort Bent. Up the Arkansas to the Pueblo the caravan went and here the party was enlarged by one "Old Bill" Williams, trapper and guide, whom Frémont engaged to lead the party through the mountains. After reaching the mouth of the Hardscrab- ble, Frémont turned southwest, crossed the Sangre de Cristo Range by Roubi- deaux's Pass, and about the first of December entered the San Luis Valley. Shortly the explorers found themselves at the mouth of the Rio Grande Canon, among the most rugged of the mountain ranges, but intrepidly they followed Williams across this divide. Every day they encountered more difficulties and now that the range was crossed their hardships became greater and more bitter. Frémont's narrative of the journey at this point contains many passages which show the extreme suffering endured by the men, a portion of which story fol- lows:

HISTORY OF COLORADO

"We pressed up toward the summit, the snow deepening; and in four or five days reached the naked ridges which lie above the timbered country, and which form the dividing grounds between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Along these naked ridges it storms nearly all winter, and the winds sweep across them with remorseless fury. On our first attempt to cross we encountered a pouderie (dry snow driven thick through the air by violent wind, and in which objects are visible only at a short distance), and were driven back, having some ten or twelve men variously frozen, face, hands or feet. The guide became nigh frozen to death here, and dead mules were already lying about the fires. Mean- time, it snowed steadily. The next day we made mauls, and beating a road or trench through the snow crossed the crest in defiance of the pouderie, and en- camped immediately below in the edge of the timber. The trail showed as if a de- feated party had passed by ; pack-saddles and packs, scattered articles of clothing, and dead mules strewn along. A continuance of stormy weather paralyzed all movement. We were encamped somewhere about twelve thousand feet above the sea. Westward, the country was buried in deep snow. It was impossible to advance, and to turn back was equally impracticable. We were overtaken by sudden and inevitable ruin. It so happened that the only places where any grass could be had were the extreme summit of the ridges, where the sweeping winds kept the rocky ground bare and the snow could not lie. Below these, the animals could not get about, the snow being deep enough to bury them. Here, therefore, in the full violence of the storms we were obliged to keep our animals. They could not be moved either way. It was instantly apparent that we should lose every animal.

"I determined to recross the mountain more towards the open country, and haul or pack the baggage (by men) down to the Del Norte. With great labor the baggage was transported across the crest to the head springs of a little stream leading to the main river. A few days were sufficient to destroy our fine band of mules. They generally kept huddled together, and as they froze, one would be seen to tumble down and the snow would cover him; sometimes they would break off and rush down towards the timber until they were stopped by the deep snow, where they were soon hidden by the pouderie. The courage of the men failed fast; in fact, I have never seen men so soon discouraged by mis- fortune as we were on this occasion. * * * In this situation, I determined to send in a party to the Spanish settlements of New Mexico for provisions, and mules to transport our baggage to Taos. With economy, and after we should leave the mules, we had two weeks' provisions in the canıp. These consisted of a store which I had preserved for a hard day, macaroni and bacon. From among the volunteers I chose King, Brackenridge, Creutzfeldt (the botanist of the expedition), and the guide Williams; the party under the command of King. In case of the least delay at the settlements, he was to send me an express. In the meantime, we were to occupy ourselves in removing the baggage and equip- age down to the Del Norte, which we reached with our baggage in a few days after their departure (which was the day after Christmas)."

Frémont waited sixteen days without news from King or a relief party. One of his party froze to death, which event determined the leader to go in search of the missing men. Leaving part of the men with instructions to follow after a certain time, Frémont and three others set out on foot, intending to either

HISTORY OF COLORADO

find King or to reach the nearest Mexican settlements and send back assistance. A week later Frémont met a small band of Indians, from whom he secured a guide and four horses, and in the evening of the same day discovered Creutz- feldt, Brackenridge and Williams, almost frozen to death and unable to go farther. King had died from the combined effects of starvation and cold a few days before. They had lost their way soon after leaving the Frémont party and for days had wandered aimlessly over the San Luis Valley. The stricken men were placed on the horses and the southern journey resumed. Small Mexican settlements were reached on January 20, 1849, and from there Frémont and a companion hurried to Taos on horseback. From Taos a posse of Mexicans, led by Godey, a member of Frémont's expedition, started back along the trail to bring in the remainder of the party. These latter, who had been left at the Del Norte, had waited the arranged length of time, then started down the river. Food was low and after a few days the band broke up into small parties which separated, three or four men having died in the meantime. It is said that their hunger became so severe that a few were forced to cannibalism in order to avoid certain death. Godey and his Mexicans succeeded in assisting them to the settlements, but when the roll was finally called eleven men were missing.

Frémont remained at Taos for a time as the guest of his former guide and friend, Kit Carson, then, in the middle of February, with a new outfit and com- pany, left Santa Fé for California, routing his journey down the Rio Grande and westward through southern New Mexico and Arizona. He reached the coast in April. Frémont always blamed the guide, "Old Bill" Williams, for the dis- aster in the mountains, but Williams claimed that Frémont ignored his repeated warning not to enter the mountains at such a season. The so-called "explorers" of the West who were sent out by the Government owe much to the picturesque guides and trappers who accompanied them. It is doubtful whether or not any degree of success could have been attained by these men had it not been for the sagacity and knowledge of the frontiersmen. More shall be said in a later chapter of this type of men.

THE GUNNISON EXPEDITION

By an act approved March 3, 1853, Congress authorized the Secretary of War, under the leadership of the President, to employ engineers to find a prac- ticable route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast, also appropriated $150,000 for this work. Frémont was supposed to be the logical man to survey this route, but, contrary to expectations, Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, appointed Capt. John W. Gunnison, of Vermont, to head the expedition. In the instructions issued to Gunnison, defining the purpose of the journey, he was told "to explore and survey the pass through the Rocky Moun- tains in the vicinity of the headwaters of the Rio del Norte, by way of the Huer- fano River and Coo-che-to-pa, or some other eligible pass, into the region of Grand and Green rivers, and westwardly to the Vegas de Santa Clara and Nicol- let River of the Great Basin, and thence northwardly to the vicinity of Lake Utah on a return route, to explore the most available passes and canyons of the Wasatch Range and South Pass to Fort Laramie."

The party was organized at Westport and the journey begun on June 23d.

CAPT. JOHN W. GUNNISON

Captain Gunnison, of the United States Army, was in charge of explorations, made in 1853, for a route for a Pacific railway in the vicinity of the 38th and 39th parallels, which traverse the central part of the area of Colorado. While in that service Captain Gunnison and several of his assistants were killed by the Indians near Sevier Lake, in Utah. A river, a county and a city in Colorado bear his name. The portrait is a photographic enlargement from a dag- uerreotype, somewhat impaired by age.

HISTORY OF COLORADO

On July 24th the expedition crossed the border of Colorado upon the east, passed the abandoned Fort Bent, went up the Arkansas to the Apishapa and Huerfano, through the Sangre de Cristo Pass to the San Luis Park, then through the Saguache and Coochetopa Pass, down the Gunnison River to its junction with the Grand, and then westward across Utah to the valley of Sevier Lake. On the morning of September 25th, Captain Gunnison and a number of his men left the camp to explore in the vicinity of Sevier Lake. At daylight the following morning they were unexpectedly attacked by a superior band of Pah Utes. Only four of the soldiers, who escaped on their horses, lived to return. The others were massacred, including Captain Gunnison. The remainder of the expedition went to Salt Lake City and there spent the winter. In the spring the work was reorganized and commanded by Lieut. E. G. Beckwith.

FRÉMONT'S LAST EXPEDITION

At this time, the fifth and last expedition commanded by John C. Frémont was under way: The selection of Captain Gunnison by Secretary Davis had not been to Frémont's liking and he had hastened from Paris, France, where he had been living, to resume his work in the Rockies. The expedition was or- ganized in 1853 and most of the expense borne by Frémont himself and Senator Benton.

A start was made and the journey to the Utah Basin accomplished over prac- tically the same route as taken by Gunnison-along the Arkansas, across the Sangre de Cristo Range, San Luis Park westward, through the Coochetopa Pass and down the Gunnison. Again, while in the western part of Colorado, Frémont encountered severe weather conditions; most of his pack animals died or were killed for food; and one man died of exposure. Late in March, California was reached and from there Fremont returned by the Panama route to the East.

This was the last exploring expedition into the West actuated by such pur- poses as guided Frémont and Gunnison. During all this time roads had been established across the mountains by the immigrants and many routes were dis- covered here and there which, for all practicable purposes, fulfilled the desires of Congress expressed in their act of March 3, 1853.

CHAPTER IV

ANCIENT AND MODERN INDIAN TRIBES

THE CLIFF DWELLERS-DISCOVERY OF RUINS-THE DWELLING-SPRUCE TREE HOUSE -CLIFF PALACE-THE SUN TEMPLE-ORIGIN OF CLIFF DWELLERS-THE AMER- ICAN INDIAN-COLORADO TRIBES-CHIEFTAINS-COL. HENRY DODGE'S EXPEDI- TION-THE KEARNY EXPEDITION-BEGINNING OF DEPREDATIONS-THE UPRISING OF 1864-ALARM IN DENVER-REIGN OF TERROR-COUNCIL AT DENVER -THE AFFAIR AT SAND CREEK-THE AFTERMATH-EFFECT UPON THE INDIANS -FORSYTH'S BATTLE ON THE ARICKAREE-ROMAN NOSE-BEECHER'S DEATH- THE OUTCOME-UTE UPRISING OF 1879-ATTACK ON THORNBURGH-THE AT- TACK AT THE AGENCY

THE CLIFF DWELLERS

The most remarkable ruins of prehistoric cliff dwellings in the southwestern part of the United States are those in the side canyon of the Mancos on the Mesa Verde in Montezuma County, Colorado. When Columbus landed in America in 1492 there were many tribes of Indians living upon the Continent, of numerous types and with varying degrees of civilization. There were tribes of low grade and others of very high standard-such as the Mayas and Aztecs. Little is known of the character of the Cliff Dwellers other than that learned from their dwellings, which have so recently been exposed to the view of mankind.

It is strange that these greatest of American prehistoric ruins should have escaped discovery until 1888. Years before, innumerable ancient ruins left in other states by the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians had been described and pic- tured. They had been the subjects of popular lectures ; they had been treated in books of science and travel-they had become a familiar American spectacle. Even the ruins in the Mancos Canon in Colorado were explored as early as 1874. Mr. W. H. Jackson, who led the Government party, found there many small dwellings broken down by the weather. The next year he was followed by Prof. W. H. Holmes, later chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology, who drew attention to the remarkable stone towers so characteristic of the region. But these discoveries attracted little attention because of their inferiority to the better-known ruins of Arizona and New Mexico. Had either of the explorers followed up the side canyon of the Mancos they would have then discovered ruins which are, in the words of Baron Gustav Nordenskiöld, the talented Swedish explorer, "so magnificent that they surpass anything of the kind known in the United States."

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History of Colorado; Volume I, Part 8

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