The Life and Adventures of Kit Carson, the Nestor of the Rocky Mountains, from Facts Narrated by Himself
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| Table of Contents | |
| Section | Page |
| Start of eBook | 1 |
| CHAPTER XIII. | 1 |
| CHAPTER XIV. | 1 |
| CHAPTER XV. | 1 |
| CHAPTER XVI. | 2 |
| CHAPTER XVII. | 2 |
| LIFE OF KIT CARSON. | 2 |
| CHAPTER I. | 2 |
| CHAPTER II. | 12 |
| CHAPTER III. | 19 |
| CHAPTER IV. | 33 |
| CHAPTER V. | 54 |
| CHAPTER VI. | 65 |
| CHAPTER VII. | 76 |
| CHAPTER VIII. | 93 |
| CHAPTER IX. | 122 |
| CHAPTER X. | 138 |
| CHAPTER XI. | 145 |
| CHAPTER XII. | 157 |
| CHAPTER XIII. | 171 |
| CHAPTER XIV. | 193 |
| CHAPTER XV. | 208 |
| CHAPTER XVI. | 234 |
| CHAPTER XVII. | 251 |
| FINIS. | 288 |
| CONTENTS. | 288 |
| NOTICES OF THE PRESS. | 290 |
| SHELLS | 292 |
| GATHERED BY | 292 |
| ALSO, LATELY ISSUED, THE FOLLOWING | 292 |
CHAPTER XIII.
Kit Carson at his Home—The Apache Indiansbecome hostile—An Expedition sent againstthem—It is not successful—Anotheris organized, with which, Kit Carson goes as Guide—TwoIndian Chiefs captured—Other Incidentsof the Trip—Colonel Beall attempts to forcethe Indians to give up Mexican Captives—Twothousand Savages on the Arkansas River—TheVisit to them—Kit Carson emigrates and buildsa Ranche at Rayado—Description of the Valley—TheMassacre of a Santa Fe Merchant—His Wifeis made Prisoner—The Expedition sent torescue her—The Indians overtaken—BadCounsel and Management—The commanding Officerwounded—Mrs. White’s Body found—SevereSnow-storm on the Plains—One Man frozento Death—Kit Carson returns to Rayado—Theoccupation of a Farmer resumed—The Apachessteal from the Settlers nearly all their Animals—KitCarson with thirteen others in the Pursuit—TheSurprise—A running Fight—TheAnimals recovered—A gallant Sergeant andhis Fate—Kit Carson and Goodel go on a TradingExpedition to meet California Emigrants at Fort Laramie—HumorousAdventures—The Dangers that beset the Roadto New Mexico—Hair-breadth Escape—Arrivalat Taos, 322
CHAPTER XIV.
Kit Carson reaches Home—Himself and Neighborsrobbed by the Apaches—Major Grier goesin Pursuit of, and recaptures the stolen Stock—APlot organized by White Men to murder two Santa FeTraders for their Money—The Disclosure—KitCarson goes to the Rescue of the Traders—TheCamp of United States Recruits—Captain Snellwith twenty Men joins Kit Carson and they two makethe Arrest of Fox—Gratitude expressed bythe Traders—Money offered but refused—ThePrisoner taken to Taos and incarcerated—KitCarson receives a magnificent Pair of Revolvers asa Present from the grateful Traders—Thereturn to Rayado—A Trading Expedition tothe United States—The return Journey—AnEncounter with the Cheyenne Indians—A Stateof Suspense—The Deliverance from Dangerby a Message sent by a Mexican Runner—Thearrival at Rayado, 361
CHAPTER XV.
Kit Carson’s last Trapping Expedition—Heembarks in a Speculation—His Trip to Californiawith a large Flock of Sheep—The Methodemployed by Mexicans in driving Herds and their Dexterity—KitCarson goes to San Francisco—Its wonderfulGrowth—Maxwell joins Kit Carson at SacramentoCity—The Lucky Speculation—TheReturn Trip to New Mexico and its Adventures—TheMormon Delegate to Congress informs Kit Carson ofhis Appointment as Indian Agent—Kit Carsonenters upon the Duties of his Office—Bell’sFight with the Apaches on Red River—KitCarson’s Interview with the same Indian—High-handedMeasures on the Part of the Apaches—Davidson’sdesperate Fight with them—The Soldiersdefeated with severe loss—Davidson’sBravery is unjustly questioned—Kit Carson’sOpinion of it—The Apaches elated by theirVictory—Their Imitations of the Actionsof Military Men, 389
CHAPTER XVI.
A fresh Campaign set on foot—Col.Cook in Command—Kit Carson goes as Guide—TheApaches and Utahs leagued together—The Roughnessof the Country and the Privations to which the Commandwas exposed—The Indians overhauled—Arunning Fight—The Advantages gained—TheChase resumed—The Apaches resort to theirold Tricks—Col. Cook is obliged toreturn to Abiquiu—A Utah taken Prisonerthrough Mistake—Kit Carson goes to Taosand has a Conference with the Chiefs of the Utah Nation—Cook’ssecond Scout—He is caught in a furious Snow-stormand obliged to return to Rio Colorado—MajorBrooks and Reinforcements come to the Rescue—MajorBrooks on the Lookout, but fails to find the Indians—Carleton’sExpedition—Kit Carson goes with it as Guide—TheAdventures met with—Kit Carson’s Prophecycomes true—The Muache Band of Utahs summonedby Kit Carson to a Grand Council—Troublesbrewing among these Indians—The Small Poxcarries off their Head Men, 434
CHAPTER XVII.
The Commencement of a formidable Indian War—High-handedMeasures on the Part of the Indians—TheGovernor of New Mexico raises five hundred MexicanVolunteers and places them under the Command of ColonelSt. Vrain—Colonel Fauntleroy placed in Commandof all the Forces—Kit Carson is chosenas Chief Guide—The Campaign commenced—TheTrail found—The Indians are met and thefirst Fight and its Consequences—An Excitementin Camp—The Indians again overtaken—Thereturn to Fort Massachusetts—Intense ColdWeather experienced—The Second Campaign—ColonelFauntleroy surprises the Main Camp of the Enemy—TheWar and Scalp Dance broken up—TerribleSlaughter of the Indians—The Great Amountof Plunder taken and destroyed—Anothersmall Party of Indians surprised and routed—St.Vrain equally fortunate in his Campaign—TheIndians sue for Peace—The Council heldand Treaties signed—Kit Carson opposes themaking of them—The poor Protection IndianTreaties usually afford to Settlers—KitCarson’s House at Taos and his Indian Friends—HisAttachment for his Family put to the test—Cowardiceof a Mexican—Kit Carson’s Friendsas they look upon him—His influence overIndians—General remarks—Conclusion,466
LIFE OF KIT CARSON.
CHAPTER I.
Carson’s Birthplace—HisEmigration to Missouri—Early
Prospects—Is anApprentice—Stories of the Rocky
Mountains—He Enliststo go there—Adventures on the
Prairies—Broadersis Wounded—Carson’s Nerve put to the
Test—Rude Amputation—SafeArrival at Santa Fe—Goes to
Taos and learns the SpanishLanguage—Early
Vicissitudes—Disappointmentand Attempt to return to
Missouri—Is employedas an Interpreter, Teamster, etc.
It is now a well-established fact, that no State inthe American Union has given birth to so many distinguishedpioneers and explorers of its boundless Territories,as the commonwealth of Kentucky. An Author, whosetask is to tell of a Hero, his bravery, endurance,privations, integrity, self-denial and deeds of daring,carries the morale with which to gain at oncefor these characteristics the assent of the reader,by the simple assertion, “My Hero was born aKentuckian.” Indeed, in America, to bea native of the State of Kentucky, is to inherit allthe attributes of a brave man, a safe counsellor anda true friend. It is, at least, certain thatthis State, whether the fact is due to its inlandand salubrious climate, or to its habits of physicaltraining, has added many a Hero unto humanity.
Christopher Carson, by his countrymen familiarly called“Kit Carson,” was born in the County ofMadison, State of Kentucky, on the 24th day of December,1809. The Carson family were among the first settlersof Kentucky, and became owners of fine farms.Besides being an industrious and skillful farmer,the father of Kit Carson was a celebrated hunter.When the Indians of Kentucky became quieted down,putting an end to the calls upon his courage and skillas a woodsman, he settled into a simple, respectablefarmer. This monotonous life did not suit hisdisposition; and, as the tide of emigration into thewilds of Missouri was then commencing, where both gameand the red man still roamed, he resolved to migratein that direction. It was only one year afterthe birth of his son Christopher, that Mr. Carson soldhis estate in Kentucky and established himself, withhis large family, in that part of the State of Missourinow known as Howard County. At this time HowardCounty, Missouri, was a wilderness, on the remoteAmerican frontier. At his new home, the fatherwas in his element. His reputation of carryingan unerring rifle and always enacting the deeds ofa brave man, was not long in following him into thiswilderness. Mr. Carson’s only assistant,on his first arrival in Howard County, was his eldestson, Moses Carson, who was afterwards settled in theState of California, where he resided twenty-five yearsbefore the great California gold discovery was made.
For two or three years after arriving at their newhome, the Carson family, with a few neighbors, livedin a picketed log fort; and when they were engagedin agricultural pursuits, working their farms, andso forth, it was necessary to plough, sow and reapunder guard, men being stationed at the sides andextremities of their fields to prevent the workingparty from being surprised and massacred by wild andhostile savages who infested the country. At thistime the small pox, that disease which has provedsuch a terrible scourge to the Indian, had but seldomvisited him.[1]
[Footnote 1: This disease has probably been theworst enemy with which the red man of America hashad to contend. By terrible experience he hasbecome familiarized with its ravages, and has resortedto the most desperate remedies for its cure.Among many tribes, the afflicted are obliged to formcamps by themselves; and, thus left alone, they dieby scores. One of their favorite remedies, whenthe scourge first makes its appearance, is to plungeinto the nearest river, by which they think to purifythemselves. This course, however, in reality,tends to shorten their existence. When the smallpox rages among the Aborigines, a most unenviableposition is held by their “Medicine Man.”He is obliged to give a strict account of himself;and, if so unfortunate as to lose a chief, or othergreat personage, is sure to pay the penalty by partingwith his own life. The duties of the “MedicineMan” among the Indians are so mixed up with witchcraftand jugglery, so filled with the pretence of savagequackery, so completely rude and unfounded as to principle,that it is impossible to define the practice for anyuseful end. About five years since, a young gentlemanof scientific habits, who was attached to an exploringparty, accidentally became separated from his companions.In his wanderings, he fell in with a band of hostileSioux Indians, who would quickly have dispatched him,had he not succeeded immediately in convincing themof his wonderful powers. It so happened that thisgentleman was well informed in the theory of vaccination,and it struck him that by impressing on the savageshis skill, he might extricate himself. By theaid of signs, a lancet and some virus, he set himselfto work, and soon saw that he had gained a reputationwhich saved him his scalp. He first vaccinatedhis own arm, after which all of the Indians presentsolicited his magic touch, to save them from the loathsomedisease. The result was, that he found he hadenlisted himself in an active practice. Aftera few days, the Indians were delighted with the results,and began to look upon their prisoner as possessedof superhuman knowledge. They feared to do himinjury, and finally resolved to let him go; of whichprivilege, it is almost unnecessary to say, he wasdelighted to avail himself, and was not long in findinghis friends.]
The incidents which enliven and add interest to thehistoric page, have proved of spontaneous and vigorousgrowth in the new settlements of America. Nearlyevery book which deals with the early planting andprogress of the American colonists and pioneers, containsfull, and frequently glowing, descriptions of exploitsin the forest; strifes of the hunter; fights withthe savages; fearful and terrible surprises of lurkingwarriors, as they arouse the brave settler and hisfamily from their midnight dreams by the wild, death-announcingwar-whoop; hair-breadth escapes from the larger kindsof game, boldly bearded in their lair; the manly couragewhich never yields, but surmounts every obstacle presentedby the unbroken and boundless forest; all these aresubjects and facts which have already so many counterpartsin book-thought, accessible to the general reader,that their details may be safely omitted during theboyhood days of young Carson. It is better, therefore,to pass over the youthful period of his eventful life,until he began to ripen into manhood.
Kit Carson, at fifteen years of age, was no ordinaryperson. He had at this early age earned, andwell earned, a reputation, on the basis of which theprediction was ventured in his behalf, that he wouldnot fail to make and leave a mark upon the heartsof his countrymen. Those who knew him at theage of fifteen, hesitated not to say, “Kit Carsonis the boy who will grow into a man of influence andrenown.”
The chief points of his character which elicited thisprediction were thus early clearly marked. Someof his traits were kindness and good qualities ofheart, determined perseverance, indomitable will,unflinching courage, great quickness and shrewdnessof perception, and promptitude in execution.The predictions uttered by the hardy rangers of theforest concerning a boy like Carson are seldom at fault;and Kit was one who, by many a youthful feat worthythe muscle of riper years, had endeared himself totheir honest love. It was among such men andfor such reason, that Kit Carson thus early in lifehad won the influence and rewards of a general favorite.
His frame was slight, below the medium stature, closelyknit together, and endowed with extraordinary elasticity.He had, even then, stood the test of much hard usage.What the body lacked in strength was more than compensatedfor by his indomitable will; consequently, at thisearly age, he was considered capable of performinga frontier man’s work, both in tilling the soiland handling the rifle.
It was at this period of his eventful life that hisfather, acting partially under the advice of friends,determined that his son Kit should learn a trade.A few miles from Kit’s forest home, there liveda Mr. David Workman, a saddler. To him he wasapprenticed. With Mr. Workman young Carson remainedtwo years, enjoying both the confidence and respectof his employer; but, mourning over the awl, the hideof new leather, the buckle and strap; for, the gloriousshade of the mighty forest; the wild battle with buffaloand bear; the crack of the unerring rifle, pointedat the trembling deer. Saddlery is an honorableemployment; but saddlery never made a greater mistakethan when it strove to hitch to its traces the boldimpulse, the wild yearning, the sinewy muscle of KitCarson. Harness-making was so irksome to hisardent temperament and brave heart, that he resolvedto take advantage of the first favorable opportunityand quit it forever. With him, to resolve hasever been followed by action. During the latterpart of his stay with Mr. Workman, many stories ofadventures in the Rocky Mountains reached the earof the youthful Kentuckian in his Missouri home.The almost miraculous hyperbole which flavoredthe narratives were not long in awakening in his breasta strong desire to share in such stirring events.The venturesome mind at last became inspired.He determined to go; and, giving his restless spiritfull sway, in 1826, joined a party bound for his boyish
fancy-pictures of the Elysian Fields. The leaderof this expedition required no second request fromyoung Carson before enrolling his name on the company-list.The hardy woodsman saw stamped upon the frank and opencountenance of the boy who stood before him those sterlingqualities which have since made his name a householdword. These formed a passport which, on the spot,awakened the respect and unlocked the hearts of thosewhose companionship he sought.The work of preparation was now commenced by the differentparties to the expedition. All of the arrangementshaving been finally completed, the bold and hardyband soon started upon their journey. Their routelay over the vast, and then unexplored territory, boundedby the Rocky Mountains on the one side, and the MissouriRiver on the other. Before them lay, stretchedout in almost never-ending space, those great prairies,the half of which are still unknown to the white man.Crossing the plains in 1826 was an entirely differentfeat from what it is at this day. Where, then,were the published guides? Where were the chartsindicating the eligible camping grounds with theirsprings of pure water? These oases ofthe American Sahara were not yet acquainted with thewhite man’s foot. The herds of buffaloes,the droves of wild horses, knew not the crack of thewhite man’s rifle. They had fled only atthe approach of the native Indian warrior and theyearly fires of the prairie. It was a difficulttask to find a man who had gazed on the lofty peaksof the mountain ranges which formed a serpentine divisionof the vast American Territories, or who had drankthe waters at the camping places on the prairies.The traveller at that day was, in every force of meaningwhich the word extends, literally, an explorer, whosechosen object was the task of a hero. The Indiansthemselves could give no information of the route beyondthe confined limits of their hunting ranges. Thepath which this pioneer party entered was existentonly in the imagination of the book-making geographer,about as accurate and useful from its detail, as theroute of Baron Munchausen to the icelands of the NorthPole on the back of his eagle. The whole expanseof the rolling prairie, to those brave hearts, wasone boundless uncertainty. This language maypossibly be pronounced redundant. It may be inphrase; it is not in fact. The carpet-knight,the holiday ranger, the book-worm explorer, knowsbut little of the herculean work which has furnishedfor the world a practical knowledge of the westernhalf of the North American continent. We shallsee in the progress of this work whether the adventuresof Kit Carson entitle him to a place in the heart ofthe American nation on the same shelf with his compeers.
In that day, the fierce red-man chief scoured thebroad prairies, a petty king in his tribe, a rulerof his wild domain. Bold, haughty, cautious,wily, unrelenting, revengeful, he led his impassionedwarriors in the chase and to battle. Even to-day,the lurking Indian foeman is no mean adversary tobe laughed and brushed out of the way, notwithstandingdisease, war, assassination and necessary chastisem*nthave united rapidly to decimate his race, thereby graduallylessening its power. Thirty years ago the rollingplains were alive with them, and their numbers alonemade them formidable. It is not strange thatthe untutored savages of the prairie, like those oftheir race who hailed with ungovernable curiositythe landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, shouldhave been attracted by the wonderful inventions ofthe white-man intruder. A very short period oftime served to turn this ungovernable curiosity intotroublesome thieving. Knowing no law but theirwild traditionary rules, they wrested from the adventurouspioneer, his rifle, knife, axe, wagon, harness, horse,powder, ball, flint, watch, compass, cooking utensils,and so forth. The result was, sanguinary engagementsensued, which led to bitter hostility between thetwo races. Doubtless the opinion may be controverted,but it nevertheless shall be hazarded, that, untilthe weaker party shall be exterminated by the stronger,the wild war-whoop, with its keen-edged knife anddeath-dealing rifle accompaniments, will continue,from time to time, to palsy the nerve, and arousethe courage of the pioneer white man. The Indian,in his attack, no longer showers cloth-yard arrowsupon his foe. He has learned to kill his adversarywith the voice of thunder and the unseen bullet.
The bold traveller, whose pathway lies over thosegreat highroads which lead to the Pacific, must stillwatch for the red man’s ambush by day; and,by night, sleep under the protecting vigilance of thefaithful, quick-sighted sentinel. The savage neverforgives his own or his ancestor’s foe.Every generation of them learns from tradition thetrials and exploits of its tribe. From earliestboyhood these form the burden of their education inhistory; and, on performing the feat of courage orstrength which admits them to the councils of the braves,their nation’s wrongs are uppermost in theirthoughts, causing them to thirst for a revenge whichsooner or later gives them a grave, making themselves,in turn, an object of revenge.
It has already appeared that when Kit Carson enteredupon his first expedition, game was to be had in abundance.His route lay across the western wilds to Santa Fe.All this distance the bulk of provisions, consistingof a small quantity of flour and bacon, had to betransported by himself and his companions. Thesearticles were kept as a reserve, and were looked uponas luxuries; for, that man was estimated to be a verypoor shot who could not obtain, with his rifle, all
the animal food he required for his individual sustenance.These hunters, however, well understood the laws whichgovern and the advantages which follow division oflabor. Everything was so arranged, both for thisand subsequent expeditions, by which a regular hunterwas appointed, and each man assigned some particularduty according to his capacity. These appointmentswere usually made by the leader of the party, whosesupervision was acknowledged by general consent onaccount of his known experience and capability.This plan was the more necessary in order to avoidconfusion.The caravan had hardly launched out on its long andtedious tramp, when an accident occurred which camevery near proving serious in its results. Forseveral days the men had been greatly annoyed by wolveswho appeared more than usually ravenous and bold.[2]
[Footnote 2: There are two species of these animalsfound on the western prairie. One is small, calledthe Jackal; the other much larger. The latter,or larger species, are found of various, colors, butmore frequently grey. The color, however, varieswith the season and often from other causes.Many of their habits are strikingly similar to thoseof the domestic dog, with the simple difference thatthe wolf is unreclaimed from his wild state. Theconnecting link between the prairie wolf and the domesticdog is the cur found among the Indians. The Indiancur, by a casual observer, could be easily mistakenfor a prairie wolf. Near the Rocky Mountains,and in them, these animals are found of immense size;but, being cowardly, they are not dangerous.The first night a person sleeps on a prairie is everafterwards vividly impressed upon his memory.The serenade of the wolves with which he is honored,is apt to be distinctly remembered. It is farfrom agreeable, and seldom fails to awaken unpleasantforebodings concerning the future; and, the idea thatthese fellows may be soon clearing his bones, is notvery genial to the fancy. To the wolf the graveyardis anything but consecrated ground; and, if a personis very chary of his cadaver, he had better not leaveit on the Western Plains. The wolf is quite choicein his viands whenever the opportunity offers, andwill, at any time, leave the carcass of an Indianfor that of a white man. Old frontiersmen, speakingof the wolves, usually style them as “theirdogs;” and, after a night when these animalshave kept up an incessant barking, they will expresswonder by asking what has been disturbing “theirhounds.” The flesh of the mountain wolf,when cooked, has something of the smell and tasteof mutton, but it is very rank.]
In order to frighten the wolves, the teamsters wouldoccasionally shoot them. One of the members ofthe expedition was obliged to take a fresh rifle froma wagon. In taking the gun out, the hammer ofthe lock caught against some projecting object, whichcaused it to be partially set. Having becomefreed, however, before it was fully set, it came downand fired the gun. The contents of the barrelwere sent through the man’s arm. No memberof the expedition was conversant with surgical knowledge.Here was an occasion to shake the nerves of any feelingman; and, beneath the rough exterior of the westernranger, there runs as deep a stream of true humanityas can be found anywhere on the American continent.Every suggestion was offered and every effort wasput forth which heart feeling chained to anxiety andthe terrible necessity, could offer. Every remedywhich promised a good result was duly weighed; and,if pronounced worthy of trial, it was adopted.The sufferer had kind, though rough nurses; but, theabsence of scientific skill, under such emergency,proved a sad want for the unfortunate man. Notwithstandingtheir united efforts, Broader’s arm grew alarminglyworse. It soon became manifest to all that hemust part with his arm, or lose his life; perhapsboth. At this critical period, a consultationwas held, in which the suffering patient joined.Due deliberation was extended to all the symptoms.The giving of advice in such a council by men whocould only give judgment from an imaginary stand-point,must strike the heart of true sympathy as having beenpainful in no ordinary degree. After every possibleargument had been offered in favor of saving the arm,the final decision of the council was that it mustcome off. The next difficulty which presenteditself was quite as formidable as the expression ofa correct judgment. Who should perform the officeof surgeon, was the knotty question? Again theconsultations became exciting and intensely painful.The members of the council, however, took it upon themselvesto designate the persons, and chose Carson with twoothers. These immediately set at work to executetheir sad but necessary task. The arrangementswere all hastily, but carefully made, and the cuttingbegun. The instruments used were a razor, an oldsaw; and, to arrest the hemorrhage, the king bolttaken from one of the wagons was heated and appliedto serve as an actual cautery. The operation,rudely performed, with rude instruments, by unpractisedhands, excited to action only by the spur of absolutenecessity, proved, nevertheless, entirely successful.Before the caravan arrived at Santa Fe the patienthad so far recovered that he was able to take careof himself.
Besides this unfortunate affair, nothing worthy ofnote transpired, beyond the general record of theirroute, during the remainder of their journey.The latter would be too voluminous for the generalreader, and has already served its purpose as an assistantto other exploring parties, both from published accountand conversational directions. The party enteredSanta Fe in the month of November. Very soonafter, Kit Carson left his companions and proceededto Fernandez de Taos, a Mexican town, which lies abouteighty miles to the northeast of the capital of NewMexico. During the winter that followed his arrivalin the territory of New Mexico, Kit lived with anold mountaineer by the name of Kin Cade, who very kindlyoffered him a home. It was at this period ofhis life that he commenced studying the Spanish language.His friend Kin Cade became his assistant in this task.At the same time Kit neglected no opportunity to learnall he could about the Rocky Mountains. He littlethought, then, that these earth-formed giants wereto become his future home, and so gloriously to heraldhis name throughout the entire civilized globe.
The pinching effects of want now attacked poor Kit.He could obtain no employment. His expectationsin this respect, as well as his earnest efforts, receivedso little encouragement that he began, finally, todespond. Extreme poverty is a wet damper on thefires of the best genius; but, as was the case withKit, it does not effectually put it out. Kitsaw with sorrow that he must retrace his steps.To obtain means to carry out his ardent desires, inthe spring of 1827 he started on a backward trip toMissouri. Every step he took in this directionwas accompanied with such displeasure, that had itnot been his best and surest policy, he would havemastered any difficulties of another and better course,had such offered. Four hundred and fifty milesfrom Santa Fe, being about one half the distance acrossthe prairies, had been accomplished by the party Kithad joined for this homeward trip. The fordingof the Arkansas River had been reached. HereKit’s party met with some traders bound for NewMexico. They offered him employment, which hegladly accepted; and, in their company, retraced hissteps back to Santa Fe But when arrived at Santa Fe,Kit found himself again without money. He wasafforded an opportunity to obtain a wardrobe, butto the mountaineer, such property would be entirelya superfluity. He feels nearly independent onthe score of clothing, as he considers that he needsbut little raiment, and that little he is always proudto owe to his beloved rifle. This brings to hishand buckskins in plenty, and his own ingenuity isthe fashion-plate by which they are manufactured intowearable and comfortable vesture. There is onearticle of clothing, however, for which the frontiersmanfeels an ardent predilection. It is a woollenshirt. This article, Kit really needed; and, inequal pace with his necessity, ran his anxiety that
something should offer by which to obtain one.The reader may smile at this; and, so does Kit atthis day, as he recounts the fact in his own inimitablestyle. But Kit says that to obtain a woollenshirt then, was, to him, no laughing matter.At a moment when he almost despaired of gaining employment,he received an offer to go as a teamster with an expeditionbound to El Paso. This opportunity was a chancefor success not to be lost, and he closed with theproposition. After faithfully performing hisengagement, he, however, returned to Santa Fe, wherehe made a short stay, and then proceeded to Taos.In this town Kit entered into the service of Mr. EwingYoung, who was a trader and trapper. The readermay prepare again for a smile, as he will now learnthat Kit became a cook. Mr. Ewing Young has thesatisfaction of boasting that the renowned Kit Carsononce performed the responsible and arduous dutiesof a master cook in the culinary department of hisestablishment; and that, for these valuable services,labor, care and diligence, he gave to Kit, as a quidpro quo, his board. In this way Kit supportedhimself in his straitened circ*mstances until the followingspring.What was the bright thought which made the bold, theardent, the energetic Kit Carson accept this menialoffice? Surely the brain metal which was so brightlypolished when he set out from Howard county, Missouri,must have been sadly rusted. Not so! Thehope which buoyed up his spirits while he attemptedto rival French pastry and English beef with Americanvenison and Buffalo meat on the table of Mr. EwingYoung, was that some trapper, or hunter, would comeinto Taos, their favorite place of resort; and, bybeing ready for an emergency, he would obtain an opportunityfor gaining a permission to join them. His intentionwas certainly good, but it lacked the bright crownof good intention—success. In thespring of 1828, much chagrined with his, so far, continuedbad luck, and no prospect of gaining his object appearing,he again joined a homeward-bound party and with it,sorrowfully, started for Missouri. But, as onthe former trip homeward, he met on the route a partybound for Santa Fe. That indomitable ingredientin his composition, an iron will, caused him oncemore to turn his face westward. He joined thisparty and returned to Santa Fe, in order again totempt fortune for an opportunity to reach the RockyMountains. But during all these changes and counterchangesKit had not been idle. He had picked up considerableknowledge, and, to his other stock of accomplishments,had added the ability to speak the Spanish language.
On arriving once more at Santa Fe, he fell in withCol. Tramell, who was at that time a well-knowntrader. Col Tramell needed a Spanish interpreter.Kit obtained the post, and set out with him for Chihuahua,one of the Mexican States. Here again Kit madea change in his employment. In Chihuahua he fellin with Mr. Robert McKnight. To him he hiredout as a teamster, and in this capacity went to thecopper mines which are found near to the Rio Gila.Amid the weary necessities of this humble but honorablecalling, Kit’s heart was constantly alive withambition to become a hunter and trapper. He knewthat he was expert with the rifle, which had been hisboyish toy, and felt confident that he could relyupon it as an assistant to gain an honest living.His constant thought at this time was, let him nowbe engaged in whatever calling chance offered andnecessity caused him to accept, the final pursuitof his life would be as a hunter and trapper.Here, then, is presented a fair example of the strife,both inward and outward, through which a young manof courage and ambition must expect to pass beforehe can win position, influence, and the comforts oflife, whatever the scene of his action, or whateverthe choice of employment suitable to his talent andgenius. Kit Carson was determined, no matterwhat might be the obstacles which presented themselves,to be a hunter and trapper.
The reader will have made a sad mistake if he hasconcluded, that during the time which has intervenedsince Kit started from Missouri, he has been roamingin a country where there was less danger than whenhe was in the picketed fort with his father. Sucha supposition would be greatly at fault. Thetowns in New Mexico, at this early period, were almostentirely at the mercy of the Indians. The Mexicanswere nearly destitute of means to defend themselves.Very few of the Anglo-Saxon race had entered thisterritory, and those who had were, in turn, exposedto the vacillating wills of the proverbially treacherousMexicans. A man like Kit Carson, however, bornand bred in danger, cared but little about this stateof affairs. The dangers did not enter into hiscalculations of chance to overcome the difficultieswhich beset the pathway which the alluring hopes ofhis ambition had marked out. Not long afterward,he left the copper mines, and once more bent his stepsto Taos, in company with a small party. At Taos,he found a band of trappers which had been sent outby Mr. Ewing Young. While en route forthe river Colorado of the west, in pursuitof game, they had been attacked by a band of Indians.After fighting an entire day, they had been compelledto retreat, and returned to New Mexico.
CHAPTER II.
The news of the Defeat of Mr. Young’sTrapping Party by the Indians reaches Taos—Youngraises a Party to chastise the Indians—KitCarson becomes a Conspicuous Member of the Expedition—TheIndians are found on Salt River—The Fight—TrappingExploits—A new Country—Trialsand Vicissitudes—Sacramento Valley—Californiaand its Roman Catholic Missions in 1829—AnotherIndian Fight—Sale of Furs—IndianDepredations—Kit Carson and Twelve Trappersengage with the Indians in a Battle—Returnto the Camp with recovered Property.
The news of the attack and defeat of his men by theIndians, was brought to Mr. Ewing Young at Taos bya member of the unfortunate expedition. On learningthe causes which brought this unpleasant terminationto his enterprise, Mr. Young raised a party of fortymen, consisting of Americans, Canadians and Frenchmen,and put himself at its head. Kit Carson was receivedinto the party, and soon became one of its most prominentand efficient aids. Mr. Young’s object wastwo-fold: first, to chastise the Indians; and,second, to make all he could out of the expeditionby employing the men in their calling as trappers.Under the Mexican laws, licenses were required fromthe government to all Mexicans who set out on trappingexpeditions. These were not granted to citizensof the United States. This was not the mere willof governmental officials; the Mexican statutory lawprohibited the granting of licenses to citizens ofthe United States. This law was, however, oftenmade a dead letter by Americans; for, they frequently,but stealthily evaded it. In order, therefore,to hoodwink the Mexican authorities, Mr. Young hadto resort to various expedients. His preparationswere so carefully and secretly made, that the realbusiness he had in contemplation did not transpire,or even a suspicion gain currency as to his intendedwhereabouts.
In April, 1829, the party set out, eager to bringabout results equal to their anticipations. Atfirst, to avoid the curiosity and inquiring dispositionof the Mexicans, they traveled northward, as if theirdestination was into the territory of the United States.Hints had been sufficiently freely bestowed upon theMexicans to lead them to believe that such was thedestination of the party. After journeying fiftymiles in this direction, and feeling themselves freefrom the scrutiny of the Mexican authorities, theychanged their course to the southwest, and travelledthrough the country occupied by the Navajoes, whoare an interesting and dangerous race of Indians, evento the trader of this day. On their route, thecompany passed through Zuni, a Peublo town; thencethey traveled to the head of Salt River, one of thetributaries of the Rio Gila. Here they discoveredthe band of Indians who had attacked and defeatedthe former party. As soon as the Indians discoveredthe party of trappers, they became eager for the affray.The usual preliminaries for such fights were, therefore,
quickly made on both sides. Young directed thegreater part of his men to lie in ambush, for he feltconfident that the Indians did not know his strength.The bands of savages who covered the hills round aboutmistook the halt necessary to complete the ambush forcowardice and fear on the part of the whites.At this their courage arose, to such a degree, thatthey made a bold charge against, as they supposed,the small party of white men who were visible.They were allowed to advance well into the trap, until,by the position of the trappers in ambush, they cameunder a cross fire. At the word of command, ageneral volley was fired into the advance column.Fifteen warriors fell dead, and many others were wounded.The Indians became panic-stricken, and the trappersimmediately following up their advantage, advancedfrom cover. The warriors did not rally for asecond attack, but fled in every direction, leavingYoung, with his party, masters of the field.Strange as it has ever seemed, to the inquiring mind,in those days and for many succeeding years, companiesof white men from fifty to sixty in number could wagesuccessful war against whole tribes of Indians, whocould easily muster a thousand fighting men.A reason often given for this is, that the trappersof the western wilds are invariably “dead shots”with the rifle and well versed in Indian strategy.On the other hand, the red men were, comparativelyspeaking, poorly armed, and could not travel togetherfor any length of time in large parties, because theydepended for food chiefly upon hunting. Had thereexisted no other cause, the means of obtaining provisionbeing limited, must have compelled them to separate.Very frequently whole tribes are reduced to dependupon daily hunts. The bravery of the Indiansis of a different stamp from that which is exhibitedby the whites, especially where the white man is aSimon-pure western trapper. The white man on theprairie or in the mountains, knows but too well thatif attacked by Indians he must conquer or die.It was, and is, seldom that a company out on an expeditionhas any place of refuge to which it may retreat.Here is the principal reason why the trapper is soseldom defeated. He cannot afford to lose hislife to a certainty, and consequently will not allowa defeat.After this fight, Young’s party trapped downthe Salt River to San Francisco River, and thenceon up to the head of the latter stream. The Indiansfailed not to hover on their pathway, and to make nightlyattacks upon their party. Frequently they wouldcrawl into camp and steal a trap, or kill a mule ora horse, and do whatever other damage they could secretly.At the head of the San Francisco River the companywas divided. It was so arranged, that one partywas to proceed to the valley of the Sacramento inCalifornia. Of this detachment Kit Carson wasa member. The other party had orders to returnto New Mexico for the purpose of procuring traps to
replace those stolen. This latter party was alsocommissioned to take and dispose of the stock of beaveralready on hand. The party bound for Californiawas eighteen in number. Of this party Mr. Youngtook command. Previous to setting out, a fewdays were devoted to hunting. They only succeeded,however, in killing three deer. The meat of theseanimals they prepared to take with them, as they wereabout to journey into a country never before explored.The skins of the three deer were converted into tanksfor carrying water. They had learned from somefriendly Indians that the country over which they hadto pass en route was destitute of water.The red men told them additionally that the valley(meaning the Sacramento) was beautiful, and that thestreams were full of beaver. All of this informationthe trappers found was true. For four days theytravelled over a barren country, where not one dropof water could be found. At each night’scamping-place, small allowances of water from the tankswas distributed by the commander to each man and animal.A guard was then stationed over the remainder to preventany accident from depriving the company of this nowprecious article of sustenance. At the closeof the fourth day, however, they again found water.The instinct exhibited by the pack mules on this occasionwas truly remarkable. Long before any memberof the party thought that water was so near, the mules,with unerring certainty, had smelt it, and each one,according to his remaining strength, had hurried onto partake of it. The result was, that when thefirst mule had reached the water, the remainder werescattered along upon the trail for a great distance.The company encamped here, and remained two days torecruit.The journey was renewed on the third day, the routebeing still over a similar kind of country, necessitatingboth man and beast to submit to similar privationsas to water. In four days more they came in sightof the great Canon of the Colorado, which failed notto awaken a thrill of delight in every member of theparty. Just before reaching the Canon they meta party of Mohave Indians, of whom they purchasedan old mare. She was killed and eaten by the partywith great gusto. The party remained three dayson the banks of the Colorado recruiting their strength.While remaining here, another party of Mohave Indiansvisited them, from whom they procured a small quantityof corn and beans. Leaving the Colorado theyrecommenced their journey and travelled southwest.In three days they arrived at a stream which risesin the coast range, runs northeast and is lost in thesands of the Great Basin. About two years previousto their arrival here, three trappers by the namesof Smith, Sublett, and Jackson, with a large partyof men, had a desperate fight in this neighborhoodwith hostile Indians. They, also, had learnedfrom friendly Indians of the wonders of the SacramentoValley, and were en route to explore it when
attacked. Four only out of their entire companyescaped with their lives. These succeeded inmaking their way to the nearest Mexican settlements,which they reached in a state of complete destitution,after many hardships. Young and his party followedthe dry bed of this river for several days beforethey came to any visible water. It may be interestingto some of our readers to know that there are manyof these curious rivers in western America, which,for miles disappear from the surface of the earth,and, probably, run through the quicksand beneath,as they reappear again. The outline of the riverusually exists between the place of its disappearanceand the place where the water again comes to the surfaceof the earth. By digging a few feet into thesand within the outline, the water is generally obtained.It takes but a short time, however, for the hole thusmade to fill up again. On quitting this river,the party journeyed to the westward, and, in fourdays, came to the Mission of San Gabriel. Herethey found one Roman Catholic priest, fifteen Mexicansoldiers, and about one thousand Indians. Belongingto this little colony were eighty thousand head ofcattle, fine fields and vineyards. Literallythe work and life of the Jewish patriarchs were herebeing reenacted.“A shepherd on the mightyplain he watched his roving store.”
To the half-starved followers of Mr. Young, this Missionappeared to be a “Paradise of Earth.”They remained here, however, but one day. Havingnothing else to trade, they parted with their butcherknives, receiving for four of them one fat ox.It would all appear a fabulous tale, were we to incorporateinto this narrative a history, or even a slight descriptionof the immensity of the herds of horses and cattlewhich once roamed over the plains and valleys of Californiaand New Mexico. It is but a few years since,that some wealthy Mexicans owned herds in these partsof America which they numbered by tens of thousands.They were, however, almost valueless for want of amarket; and, until the tide of emigration poured in,developing the resources of the country by its demandfor provisions and labor, horses and cattle were soldfor a mere trifle. In one day’s march fromSan Gabriel, Young and his party arrived at anotherRoman Catholic Mission, called San Fernando.This establishment was on a much smaller scale thanthe first. Young and his hardy followers, however,stopping only for a few hours, pushed on for the SacramentoRiver, which proved to be distant only a few days’march. Their course from San Fernando was northeast.The last part of their journey led through a delightfultract of country, where water, grass and game existedin abundance, seemingly a foretaste of the successwhich awaited their further advance. Selectingan eligible camping site, Young here rested his partyfor some time. When they were fully recruited,the party started for the San Joaquin, and commenced
trapping down the river. What gave the men greatsurprise, they discovered unmistakable signs of anothertrapping party. In a short time it appeared thatthey were close to a party belonging to the Hudson’sBay Company, commanded by Peter Ogden. Young’smen, however, continued setting their traps on theSan Joaquin and its tributaries. The two partieswere near each other for some time, and as deer, elk,and antelope existed by thousands around them, whichit was no trouble to kill in any numbers desirable,they fared well. On again reaching the SacramentoRiver, the two parties separated. Mr. Ogden,with his party, set out for the Columbia River, whileMr. Young’s party encamped where they were, forthe remainder of the summer. As the season fortrapping had passed, they employed their time in huntingand preparing meat for future necessity.It was here that Kit Carson soon distinguished himselfas a superior hunter, which reputation he has maintainedever since, no matter who have been his antagonists.Not but that Kit may have had his equals; but thatit is next to an impossibility to find his superior.At all events, the world has given Kit Carson thetitle of “Nestor of the Rocky Mountains,”for his reputation as a hunter alone; and as his biographer,we take pleasure in recording the facts by which thetitle has been earned and maintained. Let thereader possess himself of the facts, as they shallappear divested of any and every picture which fancyor partiality may accidentally cause us to paint, andeven then Kit Carson will not lose the title.On the contrary, it will become the more indeliblystamped upon his brow.
During the sojourn of the trappers on the Sacramento,an event occurred which exhibited the readiness withwhich these men responded to calls upon them for aidin a just cause. A few of the Indians belongingto the Mission of the San Rafael, after committingsome excesses, deserted from those to whom they hadpretended friendship. The priest having chargeof the Mission sent a strong force to search for thefugitives. They were found secreted in an Indianvillage, the inhabitants of which were not on friendlyterms with the priest’s party. A demandwas made that the deserters should be given up, whichbeing refused, a fight ensued, and the priest’sparty was defeated. Assistance was now askedfrom the trappers. The request was complied withby Carson and eleven of his companions, who volunteeredfor the occasion. Thus reinforced, the vanquishedparty returned and resumed the fight, but with a fardifferent result. The Indian village was capturedand one third of its inhabitants killed. The dayfollowing a second demand to deliver up the deserterswas complied with. Carson and his companionsthen left the priest’s party and rejoined theircamp. A short time after this affair had happened,Mr. Young carried the furs he had on hand to the Missionof San Rafael, where he was so fortunate as to finda captain of a trading schooner to whom he succeededin disposing of the entire stock. With the moneyaccruing from the sale, he purchased horses and thenrejoined his company.
A circ*mstance occurred a few days after Mr. Young’sreturn, which proved to be a good warning to the partyfor their future vigilance. During one dark night,some Indians, eluding the watch of the sentinels,succeeded in entering the camp and moving off sixtyhorses. As soon as the robbery was discovered,which had been the more easily accomplished becausethe trappers, not apprehending danger, had allowedthe animals to take care of themselves, Mr. Young directedKit Carson to take twelve men with the remaining horses,fourteen in number, and pursue the thieves. Carson,in obedience to his orders, immediately started forthe Sierra Nevada Mountains, following the trail ofthe Indians. After travelling one hundred mileshe came up with the robbers, and discovered them inthe act of feasting upon horse-flesh, six of theirown animals having been killed to supply the viands.Doubtless stolen fruit made the feast all the sweeterto the savages, but Kit determined to mingle a littleof the bitter as a condiment to the roasted flesh.Gathering his men well together, and approaching veryclose to the foe without being discovered, he gavethe order to charge. His men needed no secondcommand. They fell upon the feasting savageslike a thunderbolt, scattering them right and leftwithout mercy. Eight of the warriors were killedin the short conflict which ensued. The remainderwere allowed to escape. With some difficultythey next succeeded in recovering all their horses,except the six which had been killed. With theirhorses, and three children taken prisoners, they returnedto camp. It is unnecessary to add that, to menthus isolated in the wilderness, Kit and his partywere hailed with joyful greetings when their completesuccess became known. To them their horses werelike the good ship to the hardy sailors on the mightyocean. The joyful reaction which followed suchcomplete success was in ratio to the fears which thecontinuing suspense had excited.
Kit Carson, though at that day a youth in years andexperience when compared with the other members ofthe party of which he was then an associate, had risenrapidly in the estimation of all, and had excitedthe admiration and enlisted in his behalf the confidenceof the entire band. When called upon to add hiscounsel and advice to the general fund of knowledgeoffered by the trappers concerning any doubtful ordifficult enterprise, his masterly foresight and shrewdness,as well as clearness in attending to details, alonegave him willing auditors. But it was the retiredmanner and modest deportment, which he invariablywore, that won for him the love of his associates.Such characteristics failed not to surprise, in noordinary degree, those who could boast a long lifetimeof experience in Indian countries. Kit Carson’spowers of quickly conceiving thoughts, on difficultemergencies, which pointed out the safest and bestplans of action, “just the things that oughtto be done,” and his bravery, which, in his
youth, sometimes amounted to rashness, were the componentparts of his ability which thus caused his companionsto follow his leadership. His courage, promptitude,willingness, self-reliance, caution, sympathy, andcare for the wounded, marked him at once as the master-mindand safest counsellor. His first trapping expeditiongained him so much credit, that from the time it wasconcluded, he found no difficulty in joining any bandof trappers, no matter how select the party.In this respect the mountaineers resemble sea-faringmen, who invariably dislike new and untried hands,because such are so apt to give more trouble thanassistance. Green hands, therefore, are treatedwith indifference when they apply to be admitted asmembers on a contemplated hunt. The reader willhere see one difficulty which had to be overcome byCarson, and which kept him so long in want of employment.From this time Kit carried a rifle and worked froman experience which commanded admiration, respect,and esteem wherever he went, and with whatever partyhe became connected. Like the great Napoleon,when he joined the army for his first campaign, hewas a hero in spite of his youth among men grown greywith experience.CHAPTER III.
The Return from California to New Mexico—SanFernando and the Peublo of Los Angelos—Descriptionof these Peublos—Passports demandedat Los Angelos—Trouble with the MexicanAuthorities—Kit Carson sent on withthe Pack Animals One Trapper shoots another—TheMexicans become frightened—Indianscome into Camp with their Weapons concealed—CoolReception by Kit Carson—Arrival at SantaFe and Taos—Money realized soon partedwith—Carson joins another Expedition—TheRivers trapped on—Four Men Killed byBlackfeet Indians—Kit Carson joins Gaunt’sParty—The Parks—Winter Quarters—CrowIndian Depredations—Kit Carson andhis Party in Pursuit—the Fight—Winteron the Arkansas—Another Expedition—TwoDeserters—Kit Carson sent in Pursuit—TheFate of the Runaways—Adventures with Indians—Hair-breadthEscape made by Kit Carson.
In September, Mr. Young, having accomplished all thathe had intended, informed his men that he was goingto New Mexico. The homeward route was throughmost of the country over which they had previouslytraveled. The preparations for the journey havingbeen completed, the party started, touching on theway at the Mission of San Fernando, and thence throughto the Peublo of Los Angelos. Scattered over variousparts of the dominion of Old Mexico are these Peublos,or Indian villages, called so because they are inhabitedby Indians who bear that name. These are thetrue descendants of the ancient Aztecs, who were oncethe subjects of the Montezumas. They are usuallya quiet and industrious race, and are most devoutin their religious worship, according to the principles,forms, and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church.
They have not failed to inherit the superstition oftheir forefathers. Not withstanding the changeswhich time, with its cohorts of emigration, books,religious teachings, association with other races,mechanics, science and art, in greater or less degree,has introduced into their country, and accomplishedunder their eyes, they still believe that some daytheir great chief will return to them; accordingly,in each and every one of their towns, they keep awatch-fire burning, in order, on his advent, to lethim know where his children live.At Los Angelos the Mexican authorities came to thetrappers and demanded their passports. On findingthat such articles of paper authority did not formany part of a trapper’s outfit, they determinedto arrest them. Fear, however, prevented theirdetermination from assuming any very formidable action.Former experience in a similar matter of officialduty had taught those Mexicans that the American trapperswere men of a peculiarly resolute nature. Fairand legitimate means were therefore laid aside, anda foul policy adopted. They commenced supplyingthem with “firewater,” thus attacking themin a weak point. When they should become fullyinebriated they considered the matter of their arrestboth easy and certain.
Mr. Young, seeing the intentions of the authorities,and their underhanded method of carrying them out,determined to thwart them. He directed Carsonto take three men, the loose animals and the campequipage, and move on, with the instructions, thatif he did not soon join him, to push on; that if hedid not eventually overtake him, to report in NewMexico that the main party had been massacred.Young succeeded in collecting his men as best he could,for they were yet sufficiently sober to retain a littleof their reason. The treacherous Mexicans, however,continued annoying the commander of the trappers bygratuitously offering the men all the liquor they desired.One by one, the trappers were allowing themselvesto be easily conquered, as the effects of the liquorbegan to be more active. They would soon havefallen a complete prey to their enemies, had not amost singular circ*mstance put the Mexicans to flight.One of the trappers, named James Higgins, withoutany provocation and without any excuse, except thathe was intoxicated, shot a man named James Lawrence,inflicting a slight wound. Such conduct so terrifiedthe Mexicans that they took sudden and precipitousleave. This happened, very fortunately, beforethe party arrived at the mission of San Gabriel, wherethey would all have been arrested, and perhaps killed,by the Mexicans, aided by parties and reinforcementsat the mission.
About dark, Young, by urging his half-drunken meninto a forced march, succeeded in overtaking Carson.At the first supply of water, they went into camp.A night of sleep soon set the brains of Young’strappers once more to rights. The next day theparty, most of them sufficiently ashamed of theirdrunken debauch, commenced with vigor the homewardmarch. They continued nine days almost upon theirformer track, when outward bound. On the ninthday, they once more stood on the banks of the ColoradoRiver.
While encamped on this stream, a band of five hundredIndians made their appearance and entered the camp.The rascals professed the greatest friendship forthe trappers, but their actions not fully measuringtheir words, the white men looked to Carson for advice.He had discovered that beneath their articles of dresstheir weapons were very carefully concealed; and fromthis circ*mstance it became quite clearly apparentthe Indians intended to massacre the entire party.Here Carson’s boldness proved, as it had before,and did many a time afterwards, the safety of himselfand friends or associates. At the time the Indiansentered the camp, Carson, with only a few of the party,occupied it; the rest were out visiting their traps,which it was their general custom to set wheneverthey arrived at a suitable stream. Kit havingthus become satisfied concerning the design of thesavages, and feeling that the salvation of the entireparty rested upon his courage and wisdom, made uphis mind that boldness was the wisest policy he couldadopt. He found present among the warriors onewho could speak the Spanish language. Throughhim he ordered the red men “to leave the camp.In the event of their not doing so immediately, heand his friends would, without further parley, commencehostilities, and would be sure each in killing hisman, although they might all in the end lose theirown lives.”
The Indians had been accustomed to act about as theychose with such small parties of Mexicans as theychanced to meet, and consequently were taken completelyby surprise at Kit’s unusual boldness. Seeingthat they would inevitably lose several of their bravesif they made any hostile demonstration, they chosethe discreet part of best policy, and departed.As a general rule, no matter what the profit or urgentnecessity which chance offers, these Indians will nothazard a contest when, to a certainty, they must expecttheir own killed will equal the number of scalps whichthey can obtain. This rule, and doubtless somefearfulness on the part of the Indians, saved the livesof the entire band.
As has already appeared, the trappers were on thebanks of the Colorado at the time this affair happened.They continued their work on it, descending the southside until they reached tide water, when they changedtheir camp on to the Gila, and continued trapping upthis river as far as the mouth of the San Pedro.Near the outlet of this river, they discovered a largeherd of horses and mules; on a closer examination,they found that they were in the possession of a bandof Indians who had formerly given them some of theirgratuitous hostilities. Not having forgottentheir former troubles with these people, they determinedto pay them off in their own coin by depriving themof the herd. A short search sufficed to discoverthe Indian camp. Without waiting an instant,they put their horses to their speed and charged inamong the huts. The Indians were so completelytaken by surprise, that they became panic-struck andfled in every direction. They, however, ralliedsomewhat, and a running fight commenced which lastedsome time, but which did not change matters in favorof the Indians. The entire herd fell into thepossession of the trappers.
On the same evening, after the men had wrapped themselvesup in their blankets and laid down for a sleep, andwhile enjoying their slumbers, a noise reached theirears which sounded very much like distant thunder;but a close application of the sense of hearing showedplainly that an enemy was near at hand. Springingup, with rifle in hand—for generally inthe mountains a man’s gun rests in the sameblanket with himself on all sleeping occasions—theysallied forth to reconnoitre, and discovered a fewwarriors driving along a band of at least two hundredhorses. The trappers comprehended instantly thatthe warriors had been to the Mexican settlements inSonora on a thieving expedition, and that the horseshad changed hands with only one party to the bargain.The opportunity to instill a lesson on the savagemarauders was too good to be lost.
They saluted the thieves with a volley from theirrifles, which, with the bullet-whizzing about theirheads and bodies, so astonished them, that they seemedalmost immediately to forget their stolen property,and to think only of a precipitous flight. Ina few moments, the whites found themselves mastersof the field, and also of the property. To returnthe animals to their owners was an impossibility;Mr. Young, therefore, selected as many of the besthorses as he needed for himself and men, and gamebeing very scarce, killed two and dried most of themeat for future use, turning the remainder loose.Such either became wild mustangs or fell again intothe clutches of the Indians. The company thenrenewed their trapping, and continued it up the Gilato a point opposite the copper mines of New Mexico.Here they left the river and proceeded to the coppermines, where they found Mr. Robert McKnight engagedin trading with the neighboring Indian tribes.These mines were not then, and ever since have notbeen, worked. The holes which had many yearsbefore been made by the miners—but whothey were is unknown—formed a safe hiding-placefor their skins. The stock of beaver was thereforeplaced under the care of Mr. McKnight. Youngand his men then renewed their march, and in due timearrived safely at Santa Fe. Here they purchasedlicenses to trade with the Indians who live aboutthe copper mines. With these licenses as protectionpapers, they returned to where the skins were concealed.Having once more recovered their fur, they returnedwith it to Santa Fe. The deserted mines of NewMexico show incontrovertible signs of having beensuccessfully and extensively worked, at some remoteperiod, for various kinds of metals. They haveproved a knotty historical problem to many an investigatingmind; for their authentic history has fallen, andprobably will ever remain in oblivion. It mayhave been that about a century ago the Spaniards, withIndian assistants, worked them; and the savages becominghostile to their employers, in some sudden fit offrenzy may have massacred the Spaniards. There
is a legendary story circulating, similar to the traditionsof the Indians, giving this explanation. The moreprobable hypothesis, however, is that the Indiansthemselves, many centuries in the past, were versedto some extent in the art of mining, and carried onthe business in these mines; but from indolence or,to them, uselessness of the metals, the work was abandoned,and their descendants failed to obtain the knowledgewhich their ancestors possessed. These mines,and those which exist nearer to the large towns, willsome day render New Mexico a profitable and rich fieldfor the learned antiquary.The ruse which Mr. Young found absolutely necessaryto employ, in order to blind the Mexican authorities,succeeded so well, that when the fur arrived at SantaFe, every one considered the trappers had made a verygood trade. The amount of beaver thus broughtin amounted to two thousand pounds. The marketprice was twelve dollars the pound. The proceeds,therefore, of the entire trip were nearly twenty-fourthousand dollars. The division of this handsomesum gave to each man several hundred dollars.It was during the month of April, 1830, that Mr. Young’sparty again reached the town of Taos. Here theydisbanded, having completed their enterprise.Like as Jack, when he returns from his battles withold ocean, having a pocket well lined with hard earnings,fails not to plunge into excess, with the determinationto make up for the pleasure lost by years of toil,the brave mountaineers courted merrymaking. Fromtheir own accounts, they passed a short time gloriously.This similarity of disposition between trappers andsailors, in regard to pleasure’s syren cup andits consequent draft upon their treasures, causingthem to forget the risk of life and limb and the expenseof their valuable time, is most remarkable. Thesehardy trappers, like reliable old salts, proved tobe as true to the bowl as they had been to their steel;for, most of the party, in a very brief space of time,were penniless and ready to be fitted out for anotherexpedition. Young Kit, at this period of his life,imitated the example set by his elders, for he wishedto be considered by them as an equal and a friend.He, however, passed through this terrible ordeal,which most frequently ruins its votary, and eventuallycame out brighter, clearer and more noble for theconscience-polish which he received. He contractedno bad habits, but learned the usefulness and happinessof resisting temptation, and became so well schooledthat he was able, by the caution and advice of wisdomfounded on experience, to prevent many a promisingand skillful hand from grasping ruin in the same vortex.
The scenes of pleasure lasted until the fall of 1830.Kit then joined his second trapping expedition.This band had been formed for the purpose of trappingthe principal streams of the Rocky Mountains.Mr. Fitzpatrick, a trapper well known and respectedby the mountaineers, had charge of the party.He was, at that time, well acquainted by experiencewith the Rocky Mountains, and has, since then, gainedan enviable fame as an Indian Agent. The newparty travelled North and commenced operations onthe Platte River, which they followed down streamto one of its tributaries, the Sweet Water River.From here they worked on until they reached the GreenRiver. Hence they journeyed to Jackson’sHole, which is a fork of the Great Columbia River.After making a short stay at this point they startedfor the Salmon River. Here they were joined bya band of their own party, who had left Taos somedays in advance of the main body, and for whom theywere then hunting. The whole party, as now organized,remained where they were throughout the winter of1830 and 1831, employed in killing only the amountof game necessary for their sustenance. An unfortunateaffair here happened to them. Four of their men,while hunting buffalo, were attacked and killed bya party of Blackfeet Indians. No other incidentoccurred during the winter to change the everydayroutine. In April of 1831, they recommenced trapping,shaping their course for Bear River. This isthe principal stream that empties into greatsalt lake. Thence they returned to GreenRiver, where they found some Trappers under the commandof Mr. Sinclair, who left New Mexico soon after Mr.Fitzpatrick’s party and had wintered on the BearRiver. Among many other facts, they learned fromthis party that Captain Gaunt, who was an old mountaineerwell known to most of the whites present, had passedthe winter on the Laramie River, and that he was thenwith his men in the New Park. Kit Carson and fourof his companions determined to join him. Forthis purpose they started, and, after ten days ofsteady travel, found his party.
There are two of these natural Parks in the RockyMountains. To distinguish them they are calledthe Old Park and the New Park. As their namesimply, they are fair natural examples of the manufacturedparks of civilization. In some things nature haslavished upon them charms and beauties which no humanskill can imitate. These parks are favorite hauntsof the deer, antelope and elk, while the streams whichrun through them are well stocked with otter and beaver.Kit and his companions were graciously received byGaunt; and, with him they trapped the streams in thevicinity of the New Park and the plains of Laramieto the South fork of the Platte. Having finishedhere, they left for the Arkansas, remaining therewhile their captain went to Taos to dispose of theirstock of furs and to make such purchases of necessariesas the men required. Gaunt returned after an absenceof two months; when, trapping operations were resumedon the Arkansas River, which they trapped until itfroze over. The party then went into Winter Quarters.
The business of trapping for beaver is no child’splay. A person unaccustomed to it may possiblylook upon it as no very difficult task. A singletrial is usually sufficient to satisfy the uninitiatedon this point; for, the beaver, above all other wildanimals of America is endowed with an extraordinaryamount of instinct. His handiwork and habitssufficiently attest this.
There are bands of Indians living in the Northwesternpart of America who really believe that the beaverhas almost as much intelligence as an Indian, holdingand maintaining that all the difference that existsbetween a beaver and an Indian, is, that the latterhas been endowed by the Great Spirit with power andcapabilities to catch the former. Some of thestories which old mountaineers occasionally inflictupon an inquisitive traveller are somewhat startling;nevertheless, what this amphibious animal really performsis truly astounding, and oftentimes the truth failsto gain credence.
During the winter the trappers had many very pleasanttimes, for they had little work beyond the task ofmaking themselves comfortable. The snow fellto a great depth, which proved rather hard for theiranimals. By dint of cutting down cottonwood treesand gathering the bark and branches for fodder, theymanaged to prevent them from dying of starvation.The buffalo existed about there in great abundance;and, early in the winter, they had taken the precautionto kill and prepare a large supply of this kind ofgame, while it was in good condition. As theseason advanced therefore, the trappers found themselvesliving quite sumptuously.
In the month of January, the daily routine of theirlives was rather unpleasantly disturbed. A partyof fifty Crow Indians made an unfriendly visit totheir camp on one very dark night. They succeededin stealing nine of their loose animals, with whichthey escaped unperceived. Early the next morning,the signs of the Indians were discovered.Kit Carson, with twelve of his companions, immediatelysaddled their horses and started in pursuit. Itwas very difficult to follow the trail of the Indiansfrom the fact that many herds of buffalo had crossedand repeatedly recrossed it during the night, makingthe tracks very indistinct. Having traveled fortymiles, their horses, which were very poor in flesh,became fatigued, causing them to think of making ahalt. After due consultation, it was agreed thatthey had best go into camp. With this object inview they traveled towards some timber which was nearby. On arriving at the woods, the advance ofthe party, to their surprise and not less to theirsatisfaction, discovered the smoke of their enemies’fires. The distance between the parties was inconsiderable;but, in order that their movements might be made unobserved,the trappers retreated to a secluded spot where theyawaited the night, judging it best to take the partyby surprise. Their first care was to secure and
provide for their animals. The second was toprepare their arms. As soon as it would do forthem to move, they started, eager for the strife.It was judged best first to make a half circuit andthen approach the Indians from the direction theythemselves were travelling, as from this source, theywisely judged the red men would be less apprehensiveof an attack. Their movements were made slowlyand with great care in order not to alarm the savages.Having obtained a position close enough to observethe strength of their enemies, they stopped to reconnoitre.The men then crept for a long distance on their handsand knees until finally they obtained a full viewof the Indians, which showed them that the savageshad erected two rough forts and that they were nowdivided into two parties. A dance was in progressin honor of the robbery so recently perpetrated, whichproved conclusively, that they were without even asuspicion of danger. Just outside one of theforts, the nine stolen animals were securely tied.This sight did not tend to allay the wrath of thetrappers. They resolved that come what mightthe attempt to regain their property and punish theIndians should be made notwithstanding their strength.To insure success in spite of their weakness, theydetermined to conceal themselves and wait quietlyuntil the Indians had lain down for sleep. Duringthis time of suspense the trappers were subjectedto great suffering for the weather was intensely coldand they possessed but a scanty allowance of clothingfit for such work. But as there is an end to allthings, there was an end to the dance and other festivitiesand the savages sought their rest. At last thetime for action arrived. Kit Carson and fiveof his companions commenced crawling towards the stolenhorses, which, on reaching, were easily set free bycutting their halters. They then threw snow-ballsat them and by this means drove them away withoutdisturbing the sleeping Indians. The trapperswho acted as a reserve party soon after joined Kitand his companions; and, after retreating some distancein order to be out of the hearing of the enemy, theyheld a council to obtain the views of each memberof the party as to their next step. It appearedthat a difference of opinion existed; some of themen were in favor of returning, having recovered theirproperty and sustained no damage. The remainder,those who had lost no animals, wanted satisfactionfor the trouble and hardship they had undergone whilein pursuit of the thieves. Kit Carson and twoothers composed this latter party and thus were determinedto punish the thieves, let the consequences of theattempt be ever so fatal. The more peaceful party,seeing this earnestness, could not do otherwise thanlend their aid in the fight and cheerfully did so.There always existed such a feeling of brotherly loveamong the old trappers of the Rocky Mountains, thatthe hour of peril was never the hour for separationor desertion. This instance affords a fair examplehow the minority could easily rule the majority whenthe minority held to the side of danger. Thewhole band were now unanimous in favor of the attack.
Kit Carson, who had from the first acted as captain,ordered three men to take the recovered animals backto where they had secured their saddle horses.Then, with his comrades, he marched directly for theIndian camp. A dog belonging to the enemy firstgave the alarm of approaching danger to the Indians;but not until Kit and his party were within a fewpaces of the first fort. As soon as the occupantsof the fort heard the noise they sprang to their feet,and thus became fair marks for the unerring riflesof the trappers. The whites did not throw awaya single shot; every ball struck a warrior in somevital spot. Those who survived retreated to thefort occupied by their friends, and, as soon as possible,commenced returning the fire; but without execution,as the trappers, on discharging their first volley,had well concealed themselves behind trees, from whencethey were shooting only when sure of an object.It was now nearly daybreak; and as the savages discoveredthe weakness of the attacking party, they resolvedto charge, feeling sure of success. They did so;but the white men, who were expert fighters in thiskind of warfare, quietly waited until the Indianswere fully exposed. They then fired and killedfive warriors. The remainder immediately retreatedinto the fort.
After considerable deliberation, the Indians decidedonce more to make a sortie. On they came, andthis time with such determination that the trapperscould not withstand the assault, but were compelledto retreat. They disputed, however, every inchof ground over which they trod, as they fell backfrom one tree to another, continually making theirbullets tell with terrible effect on their foes.The three men who had been sent back with the horseshad joined their comrades soon after they had commencedretreating. They had heard the incessant firingand had become convinced that the fight was hotly contestedand that their services were required. On theirjoining, the whole party resolved to make one morestand, and as soon as the Indians saw this, they waveredand finally drew off. Both sides had now, seemingly,had enough of fighting, and hostilities soon afterentirely ceased, the savages marching back and leavingthe whites masters of the field. Several of thetrappers were slightly, but none dangerously, wounded.The Indians had paid dearly, in numbers killed, fortheir rascality. Finding the coast clear, Carsonand his men set out and soon rejoined their comradeson the Arkansas River. In the Spring, after havingcached their fur, the whole band departed forLaramie River on another expedition.
While on the south fork of the Platte, two of theparty deserted, taking with them three of their bestanimals. Suspecting their design, Gaunt sentKit Carson and another man in pursuit of the fugitives,who had one day the start. As was suspected,the two deserters had gone to the camp where the beaverfur was concealed and buried. They had succeededin digging it up and stealing about three hundred poundsof this valuable property, belonging to the companyin general, share and share alike. Carson andhis companion failed entirely in their efforts tofind the two men. Doubtless they never lived toenjoy their ill-gotten wealth; for, notwithstandingcareful search was made, the men were never heardfrom afterwards. It is probable that they werekilled by Indians, a fate which they, at least, richlymerited.
This old camp, the reader will please bear in mind,was on the Arkansas River. Kit Carson and hiscomrade, after finding that the two deserters hadthus succeeded in stealing the fur which had been buriedby the company, made every further effort which layin their power to recover it. As has also beenseen, they were unsuccessful. It now remainedfor them to determine their future course. Thecountry was so infested with hostile Indians thatit made their position, thus alone, very precarious.To regain their commander’s company was almostimpracticable; at least, without a more important objectto make the risk necessary, it was a foolhardy attempt.Time in learning the loss was of no great importanceeither to their leader or their party. Sooneror later this, as a matter of course, would be fullyshown. Kit and his comrade, therefore, determinedto remain where they were, in the old camp; and, tothis end, immediately arranged everything so thatthey could make a successful defence in case they shouldbe attacked by the savages. They did not dareto venture out far from their fortifications; but,this was no great trial to them, as game existed ingreat plenty and came very near their fortifications.While one slept, the other stood on guard. Itwas their intention to await the return of their party;but, at the expiration of one month, they were quitehappily relieved from their perilous position.Mr. Blackwell, Mr. Gaunt’s partner, arrivedfrom the United States. He was accompanied byfifteen men, and brought with him a complete outfitfor the entire band. Kit and his comrade had beenexpecting and were anxiously looking for this party.They were also made quite happy in obtaining the articlesof outfit which would render their wild life moreagreeable and easy. Shortly after this arrival,four men from the trapping party came into camp andbrought the news as to the whereabouts of Gaunt andhis men. They were overjoyed at finding Kit andhis comrade, as they said that they had hunted forthem in all directions; and, finally had given upall hopes of ever seeing them again. The wholeparty now began the march to join Gaunt at the BalloSalado.[3]
[Footnote 3: Salt Springs.]
These Springs form the head waters of the south forkof the River Platte. When four days’ journeyhad been accomplished, and while they were partakingof their breakfast in camp, an alarm of Indians wasgiven by one of the men. He had accidentally discoveredthe red skin rascals as they were prowling about thecamp. A rush was instantly made by the trappers,with rifles in hand, to save their horses. Shotswere fired and one Indian fell. The rest of theband made off as empty-handed as they came, with oneexception. One brave had succeeded in capturingand mounting a horse before the white men could reachhim. Notwithstanding he had a dead brother lyingon the ground, he appeared to be altogether too politeto make the trappers a longer visit; at least, withouta proper introduction. On the contrary, he gallopedoff; seemingly, quite proud of his trophy. Hadit not been that the trappers had taken the precautionto hobble their horses before turning them out tograze, they would have lost them all in this attemptedstampede.[4]
[Footnote 4: These stampedes are a source ofgreat profit to the Indians of the Plains. Itis by this means they deprive the caravans of theiranimals. The Camanches are particularly expertand daring in this kind of robbery. They eventrain horses to run from one given point to anotherin expectancy of caravans. When a camp is madewhich is nearly in range they turn their trained animalsloose, who at once fly across the plain, penetratingand passing through the camp of their victims.All of the picketed animals will endeavor to follow,and usually succeed in following, the trained horses.Such are invariably led into the haunts of the thieves,who easily secure them. Young horses and mulesare easily frightened; and, in the havoc which generallyensues, oftentimes great injury is done to the runawaysthemselves. The sight of a stampede on a grandscale requires steady nerves to witness without tremor;and, woe to the footman who cannot get out of theway when the frightened animals come along. Attimes, when the herd is very large, the horses scatterover the open country and are irrecoverably lost;and, such as do not become wild, fall a prey to theravenous wolves. Such, most frequently, is thefate of stampeded horses which have been bred in theStates, not being trained by a prairie-life experienceto take care of themselves. Instead of bravelystopping and fighting off the wolves, they run.The whole pack are sure to leave the bolder animalsand make for the runaways, which they seldom failto overtake and dispatch. Four years since, oneof these stampedes occurred on the Plains of a bandof horses, in which there were several hundred valuableanimals. It was attended with very heavy lossto the owners. Through the courage and great exertionsof those who had the animals in charge, many wererecovered, but none without having sustained moreor less injury.
A favorite policy of the Indian horse thieves is tocreep into camp, cut loose one animal and thoroughlyfrighten him. This animal seldom fails to frightenthe remainder, when away they all go with long ropesand picket pins dangling after them. The lattersometimes act like harpoons, being thrown with suchimpetus as to strike and instantly kill a valuablesteed from among the brother runaways. At othertimes, the limbs of the running horses get entangledin the ropes, when they are suddenly thrown.Such seldom escape without broken legs or severe contusions,which are often incurable. The necessity of travelingon, at any rate, renders it an impossibility to undertakethe cure, when it might be practicable under othercirc*mstances.]
This day the party travelled fifty miles and thoughtthemselves clear of Indians, as there were no visiblesigns of their presence. The experience of theday, however, had admonished them to be on their guardagainst surprise. To make things sure as to theiranimals, they fastened them to stakes driven in theearth, sufficient rope being given them for grazing.The place selected for their camp was a beautifulspot, being on a small stream which empties into theArkansas, the water of which is sparkling and clear.There are many of these charming little brooks which,emptying into, form this river. To the generaltraveler, however, they present one great drawbackas eligible camping sites. Their banks are usuallypretty thickly lined with rattlesnakes. The mountaineeris quite well accustomed and reconciled to this venomousreptile, as they abound in nearly every section ofhis hunting and trapping grounds. Not so howeverwith the mere visitor of, or casual traveller over,the Western Territories. To them his rattlesnake-shipis a formidable personage.
The rattlesnake rarely moves after sunset. Thenight air is generally too chilling for him.In the day time they are a noble enemy, always warningtheir antagonist of their hostile intentions by springingtheir rattles, thus giving a person warning of hisdanger. By these two wise provisions of the Creatorthe power of this otherwise terrible reptile, is solimited or restrained, that the trapper rarely giveshim a thought unless he comes in direct contact.Although they are so numerous, it very seldom happensthat either the Indian or the trapper is bitten bythem.
The party had not been long at rest before their suspicionswere aroused that hostile Indians were near them.A faithful dog belonging to the camp kept up a furiousbarking, much more lustily than when wolves annoyedhim. An extra guard was therefore immediatelyposted, when the remainder of the party lay down;but, not for sleep. They expected at every momentthat their services would be needed to defend thecamp. Everything however passed as usual duringthe night; and, with the morning, all suspicion waslaid aside. Kit Carson, with three companions,proposed a visit to a fork of a river close by, tolook for signs of beaver. They had been informedthat these animals were numerous in this particularstream. Carson and the three men had been absentabout one hour when the signs of Indians proved tobe realities, in the shape of a bold and well-sustainedcharge upon their camp. The rascals succeededin running off all of their loose animals.
Four of the men immediately saddled the fleetest ofthe remaining horses and instantly gave chase.After a quick run they came up with the savages andimmediately gave them battle. A sharp skirmishensued in which one of the warriors was killed, whenthe remainder fled, leaving the property once morein the hands of its rightful owners. The menhowever did not come off entirely safe. One ofthem received a very severe wound; which, eventually,gave him considerable difficulty; but from the effectsof which he finally recovered.
Kit and his companions in the mean time, in orderto reach their destination, found it necessary, unlessthey should take a long and circuitous route, to crossone of those lofty peaks for which the Rocky Mountainsare so famous. The ascent was however commencedand successfully accomplished; but, not without laborand an occasional resting-place being sought for breathingtheir animals. In due time, they reached thedesired stream; but, the beaver signs did not appear.Finding their errand had proved entirely useless, theystarted to return into camp. Experience had taughtthem that the longest way round was, in this case,the quickest way home. Taking therefore a circuitousroute, they avoided recrossing the lofty mountain peakalready alluded to. As they were riding carelesslyhomeward, beguiling the time with anecdote and remarkupon their future prospects, the scenery around them,with an occasional sight at some kind of game, whatshould appear ahead of them but four Indian warriors,remarkably well mounted, painted and decked with feathers,showing, conclusively, that they were out upon thewar-path. As soon as Kit and his companions sawthe warriors, and without one word as to their properand best action being interchanged, they simultaneouslyput spurs to their horses and dashed at the Indiansin order quickly to bring them within range of theirrifles. The pace became a hot one; but, as suddenlyas the charge had been commenced, so suddenly the trappersfound that they had, this time “caught a Tartar;”for, as they dashed on, sixty warriors, fully armedand splendidly mounted, came into view from beneatha hill where they were awaiting in ambush.
There was but one course for the trappers to takeand that was to run the gauntlet, which they did ingallant style, although twenty yards would have frequentlymeasured the distance between them and the hostilesavages. The bullets from the rifles of the Indiansflew about their ears thick and fast, for a heavyfire was opened upon them, as they passed, and incessantlykept up until they were out of their reach. Thetrappers did not return a shot. It would not havebeen according to their custom. There is no onething Simon-pure trappers consider to be a greaterfolly than firing their rifles on such an occasionas is here described. There is nothing they somuch dread as being left on foot with an empty gunand no time to load, when perhaps a single shot might
change defeat into victory; sure captivity into freedom,or a dead companion into a laughing, jolly and lovablehelp-mate, ready for setting a trap or to engage inthe next bloody skirmish. This must inevitablyhappen if, after the rider has fired, among the scoreor so of passing bullets, one of them, perchance, tooka peculiar fancy for a vital organ of his horse.The mortally wounded animal would make no accountof dismounting his master and leaving him to the tendermercies of the refined savages. In every closeand unequal contest, such as above detailed, theyonly think of the surest and speediest method of escape,leaving revenge to be obtained on some more fittingand favorable occasion. For some unaccountablereason the savages did not give chase.As soon as Carson and his comrades had got out ofthe reach of the Indians they began to recall thesuspicions concerning signs of Indians which theirfaithful dog had aroused. Fears for the safetyof their companions arose accordingly. Therefore,giving spurs to their horses they pushed on with vigorto know the worst. The facts that awaited themat camp concerning the attack by the Indians, stealingand rescue of the horses gave them therefore but littlesurprise. They had already surmised the reasonwhy the Indians had thus set a trap for them.Having been watching the camp during the night andfinding the white men fully on the alert and carefullyguarding against any surprise, they had quietly waiteduntil suspicion of their proximity had been entirelylaid aside. The departure of Carson and his companionsfrom camp was doubtless seen by the savages and affordedthem a clear proof that the white men had forgottentheir fears. As Kit’s departure with themen weakened the camp party the Indians had gatheredtogether sufficient courage to make a bold charge forthe coveted plunder. The final result, however,which led to their losing the stolen property, andthe life of one of their braves, had caused them tothink of an attack upon Kit’s party; thus, obtainingby its massacre, revenge for their dead companion;and, the horses which Kit and his comrades rode wouldhave been a consolation for their failure to retainthe horses obtained at the camp. The attack wasskillfully planned and would undoubtedly have succeeded,but for the unexpected daring and promptitude displayedby Kit and his comrades. The Indians had notlooked for the bold charge upon their advance party;but, on the contrary, they had been prepared for achase and fight in the opposite direction. Hadsuch a skirmish taken place, nothing beyond an absolutemiracle, or change of the laws of nature, could havesaved the little band. Kit and his friends hadreason, therefore, to be very thankful for their safety.They all felt that they had retained their scalpsby a very close shave. To use the expressive languageof Carson employed in narrating the event “Thered skins made a good attempt but, thank God, failed.”
Two of the trappers had received, in this affray,wounds; which proved to be of a serious nature:much more so than they or their companions thoughton the first examination given them. In consequence,the whole party was obliged to halt and again go intocamp, having accomplished but a very short removefrom their savage foes. It became necessary tomaintain a strong and careful guard during the succeedingnight, notwithstanding the labors of the past dayand night had been more than usually arduous.However, they succeeded in passing the night withoutfurther molestation. The next morning, it wasfound necessary to make a litter for one of the woundedmen whose condition had grown to be much worse.
The method which the mountaineers adopt for makinga litter, they have taken from the Indians, and isas follows. Take two strong poles, six feet ofwhich, at either extremity, is allowed for shafts,or handles, while the patient lies in the intermediatespace on a buffalo robe, or strong sacking, which-everis most convenient. Two mules or horses of thesame size are then selected; and, to saddles upon eachof the animals, the poles, at their extremities, arefastened. Another and simpler plan, but one notso comfortable to the patient, is to take the twopoles as before and attach them strongly to a saddleon but one animal, while the two ends are allowedto drag upon the ground. Directly in the rearof the horse the patient’s bed is affixed.If the poles are long they will act as springs, especiallywhen the wood used is of a kind which has considerableelasticity.
Having arranged everything to the satisfaction andcomfort of the wounded men, the party commenced theirmarch and in four days reached Gaunt’s campwhere they rested until the wounded men had nearlyrecovered. This simple fact shows the carefuland sympathizing care which the mountaineers of thewest ever exhibit towards each other in distress.It speaks more than would volumes of mere praise, concerningtheir character for true manhood.
When the wounded men had so far recovered that theycould safely proceed, the whole party, now quite strongin its numerical power, as well as skill and mountaineerexperience, departed for, and, in due time, arrivedat the Old Park. The coveted beaver however werescarce there, for other trappers had preceded them;and, to employ trapping phrase, “had caughtall the fur in those streams that could be taken thatseason.” This was an unpleasant conditionfor their business prospects; but, as the old adagehath it, “what could not be cured was quietlyendured.” Catching beaver is not alwaysa matter of choice. The beaver themselves haveconsiderable to say on the subject.
CHAPTER IV.
Kit Carson and two Companions plan aHunt for themselves—The Great Successmet with—Return to Taos—Saleof the Beaver Fur—Kit Carson joinsCaptain Lee and goes on a Trading Expedition—WinterQuarters—Kit Carson is sent in Pursuitof a Thief—Overtakes and is obligedto shoot the Runaway—Property recovered—TheReturn to Camp—The Sale of Goods—KitCarson joins Fitzpatrick and Party—Kit Carsonorganizes a Hunting Party—His Encounterwith two Grizzly Bears—The Summer Rendezvous—KitCarson joins fifty Trappers and goes to the Countryof the Blackfeet Indians—Annoyances receivedfrom these Indians—Winter Quarters in 1832—HorsesStolen—Kit Carson and eleven Men inPursuit—A Parley—A Fight—KitCarson severely wounded—His great Sufferingsand Fortitude—His Convalescence—TheRetreat—A New Expedition—Braggadocio—KitCarson Fights a Duel and Wounds his man—Duelsin the Rocky Mountains in Olden Times.
The fortunes of Gaunt’s party in not findinggame continued to grow darker and darker as they traveledfrom stream to stream. The men began to growdisheartened at this succession of failures. KitCarson, finally, became so tired of going empty handed,that he resolved to try a hunt upon his own account.On stating his intentions to the party, two of hisold companions offered to join him. These weregladly accepted by Kit; and, had they not been deterredby the consideration that their dangers would be greatlyaugmented if they worked with so small a party, otherswould most willingly have joined his company.With the good wishes, therefore, of Gaunt and his entireband, Kit and his two brave comrades boldly and confidentlycommenced their march.
The plan Kit adopted was to confine his operationsexclusively to the mountain streams and not to ventureout upon the Prairie. By taking this course hehoped to avoid much of the danger to be apprehendedfrom Indians.[5]
[Footnote 5: The mountain Indians, during theSummer season generally come down from their secureretreats and are engaged either in hunting buffalo,or marching on the war-path. When they are atpeace with the Indians of the Plains, which is rarelythe case, they join them, and, together, with theirunited strength and skill, they make piratical excursionsinto the Settlements of the Mexicans. While outon this business, they leave their families in somesecluded spot for abundant caution, placing them underthe guardianship of the old men, assisted by someof the younger members of the tribe.]
For several months they followed the business of trappingwithout being in any way annoyed by the Indians.Their success was abundant. At the end of theseason they had gathered together a splendid stockof beaver fur and began to think of a homeward trip.Having made everything ready, they finally startedfor Taos. True, their party was small and therisks they ran of attacks from hostile and covetousIndians were imminent; but, fortune, or Providencefavored them and there was finally a satisfactoryend to their anxieties; for, after a quick march overthe plains, they arrived safely at Taos. Beaverfur was, at the time of their arrival, in great demandand prices ruled correspondingly high. Kit andhis comrades obtained the benefit of this state ofthe market and disposed of their fine stock to greatadvantage.
The money realized, so far as Kit’s two comradeswere concerned, was soon expended in fleeting pleasuresand a new outfit for the next trapping expeditionwhich might offer. Kit’s former experiencehad been sufficient on this score, and he had becomeimpressed with the highly important fact that thereexisted a much wiser course to be pursued. Withhis characteristic consistency, Kit acted upon thisconviction and wisely saved his hard earnings.
While remaining at Taos, Kit Carson met with CaptainLee, formerly of the United States Army; but, at thistime, a partner of Bent and St. Vrain, two names asfamiliarly known to the mountaineers as the householdwords of their boyhood days.
Captain Lee was purchasing goods for the purpose oftrading with and supplying the trappers. He desiredKit Carson to join in his enterprise and made himan offer which was accepted.
In the latter part of October 1832, with their goodswell packed and properly fitted for the rough transportationwhich they must necessarily be subjected to, theyset out to find the trappers. They traveled forsome distance on a route well known as the “OldSpanish Trail.” This is nothing more thana mule path which leads from New Mexico to California.
Having arrived safely at White River, they continuedtheir march down stream, following the windings ofthe river until they came to Green River. GreenRiver, they forded and then struck across the countryfor the Winty River which is a branch of the GreenRiver.
Here they found Mr. Robidoux who had a party of twentymen in his employ and who was engaged both in trappingand trading according as opportunity presented itself.Soon after these parties met, snow began to fall,indicating the approach of the cold season. Amutual understanding having been arrived at, the twoparties joined together and began to establish WinterQuarters suitable for the whole.
They selected a site for their permanent camp on theWinty River, at its mouth, where the men made themselvesas comfortable as possible under such circ*mstances.They were provided with skin lodges, so common amongthe Indians of America, and which according to Kit’smountaineer experience are very comfortable substitutesfor houses.
During the winter Mr. Robidoux lost six of his mostvaluable and high-priced horses, in the followingmanner. Attached to the camp there was a CaliforniaIndian who was employed by Mr. Robidoux, a keen andshrewd savage: and one, whose acquaintance withthe trappers had enabled him to gain the confidenceof Mr. Robidoux. He was also an expert with therifle and possessed undoubted courage with great bodilystrength and activity. These qualifications madehim a troublesome customer in a skirmish.
This Indian’s education on the score of propertyrights had not been as well attended to as the methodsof attack and defence in the chase and on the warpath. By some, not strange, personal argument,he concluded to appropriate the six valuable horsesabove mentioned, in the law wordy vocabulary of civilization,“to his own, use, benefit and behoof, withoutasking the consent, good-will, approbation, permissionand personal, directions of the said owner, to witMr. Robidoux.”
As these horses were worth, even at that remote spoton the great American Continent, the just and fullsum of two hundred dollars each, making a round sumtotal of twelve hundred dollars, Mr. Robidoux wasnot content to pocket the loss; or, much less, to allowthe rascal to enjoy ill-gotten wealth on the principlethat “stolen fruit is sweet.” Hedetermined, if possible to show him that some stolenfruit is bitter.
Knowing Kit Carson’s reputation for skill andhis fearless disposition, as soon as he had discoveredhis loss, he came and requested him to pursue theIndian. Kit Carson is a man who never works withoutorders except when he is leader. He thereforeinformed Captain Lee of Mr. Robidoux’s requestand asked permission to serve his friend. This,as a matter of course, was readily granted by CaptainLee; when, Kit instantly made his preparations forthe adventure. He was very soon on horseback,well armed and well prepared for hard and close work.
There chanced, near by to the camp, to be an Indianvillage belonging to the Utah Tribe. The whiteswere on friendly terms with the inhabitants of thisvillage, which determined Carson to seek out, fromamong their warriors, one active and intelligent brave,and get him to join in the chase. This was themore easily accomplished as Carson’s reputationfor skill, courage and experience was already wellknown in this tribe. He, himself, had made alarge circle of acquaintance among the braves, andmany of them had become strongly attached to him.Some of these attachments have existed for years andare still maintained; for, a fact well known, theAmerican Indian warrior, as a general rule, is trueand unchangeable in his friendships. With thisobject in view, Carson, putting his horse to his speed,started for the Utah village. On making his errandknown to such of the braves as enjoyed his confidence,he found no difficulty in engaging a well-known warrior,and one on whom he knew he could rely, to accompanyhim. The wily savage was soon ready for the march,when Kit gave the word to start. Both men weresplendidly mounted. Their pace was that of nosluggard. The high-conditioned animals which theyrode seemed to catch the eager spirit of their masters,and entering into it, bent themselves to their workwith determination accordingly. To discover thetrail of the deserter and to study its various characteristics,a science of no mean or useless order in the matterof a woodman’s education, required the two mento slacken their pace for a short time. The tracksmade by the stolen animals, however, were well marked;and, to such practised eyes, afforded a certain indicationas to their route. Again putting their horsesto their speed, with compressed lips and eyes directedto the trail before them, Carson and the Indian warriordashed on, feeling confident, that, if the rascalescaped with his ill-gotten booty, the sin would notbe laid upon their shoulders. The trail led down
the Green River. This fact made Carson concludethat California was the destination aimed at in thedeserter’s calculations. Kit and his Indianbrave had accomplished about one hundred miles, having,not once, lost sight of the trail, when, most unfortunatelyfor Kit, the horse of the Indian was suddenly takensick and his strength gave out completely. TheIndian could go no further except on foot, and thismode of travel he was unwilling to adopt, refusingabsolutely Carson’s request made to him to doso. This was an unpleasant predicament, especiallyas the rascal, who formed the chase, was a dangerousantagonist even to an experienced fighter and in anhonest cause. Goaded on by the fear of punishmentfor theft, Carson well knew that he would requireall of his own address to purchase success; for, therascal would not fail to make a most desperate resistance.But Kit Carson’s courage arose, as the difficultiesof the adventure seemed to multiply. With a farewellword to his Indian companion, he put spurs to hishorse and entered boldly upon the trail alone, beingdetermined to run every hazard, which the unhappyaccident to the Indian’s horse seemed to requireat his hands. The spectacle here presented tothe reader, is one which exhibits Kit Carson in histrue character both as a faithful and earnest friend,and a determined and dangerous adversary. Suchis his character. A life of most singular eventshas never yet found him false to his friend or hismanhood. While he is not rash in judgment, heis consummately skillful, quick and brave. Onwardhe dashed, never for an instant taking his eagle eyefrom the tracks which formed his compass. Thinknot that such tracks are easily traced. None buta practised and ready eye can follow them to any advantageousend. To trace them even at a snail’s pace,for an unpractised eye, is like the child puttingpen and ink to paper through his first copy-book ofpenmanship. Many and many an awful blot and horriblycrooked line will doubtless carry the simile fullyand strikingly to the mind. But the result whichcrowned Kit’s effort showed conclusively that,notwithstanding he had followed the trail for overone hundred and thirty miles, he had made no blotsor crooked lines. At the distance of thirty milesfrom the place where he parted with his Indian companion,Kit discovered the chase. His pace now becametremendous. The wily savage had descried himalmost at the same instant that he was discovered byKit, and instantly prepared for a desperate encounter.With this object in view, the savage turned to seeka cover from whence he could fire upon his adversaryand reload long before he should himself become exposedto a shot. The rascal’s plan was good enough,but he was too slow in its execution to overcome Kit’sactivity. Kit had unslung his rifle as soon ashe saw his enemy. Anticipating the object of thesavage, he, instantly, covered him with his rifle.His horse was now at full speed and he was rapidlynearing the Indian. At the moment he discoveredthat the Indian had reached his cover and before hecould take advantage of it, without relaxing his horse’sspeed, he fired. The ball from Carson’srifle was so well directed that the Indian, as itstruck him, gave one bound and then fell dead in histracks. At the same instant the rascal’srifle went off with a sharp report, sending a bulletwhizzing at some distance from the line of Carson’sapproach. The fact of the Indian’s riflebeing fired at all is a sufficient explanation ofwhat was his intent, had his career not been so suddenlycut short, thereby preventing its fulfillment.The words of an old trapper are here very much tothe point. The author was, on a fitting occasion,questioning him in regard to Kit Carson’s capabilitieswith the rifle. Said he: “If a manhas a serious quarrel with Kit Carson, he had betternot let him get the first sight over his rifle;for, if he succeeds in this, his adversary is as goodas dead.”
An intimate acquaintance and tried friendship withKit Carson has, since then, repeatedly furnished occasionswhich have confirmed this trapper’s statement;although, in the first instance, a person will findit no easy task to render an altercation necessary,for Kit Carson holds his passions fully under control;and, besides, they are of a very conciliatory type.No man will sooner shun a difficulty when justice,honor and necessity do not warrant strife.
The work of collecting the horses was soon accomplished,when Carson immediately commenced his journey backto the camp. This he reached in safety, afterovercoming a few minor difficulties caused by hischarge; and, had the satisfaction of returning thesix horses to Mr. Robidoux in as good condition asthey were the night on which they were stolen; and,also, of informing him that there was one rascal lessin the world to prey upon honest people.
This event served to interrupt the monotony and routineof winter camp duty, affording a basis for many along yarn during the evening hours around the campfires. These trappers, especially whenever agreen-eyed bundle of curiosity chances to seek theircompany, can spin yarns most wondrous. The habitsof the beaver and their remarkable instinct, forma fit subject for their active imagination. Itwould doubtless add very much to the interest of thesepages if we could set down a few of these anecdotesand tales for the general reader; but, the task wouldbe hopeless as to its accomplishment. To givethem life and reality, they require all the surroundingsof time, place and occasion; there should be the darknight; the wild whistling wind; the shaking tent withits covering of skins; the roasted venison, bear’smeat, or horse flesh; the rifles standing in the corners;the lamp of bear’s grease; in fine, all thesimilitude of camp life. Then the wild storiesof bear fightings, beaver intelligence, Indian deviltry,and hairbreadth escapes, become intensely real.The auditor hangs upon each word which falls fromthe lips of the supposed sage orator with eager earnestness,while curiosity never becomes satisfied.
“Ah! Jones, that is a whopper.”
“Sure as I live, but the beaver slept everynight with the trapper, and in the day time, if heleft the tent, the beaver would fall to work and makea dam across the floor of the tent, using the chist,skins, arms and everything.”
“Oh! Jones!”
“But, I tell you it is true. Tame a beaveronce, and you’ll find I’se tellin’a plain statement as true as ever a Padre made.”
“Padre! who’d believe a Mexican priest?Mr. Jones, that tame beaver of your’n must havebeen born in the States, where he hadn’t treesand mud to build dams with, and had to resort to furnitur.”
“That beaver,” responded Jones, “wasas near like a human bein’ as any man present.”
“How do you make that out, Mr. Jones?”
“Why, one day his master died. Well, theytried all they could to console the beaver, but it’twant no use. He wouldn’t be consoled.All he did was to git an ole shoe belonging to hismaster, an’ if he didn’t haul that ereshoe around day after day wherever he went. Well,the beaver ‘gan to grow thin, and one night theyfound he was a dyin’, jest from starvin’himself to death and a huggin’ the ole shoe.”
“Oh! Jones,” said the greenhorn,“you don’t expect I’ll swallow allthat yarn?”
But Mr. Jones and all of the other trappers presentpreserved an imperturbable dignity of mien, as ifthe very reference to the animal mentioned demandedfrom them all due reverence.
“Well, but that was not doing as a human beingwould do. I never seen a man carry an old shoearound till he died from starvin’.”
“That is neither here nor there,” continuedMr. Jones. “It was when the trapper firstmade the beaver’s acquaintance that he showedhe knew as much as a human critter. At that timehe had one wife and lived with her all alone in ahole, side o’ the dam. They had two sonsand a darter. The darter the old beaver had marriedto a fine lookin’ young beaver who lived t’otherside the dam.”
The whistle which the neophyte here gave seemed togive great dissatisfaction to all of the trapperspresent. One of them quietly asked him—
“Is that the way, youngster, you’se bineddicated in perliteniss of manners? If it is,I know a beaver who kin larn you sumthin’.In the fust place, if a young beaver ever ku*ms interthe presence of the ole uns, especially if she’s,that is the ole uns, a female beaver, the young un’mediately fetches his right fore paw up to hisforehead, jest ‘hind the right eyebrow, an’makes a reverintial bow of cerimony in salute.I’se seen that ar’ oftener than you’veput one leg ahead of t’other yit, young un.”
The trappers present all confirmed the truth of thisstatement by a solemn nod of assent to the query,“Ain’t that true, gentlemen?” which,at least, served to prevent unceremonious whistling.
It is thus that we might go on and fill page afterpage with this picture-talk of the trappers.Some of their yarns are pretty tightly strained, butmost of them contain a capital hit and are usuallyfounded on the facts. It is a well authenticatedfact that the beaver has but one mate; and, that theylive together a loving couple, as if husband and wife.As to their liaisons, coquetry, flirting andso forth, doubtless the society in some parts of thehuman family will bear a faithful resemblance in theserespects also. As an example of industry theworld will look in vain for a better one than is affordedby the little beaver of the Western Rivers. Lookat them patiently felling the tallest trees; and,so nicely adjusting their fall and calculating theirheight, that they strike the opposite bank of theirstream gaining a fixed and permanent lodgment.It is thus that these wonderful little creatures willoften erect dams across wide rivers and effectuallystop the rushing torrents.
As has appeared, after collecting the six horses,Kit Carson returned with them safely into camp.A few days subsequent to this occurrence, a band oftrappers belonging to another party en route,entered the camp. These men reported that Fitzpatrickand Bridger were encamped on Snake River distant aboutfifteen days’ journey. This was too goodnews for Captain Lee and Kit to warrant their remainingany longer idle. They doubted not but that theyshould be able to dispose of their goods to theseparties. With this object in view, they preparedfor the march and started. Their journey, althoughperilous and laborious, was successfully accomplished.Messrs. Fitzpatrick and Bridger received and entertainedthem very hospitably, and purchased their entire stock,paying therefor in beaver fur. Kit Carson thenjoined Fitzpatrick’s band, but remained withit only one month. His reason for separatingfrom it was, that there were too many men congregatedtogether either to accomplish much, or to make thegeneral result profitable in the distribution.He, accordingly, arranged an enterprise upon his ownaccount; and, from his well-established reputation,found more men than he wanted ready to join him.From those who applied, he selected but three.These were men of the best material; and, no man couldjudge a trapper’s qualifications better thanKit Carson.
With his three men he immediately set out for theLaramie River. On this stream and its tributaries,he spent the summer. Perhaps our readers willlook for a full description of the course which theAmerican trapper pursues in order to catch beaver.It is very simple in its detail but difficult andtedious in its application. The trap is the commonsteel trap made in the usual form; if there is anydifference, it is larger and more powerful. Itis set in the haunts of the beaver with a particularkind of bait[6] known chiefly among trappers.It is a singular fact that, frequently, old beaverswill be discovered springing the traps, by the aidof a stick. If discovered at his work, he seemsto enjoy hugely the vexation of the trappers whichthey sometimes exhibit. An old trapper, however,especially if he be a Frenchman or Mexican, feelsso much pride in the matter, that he will cover uphis vexation under assumed politeness, as if the beavercould understand and appreciate his language.
[Footnote 6: Animalium patris testiculum.]
But to escape from these pleasing digressions, KitCarson and his men concluded their summer’swork with unusual success. Their exertions hadbeen crowned with rewards which surpassed their fondestanticipations. As the wintry months were againfast coming on, Kit and his men determined to rejoinBridger’s’ command. The return trip,was therefore commenced and duly prosecuted. Lateone afternoon, just after the little party had goneinto camp, Kit, having lingered somewhat behind, suddenlyrode into the camp ground and leaped from his horse,giving it in care of one of the men. With hisrifle, he then started in pursuit of game for supper.He walked on about one mile from the camp and therecame upon the fresh tracks of some elk. Followingup the trail he discovered the game grazing on theside of a hill. In the neighborhood of the animalsthere were some low and craggy pine trees. Movingalong with great care, he finally gained the coverof the trees, which brought him in close proximityto the elk, and within certain range of his rifle.This care was the more necessary as his party hadbeen without meat diet for some time and began tobe greatly in need thereof. These ever wary animalssaw, or scented him; or, at any rate, became consciousof approaching danger from some cause, before he couldreach the spot from which he desired to take his aim.They had commenced moving; and, in another instant,would have bounded away, out of all reach of his rifle.His eye and piece, however, were too quick for them;for, bringing his piece into position and withoutdwelling upon his aim, he sped a bullet after thelargest and the fattest of the noble game before him.He had wisely allowed for the first leap, for hisshot caught the nimble animal in mid air and broughthim to the earth, writhing in his death agony witha fearful wound through the heart and lungs, from whichthere was no escape. One quiver ran through theframe of the beautiful animal, when, he breathed hislast. The echoing sound of the rifle shot hadhardly died away, to which the true hunter ever listenswith unfeigned pleasure as the sweetest of music onhis ear, whenever he has seen that his game is surelywithin his grasp, the last faint melody was brokenin upon and completely lost in a terrific roar fromthe woods directly behind him. Instantly turninghis head to note the source of this sound, the meaningand cause of which he well knew by his experiencedwoodman’s ear, educated until its nicety wastruly wonderful, he saw two huge and terribly angrygrizzly bears. As his eye first rested upon theseunwelcome guests, they were bounding towards him,their eyes flashing fiery passion, their pearly teethglittering with eagerness to mangle his flesh, andtheir monstrous fore-arms, hung with sharp, bony claws,ready and anxious to hug his body in a close and mostloving embrace. There was not much time for Kit
to scratch his head and cogitate. In fact, oneinstant spent in thought then would have proved hisdeath warrant without hope of a reprieve. Messrs.Bruin evidently considered their domain most unjustlyintruded upon. The gentle elk and deer mayhapwere their dancing boys and girls; and, like manya petty king in savage land, they may have dined lateand were now enjoying a scenic treat of their ballettroupe. At all events Kit required no second thoughtto perceive that the monarchs of the American forestwere unappeasably angry and were fast nearing himwith mighty stride. Dropping his rifle, the littleleaden bullet of which would now have been worth tohim its weight in gold if it could by some magic wandhave been transferred from the heart of the elk backinto its breech, he bounded from his position in closeimitation of the elk, but with better success.The trees! he hoped and prayed, as he fairly flew overthe ground with the bears hot in chase, for one quickgrasp at a sturdy sapling. By good fortune, orspecial Providence, his hope, or prayer, was answered.Grasping a lower limb he swung his body up into thefirst tier of branches just as passing Bruin brushedagainst one of his legs. Bears climb trees andKit Carson was not ignorant of the fact. Instantlydrawing his keen-edged hunting knife, he cut away fordear life at a thick short branch. The knife andhis energy conquered the cutting just as Messrs. Bruinhad gathered themselves up for an ascent, a proceedingon their part to which Mr. Carson would not give assent.Mr. Carson was well acquainted with the Messrs. Bruin’spride in, and extreme consideration for, their noses.A few sharp raps made with the severed branch uponthe noses of the ascending bears, while they fairlymade them to howl with pain and rage, caused them hastilyto beat a retreat. This scene of ascending, gettingtheir noses tickled and again descending howling withpain and rage now kept Mr. Carson and Messrs. Bruinactively busy for some time. The huge monstersand monarchs of the mountains were determined not togive it up so. Such a full and fair chase andto be beaten by a simple white man on their own domain!This evidently galled their sensitive natures.It is true the roaring of the bears in his rear hadstimulated Mr. Carson in the race, so much so, thathe undoubtedly ran at the top of his speed; and, beingnaturally, as well as by long practice, very fleetof foot, he had managed to outstrip his pursuers inthe race. It is true he had made short work ofclimbing the tree and here again had very innocentlybeaten the bears at their own game and one in whichthey took great pride. It is more than probablethat the bears were in too good condition to run well.Had it been early spring time they would doubtlesshave been much lower in flesh. That was theirown fault too; they should have known that racing timecannot be made on high condition. After leavingtheir hibernating quarters they should have been lessgiven to a sumptuous habit at the table.[Illustration: Two huge and terribly angry grizzlybears were bounding towards him, their eyes flashingfiery passion, their pearly teeth glittering witheagerness to mangle his flesh, and their monstrousforearms, hung with sharp, bony claws, ready and anxiousto hug his body in a close and most loving embrace.—PAGE83.]
Affairs were, however, by no manner of means settled.They had the daring trespasser on their domain treed,and almost within their reach; and, indeed, to keepout of the way of their uncomely claws, Kit was obligedto gather himself up in the smallest possible spaceand cling to the topmost boughs. The bears nowallowed themselves a short respite for breathing,during which they gave vent to their wrath by manyshrill screeches. Then they renewed their endeavorsto force the hunter from his resting place. Mountedon their hind paws they would reach for him; but,the blows with the stick, applied freely to theirnoses, would make them desist. In vain did theyexhaust every means to force the man to descend; hewas not to be driven or coaxed. The hard knocksthey had sustained upon their noses had now arousedthem almost to madness. Together they made onedesperate effort to tear Kit from the tree. Asin all their previous attempts, they were foiled,and their ardor dampened and cooled by the drummingoperations upon their noses, which this time was sofreely and strongly applied upon one of them as tomake him lachrymate and cry out with pain. Oneat a time they departed; but, it was not until theyhad been out of sight and hearing for some time thatKit considered it safe to venture down from the tree;when, he hastened to regain and immediately to reloadhis rifle.
Thus ended an adventure in which Kit Carson considersthat he failed to lose life and limb by the narrowestmiss that ever occurred to him. Although he haskilled much more than his quantum of this kindof game, and has gained what is a practical advantageto every western hunter, to wit: a knowledgeof all their abilities with which they enforce sway,Kit Carson regards this adventure in the light of awarning. It is a warning too which he never allowshimself to forget; consequently, whenever he has huntedsince, he watches as closely for signs of Mr. Bruinas he does for the game he seeks; it would, therefore,be a difficult matter for the bears again to surprisehim. Some of the most desperate battles on recordbetween hunters and wild animals are narrated of encounterswith the bear tribe.
Several years ago, a Mexican by the name of ArmadorSanchez, still well known in the Rocky Mountains asa brave and skillful hunter, had a fight with a bearwhich lasted several hours. This terrible battleended by both the combatants being laid prostrate uponthe ground, so completely exhausted as to be utterlyunable to reach each other from the want of physicalstrength. In this condition they spent one night;
and, on the following morning, when the brave Mexicanhunter had recovered sufficiently to be able to creepto his antagonist, he found him dead. This closeconflict grew out of the hunter’s noble daringin endeavoring to save the life of a Mexican boy, whom,at the instant the hunter attacked the beast, thebear was about to tear into pieces. At one timethe bear had the youth in his terrible clutches insuch a manner that it was impossible for him to planta shot in any vital organ. But nothing daunted,with his rifle and revolver, he lodged several bulletsin other parts of the fierce monster. Still thesavage animal clung to the unfortunate boy, endeavoringto tear him to pieces, and horribly mangling him inevery part of his body. The noble hunter couldresist no longer, and dropping his pistols and rifle,he drew his sheath-knife and slung shot, and, afterwinding his blanket around his left arm to protectsit, rushed in and compelled the animal to turn uponhim. Wounds were freely given and returned; but,the wary Mexican fought with such dexterity and determination,that the bear finally became so mad with pain andrage that by a tremendous effort, with one blow ofhis powerful paw, he knocked the brave hunter headlongupon the ground, where he lay some time before recoveringhis breath. Instead of following up this advantage,the brute, doubtless being deceived because the mandid not move, commenced examining and licking hisown bleeding wounds. But the brave hunter hadnow got his spirit so completely up, that he determinedto conquer his antagonist or die. Early in thefight, by a blow from his slung-shot, he had succeededin breaking the bear’s lower jaw. This hadgreatly disabled the animal and undoubtedly was thesuccessful wound which eventually gave Sanchez thevictory. When he felt himself sufficiently rested,he renewed the fight; and, by adopting various manoeuvres,in which he was greatly assisted by some adjacenttrees, succeeded in putting in several telling blowswith his knife. Again the animal became arousedto madness unendurable, and, gathering himself up fora final effort, succeeded in planting a terrible blowon the hunter’s head, which once more broughthim to the ground. From this blow and the previousloss of blood, the brave man fainted entirely away.How long he remained in this state he could not tell;but, on becoming again conscious, he found that thevictory was on his side, for the bear had alreadybreathed his last. The poor boy, notwithstandinghis wounds, as soon as the battle was decided; and,as he supposed, at the cost of his friend’slife, started for a neighboring fort, and, reachingit the following morning, reported the affair.A party of men well armed immediately marched to therescue. They found the brave hunter in a mostpitiful condition, with his flesh terribly mangled,his clothes torn into ribbons, and his back and shouldersone mass of lacerated wounds. His reason hadalready become unseated. In his native languagehe would call out to his now visionary foe, “Ifyou are a brave man, come on.” Althoughthe most delicate care and assistance was renderedto Sanchez, it was many weeks before he was able toresume his occupation; and, even then, he owed hislife to the wonderful recuperative powers of his healthyand iron constitution. Had the fact been otherwise,he could not have survived his injuries. One morebrave heart must have yielded its last drop of heroicblood in defence of youthful weakness. This picture,because it does not exaggerate the facts, we leavewith regret; for, it is a pleasure to contemplatesuch nobility of character, whatever be the name whichdeclares the governmental allegiance of the hero.It is not going beyond the bounds of truth to assertthat the grizzly bear of the Rocky Mountains is asformidable an enemy as the hunter is called upon tomeet, wherever the hunting-ground and whatever theanimal which opponents to our assertion may set up.When caught out on the open prairie, where he canbe attacked on horseback and lassoed, the chancesare against the bear; but, in a broken country, woeto his assailants, unless life is saved by some trick;or, happy fortune; a lucky shot; a telling blow, likeSanchez’s with his slung-shot; or, the fancifuldrumming, such as was Kit’s, on the noses ofhis antagonists; or, some other equally singular andunlooked-for expedient. The weight of one ofthese monsters often runs as high as fifteen hundredpounds; and, their fore paws, which they can managewith the greatest dexterity, frequently measure fourteeninches. The courage, sagacity and skill invariablyevinced by this species of bear, when engaged in afight, is not equaled by any other wild animal onthe face of the globe, not excepting the lion.
We take pleasure in here giving further publicityto the careful research and plain truths which haveemanated from the pen of that distinguished and successfultraveler Dr. Livingston. The new ideas whichappear in his pages in regard to the courage of the“King of Beasts,” have served, in a measure,to correct the general impression, and to bring downfrom its high-stilted hyperbole the courage, sagacityand terrible power of the lion, which, he states, areoverrated. We do not desire to contradict publishedstatements any farther than our own personal knowledgeextends; hence, we give our authority for our statementsin regard to the lion, very well satisfied ourselfwith Dr. Livingstone’s love of truth and earnestcandor. So much for the lion. Our statementsin regard to the Rocky Mountain grizzly bear restupon our own knowledge and investigation, gatheredin his own haunts and on his own wild domain; and,as such, are given upon our own responsibility.Because brave American woodsmen can readily conquerthe monarch of the American forest; and because thechicken-hearted Afric son, or dweller, trembles beforethe steady glare of the Afric King of Beasts, ergo
his bearship must in popular opinion, play subordinateto his lionship. For the sake of truth, we shouldlike to see the Spanish arena once open for a fightingencounter between a Rocky Mountain bear and an Africanlion, full and native grown specimens of each.The bull-fights all good men abhor; but, such a battlewould serve to set at rest a fast-growing doubt amongnaturalists; and, so far, would prove available toscience and the cause of truth. We would readilystake a purse on the bear.With the Indians of the West, who live mostly by hunting,among whom, nine out of ten would, single handed,readily face a score of native lion spearsmen and,we verily believe, put them to flight; a man is considereda great brave who, alone, will undertake to kill agrizzly bear. If he succeeds, which is very rarelythe case, his fortune in his tribe is made, once andfor all. The reputation he gains will cling toand follow him into his grave and form one of the chiefburdens of the tradition which bears his name to posterity.The Indians usually hunt and attack him in large parties;and, when the contest becomes really earnest, it requiresa most immoderate amount of yelling, and fierce cryfor the onset, to keep their bravery up in fightingtrim. The victory is seldom gained without thesacrifice of several lives. The mounted hunteralmost invariably finds it a difficult task to bringhis charger even within shooting range of this kindof game. On an untrained or young horse the accomplishmentof this feat is next to an impossibility; for, instinctseems to teach them the true character of the gameeven though they approach it for the first time.[7]
[Footnote 7: The author once saw thirty braveand determined men in pursuit of an old grizzly bearand her two cubs near the head waters of the ArkansasRiver. In vain they urged their horses to thechase. Not a single steed in the entire bandcould be induced to run for the game. The oldbear was quite thin and her young nearly half grownand were very fleet of foot. The chase lastedfor about three miles, but not a man present was ableto obtain a shot, because their riding animals wereso completely frightened as to be almost unmanageable;consequently, the bears made good their escape.The last that was seen of them was their dim outlinesas they traveled leisurely up a deep ravine.]
Darkness closed in about Kit Carson before he couldreach his camp; and, indeed, the sky was so cloudythat it was with great difficulty he found his wayto it. The idea of sending out a pack animal forthe elk was out of the question; therefore, the wholeparty went, supperless, to bed. In the morningthey breakfasted upon a beaver found in one of theirtraps; for, they well knew that, long before daylight,the prowling wolves had feasted upon the elk; hence,they resigned it without a visit. The flavorof the meat of the beaver is not very palatable andthe trappers rarely use it; never when they can dobetter. Not so with its tail. To this theyare very partial; and, when properly boiled, it is,indeed, a great delicacy.
Believing that Bridger would visit this place, Kitordered his men to make a permanent camp. Kit’ssagacity was not at fault in this hypothesis; for,in fifteen days, this famous old mountaineer made hisappearance accompanied by his whole band. Thetwo parties once more consolidated and started forthe summer rendezvous, which was appointed to be heldon the Green River.
Upon their arrival at this place, they found congregated,all the principal trappers of the Rocky Mountains.They were divided into two camps, and numbered abouttwo hundred men. The objects which brought themthus together were, the disposal of their fur and thepurchase of supplies.
When all the parties had reported their arrival, thetrading commenced and was conducted upon a basis whichgave general satisfaction. The most exorbitantand fabulous prices ruled for such articles as themountaineers required. Sugar and coffee broughttwo dollars the pint; powder, the same; and ordinaryblankets were sold at fifteen and twenty-five dollarseach.
Coffee, sugar, and even flour, were luxuries not everyday indulged in by the hardy mountaineers. Theyseldom partook of such dainties; not more frequentlythan two or three times in the year, and then, merelyas rare treats. Their standard food was game andwild vegetables when in their season.
This meeting of the trappers continued in progressduring two months. It was then dissolved; and,once more the bold mountaineers formed into bandsof a size convenient for trapping, and started outto engage in the fall hunt. Kit Carson joineda party of fifty men which was bound for the countryoccupied by the Blackfeet Indians, and which lieson and adjacent to the head waters of the MissouriRiver. The party met with very poor success incatching beaver, but had their fill of annoyancesfrom the tribe of savages already referred to.Finally the state of affairs between the trappers andthe Indians became so desperate, that a white mancould not leave his camp and go a distance of a singlemile alone without being fired upon, so completelyand untiringly was their camp surrounded and watchedby this wily and dangerous tribe of Indians.
This state of affairs led them to the determinationto quit the country, as the trapping season was faradvanced. With this line of policy they beganthe march; and, in the month of November, 1832, arrivedon the banks of the Big Snake River where they establishedwinter quarters and remained until the subsequent February.
During these winter months, the quiet monotony oftheir life was unexpectedly broken in upon by a bandof their old enemies, the Blackfeet Indians.Taking advantage of an unusually dark night they enteredthe camp and succeeded in running off eighteen of theirhorses. In consideration of their leniency displayedtowards them when they were engaged trapping in theirown country, then merely acting on the defensive,
this act on the part of the savages appeared to thetrappers to be more than they ought peaceably to bear.Such appeared to be the general opinion, and it wasdetermined that a party should be sent out to recoverthe property and inflict a chastisem*nt upon the hostilesavages which they would not soon forget. KitCarson with eleven men to accompany him was selectedfor this delicate but highly important service.Having prepared everything for the route, the partystarted and after fifty miles of sharp riding throughthe snow, came up with the savages. The progressof the Indians had been, fortunately, considerablyretarded by the necessity of breaking a path throughthe deep snow, which had but very recently fallen.The trappers instantly made an attempt to recovertheir animals which were found grazing on the sideof a hill, the Indians having previously come to ahalt. In doing this, shots were exchanged by bothparties without effect. The savages had on snowshoes which gave them considerable advantage overthe trappers. After some manoeuvering, the Indiansasked for a parley which was granted. On theseoccasions, it is customary for one man from each partyto advance to a spot about halfway between the contendingparties and there have a talk. The rascals, throughtheir representative, informed the trappers throughtheir representative, that they had supposed that theyhad been committing a robbery upon the Snake Indians;and, that they did not desire to steal from the whitemen.The trappers, believing these tales to be false, consideredthis a mere ruse on the part of the Indians to makethem unwary of passing events. However, theyput the very natural query to them, why, if they wereso friendly disposed, they did not follow out theirusual custom; and, on seeing them approach, lay downtheir arms and advance to meet their white brothers,so that they might have a smoke together and talkover their difficulties and thus amicably settle matters.
Their replies to this query contained nothing butevasions. Finally, however, it having been mutuallyagreed upon, both parties disarmed and marched tothe place where their representatives were talking.The Calumet was then prepared, lighted and handedaround to each person present, it being puffed onceor twice by every one of the savages and every oneof the whites. The council then commenced.The head men among the savages led off by making severallengthy and unmeaning speeches. In their replies,the trappers came directly to the point, and saidthey could hear no overtures for peace, until theirproperty was restored to them. The Indians, uponhearing this demand several times repeated, beganto presume upon their strength, assuming an overbearingdemeanor. After considerable talk among themselves,they sent out and brought in five of the poorest horses,declaring that it was the only number they could return.The trappers, upon hearing this, ran for their arms;
when, the Indians instantly started for theirs.The fight was now renewed by both parties. KitCarson, in the rush made for the rifles, and one ofhis companions named Markhead, succeeded in gettinghold of their weapons first; and consequently, theyformed the advance in the return to the contest.They selected for their antagonists, two Indians whowere close together; but, who were partially concealedbehind separate trees. As Kit was on the pointof raising his rifle to fire he saw by a quick sideglance at Markhead, that he was working at the lockof his gun without paying attention to his adversarywho was aiming at him with, almost, a certainty ofkilling him. Kit instantly changed the directionof his rifle and fired, sending a bullet through theheart of Markhead’s adversary; but, in thussaving the life of his friend, he was obliged, forthe instant, to neglect his own adversary. A quickglance showed him the fellow sighting over his rifleand that the mouth of the Indian’s gun coveredhis breast. Upon the instant he endeavored tododge the bullet, but he was unsuccessful in doingso completely. It struck him in such a way that,first cutting the skin of his neck and glancing, itpassed through his left shoulder. The head ofthe bone, of the arm in the shoulder was shattered;but, fortunately, the main artery of the arm escapedinjury. Notwithstanding his wound Kit immediatelyendeavored to reload his rifle. In this efforthe was unsuccessful, for his left arm hung powerlessby his side. He was obliged, therefore, to remaina mere spectator during the remainder of the fight;when, being overcome by the loss of blood and theconsequent fast increasing weakness, he threw himselfupon the ground. The fight continued to be hotlycontested by both the trappers and Indians until,gradually, the firing ceased, when the trappers drewoff and went into camp. They did not dare to lightany fires, as they would inevitably bring the Indiansupon them. With nothing but their saddle-blanketsto protect them from the bitter cold, even the safeand sound members of the party suffered severely.Kit’s condition failed not to arouse the heartfeltsympathy of his friends, for there was not one amongthem who would not have readily risked life and limbto save Kit’s. But his condition was mostcritical; at the least, he was in a most unenviablecondition. His wounds bled profusely, and, theblood, as it oozed out, froze to the rude dressings.This, undoubtedly, in the final result, was beneficialto him, as the cold acted as a partial check uponthe hemorrhage. It was, however, none the lesspainful to endure. He bore his agonizing sufferingswithout a single murmur, exhibiting in patient fortitudeand resignation the same brave spirit and dauntlesscourage which distinguished him in every action.Not once did a single complaint escape from his lips.Had he received this wound within the pales of civilizationwith its concomitant constitution, he might neverhave recovered the use of his arm. In the pureair, and with a constitution in the best possibletrim, after all danger from hemorrhage had passed,his chances to recover were favorable; and, finally,resulted in giving him once more, the full use ofhis arm.That night the trappers held a council. It wasdecided, that, although the result of the fight hadbeen that they had given the Indians a sound thrashing,there having been several braves killed while theyhad suffered only in one wounded, they were, nevertheless,not then strong enough to pursue the savages farther.They adopted therefore the policy of returning tothe camp and reporting their progress.
On their arrival, a council was immediately calledand their adventures duly rehearsed. The resultwas that a second party was immediately organizedcomprising thirty men. Under the command of Bridger,this party followed the trail for some days, but returnedto camp without finding the savages. They, aftertheir late engagement, had made their way as fastas possible into distant parts. A short timeafter this, the weather moderated and it was time forthe spring hunt.
This was now commenced and continued quite activefor several weeks on the Green and Snake Rivers.The success of the trappers was far beyond their mostsanguine expectations. Beaver fur seemed absolutelyto rain down upon them. The season having passed,they went into summer rendezvous on the banks of theGreen River. This was brought about by the arrivalof the traders with their supplies. The wholeforce of trappers, therefore, again rested until thefirst week of September; when, they again broke uptheir camp for the fall hunt.
Some time previous to this last named event Kit Carson,having recovered from the effects of his wounds, wasvery reluctantly drawn into an “affair of honor.”The circ*mstances of this occurrence we give in detailfor two reasons. It was an event in Carson’slife, and therefore is required at our hands; but,it serves to exhibit the manner of the duello amongthese western mountaineers which throws around thecirc*mstance the importance of an example in theirmanners and customs. By itself, so far as KitCarson was concerned, it was of very little importance,serving but little, in his opinion, to adorn the storyof his life.
Among the men congregated at the rendezvous, therewas a Captain Shunan, a powerful Frenchman. TheCaptain was exceedingly overbearing in his intercoursewith all around him. Upon the slightest pretext,he was sure to endeavor to involve some of the trappersin a quarrel. The result was that he was heartilydespised by all, although, for the sake of peace,he was allowed to go unmolested. One day his conductwas particularly offensive to the entire command; for,after having had two fist fights with a couple ofweak and inoffensive men, he commenced boasting thathe could easily flog all the Frenchmen present; and,as to the Americans, he said that “he could cuta stick and switch them.” Such actionsand manners, at last, attracted Kit Carson’snotice and caused him to be greatly annoyed. Hethought the matter over and concluded that if CaptainShunan was allowed to gather many more such detestablelaurels, he would soon become even more bold and troublesome.As no other member of the company seemed disposed toput a check upon such unmanly behavior, he quietlydetermined to make the affair his own.
An opportunity soon presented itself. A numberof the company had congregated together and were engagedin conversation, when Captain Shunan began anew hisbullying language; this time a little more boisterousthan usual. Kit Carson advancing into the centreof the company and placing himself in front of theCaptain thus addressed him:
“Shunan, before you stands the humblest specimenof an American in this band of trappers, among whom,there are, to my certain knowledge, men who couldeasily chastise you; but, being peaceably disposed,they keep aloof from you. At any rate, I assumethe responsibility of ordering you to cease your threats,or I will be under the necessity of killing you.”
To this Captain Shunan did not reply; but, immediatelyafter Kit Carson had closed his remarks, he turnedupon his heel and walked directly for his lodge.
Kit Carson was too well versed in trapper rules notto read the meaning of this action. He, therefore,walked off also; but, in the direction of his ownlodge. In a brief space of time, both men appearedbefore the camp, each mounted on their respective horses.The affair had drawn together the whole band, andthey were now, quietly, so many witnesses of the factshere recorded.
Captain Shunan was armed with his rifle. KitCarson had taken merely a single-barrel dragoon pistolwhich happened to be the first weapon that had fallenin his way, because of his hurry to be on the ground.The two men now rode rapidly towards one another, untiltheir horses’ heads almost touched, when bothhorsem*n reined up, and Kit Carson addressed CaptainShunan as follows:
“Am I the person you are looking for?”
Captain Shunan replied, “No!”
It was apparent that this reply of Captain Shunanwas a falsehood; for, while giving it utterance, heraised his rifle in the act of shooting, bringingit to his shoulder and covering his antagonist.Before, however, Captain Shunan could discharge hisgun, the ball from Kit Carson’s pistol shatteredhis forearm, causing the rifle to tilt upwards, whichchanged the direction of its contents in such a waythat Kit Carson received a wound in his scalp whilethe powder severely burnt his face.
[Illustration: Before, however, Captain Shunancould discharge his gun, the ball from Kit Carson’spistol shattered his forearm.—PAGE 100.]
It was the universal opinion of the spectators ofthis unhappy scene that both parties fired nearlyat the same instant. The facts of the case showvery plainly, first, that Captain Shunan’s intentwas to kill his antagonist. Why did he aim atKit Carson’s breast? Second, that Kit Carson’sshot was delivered perhaps a second or two in advanceof Captain Shunan’s; third, that Kit Carson didnot desire to kill his antagonist, but merely to savehis own life, by disabling his adversary. Thefact that his shot struck first and hit Captain Shunan’sright arm is sufficient proof of this. When Kit
Carson’s well-known and indisputable skill withall kinds of fire-arms is taken into the account;and that, notwithstanding this skill, he hit his adversaryin one of only two places (his right or left arms)which would have rendered his aim with the rifle uncertain,the statement that Kit Carson did not intend to killhis adversary becomes an incontrovertible fact.Last, had Kit Carson not gained a second in advancein the firing, he would have lost his own life, inevitably;and, the emphatic “No!” the lie of hisantagonist, would have been crowned with success.Such plain deception seldom is allowed to triumphby an all-wise Providence.In judging Kit Carson in this matter, the reader willcommit an ungenerous error if he fails to allow tobe placed, in the balance of judgment, the stirringdeeds and daily hair-breadth risks Kit Carson, duringso many years of his eventful life, was constantlycalled upon to take a part in and undergo. Wetake leave of this unfortunate scene in his life,feeling confident a just public opinion will see init no cause to pluck from the brow of Kit Carson anyof the laurels which it has been called upon to placethere. As a man of truth, honor, virtue, andreverence for the laws of his country, Kit Carson hasfew equals and no superior among Americans. Itneeded not this incident to establish his courage;that had long been proven to be undoubted. Nordid the result elate his feelings in the least.He met his companions without a smile, and invariablyexpressed his regrets that he felt it to be his duty,for the good order and peace of the camp, to interferein the matter. On the other hand, when he espousedthe cause of the majority in maintaining the right,he was not a man to be easily thwarted. Whenthe affair was ended, Kit was congratulated and receivedthe thanks of nearly every individual present; for,each felt that a load of most vexatious and troublesomeresponsibility had been taken from his shoulders.The good fellowship immediately introduced into thecamp was also a circ*mstance of mark.
The wounded man was carried to his quarters and everyattention shown him in the power of his companions.His punishment had the effect completely to subduehim.
These duels among the old trappers of the Rocky Mountainswere not very unfrequent occurrences. Men, situatedas they were, beyond the reach of the mighty arm ofthe law, find it absolutely necessary to legislatefor themselves. It is not within our provinceto advocate either the right or wrong of duelling;for, with the best of reasoning, there will alwaysexist a difference of opinion on the subject.In the case of these mountaineers, when any seriousoffence was given, the man receiving the injury tobody or fame held the right of demanding satisfaction.The interests of the entire band required an immediatesettlement of difficulties, so that their future planscould be carried out in concert. In their dealings
with each other they were strictly honorable; andwhen by any mischance a rogue crept into their ranks,if detected in any rascality, he was summarily andseverely dealt with. Their duels were seriousevents; for, oftentimes both men were killed.In fact, the case could hardly be otherwise.They were men of unflinching courage, and their weaponswere generally rifles, which, from long practice,they held with a certain and deadly aim. We cannotbetter close this passage in the life of Kit Carsonthan to quote the language held in 1846 by the Biographer[8]of the great explorer, JOHN CHARLES FREMONT:“He” (Christopher Carson) “is aremarkably peaceable and quiet man, temperate in hishabits, and strictly moral in his deportment.In a letter written from California, in 1847, introducingCarson as the bearer of dispatches to the government,Col. Fremont says: ’with me, Carsonand truth mean the same thing. He is always thesame—gallant and disinterested.’He is kind-hearted, and averse to all quarrelsomeand turbulent scenes, and has never been engaged inany mere personal broils or encounters, except onone single occasion, which he sometimes modestly describesto his friends. The narrative is fully confirmedby an eye-witness, of whose presence at the time hewas not aware, and whose account he has probably neverseen or heard of. I shall tell the story as itis gathered from them both.[9]
[Footnote 8: Charles Wentworth Upham.]
[Footnote 9: The reader will easily correct thefew discrepancies of facts contained in this statement,by the narrative which is from Carson himself, andgiven with a view to publication.]
“In the year 1835, the Rev. Samuel Parker madean exploring and missionary tour, under the auspicesof the American Board of Commissioners for ForeignMissions, beyond the Rocky Mountains, and as far asthe settlements on the Columbia River. In hisprinted journal he gives an account of the incidentto which I am referring; it occurred on the 12th ofAugust, at a point on the borders of Green River,beyond the South Pass, on the occasion of a ‘rendezvous,’that is, on a spot selected for Indians, trappers,and hunters to bring to market their peltries, andobtain supplies from the agents of the Fur Companies.There was a large concourse of savage tribes, and allthe various denizens of the wilderness. Therewere Frenchmen, Spaniards, Dutchmen, Canadians, andWestern backwoodsmen. The Rev. Mr. Parker happenedto be there, to witness the strange gathering.Of course there were some rude characters, and nota little irregularity and disorder. Conflictswere liable to arise between quarrelsome persons,growing out of the feuds among the tribes, and animositiesbetween the representatives of different nations,all actuated by pride of race or country.
“A hunter, named Shunan, a Frenchman, who waswell known by the title of the ‘big bully ofthe mountains,’ mounted his horse with a loadedrifle, and dashing defiantly around, challenged anyperson, of any nationality, to meet him in singlecombat. He boasted of his exploits, and usedthe most insulting and irritating language, and wasparticularly insolent and abusive towards Americans,whom he described as only worth being whipped withswitches. Kit Carson was in the crowd, and hispatriotic spirit kindled at the taunt. He at oncestepped forward and said, ’I am an American,the most trifling one among them, but if you wishto die, I will accept your challenge.’Shunan defied him. Carson at once leaped uponhis horse, with a loaded pistol, and both dashed intoclose conflict. They fired, almost at the samemoment, but Carson an instant the quickest. Theirhorses’ heads touched. Shunan’s balljust grazed Carson’s cheek, near the left eye,and cut off some locks of his hair. Carson’sball entered Shunan’s hand, came out at thewrist, and passed through his arm above the elbow.The bully begged his life, and it was spared.
“This put an effectual stop to all such insolentproceedings, and Americans were insulted no longer.Carson is still living, being yet, indeed, in hisprime. His faithful commander has recorded hisname on the geography of the continent, by callingafter him a river and a lake, in the great basin theyexplored together.”
CHAPTER V.
The Fall Hunt—McCoy of theHudson’s Bay Company organizes a TrappingParty which Kit Carson joins—The Hunt—Scarcityof Beaver on Humboldt River—The Partyis divided—Kit Carson with a majorityof the Men goes to Fort Hall—Hardships andPrivations met with—Buffalo Hunt—Alltheir Animals stolen in the Night by a Party ofBlackfeet Indians—Arrival of McCoy fromFort Walla Walla—The Rendezvous—KitCarson joins a strong Band—The SmallPox among the Blackfeet Indians—The CrowIndians on good terms with the Whites—IntenseCold—Immense Herds of Buffalo—Dangerof their goring to death the Horses—TheSpring Hunt—The Blackfeet Indian Villageovertaken—A desperate Fight with these Indians—TheRendezvous—Sir William Stuart and afavorite Missionary—Kit Carson goesan a Trading Expedition to the Navajoe Indians—TheReturn—He accepts the post of Hunter ofthe Trading Post at Brown’s Hole.
Arrangements for the fall hunt were now in activeprogress among the trappers. Though the readermay find some similarity of fact and idea as we progressin this part of the Life of Kit Carson, the interestwhich hangs about it, nevertheless, will not, or shouldnot be dampened, because this pen-painting of hislong and active experience is a better and more faithfulexhibit of those qualifications, knowledge and skillwhich afterwards made him, first the guide and thenthe bosom friend of the illustrious Fremont, than anyassertions whether authenticated by published record,whether rested upon statement on knowledge, informationand belief of acquaintances and friends, or, whetherfacts taken from the thousand allusions to his exploitswhich have from time to time flooded the press of theUnited States.
The company of trappers which had been so fortunateas to secure the services of Kit Carson, for factsseem now to warrant us in employing this languageof just praise, set out for the Yellow Stone River,which stream they safely reached, and on which theyset their traps. Dame Fortune here seemed tobe in unpleasant mood. Crossing the country fromthe Yellow Stone to the Big Horn River, they againcourted the old lady’s smile with stoical patience,but with no better results. They next extendedtheir efforts to the three forks of the Missouri River;also, to the Big Snake River. The fickle old ladyproved scornful on all these streams, and finally,on the latter stream and its tributaries they wintered.
In this section of the country they fell in with Mr.Thomas McCoy, a trader who was in the employ of theHudson’s Bay Company. In his trading operationsMr. McCoy had been unsuccessful and had concludedto organize a trapping expedition. The inducementswhich he held out led Kit Carson and five of his companionsto become members of his party. With him theytraveled to Mary’s River,[10] from whence reportshad circulated that beaver existed in great abundance.The party struck upon this stream high up and slowlyfollowed it down to where it is lost in the GreatBasin. Their success here was not satisfactory;consequently, the party returned to the Big Snake River.By McCoy’s direction the party tarried upon thisriver for some time when it was divided. McCoyand a small escort started for Fort Walla Walla.Kit Carson and the majority of the men took up theirline of march for Fort Hall. While en route,the latter division was subjected to the greatestprivations imaginable. Among the worst of thesewas hunger, as their trail led through a barren regionof country. For a short time, they managed tosubsist upon a small supply of nutritious roots whichhad been provided in advance. This source finallygave out, when their affairs assumed a most desperateattitude. To keep from starving, they bled theirmules and drank the warm red blood with avidity, soacutely had the days of fasting sharpened their appetites.This operation, however could not be repeated withoutendangering the lives of their animals. Thesealso were on a short allowance of food, for the grasswas very poor and scanty. The whole party hadbecome frightfully reduced in strength, and beganto think it necessary to kill some of their animals,which at this time they could but ill spare.In this terrible condition they met with a band ofIndians who proved to be of a friendly disposition.The party was then only about four days’ journeyfrom Fort Hall. Most unhappily, the Indians themselvespossessed but a scanty supply of provisions, and nomore than their immediate wants required. Itwas not without considerable manoeuvering and talk,during which all the skill and Indian experience possessedby Kit Carson were brought into active requisition,that the savages were prevailed upon to trade withthe trappers. By the trade the half famishedmen obtained a fat horse, which was immediately killed,and on which they regaled with as much relish as theepicure in the settlements enjoys his “jointof roast beef.”
[Footnote 10: We give the name which was appliedto this river at the date of the facts related inthe text. It is now called the Humboldt River.]
To a man not accustomed to this kind of meat, muleflesh and horse flesh would not be likely to proveover tempting or appropriate viands. Let himfeel the pangs of hunger very sharply, and his ideasof lusciousness and propriety in respect to food willrapidly change. The civilized world has condemnedthe practice as belonging to barbarians. A mountaineer,not being quite so fastidious, scouts these ideas,considering them foolish prejudices of people who havenever been forced by necessity to test the wisdomof their condemnation. Let the epicurean sageshave their choice, eat horse flesh or starve, and,they confidently maintain, horse flesh would graduallygrow to be considered a dainty, the rarer over beef,in proportion to its greater cost.
The trappers of the western prairies, who wander thousandsof miles over barren as well as fertile lands, wheregame cannot exist from stern necessity, are compelledto submit to all kinds of vicissitudes; but, withbuoyant spirits, they conquer results, which, a faintheart and yielding courage would behold almost intheir grasp but fail to reach.
An emergency calls forth skill and great energies;and, in an unexplored country where, as in the casehere recorded, everything living suddenly disappears,it is then that the wits of a trapper save his lifewhen an ordinary traveler would lie down and die.
Kit Carson and his men, at last, succeeded in reachingFort Hall. They were kindly received and amplyprovided for by the whites who then occupied it asa trading post. Here they rapidly recruited theirstrength, and in the course of a few days felt ableto start out upon a buffalo hunt. Reports hadcome in that large numbers of buffalo existed in closeproximity to the Fort. Kit Carson and his menwere not the kind who live upon the bounty of otherswhen game can be had in return for the necessary effortto find. They were also not the men to hoardtheir stock of provisions whenever they met partiesin distress. The first query which differentbands of trappers offer to each other on meeting inthe wilderness, is, “Does game exist in plenty,”or “is game plenty in such and such sectionsof country?” This takes precedence over thecommonplace question, “What’s the news?”Oftentimes, when venturing into distant and unexploreddistricts of territory they were obliged to take theirchances of finding sustenance; but, they hardly everneglected an opportunity to inform themselves on thesubject: on the contrary, they often sacrificedboth time and profits in order to secure correct details.Any other course would have been fool-hardy rashness,just fit for parties of over-bold inexperience totake the consequences of.
Hunting the buffalo is a manly and interesting sport;and, as Kit Carson on this occasion engaged in itwith successful results, it might be interesting tothe general reader, and, in this place the unity ofthe narrative seems to require, a complete and practicaldescription of the manner of taking the buffalo.We have, however deferred this part of our duty toan occasion when Kit Carson had his friend John C.Fremont upon his first buffalo hunt. We shallthen permit the bold Explorer to tell the story ofa buffalo hunt in our behalf.[11]
[Footnote 11: See page 161.]
During their sojourn at Fort Hall, the hardy trapperswere not idle. Besides the calls upon them bythe hunt, they set to work with great industry repairingtheir saddles, clothing and moccasins. With theaid of a few buck-skins, usually procured from Indians,and a few rude tools, they soon accomplished wonders.
To give the reader an appropriate view of the geniusto conquer obstacles displayed by the mountaineers,he must picture one of them just starting upon a longjourney over the prairies and through the mountains.His wagon and harness trappings, if he chances to bepossessed of worldly effects sufficient to warranthim in purchasing a first-class outfit, present aneat and trim appearance. Follow him to the pointof his destination, and there the reader will discover,perhaps, a hundredth part of the original vehicle andtrappings. While en route, the bold and self-reliantman has met with a hundred accidents. He hasbeen repeatedly called upon to mend and patch bothwagon and harness, besides his own clothing. Thoughhe now presents a dilapidated appearance, he is nonethe less a man; and, if his name is known as a regulartrapper and mountaineer, he is immediately a welcomedand honored guest. If the broadcloth of a princecovered his back, spotless, scientifically shapedand foreign woven, his reception would not be moreheartfelt and sincerely cordial. It is amusingto see the raw-hide patches of harness, wagon andclothing, now become dry and hard as oak. Tohave dispensed with the use of buckskin on his route,would have been like cutting off the right arm of thegallant pioneer. Buckskin and the western wildsof America are almost synonymous terms; at least,the one suggests the other, and therefore they areof the same brotherhood. The traveler in theseregions of this day fails not to learn and appreciateits value. It has not only furnished materialfor clothing, but has been used to repair almost everyarticle in daily use. Even the camp and tea-kettle,as well as the frying, milk and saucepan, bedsteadand hammock, chair and table, all have had their buckskinappendage, as fast as any of them have become injuredor broken.
Everything being in readiness, Carson set out withhis followers for their hunting-grounds. Theirpace was one of so much rapidity, that after one day’smarch they discovered signs of the buffalo. Onthe following morning immense herds were in sight.A suitable place for a camp was soon selected, andeverything which could impede their work well stowedaway. The best marksmen were selected for hunters,and the remainder of the party detailed to take careof the meat as fast as the hunters should bring itin. Poles were planted on the open prairies,and from one to the other ropes of hide were stretched.Upon these ropes strips of the buffalo meat were hungfor curing, which consists of merely drying it inthe sun’s rays. After it is sufficientlydried, it is taken down and bound up in bundles.During the time of hunting and curing, the trappersfeasted upon the delicacies of the game, which consistof the tongue, liver and peculiar fat which is foundalong the back of the buffalo. Their past sufferingsfrom hunger had made them so determined in the workof procuring game, that in a few days they possessedmeat sufficient to load down all their pack animals.They now thought about returning to Fort Hall.Their pace, however, rendered so by their weighty game,was very slow. Their old enemies, the BlackfeetIndians, had discovered them while engaged in thishunt. They followed them on the march to theFort, the trappers being wholly unaware of their presence;in fact, the idea of hostile Indians had not troubledtheir thoughts.
Two or three nights after they arrived at the Fort,taking advantage of a dark evening, the Indians deprivedthem of all their animals. This was the resultof carelessness on the part of one of the men, which,under the circ*mstances, was excusable. The partyhad encamped just without the pickets of the Fort,but had taken the precaution to secure their horsesand mules while they slept, by placing them in thecorral[12] belonging to the station. Asentinel was put upon duty over the corral, in orderto make everything doubly secure. In the latterpart of the night, nearly at daybreak, the sentinelsaw two persons advance and deliberately let downthe bars leading into the yard and drive out the animals.He mistook these men for two of his companions whowere authorized to take the herd out to graze.Concluding, therefore, without going to them, thathe was relieved, he sought his resting-place and wassoon fast asleep. In the morning, anxious inquirieswere made for the horses and mules, when a very shortinvestigation revealed the truth of matters. Itwas, undoubtedly, very fortunate for the sentinelthat he fell into the error alluded to. It wasvery apparent that the two advanced Indians who letdown the bars were backed up by a strong party.The signs of Indians, discovered afterwards, provedthis beyond a doubt. Their reserve party wereposted where the least resistance on the part of the
sentinel would have been followed by his quick andcertain death. This successful theft was, nodoubt, considered by the Indians a cause for greatrejoicing. It may have formed the basis of promotingthe brave who planned and directed it, as the animalshad been obtained without the loss of a man or eventhe receiving of a wound. The parties livingat the Fort were equally as poorly off for horsesand mules as were now the trappers. The same Indianshad recently performed the same trick upon them.The loss was most severely felt by the trappers, inasmuchas they had not a single animal left upon which togive chase. Nothing remained for them to enact,except a stoical indifference over their loss andawait the return of McCoy, who had agreed, after finishinghis business at Fort Walla Walla, to rejoin, themat Fort Hall.[Footnote 12: Corral, a barnyard.]
This tribe of Indians, the Blackfeet, whose meddlesomedispositions have so frequently brought them in contactwith Kit Carson in such and dissimilar affairs, occupythe country on the Yellow Stone River and about thehead waters of the Missouri. There are other tribesin close proximity, the most important of which isthe tribe called the Crows. When Kit Carson firstentered upon his wild career the Blackfeet Indiansnumbered nearly thirty thousand souls. They weregreatly reduced in numbers within the next six orseven years, between 1832 and 1839. In the last-namedyear, in consequence of the ravages of the small pox,heretofore alluded to and which prevailed the yearprevious, they had lost at least fifty per cent.The Indian computations of 1850, according to Brownell,give their numbers at only about thirteen thousand.They are one of the finest races of the American Aborigines.Powerful in frame and development; well trained inhorsemanship, although in this they are surpassed bythe Camanches; capable of great endurance; and, usuallywell fitted as to arms, dress, horse trappings, etcaetera, they generally prove knotty customersas enemies. We ought not to pass by this noticeof the Blackfeet Indians without calling the attentionof the inquisitive reader to a remarkable proof whichis afforded by the whole intercourse of these westerntrappers with the Blackfeet Indians, as thus detailedby Kit Carson, of an assertion hazarded some yearsago by Charles De Wolf Brownell, in his admirablework upon the Indian races of North and South America.On pages 465-6, Mr. Brownell comes to the defenceof the Crow tribe of Indians, which, up to that time,had been characterized as a “lawless, thievinghorde of savages.” “But,” saysMr. Brownell, “those best acquainted with theircharacter and disposition, speak of them as honestand trustworthy.” The adventures of KitCarson among both the Crow and the Blackfeet Indians,we think, demonstrate pretty conclusively which ofthese contiguous tribes are the horse stealers.The Crows, it will be remembered, are more particularly
inhabitants of the mountainous regions. The Blackfeethave ever been their sworn and implacable foes.Their burials of the hatchet have been few and farbetween, and never in deep soil. It is not, therefore,to be wondered at that the Blackfeet reputation shouldextend to the Crows; but, although circ*mstances existwhich condemn the latter, they are few in number comparedwith the sins laid by the traders and trappers at thetent-doors of the former.After the lapse of one month McCoy made his appearanceand, most opportunely, brought an extra supply ofanimals. The camp was soon struck and the wholeband started for the rendezvous, which had been appointedto convene at the mouth of Horse Creek on the GreenRiver. They reached this place after severaldays of hard travel. As usual, trading operationsdid not commence until all the regular bands of trappershad arrived and reported. They were then commencedand continued through a period of twenty days.Here Kit Carson left the company under McCoy and joineda company under the management of a Mr. Fontenellewhich numbered one hundred men. This party wentto and trapped on the Yellow Stone River. Oncommencing operations the party was divided into fiftytrappers and fifty keepers. The duties of theformer were to take the beaver and provide game forfood. The latter to guard their property andcook. The trappers were now in the midst of theirsworn foes, the Blackfeet Indians. They felt themselvessufficiently strong and were desirous to pay off oldscores. They therefore trapped where they pleased,being determined to dispute the right of possessionto the country if attacked. They were not, however,molested. A good reason appeared for this, soonafter, brought by some friendly Indians belongingto the Crow Tribe. They informed the whites thatthe small pox was making terrible havoc with the BlackfeetIndians. Thousands were dying and fears were entertainedthat the whole tribe would be cut off. In orderto attend to their sick they had secluded themselves.The trapping season being nearly over, as the streamsbegan to freeze, the party commenced looking out fora camping site.
In conjunction with the main body of the Crow nationthey proceeded to a well protected valley and erectedtheir lodges, making themselves as comfortable aspossible under the circ*mstances. As the seasonadvanced, the cold became more severe, until at last,it was more intense than ever before experienced bythe trappers or Indians. Fuel, however, was abundant,and, excepting the inconvenience of keeping unusuallylarge fires, they suffered but little. Not sowith their animals. It was with the greatestdifficulty that they preserved them from starvation.By the most unwearied exertions, however, they succeededin obtaining food enough barely to keep them aliveuntil the weather became more mild and auspicious.At one time the crisis was so imminent, that the trapperswere compelled to resort to cottonwood trees, thawing
the bark and small branches, after gathering them,by their fires. This bark was torn from the treesin shreds sufficiently small for the animals to masticate.The Indians of the Rocky Mountains, when sufferingfrom hunger, are often driven to the extremity ofeating this material. For miles, not unfrequently,the traveler discovers these trees denuded of theirbark, after a party has passed through on their wayto find the buffalo. The rough, outside cuticleis discarded, and the tender texture, next to the bodyof the tree, is the part selected for food. Itwill act in staying the appetite, but cannot, forany great length of time, support life. It isdangerous to allow starving animals to eat freely ofit; the trappers, therefore, feed it to them but sparingly.The intense cold operated to bring upon them anotherserious annoyance in the shape of immense herds ofstarving buffalo, which, goaded on by the pangs ofhunger, would watch for an opportunity to gore theanimals and steal their scanty allowance of provender.It was only by building large fires in the valleysand constantly standing guard that the trappers succeededin keeping them off.
During the winter, to beguile the time, the whitesvied with their Indian allies in many of their sports.As game existed in superabundance, always ready fora loaded rifle, both parties were contented and happy.Time flew away rapidly and soon brought again thesunshine of spring with the buds and blossoms, gaywild flowers, green herbage and forest verdure.For the purpose of procuring supplies, the trappersdispatched two messengers to Fort Laramie. Theydid not return and were never again heard from.The conclusion which gained belief was, that theyhad been murdered by the Sioux Indians. The partywaited as long as they possibly could for the returnof their two companions, but, finally, were compelledto commence the spring hunt without them. Theytrapped a short time on the Yellow Stone River andthen went to the Twenty-Five-Yard River. Fromthence they proceeded to the head waters of the Missouri,and, on the most northern of its forks, remained sometime, meeting with considerable success. Herethey obtained news of the Blackfeet Indians, whichshowed that the ravages of the small pox had been greatlyover estimated. They were still nearly as strong,and in character, had not at all become subdued.Upon drawing near to the source of this river, theydiscovered that the main village of these savages,their old foes, was in close proximity. Thiswas pleasing intelligence to the trappers. Theyhad suffered too many unprovoked insults at their handsnot to desire the avenging of their wrongs and to punishthem by way of retaliation. During the wholewinter, and, in fact, from the time the party wasfirst organized, they had anxiously abided their opportunityto meet and punish the rascally Blackfeet warriors.The old scores, or sores, had been festering too long,and here was a chance to probe them satisfactorily.
The party cautiously followed upon the trail whichled to the Indian encampment until within one day’sjourney of it. Here they came to a halt.Kit Carson, with five men, was sent in advance to reconnoitre.Upon approaching the Indians, the reconnoitering partydiscovered them busily engaged driving in their animalsto saddle and pack, and making such other preparationsnecessary to the effecting of a hurried decampment.Kit and his companions hastened back and reported theresults of their observations. A council was immediatelyheld which decided to send out forty-three pickedmen to give battle; and, for the commander of thisparty, Kit Carson was unanimously elected. Thefifty-five men left behind under Mr. Fontenelle hadthe onerous duty of guarding the animals and equipage.It was a part of the programme, also, that the latterforce should move on slowly and act as a reserve incase of need.
Kit Carson and his command were in fine spirits andlost no time in overhauling the village. In thefirst charge they killed ten of the bravest warriors.The savages quickly recovered from this blow and commencedretreating in good order. For three consecutivehours they heroically received a series of these furiousand deadly assaults without offering much resistance.At the end of this time the firing of the mountaineersbegan to slacken, as their ammunition was runninglow. These experienced and brave, though rascallyIndians, soon surmised the cause of this sudden changeof affairs. Rallying their forces, they turnedupon their assailants in right good earnest and adesperate hand-to-hand engagement ensued. Thewhite men now had an opportunity to use their smallarms, which told with such terrible effect upon theirfoes that they were soon driven back again. They,however, rallied once more and charged so manfullythat the trappers were forced to retreat. Inthis latter engagement a horse belonging to a mountaineerby the name of Cotton, fell, throwing his rider andholding him on the ground by his weight. Thishappened as he was passing a point of rocks.Six of the warriors, seeing the accident, instantlyhurried forward to take Cotton’s scalp.But Kit Carson’s eagle eye was watching everypart of the battle-field and discovered, in time tobe of service, the danger to which his friend was exposed.Although some distance off, Kit sprang from his saddle,and, with the leap of an antelope and the rallyingcry for his men, was on the ground, ready to makea certain shot. His aim and the crack of hisrifle almost belonged to the same instant of time.It was none the less sure. The foremost warrior,a powerful savage, whose fingers evidently itchedfor the scalp of the mountaineer, fell, shot throughthe heart. By this time others had followed thebold example of their leader, when the five remainingwarriors, seeing the imminent danger which threatenedthem, turned to run back into their band. Buttwo of them however reached a place of safety.The remainder, caught in their fleet career by theunerring and death-dealing bullets of the mountaineers,measured their lengths upon the battle-ground, strickenwith wounds which demanded and received from them theirlast wild war-whoop.
[Illustration: Kit Carson’s eagle eye waswatching every part of the battle-field and discovered,in time to be of service, the danger to which hisfriend was exposed. Although some distance off,Kit sprang from his saddle, and, with the leap ofan antelope and the rallying cry for his men, wason the ground ready to make a certain shot.—PAGE120.]
When Kit Carson fired, his horse, being under no restraint,became frightened and dashed away, leaving his braverider on foot. Kit however instantly comprehendedhis position. The fallen horseman had succeededin extricating himself, but not without difficulty,for the ground was very uneven. He had receiveda few pretty severe contusions, but was, notwithstandingthese, worth a dozen Indians yet, and failed not toshow the fact. Seeing Cotton thus all right, KitCarson made his way to one of his companions, and,as the fighting had, apparently by mutual consent,ceased for a few moments, mounted up behind him andthus rejoined the main body of his men. The runawayhorse, after quite a chase, was soon captured by atrapper and returned to his captain. A periodof inactivity now reigned over the battle-field, eachparty apparently waiting for the other to again openthe ball. During this resting spell, the reservedivision of the trappers came in sight, having beenanxiously expected for some time. The Indiansshowed no fear at this addition to the number of theiradversaries. On the contrary, being no doubt carriedaway by their recent success in making a stand, theycommenced posting themselves among the rocks aboutone hundred and fifty yards distant from the positiontaken up by the trappers. The arrival of the reservewas a great relief to the advance, because, they weretired of fighting without ammunition. Havingwell filled their ammunition pouches they once morebecame eager for the affray. Everything beingin readiness, with a cheer, they started on foot toattack and dislodge the enemy. In a few momentswas commenced the severest skirmish of the day.It became so exciting that frequently a trapper wouldoccupy one side, and a stalwart warrior the other,of some large rock, each intent upon the life of hisadversary. In such cases it required the closestwatchfulness and the utmost dexterity to kill or dislodgethe bold savage. The power of powder in the handsof skillful men soon began to assert its superiorityin the battle, and when once the Indians commencedto waver, it was all over with them. Their firstwavering soon broke into a complete rout, when theyran for their lives. As they scattered in everydirection, the pursuit which followed was short.In this battle the trappers considered that they hadthoroughly settled all outstanding accounts with theBlackfeet Indians, for they had killed a large numberof their warriors and wounded many more. On theirside three men only were killed and a few severelywounded.
Fontenelle and his men camped for a few days in thevicinity of the scene of their late engagement, buryingtheir dead and repairing damages. They then resumedthe business of trapping, traversing the Blackfeetcountry whenever they chose without fear of molestation.The success in their late engagement seemed to followthem in their business, for their stock of fur accumulatedrapidly.
While they were encamped upon Green River, an expressrider, sent by the traders, came into camp and informedthe party that the rendezvous would be held on MudRiver. With a large stock of beaver, the partystarted for that place, arriving in eight days.
Besides the usual traders and trappers, the partymet at this rendezvous some missionaries and a distinguishedEnglish nobleman, Sir William Stuart. Of thislatter gentleman, Kit Carson says: “Forthe goodness of his heart and numerous rare qualitiesof mind, he will always be remembered by those ofthe mountaineers who had the honor of his acquaintance.”
Among the missionaries was “Old Father De Smidt,”as he afterwards came to be familiarly called.This gentleman is at present well known as being aleading literary and religious man at St. Louis, Missouri.Perhaps there never was a person in the wilds of Americawho became so universally beloved both by the whiteand red man. While in the mountains, he actedwith untiring zeal for the good of all with whom hecame into contact. Wherever duty called him, therehe was sure to be found, no matter what the obstaclesor dangers spread upon the path. He worked duringa long series of years in these dangerous localities,and accomplished much good. When, at last, hereturned to civilization, he left an indelible namebehind him.
In twenty days after the camp at the rendezvous wasformed, it broke up again into small parties.Kit Carson, with seven companions, went to Brown’sHole. This was a trading post. Here theyfound two traders who were contemplating getting upa business expedition to the Navajoe Indians.This tribe exhibits more traces of white blood thanany other of the wild races in North America.They are brave and fond of owning large possessions.These consist chiefly of immense herds of fine horsesand sheep. In this respect they are not unlikethe ancient inhabitants of the earth, who “watchedtheir roving store” on Syrian soil and the contiguouscountries. The parties who desired to trade withthem usually carried a stock of trinkets and articlesof use, for which they received horses, mules, blanketsand lariets.[13]
[Footnote 13: A lariet is a beautifully maderope, manufactured from hides and used for picketinghorses out upon the prairies. They are worth,in New Mexico, about two dollars each.]
Navajoe blankets are very celebrated in the far westof America, and especially in old Mexico, where theyare in great demand and command high prices.Many of these articles are really beautiful, and, fromtheir fine texture, together with the great amountof labor spent in their manufacture, are expensive,even when purchased of the Indians. The art ofweaving these blankets has been long known to the NavajoeIndians; and, all the female children belonging tothe nation are taught the art during their earliestyears. It is only after much practice, however,that they become expert.
Kit Carson joined the two traders, whose names wereThompson and Sinclair, and made the trip with themwhich they had planned. They realized very handsomelyfrom it, bringing back a large drove of very finemules. The animals were driven to the Fort onthe South Fork of the Platte, where they were disposedof at fair prices. Having received his shareof the profits, Kit returned again to Brown’sHole. The season was too far gone for him to thinkof joining another trapping expedition that fall.He therefore began to look about for some suitableemployment for the winter. As soon as it becameknown that his services were open for an engagement,several offers were made him, all of which he rejected.The reader will doubtless see a contrast between theKit Carson renowned as a trapper and hunter and theKit Carson who, at Taos, only a few years before, wasglad to hire out as a cook, in order to gain his dailysustenance. For some time, strong inducementsof high wages had been held out to him by the occupantsof the Fort, in order to prevail upon him to acceptthe responsible and arduous office of Hunter to theFort. The task of supplying, by the aid of therifle, all the flesh twenty men would naturally consumeduring an entire winter, formed the duty requiredand expected from this officer. The inducementswere so tempting, the task so congenial with his feelings,and, withal, the urgent persuasions of the men sopressing, that Kit Carson finally accepted the offerand entered upon his duties. He soon showed thecompany that he knew his business, and could performit with an ease and certainty which failed not toelicit universal esteem and commendation. Whenthe time arrived for him to resign the office in theSpring, he left behind him golden opinions of hisskill as a marksman.
CHAPTER VI.
Bridger and Carson trapping on the BlackHills—The Main Camp—TheRendezvous—Winter Quarters on the YellowStone—Carson with forty men in a desperatefight with the Blackfeet Indians—ACouncil—Sentinel posted—One ThousandWarriors come to punish the Trappers—TheWar Dance—The Courage of the Savagesdeserts them—Winter Quarters—TheSpring Hunt—Another Fight with the Blackfeet—ContinuedAnnoyances—The Trappers abandon theCountry—The Rocky Mountains and Alpscompared—Other Trapping Expeditions—Beaverbecoming scarce—Prices of Fur reduced—KitCarson and the Trappers give up their Vocation—TheJourney to Bent’s Fort—Mitchell theMountaineer—His Eccentricities.
In the spring, Kit Carson joined Bridger. Withfour companions they went to the Black Hills to hunt.In the streams adjacent to that country, the beaverexisted in large numbers and their success in trappingwas excellent.
Soon after arriving, however, the party broke up.Kit Carson and a trapper named Owens made a hunt bythemselves and were very fortunate in obtaining alarge stock of the fur. After which they joinedthe main camp of the trappers on Green River.When the summer was pretty well advanced, the campwas broken up and all of its occupants started forthe Rendezvous, this year held on the Popoayhi, a branchof the Wind River.
In the fall, most of the trappers went to the countrywhich lies in the immediate neighborhood of the YellowStone River. Having trapped all the streams there,they went into winter quarters on that stream.
Nothing was heard of their sworn enemies, the BlackfeetIndians until about the middle of the winter.A party who were out hunting suddenly came upon somesigns which, looking suspicious, attracted their attention.To these signs they gave a close investigation, andfully made up their minds that they were close tothe stronghold of their foes. Without waitingto follow up the signs they immediately retraced theirsteps and informed their party in camp of their convictionthat trouble was brewing. A command of fortymen was instantly detailed to seek out the Indiansand give them battle. Kit Carson was once morecalled upon to lead the brave trappers in this expedition,and everything was left to his direction and goodjudgment. Soon after commencing their march,the company fell in with a scouting party of the enemyin the vicinity of the spot where the fresh signs hadbeen discovered. To this party the trappers gavechase, wisely concluding they would run for theirmain body. The result satisfied their anticipations.In a short time they found themselves opposed to astrong band of the Indians, when, a regular fight wasinstantly commenced. After quite a spirited contest,the Indians gave way and retreated, but in good order,to an island in the Yellow Stone River where theyhad previously erected strong barricades. Nightput a stop to the scenes of the day and further actionwas deferred until the next morning. As soonas the light would again warrant it, the trappersplunged into the stream and made for the island, beingdetermined to dislodge the Indians. To their greatdismay the brave savages had already retreated havingquietly given them the slip during the night.
The result of the battle the day before was now madeapparent. It was evident that not much powderhad been wasted in the action. The snow withinthe fortification was red with fresh blood, and fromthe place a bloody trail led to a hole in the iceof the stream where a large number of lifeless bodieshad been sunk. There was nothing now to be doneexcept to return to camp. Upon their arrival acouncil was convened to devise measures and plansfor their future conduct. It was quite evidentto all that the campaign had but just commenced.It was the general impression that the main villageof the Blackfeet tribe had been located within a fewmiles. When therefore the news of their recentsevere loss should be carried there by the survivorsin the battle, active measures would be set on footto seek revenge. It was the decision of the councilthat the trappers should act chiefly on the defensive.Measures were immediately set on foot to guard againstsurprise. To make everything doubly secure, nonebut the most trusty and well-tried men were detailed
to perform sentinel duty. Near their camp therewas a very lofty hill which commanded a fine view ofthe surrounding country. Upon this eminence theyposted a sentinel throughout the day time. Theirarrangements having been all determined upon and planslaid, the execution of them, to men so well skilledin frontier life, occupied but little time. Notwithstandingthis celerity in their movements they had been nonetoo quick. Soon after their preparations werefully made, the sentinel on the hill gave his signalindicating the approach of the Indians, showing thattheir precaution in this respect had been a wise one.The order was immediately given to erect strong breastworks.This task was so successfully accomplished, that,in a few hours, they had prepared a little fortress,which, covered with their unerring rifles, was impregnableagainst any force the Indians could bring against it.The advance party of the savages soon appeared insight, but when they discovered the strength of thetrappers, they halted and awaited, distant about halfa mile from the breastwork, the arrival of the restof the band. It was three days before the wholeforce of the Indians had arrived. They musteredabout one thousand warriors. It was a sight whichfew white men of the American nation have looked upon.Arrayed in their fantastic war costume and bedaubedwith paint, armed with lances, bows and arrows, rifles,tomahawks, knives, etc., some mounted and someon foot, they presented a wild and fearful scene ofbarbaric strength and fancy. Soon after theirlast company had reported, the frightful war-dance,peculiar to the American savages, was enacted in sightof the trappers’ position. The battle songsand shouts which accompanied the dance reached theears of the whites with fearful distinctness.Any other than hearts of oak with courage of steelwould have quailed before this terrible display ofsavage enmity and ferocity. This dance, to menso well skilled in the ways of the Indian warrior,was a sure signal that the next day would be certainto have a fearful history for one party or the otherand doubtless for both. The odds, most assuredly,were apparently greatly in favor of the savage hostand against the little band of hardy mountaineers.The following day the expectations of the trapperswere realized. The Indians, at the first dawnof day, approached the breastwork, eager for the battle.They were, evidently, very much astonished at beholdingthe invincibility of the trappers’ position.It was what they had not calculated upon and seemedto cast a perfect damper upon their courage.After firing a few shots which did no harm, and seeingthat nothing could be accomplished except by a charge,they commenced a retreat. The trappers, thoughonly sixty strong, were filled with disappointmentand chagrin at the course taken by their wary foes.They began to shout to their enemies in derisive terms,hoping the taunts would exasperate and draw them into
an attack. Nothing, however, would tempt themto face the danger, for they withdrew to a spot aboutone mile from the little fort and sat down in council.The speeches appeared to be generally opposed to riskingan assault; for, after the council was dissolved,the Indians divided into two nearly equal partiesand immediately marched off. One band took thedirection of the Crow country and the other shapedtheir course in the direction from whence they came.The trappers remained at their little fort duringthe winter and were not again disturbed by the Indians.Early in the following spring, they set their trapson one of the tributaries of the Missouri River andfinished the hunt on the head of Lewis’ Fork.They then departed for the rendezvous which was heldon Green River near the mouth of Horse Creek, remainingthere until the month of August and until the meetingwas dissolved.
Kit Carson, on the breaking up of the camp at therendezvous, accompanied by five other trappers, wentto Fort Hall and joined a party attached to the “NorthwestFur Company.” With this band he trappedto the head of Salmon River. Thence they wentto Malade River, trapping down it to where it emptiesinto the Big Snake River. They continued on upthis latter river, and then, after trapping on GooseCreek and Raft River, returned to Fort Hall. Theirstock of fur was quite extensive on their arrivalhere and, an opportunity offering to dispose of it,they sold out at a fair valuation. After recruitingtheir strength at the Fort for one month, Kit Carson,accompanied by most of the trappers, set out to joinBridger, who was still in the country of the BlackfeetIndians. Upon striking the Missouri River, signsof trappers were discovered, indicating that, whoeverthe party, or parties might be, they were now abovethe place where Kit and his party then were.With fourteen companions Kit started in advance ofthe main party to overtake, and report who these menwere. Towards evening of the same day, the advanceparty came up with the trappers and found that theywere under the charge of Joseph Gale and in the employof Captain Wyatt.
Gale informed Carson that his command had recentlybeen engaged in a closely contested fight with theBlackfeet Indians; that several of his party had beenwounded, and one, by the name of Richard Owens, wasat first thought to be mortally so; but, eventually,he had begun to recover and now was doing well.
Kit and his men remained one night with Gale.On the following day his party commenced setting theirtraps, intending to proceed up the river at a slowpace in order to allow the main party to overtake them.The men sent out to set their traps had not gone fromthe camp over two miles before they were fired uponby a party of Blackfeet Indians and compelled to retreat.They did so, succeeding in joining their comradeswithout the loss of a single man. The pursuithad been close and well sustained by the savages;
hence, it became necessary to take instant measuresin order to insure the safety of the advance.Kit Carson, who was the commander of the party, afterquietly surveying the scene, gave orders for the men,with their animals, to conceal themselves, as bestthey could in the brush. His orders had beenissued but just in time, for the concealment was barelyattained, when the Indians were upon them. Theywere received with a well-directed volley from therifles of the little party, which brought down severalof the fierce assailants. They recoiled and retreatedfor a moment. The moment was golden to the fewwhite men. Like men who were fighting for theirlives but who were cool in danger, they made no mistakesin reloading their rifles. They were but justready, however, for the second charge. This timethe savages came on with unearthly yells and desperatecourage, seemingly well satisfied that before themstood the men whose faithful rifle-talk they had heardbefore. Kit warned his men to keep cool and fireas if shooting game, a warning which was entirelyunnecessary, for the result was that the savages wereagain driven back with a brave bleeding or dying fornearly every shot fired. It was very fortunatethat Kit had chosen this position, for the engagementlasted nearly the entire day. The loss on thepart of the Indians was very severe. They dideverything in their power to force Kit and his partyfrom their cover, but without avail. Every timethey attempted to charge into the thicket the samedeadly volley was poured in with never-failing aim,which invariably caused the savages to beat a hastyretreat. Before the next attack the trapperswere ready for them with reloaded rifles. At last,as if driven to desperation, the Indians set the thicketon fire, hoping to burn out their foes. Mostprovidentially, in this also they were foiled.After consuming the outer shrubbery, the fire diedout. This was the last act attempted by the savages.Seeing the ill-success of their effort to dislodgethe trappers by fire, they departed. They mayhave been hurried in this leave-taking somewhat bynews brought in by their spies of the near approachof the main body of the trappers, which had arrivedat a point about six miles distant from the battleground. They had been prevented from hearingthe reports of fire-arms by adverse winds, and knewnothing of the fight until informed by the trappersengaged in it. When sufficient time had elapsedfor the Indians to be well out of sight, Kit Carsonand his companions left their cover and soon foundtheir way into the camp of their friends.Gale was so continually annoyed by these Indians thathe joined the other trappers and together they concludedto leave their country. Their combined forces,though able to cope with them so far as defensivemeasures were necessary, was utterly powerless to overawethem. This made it next to an impossibility forthem to continue in their country with a hope of successin business. For the purpose of getting rid ofthem, they moved off, some distance, to a small creekwhere beaver were plenty. Trouble followed them,however. The first day of their arrival, oneof the party was killed by the Blackfeet Indians withina short distance, only, of the camp. During theremainder of the stay made by the party on this stream,the rascals hovered around and worried them to sucha degree that a trapper could not leave the camp withoutfalling into an ambuscade and being forced to fighthis way back again.
It became evident to all interested that so long assuch a state of affairs existed they could not employtheir time with just hope of advantage. Aftera short council, it was decided to abandon this regionof the country and go to the North Fork of the Missouri.They soon accomplished their journey and began thebusiness of trapping. Proceeding up the river,on the fourth day, they came, suddenly, upon a largevillage of Flathead and Pondrai Indians who were encampedupon its banks. These Indians were friendly tothe whites. A chief of the Flatheads and severalof his people joined the trappers and went with themto the Big Snake River where they established theirwinter quarters. The winter passed away so quietlythat not a single incident occurred beyond the usualroutine which the imagination of the reader can easilysupply. It was quite cold that season, and thesnow fell to a great depth. Everything howeverwas arranged as best conduced to comfort, and thetrappers found a pleasant and congenial exercise inhunting to supply their daily wants.
The winter seasons in the Rocky Mountains are usuallyfearful and severe. There, snow storms form mountainsfor themselves, filling up the passes for weeks, eventhose which are low being impracticable either forman or beast. As a set-off to all this, the sceneryis most grand provided the beholder is well housed.If the case is otherwise and he be doomed to combatthese terrible storms, his situation is most critical.During the summer months the lofty peaks of this mightychain of mountains, like those of the Alps, are coveredwith white caps of snow. As time, the brightsun and the south wind wear out these old-lady head-gearings,no matter what be the part of the year, whether thecold days of January, or the hot days of August, thesnow storms are faithful in replenishing them.It affords a contrast of the elements of the grandestconception to stand in the shade of some wavy verdureof the valley wiping off the unbidden perspirationfrom the brow, and, at the same instant, look upona darkly threatening storm-cloud powdering the headsof the hoary monster mountains from its freight offlaky snow. So far these American giant mountainsare unsurpassed by their Alpine neighbors of Europe.Not so in the glaciers. Throughout the greatrange, there are none of those beautiful glaciersto be found that can compare with those possessedby their compeers in Europe.
To the traveler whose taste has led him to wanderalong the “Great back bones,” or vertebrae,of the two hemispheres, preparing the mind to drawtruthful contrast, his pleasantest reveries will findhim drawing comparisons between them. He is nevertired, for the subject he cannot exhaust. When,supposing that his conclusions are at last made andthat the Alps have won the highest place in favor,some forgotten scene from America will assume theform and shape of a vivid recollection, rife withscenic grandeur and sublimity, restoring the Rockychain to its counterpoise; then, an hour of peril andfearful toil will come to memory, and, until the samemental process shall bring them again to an equilibrium,the far-famed Alps will descend in the balance.Each have their attractions, each their grandeur, eachtheir sublimity, each their wonderful, awful silence,each their long and glorious landscape views, while,to each, the general contour is the same. Inthe point of altitude, the Rocky chain, as is wellknown to science, has the advantage; but, in historicalscience and lore, the famous Alps stand preeminent.True, it is from ignorance that we are led to concedethis, because no man can give to the world the reminiscencesof the Rocky Mountains. Their history, since thefirst red man entered them, must forever rest in oblivion.In scenery these mountains of the Western Continentagain carry off the palm; for, they strike the observeras being more bold, wild and picturesque than theirformidable rivals. To the foot-worn traveler,who has journeyed thirty or forty days upon the levelprairies, seeing nothing to break the monotony ofa sea of earth, the dark outlines of the Rocky Mountains,gradually coming into the view, never fail to provea refreshing sight both to the physical and mentaleye. They appear as if descending from the heavensto the surface of the earth, perpendicularly, as thoughintended to present a perfect barrier over which noliving thing should pass. This view never failsto engross the earnest attention of the traveler,and hours of gazing only serve to enwrap the mindin deeper and more fixed contemplation. Is therenot here presented a field, such as no other part ofthis globe can furnish, in which the explorer, thegeologist, the botanist may sow and reap a rich harvestfor his enterprise? As yet scientific research,on questions concerning the Rocky Mountains, is comparativelyspeaking, dumb. But science will soon press forwardin her heavenly ordained mission, borne upon the shouldersof some youthful hero, and once more the wise book-menof the gown and slipper, who, surrounded with theirtomes on tomes of learned digests, are fast approachingthe hour when they had better prepare their last willsand testaments, will again be distanced in the raceand doomed to argue technicalities. To the hunter,the real lover of and dependent upon the chase, therecan be no comparison between the mighty Alps and the
huge Rocky Mountain Barrier of the American Prairies.The one is destitute of animal life while the otherbears a teeming population of the choicest game knownto the swift-leaden messenger of the white man’srifle. He who wishes to behold in the same gaze,beautiful valleys, highly cultivated by a romanticand interesting race, in rich contrast with wonderfullymoulded masses of earth and stone, covered with amedley of green foliage and white snow, let him goto the Alps.In the following spring Kit Carson, accompanied byonly one trapper, started out to hunt the streamsin the vicinity of Big Snake River. The Utahnation of Indians inhabit this country; and, with them,Kit Carson stood on a friendly footing. The businessof trapping was therefore carried on without fearof molestation. The labors of the two were crownedwith great success.
Loaded with a full cargo of fur they soon after setout for Robidoux’s Fort, which they reachedin safety, selling out their stock to good advantage.
Kit Carson made only a short stop at this Fort.As soon as his fur was disposed of, he immediatelyorganized a small party consisting of five trappersand made a journey to Grand River. After thoroughlytrapping this river, he established himself at Brown’sHole on Green River for the winter. Early inthe spring he returned with the same party to thecountry of the Utahs and hunted there for some time.He then went to the New Park, where they finishedtheir trapping operations and returned to Robidoux’sFort. Here Kit again found a purchaser for hisfurs; but, the prices at which he was obliged to sellthem, did not at all please him. Within a fewyears, the value of beaver fur had greatly deteriorated.This was caused by the slow demand which had graduallyruled at the great emporiums of Europe and America.The skill of the manufacturer had substituted a materialfor the making of hats which, while it was cheaper,pleased the great race of hat-wearers. The beaveritself was becoming scarce, owing to their being sodiligently hunted. It was evident to Kit Carsonand many of his mountaineer companions that theiroccupation was gradually becoming less profitableand that it would soon drive them into other employments.Acting upon this impression Kit Carson, accompaniedby “Old Bill Williams,"[14] William New, Mitchelland Fredericks, a Frenchman, started for Bent’sFort, which was then located on the Arkansas Rivernear a large forest of cotton wood trees, and whichis, even at this day, known as the “Big Timbers.”The party struck the river at a point about one hundredmiles above the Fort, where, in later years, was builta settlement called St. Charles.[15]
[Footnote 14: William Williams was a most celebratedcharacter in the Rocky Mountains, where he lived formany years. At one time he was a Methodist preacherin the State of Missouri, which he frequently boastedof in after life. Whenever relating this partof his eventful career, he used to say that he wasso well known in his circuit, that the chickens recognizedhim as he came riding past the farmhouses. Theold chanticleers would crow “Here comes ParsonWilliams! One of us must be made ready for dinner.”Upon quitting the States, he traveled extensivelyamong the various tribes of wild Indians throughoutthe far West and adopted their manners and customs.Whenever he grew weary of one nation he would go toanother. To the Missionaries, he was often veryuseful. He possessed the faculty of easily acquiringlanguages and could readily translate most of the Bibleinto several Indian dialects. His own conduct,however, was frequently in strange contrast with theprecepts of that Holy Book. He next turns up asa hunter and trapper; when, in this capacity, he becamemore celebrated for his wild and daring adventuresthan before he had been for his mild precepts.By many of his companions, he was looked upon as aman who was partially insane. Williams provedto be a perfect enigma and terror to the Mexicans,who thought him possessed of an evil spirit.He once settled for a short time in their midst andbecame a trader. Soon after he had establishedhimself, he had a quarrel with some of his customersabout his charges. He appeared to be instantlydisgusted with the Mexicans, for he threw his smallstock of goods into the street of the town where helived, seized his rifle and started again for themountains. His knowledge of the country over whichhe had wandered was very extensive; but, when ColonelFremont put it to the test, he came very near sacrificinghis life to his guidance. This was probably owingto the failing of Williams’ intellect; for, whenhe joined the Great Explorer, he was past the meridianof life. After bequeathing his name to severalmountains, rivers and passes which were undoubtedlydiscovered by him, he was slain by the red men whiletrading with them.]
[Footnote 15: Five years ago this settlementcontained, about thirty inhabitants, mostly Mexicans.It was frequently subjected to various kinds of annoyancesfrom Indians. On one occasion it was attackedby the hostile Utahs and Apaches, who killed and carriedoff as prisoners a total of sixteen settlers.Among the slain was a Canadian who fought so skillfullyand desperately before he was dispatched, that he killedthree of his assailants. When his body was found,it was literally pierced through and through withlance and arrow wounds, while the hand, with whichhe had caught hold of some of these weapons, was nearlycut to pieces. Around his corpse, there were adozen horses’ tails which had been cut fromthe horses which were owned by the dead warriors,and left there, as a sign of mourning, by the Indians.]
On reaching the river, two of the party, Mitchelland New, concluded to tarry awhile in order to gratifytheir humor for hunting. But Kit Carson, withthe remainder of the mountaineers, continued on theircourse, and, in three days time, were safely lodgedwithin the walls of the Fort. One week subsequently,Mitchell and New followed their companions to theFort, but in a sad plight. They had not suspecteddanger, and, consequently, had failed to guard againstit. They had been surrounded by Indians and deprivedof everything they possessed except their naked bodies.In this denuded state they arrived at the Fort.They were kindly received and provided for by its noble-heartedproprietors; and, for some time enjoyed a respite fromall their troubles.
This mountaineer Mitchell, full of eccentricitiesof character, has seen the ups and downs of a frontiersmanduring a long and eventful life. He once joinedthe Camanche nation and became one of their braves.[16]
[Footnote 16: White men have frequently enrolledthemselves as warriors among the American Indians;but they have rarely gained the full confidence ofthe Indians, who, naturally very proud of their birthright,view with a jealous eye all intruders.]
In this capacity he won great renown by the efficientand active part he took in several engagements betweenthe tribe of his adoption and their enemies.His real object in turning Indian was to discover thelocality of a gold mine which was said to have an existencein some of the mountains of northern Texas. Havingconvinced himself that the story of the gold mine,like many of the tales and traditions which gain currencyin Indian countries, was entirely without foundation,Mitchell, with some plausible excuse, bid his red friendsgood bye and sought out his old comrades, the trappers,to whom he ever afterwards proved faithful. Abouttwo years since, Mitchell paid a trading visit tothe States. On his route, it became necessarythat he should pass over the Kansas Territory, justat a time when political difficulties there were excitingthe people to the highest pitch of anxiety. Theconsequence was, that his views upon the all-absorbingquestions at issue were frequently asked for by membersof both parties. To all these queries he invariablyreplied, professing his ignorance of everything thatappertained thereto. This caused him to be regardedas a dangerous man, and one not to be trusted.He was accordingly treated with indifference and silentreserve. This to a mountaineer, who, during along period of years, had met every “pale face”as a brother, was insupportable usage. In allhaste he finished his business, relinquished his contemplatedjourney through the States, and started to returnto his home in New Mexico. While upon the road,he accidentally fell in with a friend; and, in replyto the question, where have you been? said:
“After a lapse of many years, I thought I shouldlike to see the whites again; so, I was goingto the States. But the sample I’ve seenin Kansas is enough to disgust a man with theircharacter. They do nothing but get up war partiesagainst one another; and, I would much rather be inan Indian country than in civilized Kansas.”Mitchell is full of dry humor and commands the facultyof telling a good story, which makes him a pleasanttraveling companion.
Since the time when Kit Carson first joined a trappingexpedition, up to the time of his arrival at Bent’sFort, a period of eight long years, he had known norest from arduous toil. Not even when, to thereader, he was apparently idle, buried in the deepsnows of the Rocky Mountains and awaiting the returnof Spring, has he rested from toil. Even thenhis daily life has been given up to bodily fatigueand danger, frequently in scenes which, although ofthrilling interest, are too lengthy for this narrative.It has been our purpose thus far to present Kit Carsonundergoing his novitiate. We regard, and we thinka world will eventually regard, this extraordinaryman as one raised up by Providence to fulfill a destinyof His all-wise decree. It is premature for us,at this stage of our work, to advance the argumentupon which this conclusion, so irresistibly to ourmind, is deduced. We have yet before us an arrayof historical fact and incident to relate, withoutparallel in the history of nations, and in which KitCarson plays no insignificant part. For theseeight years of stirring practical life, Kit Carson,relying upon his beloved rifle for his sustenanceand protection, had penetrated every part of the interiorof the North American Continent, setting his trapsupon every river of note which rises within this interior,and tracing them from the little springs which originatethem to the wide mouths from which they pour theirsurcharged waters into the mighty viaducts or drainsof the vast prairies, and the mighty leviathan rangesof the Rocky Mountains. In this time he had wanderedover a wild territory equal in its dimensions to nearlyall of the empires, kingdoms and principalities ofEurope combined. His journeys, as it has alreadyappeared, were made sometimes on foot and sometimeson horseback. By themselves, his travels willbe called no trivial undertakings. Each freshadventure led him into regions where but seldom, andmore frequently never, had a white man trod the soil.He was, therefore, now an explorer in every senseof that distinguishing word, with the single exceptionthat he had not produced the results which the earlyculture and advantages of a scientific and classicaleducation might have brought about. But the historyof the world furnishes few examples, if indeed any,where the physical training, practical skill and knowledgeof a country, as possessed by Kit Carson, have beenunited with scholastic lore. At all events, inthe wisdom of that special Providence which was intending
the gold mines of California to be consecrated tothe advancement of American civilization, with itsreligious freedom, personal liberties and sacred literature,the novitiate of Kit Carson was decreed to be whollyof a practical nature. But while Kit Carson,with his rifle, was thus reared up in character, courageand experience, the same All-wise hand was directingthe pathway of a mind, equal to accomplish His call,through all the labyrinths of Science, History andthe Arts, endowing that mind with a keenness of intellectualgrasp in strange contrast with the practical skillof its future guide. Those who see no God innature, no God in events, may batter away at this proposition.The record of Kit Carson’s future tasks willprove it to be an invincible stronghold of theory.Kit Carson’s mind had now become well storedwith facts and localities which were destined to bemade known to the world through his connections withothers. It is not detracting from the merits ofany one to assert that, without frontiers-men likeKit Carson, the numerous scientific expeditions whichhave been sent out by the United States Governmentto explore the far West would have returned but sorryand meagre records for their employers. Afterreading some of the many printed accounts which partiesof a more recent date have gathered from their experiencewhile making their way overland to the Pacific, andalso the sad fate of some brave men with noble heartswho have fallen a sacrifice upon the altar of scienceunder the fatal blows of hostile savages, attributableno doubt in some measure to bad advice, we can thusmore easily form a correct judgment of the hardshipswhich Kit Carson has been called upon to endure andthe wisdom or skill which he has displayed in surmountingevery obstacle on his wild and solitary pathway.The hardships which fell to the lot of the “trappersof olden time” also stand out in bolder relief.Out of the whole catalogue of labors, from which man,to gain an honest livelihood has selected, there isnot one profession which presents so many formidableobstacles as that under consideration; yet, it waswith difficulty that the mountaineers could wean themselvesfrom their calling even when forced by stern necessity.
CHAPTER VII.
Kit Carson is employed as Hunter toBent’s Fort—His Career for EightYears—Messrs. Bent and St. Vrain—Thecommencement of his Acquaintance with John C.Fremont on a Steamboat—Is employedas a Guide by the Great Explorer—The Journey—Arrivalat Fort Laramie—Indian Difficulties—Thebusiness of the Expedition completed—Returnto Fort Laramie—Kit Carson goes toTaos and is married—He is employedas Hunter to a Train of Wagons bound for the States—Meetingwith Captain Cook and four companies of U.S.Dragoons on Walnut Creek—Mexicans inTrouble—Kit Carson carries a Letterfor them to Santa Fe—Indians on the Route—Hissafe Arrival—Amijos’ advance Guardmassacred by the Texians—The one Survivor—TheRetreat—Kit Carson returns to Bent’sFort—His Adventures with the Utahs and narrowescape from Death—The Texians disarmed—TheExpress Ride performed.
It has already appeared that Kit Carson was now atBent’s Fort. Also, that his occupationas a trapper of beaver had become unprofitable.His services were however immediately put into requisitionby Messrs. Bent and St. Vrain, the proprietors ofwhat was called Bent’s Fort, which was a trading-postkept by those gentlemen. The position which heaccepted was that of Hunter to the Fort. Thisoffice he filled from that time with the most undeviatingfidelity and promptitude for eight consecutive years.During all of this long period not a single word ofdisagreement passed between him and his employers,which fact shows better than mere words, that hisduty was faithfully and satisfactorily performed.It is but seldom that such a fact can be stated ofany employee, no matter what the service. Here,however, was an example in which, the nature of theemployment would of itself, at tunes, present causefor discord, such as scarcity of game, bad luck, andmen hungry in consequence. But Kit Carson wastoo skillful in his profession to allow such reasonsto mar his fortunes. With the effort the gamealways was at hand; for, it was not his custom to returnfrom his hunts empty handed.
Of course Kit Carson’s duties were to supplythe traders and their men with all the animal foodthey wanted, an easy task when game was plenty; but,it would often happen that bands of Indians, whichwere always loitering about the trading post, wouldprecede him in the chase, thereby rendering his laborsoftentimes very difficult. From sunrise to sunsetand not unfrequently during the night, he wanderedover the prairies and mountains within his range insearch of food for the maintenance, sometimes of fortymen who composed the garrison of the Fort and whowere dependent on the skill of their hunter; but,rarely did he fail them. He knew, for hundredsof miles about him, the most eligible places to seekfor game. During the eight years referred to,thousands of buffalo, elk, antelope and deer fell atthe crack of Kit Carson’s rifle. Each dayso added to his reputation that it is not to be wonderedat, considering the practice of his previous life,that he became unrivalled as a hunter. His namespread rapidly over the Western Continent until, withthe rifle, he was the acknowledged “Monarchof the Prairies.” The wild Indians, accustomedto measure a man’s greatness by the deeds whichhe is capable of performing with powder and lead,were completely carried away in their admiration ofthe man. Among the Arrapahoes, Cheyennes, Kiowasand Camanches, Kit Carson was always an honored guestwhenever he chose to visit their lodges; and, manya night, while seated at their watch-fires, he hasnarrated to them the exciting scenes of the day’s
adventures, to which they have listened with eagerattention and unrestrained delight. When arrayedin his rough hunting costume and mounted upon his favoritecharger Apache, a splendid animal, Kit Carson was apicture to behold. The buffalo were his favoritegame, and well were they worthy of such a noble adversary.In the eyes of a sportsman, the buffalo is a gloriousprey. To hunt them is oftentimes attended withgreat danger; and, while thus engaged, many a skillfulman has yielded up his life for his temerity.The American bison or buffalo seems to demand at ourhands a short episode from the narrative of Kit Carson’slife. This animal has several traits of characterpeculiarly his own. If alarmed, he starts offalmost instantly and always runs against the wind,his sense of smell appearing to be better than hiseyesight. What is a most remarkable fact, a herdof buffalo, when grazing, always post and maintaina line of sentinels to warn the main body of the approachof danger. When a strange object comes withinsight or smelling distance, these sentinels immediatelygive the alarm by tossing up their heads and tailsand bellowing furiously. The whole herd instantlyheed the warning and are soon in motion. Buffalorun with forelegs stiff, which fact, together withtheir ugly-looking humps and the lowness of theirheads, gives a rocking swing to their gait. Ifa herd, when in full motion, have to cross a roadon which wagons are traveling, they change their coursebut little; and, it sometimes happens, that largebands will pass within a stone’s throw of a caravan.At night they are quite systematic in forming theircamps. In the centre are placed the cows andcalves; while, to guard against the wolves, large numbersof which always follow them, they station on theiroutposts, the old bulls. The age to which a buffalomay attain is not known; but, it is certain that theyare generally long-lived when not prematurely cutoff. When their powers of life begin to fade,they fall an easy prey to the small, carnivorous animalsof the plains. The attempt has been made to domesticateand render them useful for agricultural purposes.Hitherto such efforts have invariably failed.When restrained of their freedom, they are reducedto mere objects of curiosity.
In hunting buffalo the most important matter for theattention of the hunter is to provide himself witha suitable horse. The best that can be selectedis a trained Mexican or Indian pony. Their familiaritywith the game and the prairies, over which the huntermust ride at full speed, renders these horses quitesafe. On the other hand a green horse is sureto be terribly frightened when called upon to facethese ugly-looking animals, and the rider will findhe has his hands full to manage him without thinkingof his game. One great danger to be apprehendedis the being led into a prairie-dog town. Herea horse needs experience to carry his rider through
with safety. Upon reaching the herd, the hunterdashes in at the cows, which, are easily recognizedby the fineness of their robes and their smaller forms.The white man hunter, of all weapons, prefers a revolver;but, the red man uses the lance, and bow and arrows,which he handles with remarkable dexterity. Theplace of election to make the deadly wound is justbehind the fore shoulder where the long, shaggy maneof the hump is intersected by the short hair of thebody. The death-wound being given, the bloodgushes out in torrents and the victim, after a fewbounds, falls on her knees with her head bunting intothe ground. If, by chance, a vital organ is notreached, the pain of the wound makes the strickenanimal desperately courageous. She turns uponher pursuer with terrible earnestness ready to destroyhim. It is now that the horse is to be dependedupon. If well trained, he will instantly wheeland place himself and rider out of harm’s way;but, woe to both horse and hunter if this is not done.The lives of both are in imminent danger. Incase the buffalo is killed, the hunter rides up, dismountsand makes his lariet fast to the horns of his game.He next proceeds to cut up the meat and prepare itfor his pack animals which he should have near by.By their aid he easily carries it into camp.It would doubtless afford many a page of excitinginterest could we carry the reader through all thevaried scenes of the chase in which Kit Carson hasbeen the principal actor. To transmit to our narrativea choice fight with the fierce old grizzly bear; or,perchance, a fine old buffalo bull turning on hisdestroyer with savage ferocity; or, a wounded panther,with its inevitable accompaniment in the shape of ahand-to-hand encounter for dear life, each of suchcould not fail in giving interest to the general reader.We are forced, against our own conviction of the dutywe owe the public as Kit Carson’s chosen Biographer,to pass by all such acts of his personal daring andtriumph because of his own unwillingness to relatethem for publication. Notwithstanding our urgentrequests, backed up by the advice and interferenceof friends, Kit Carson is inflexibly opposed to relatingsuch acts of himself. He is even more willingto speak of his failures, though such are few, ratherthan of his victories in the chase. While thedescription of these adventures could not fail tofurnish useful and interesting data, most unfortunately,Kit Carson considers that they are uninteresting minutiaewhich have pertained to the every-day business ofhis life and no persuasion can induce him to enterupon their relation. Not so when he is entertainingsome of the brave chiefs of the Indian nations whosefriendship he has won by his brave deeds. Ifthey are his guests, or he himself theirs, then theirdelight to hear kindles a pride in his breast to relate.He knows that he will not, by them, be called a boaster.
Before quitting the mountains, Kit Carson marriedan Indian girl to whom he was most devotedly attached.By this wife he had one child, a daughter. Soonafter the birth of this child, his wife died.His daughter, he watched over with the greatest solicitude.When she reached a suitable age, he sent her to St.Louis for the purpose of giving her the advantagesof a liberal education. Indeed most of Kit Carson’shard earnings, gained while he was a hunter on theArkansas, were devoted to the advancement of his child.On arriving at maturity she married and with her husbandsettled in California.
The libertine custom of indulging in a plurality ofwives, as adopted by many of the mountaineers, neverreceived the sanction, in thought, word or action,of Kit Carson. His moral character may well beheld up as an example to men whose pretensions tovirtuous life are greater. Although he was continuallysurrounded by licentiousness he proved true to herwho had first gained his affections. For thishonoring of virtue he is indebted in a measure tothe present sway which he holds over the western Indianraces. While their chiefs are seldom men of virtuousact or intent, they are high in their appreciationof, and just in their rewards to those whose livesare patterns of honor and chastity. The Indianwoman, concerning whom no truthful tale of derelictioncan be told, when she arrives at the requisite age,is invested with great power in her tribe. Oneof their ancient customs, well authenticated, wasto honor the virtuous women of their tribe with sacredtitles, investing them, in their blind belief, withpower to call down the favor, in behalf of the people,of their Manitou, or Great Spirit. But everywoman who aspired to this honor, was required upona certain day in the year, to run the gauntlet of braves.This was sometimes a terrible scene. All thewarriors of the tribe, arrayed in their fiercest warcostume and armed at every point with lance, bow andarrow, knife, tomahawk, etc., were drawn up undercommand of the principal chief, in single line.At the head of this line was placed a kind of chaplet,or crown, the possession of which by any woman wassupposed to confer the power of necromancy or magic,rendering her able to heal diseases and to foretellevents. The line having been formed, all of theyoung maidens of the tribe were drawn up in a bodyat the further extremity and any of them who aspiredto the possession of the chaplet was at liberty, havingfirst uncovered her back and breast as far as herwaist, to march before the line of warriors withinten paces of their front and, if she lived to reachit, take possession of the crown. On the otherhand, it was the duty of any warrior, who knew aughtby word or deed against the virtue of the advancingmaiden, to kill her upon the spot. If one arrowwas shot at her, the whole band instantly poured aflight of arrows into her bare and defenceless bosom
until life was extinct. Again, it was the beliefof the untutored savage that whatever warrior failedto make his knowledge apparent, if he possessed any,by sending his arrow at the aspirant, would alwaysbe an object of revenge by the Great Spirit both hereand hereafter; and, that he would always live in thehereafter, in sight of the Happy Hunting Grounds, butnever be allowed to enter them. This latter beliefmade it a rare thing for young girls to brave theattempt; but, sometimes, the candidates were numerousand the horrible butchery of the young girls whichtook place formed a terrible expose of their lewdness.To kill an innocent girl was equally a matter whichwould be forever avenged by the Great Spirit.The warm friendship which sprang up between Kit Carsonand the proprietors of Bent’s Fort, under whomhe held his situation as Hunter, is a sufficient indexof the gentlemanly conduct and amiability of heartevinced towards him on their part. The namesof Bent and St. Vrain were known and respected farand near in the mountains, for, in generosity, hospitalityand native worth, they were men of perfect model.
Mr. Bent was appointed, by the proper authority, thefirst Civil Governor of New Mexico, after that largeand valuable country was ceded to and came under thejurisdiction of the United States Government.He held this distinguished position however only ashort time; for, in the year 1847, he was most foullyand treacherously murdered by the Pueblo Indians andMexicans. A revolution had broken out among thisturbulent people, and, in his endeavors to stem it,Governor Bent was frustrated. At last, being drivento his own house, he barricaded the doors and windows.The rascally rioters, after a severe contest, succeededin breaking open his doors; and, having gained accessto their victim, murdered him in cold blood in themidst of his family. The only crime imputed bythe mob against this benevolent and just man was,that he was an American. His untimely death,which was mourned by all the Americans who knew him,cast a settled gloom over the community in which heresided. The Mexicans were afterwards very penitentfor the share they took in the committal of this blackcrime. Although several of the guilty party arestill living, they have left the country; for, themountaineers have not forgotten the friend whom theyesteemed and respected, and will avenge his deathif ever the opportunity offers.
Cerin St. Vrain, the surviving partner of this celebratedtrading firm was equally noted. Upon the declarationof war between the United States and Mexico, St. Vraintook an active part on the side of his country, and,from his extensive knowledge of the Mexican character,was enabled to render important services. At theclose of the war, he became extensively engaged inmercantile pursuits within the New Territory, and,by his untiring industry amassed a large fortune.He was the first man who discovered and recognizedthe superior skill of Kit Carson as a hunter; and,for his subsequent success in life, Kit Carson ismuch indebted to him. St. Vrain is one of theoldest mountaineers now living; and, as such, he isviewed by his old and new associates in the lightof a father.
As the reader can now easily compute, sixteen yearshad elapsed since Kit Carson commenced his exploitsin the Rocky Mountains. During this long period,as frequently as once every year, he had sat down toa meal consisting of bread, vegetables, meat, coffee,tea, and sugar. When dining thus sumptuously,he considered himself as greatly favored with luxuriesof the rarest grade. Few men can say, with KitCarson, “During sixteen years, my rifle furnishednearly every particle of food upon which I lived.”Fewer can say with equal truth, that “For manyconsecutive years, I never slept under the roof ofa house, or gazed upon the face of a white woman.”
It was after such an experience as we have endeavoredto paint by the simple tale of his life thus far,that Kit Carson longed, once more, to look upon andmingle with civilized people. For some time beforehe determined to visit the United States, this desirehad taken possession of his mind and had been growingstronger. The traders of the Fort were accustomed,yearly, to send into the States a train of wagons,for the purpose of transporting their goods. Theopportunity, therefore, presented for Kit Carson togratify his wish. In the spring of 1842, oneof these caravans started with which Kit Carson traveledas a supernumerary. When it arrived within theboundary lines of the State of Missouri, he partedfrom his compagnons de voyage and went in questof his relatives and friends, whom, now, he had notseen for over sixteen years. The scenes of hisboyhood days, he found to be magically changed.New faces met him on all sides. The old log-cabinwhere his father and mother had resided was desertedand its dilapidated walls were crumbling with decay.The once happy inmates were scattered over the faceof the earth while many of their voices were hushedin death. Kit Carson felt himself a stranger ina strange land—the strong man wept.His soul could not brook either the change or theways of the people. While he failed not to receivekindness and hospitality, to which his name alonewas a sufficient passport among the noble-heartedMissourians, nevertheless, he had fully allayed hiscuriosity, and, as soon as possible, bid adieu to theseunpleasant recollections. He bent his steps towardsSt. Louis. In this city he remained ten days;and, as it was the first time since he had reachedmanhood that he had viewed a town of any magnitude,he was greatly interested. But, ten days of sight-seeingwearied him. He resolved to return to his mountainhome where he could breathe the pure air of heavenand where manners and customs conformed to his wildlife and were more congenial to his tastes. Heengaged passage upon the first steamboat which wasbound up the Missouri River.
We cannot resist the impulse which here strugglesfor utterance. Look upon that little steamboatas it ascends the mighty Missouri bearing in its bosomthe man who was destined to point out the hidden pathsof the mighty West; to mount and record the heightof the loftiest peak of the American monster mountainchain; to unfold the riches of the interior of a greatand glorious empire to its possessors, and, finally,to conquer with his good sword, preparing the way forits annexation to his country, the richest soil andfairest land on earth, thus adding one more gloriousstar to the original thirteen of 1776; a star, too,of the very first magnitude, whose refulgent brightnessshines clear, sparkling and pure for the Truth of SacredWrit and American Liberty. On the deck of thatlittle steamboat, the two men, the one the mastermind, the giant intellect, the man of research andscholastic strength, the scientific engineer; the other,than whom his superior as an American mountaineerwas not living, stood, uninterested spectators ofeach other; and, each, unconscious why they had beenpermitted to enter the same cabin. The Christianstudent of American history cannot pass by this simplecirc*mstance without seeing Heaven’s wisdomin such a coincidence; namely, Kit Carson for thefirst time in sixteen years bending his steps to hisboyhood home just as his sixteen years of mountaineerskill and experience were required by one of the masterworkmen of American Engineering, about to enter uponthe exploration of inland North America.
Kit Carson wandered over the boat, studying its mechanism,admiring the machinery, which, so like a thing oflife, subserved the interests of human life; watchedwith quiet reserve the faces and general appearanceof his fellow-passengers; occasionally, modestly addressedan acquaintance, for some present were known to him;and, finally singled out from among the strangersa man on whose face he thought he discovered the marksof true courage, manhood and nobility of character.The impression which Kit Carson had thus received,was nothing fleeting. The eagle eye, the forehead,the form, the movements, the general features, thesmile, the quiet dignity of the man, each and allof these attributes of his manhood had been carefullynoted by the wary and hardy mountaineer, and had notfailed to awaken in his breast a feeling of admirationand respect. While on this boat Kit Carson learnedthe fact that the man, whom he had thus studied, wasLieutenant John C. Fremont of the U.S. corps of topographicalengineers; also, that Lieutenant Fremont had beenearnestly seeking Captain Drips, an experienced mountaineer,but, that he had been disappointed in finding him.Upon learning this, Kit Carson fell into a deep reveriewhich lasted some little time, when, having broughtit to a conclusion, he approached Lieutenant Fremontand modestly introducing himself, said:
“Sir! I have been some time in the mountainsand think I can guide you to any point there you wishto reach.”
Lieutenant Fremont’s answer indicated his satisfactionin making the acquaintance which Kit Carson had offeredhim and that he would make inquiries concerning hiscapabilities of performing the duty for which he offeredhimself.
The inquiries which the then lieutenant instituted,or, at least, may be supposed to have instituted,must have been favorable; for, soon afterwards, KitCarson was engaged by Colonel Fremont to act as guideto his first exploring expedition at a salary of onehundred dollars per month. Upon arriving in Kansasthe party prepared for a long and dangerous journeywhich lay before them. The objects of this expeditionwas to survey the South Pass, and take the altitudeof the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains, besidesgathering all the collateral information which theycould. The party had been chiefly collected inSt. Louis. It consisted of twenty-two Creole andCanadian voyageurs; Mr. Charles Preuss, a native ofGermany, whose education rendered him a master inthe art of topographical sketching, and, towards whom,Colonel Fremont has always extended high and justencomium; Henry Brant, a son of Colonel J.H. Brant,of St. Louis, nineteen years of age; young RandolphBenton, a son of Colonel Benton, twelve years of age;Mr. L. Maxwell, a mountaineer engaged as the hunterof the party; and finally, Kit Carson, as guide, making,including the commander of the Expedition, twenty-eightsouls. On the 10th day of June, 1842, the partycommenced their march. The daily routine usuallyobserved on the march was as follows:
At daybreak the camp was aroused, the animals ledout and turned loose to graze; breakfast about sixo’clock, immediately after which, the line ofmarch was resumed; at noon there was a halt of oneor two hours; the march was then again resumed andkept up until within an hour or so of sunset, whenthe order was usually given to encamp; the tents werethen pitched, horses hobbled and turned loose to grazeand the cooks prepared supper. At night all theanimals were brought in and picketed, carts set fordefence and guard mounted.
[Illustration: BUFFALO HUNT.—PAGE161.]
The party had only accomplished a few miles of themarch when they fell in with the buffalo. Beforewe pursue the narrative of Kit Carson’s lifewe must redeem our promise and allow Col. Fremontto describe his own impressions in his first BuffaloHunt, in which Kit Carson and Mr. L. Maxwell werehis companions and guides. Col. Fremontsays:
“A few miles brought us into the midst of thebuffalo, swarming in immense numbers over the plains,where they had left scarcely a blade of grass standing.Mr. Preuss, who was sketching at a little distancein the rear, had at first noted them as large grovesof timber. In the sight of such a mass of life,the traveler feels a strange emotion of grandeur.We had heard from a distance a dull and confused murmuring,and, when we came in view of their dark masses, there
was not one among us who did not feel his heart beatquicker. It was the early part of the day, whenthe herds are feeding; and everywhere they were inmotion. Here and there a huge old bull was rollingin the grass, and clouds of dust rose in the air fromvarious parts of the bands, each the scene of someobstinate fight. Indians and buffalo make thepoetry and life of the prairie, and our camp was fullof their exhilaration. In place of the quietmonotony of the march, relieved only by the crackingof the whip, and an ’avance donc! enfant degarce!’ shouts and songs resounded from everypart of the line, and our evening camp was alwaysthe commencement of a feast, which terminated onlywith our departure on the following morning. Atany time of the night might be seen pieces of the mostdelicate and choicest meat, roasting en appolas,on sticks around the fire, and the guard were neverwithout company. With pleasant weather and noenemy to fear, and abundance of the most excellentmeat, and no scarcity of bread or tobacco, they wereenjoying the oasis of a voyageur’s life.Three cows were killed today. Kit Carson had shotone, and was continuing the chase in the midst of anotherherd, when his horse fell headlong, but sprang upand joined the flying band. Though considerablyhurt, he had the good fortune to break no bones; andMaxwell, who was mounted on a fleet hunter, capturedthe runaway after a hard chase. He was on thepoint of shooting him, to avoid the loss of his bridle(a handsomely mounted Spanish one), when he foundthat his horse was able to come up with him. Animalsare frequently lost in this way; and it is necessaryto keep close watch over them, in the vicinity ofthe buffalo, in the midst of which they scour offto the plains, and are rarely retaken. One ofour mules took a sudden freak into his head, and joineda neighboring band to-day. As we are not in acondition to lose horses, I sent several men in pursuit,and remained in camp, in the hope of recovering him;but lost the afternoon to no purpose, as we did notsee him again. Astronomical observations placedus in longitude 100 deg. 05’ 47”, latitude40 deg. 49’ 55”.“July 1.—As we were ridingquietly along the bank, a grand herd of buffalo, someseven or eight hundred in number, came crowding upfrom the river, where they had been to drink, andcommenced crossing the plain slowly, eating as theywent. The wind was favorable; the coolness ofthe morning invited to exercise; the ground was apparentlygood, and the distance across the prairie (two or threemiles) gave us a fine opportunity to charge them beforethey could get among the river hills. It wastoo fine a prospect for a chase to be lost; and, haltingfor a few moments, the hunters were brought up andsaddled, and Kit Carson, Maxwell and I started together.They were now somewhat less than half a mile distant,and we rode easily along until within about threehundred yards, when a sudden agitation, a wavering
in the band, and a galloping to and fro of some whichwere scattered along the skirts, gave us the intimationthat we were discovered. We started togetherat a hand gallop, riding steadily abreast of each other,and here the interest of the chase became so engrossinglyintense, that we were sensible to nothing else.We were now closing upon them rapidly, and the frontof the mass was already in rapid motion for the hills,and in a few seconds the movement had communicateditself to the whole herd.“A crowd of bulls, as usual, brought up therear, and every now and then some of them faced about,and then dashed on after the band a short distance,and turned and looked again, as if more than halfinclined to stand and fight. In a few moments,however, during which we had been quickening our pace,the rout was universal, and we were going over theground like a hurricane. When at about thirtyyards, we gave the usual shout (the hunter’sbattle cry) and broke into the herd. We enteredon the side, the mass giving way in every directionin their heedless course. Many of the bulls, lessactive and less fleet than the cows, paying no attentionto the ground, and occupied solely with the hunterwere precipitated to the earth with great force, rollingover and over with the violence of the shock, andhardly distinguishable in the dust. We separatedon entering, each singling out his game.
“My horse was a trained hunter, famous in thewest under the name of Proveau, and, with his eyesflashing, and the foam flying from his mouth, sprangon after the cow like a tiger. In a few momentshe brought me alongside of her, and, rising in thestirrups, I fired at the distance of a yard, the ballentering at the termination of the long hair, andpassing near the heart. She fell headlong at thereport of the gun, and checking my horse, I lookedaround for my companions. At a little distance,Kit was on the ground, engaged in tying his horseto the horns of a cow which he was preparing to cutup. Among the scattered bands, at some distancebelow, I caught a glimpse of Maxwell; and while Iwas looking, a light wreath of white smoke curledaway from his gun, from which I was too far to hearthe report. Nearer, and between me and the hills,towards which they were directing their course, wasthe body of the herd, and giving my horse the rein,we dashed after them. A thick cloud of dust hungupon their rear, which filled my mouth and eyes, andnearly smothered me. In the midst of this I couldsee nothing, and the buffalo were not distinguishableuntil within thirty feet. They crowded togethermore densely still as I came upon them, and rushedalong in such a compact body, that I could not obtainan entrance—the horse almost leaping uponthem. In a few moments the mass divided to theright and left, the horns clattering with a noiseheard above everything else, and my horse darted intothe opening. Five or six bulls charged on us as
we dashed along the line, but were left far behind,and singling out a cow, I gave her my fire, but strucktoo high. She gave a tremendous leap, and scouredon swifter than before. I reined up my horse,and the band swept on like a torrent, and left theplace quiet and clear. Our chase had led us intodangerous ground. A prairie-dog village, so thicklysettled that there were three or four holes in everytwenty yards square, occupied the whole bottom fornearly two miles in length. Looking around, Isaw only one of the hunters, nearly out of sight,and the long dark line of our caravan crawling along,three or four miles distant.”The trail which the party left behind them now formsthe emigrant road to California via Fort Laramie,Salt Lake, etc. On reaching Fort Laramie,Fremont found a fearful state of affairs existing amongthe Sioux Indians through whose country his routelay. An encounter had recently taken place betweena war-party belonging to the Sioux nation and a partyof trappers and Snake Indians. In the fight theIndians had been worsted and several of their braveskilled. To revenge themselves the Sioux chieftainshad collected their warriors; and, while the nationwas encamped to the number of one thousand lodges,they had gone forth to seek and punish their enemies.
At Fort Laramie the exploring party met several trappersand friendly Indians who used their utmost endeavorsto dissuade Colonel Fremont from venturing into suchinevitable danger. There was but one opinionexpressed, viz.: that, as sure as he enteredupon the journey, the entire party would be massacred.To all these admonitions and warnings, Colonel Fremonthad but one reply. His government had directedhim to perform a certain duty. The obstacles whichstood in his way, it was his duty to use every meansat his command to surmount; therefore, in obedienceto his instructions, he was determined to continuehis march. Finally, he said, that he would accomplishthe object or die in the attempt, being quite surethat if the expedition failed by being cut to pieces,a terrible retribution would be in store for the perpetratorsof the act. Kit Carson, his guide, openly avowedthat the future looked dark and gloomy; but, he wasdelighted to hear this expression from his commander.He now felt that he had a man after his own heartto depend on, and should danger or inevitable deathbe in store for them he was ready and willing to faceeither with him. In order to be prepared for theworst, Kit Carson felt it his duty, considering thedangers apprehended, to make his will, thereby showingthat if he had to fight he was ready to count it hislast battle. Colonel Fremont resumed his journey,and very opportunely arrived at the South Pass ofthe Rocky Mountains without, in any way, being annoyedwith Indians, not even meeting any on the route.
He had now reached the field where his chief laborswere to commence. Without loss of time he setearnestly about his work, making and recording suchobservations as he deemed to be essential and examiningand exploring the country. Having finished thispart of his labors, the ascent of the highest peakof the mountains was commenced. The length ofthe journey had jaded the animals. It was verydifficult to procure game. The men had undergonesuch severe hardships that their spirits had becomealmost worn out. The daily fare now was driedbuffalo meat. This was about the consistency ofa pine stick; and, in taste, resembled a piece ofdried bark. Besides these rather uncomfortableprospects, the expedition stood in constant fear ofan attack by the Indians. It was now in the countryof the Blackfeet; and, only a short distance fromthe encampment, at the foot of the mountain, therewas one of their forts. In the face of all theseobstacles, sufficiently formidable to have deterredmost commanders, the mountain party was detailed,being fourteen in number including Fremont. Aman named Bernier was left in command of the camp whichhad been made by felling forest trees in a space aboutforty feet in diameter, using the trunks to form abreastwork. The camp was thus concealed by thetrees and their foliage. It was well calculatedfor defence, and a few determined men could have maintainedit against almost any Indian force.
On the 12th day of August the mountain party leftthe camp. It was fifteen in number. On the14th of August some of the party reached an elevationat which the barometer stood 19.401. On the 15thsome of the party were sent back. Kit Carsonhad command of this party. The remainder consistedof Colonel Fremont, Mr. Preuss, Basil Lajeunesse,Clement Lambert, Janesse, and Descoteaux. Theday previous Kit Carson had alone climbed one of thehighest peaks of the main ridge from which he hada full view of the highest peak, which rose about eightor ten hundred feet above him. The arduous laborsof the 14th August had determined the commander toascend no higher. Instead of carrying out thisintention, after Kit Carson with his party had setout, Fremont made one more effort to climb the highestpeak and succeeded. His own words in describingthis ascent are as follows:
“’At intervals, we reached places wherea number of springs gushed from the rocks, and about1,800 feet above the lakes came to the snow line.From this point our progress was uninterrupted climbing.Hitherto, I had worn a pair of thick moccasins, withsoles of parfleche; but here I put on a lightthin pair, which I had brought for the purpose, asnow the use of our toes became necessary to a furtheradvance. I availed myself of a sort of comb ofthe mountain, which stood against the wall like abuttress, and which the wind and the solar radiation,joined to the steepness of the smooth rock, had keptalmost entirely free from snow. Up this I made
my way rapidly. Our cautious method of advancingin the outset had spared my strength; and, with theexception of a slight disposition to headache, I feltno remains of yesterday’s illness. In afew minutes we reached a point where the buttresswas overhanging, and there was no other way of surmountingthe difficulty than by passing around one side of it,which was the face of a vertical precipice of severalhundred feet.’“Parfleche is the name given to buffalohide. The Indian women prepare it by scrapingand drying. It is exceedingly tough and hard,and receives its name from the circ*mstance that itcannot be pierced by arrows or spears. The entiredress of Fremont and his party, on their ascent tothe ‘top of America,’ consisted of a blueflannel shirt, free and open at the neck, the collarturning down over a black silk handkerchief tied loosely,blue cloth pantaloons, a slouched broad-brimmed hat,and moccasins as above described. It was welladapted to climbing—quite light, and atthe same time warm, and every way comfortable.
“’Putting hands and feet in the crevicesbetween the blocks, I succeeded in getting over it,and, when I reached the top, found my companions ina small valley below. Descending to them, we continuedclimbing, and in a short time reached the crest.I sprang upon the summit, and another step would haveprecipitated me into an immense snow-field five hundredfeet below. To the edge of this field was a sheericy precipice; and then, with a gradual fall, the fieldsloped off for about a mile, until it struck the footof another lower ridge. I stood on a narrow crest,about three feet in width, with an inclination ofabout 20 deg. N. 51 deg. E. As soon as Ihad gratified the first feelings of curiosity, I descended,and each man ascended in his turn, for I would onlyallow one at a time to mount the unstable and precariousslab, which it seemed a breath would hurl into theabyss below. We mounted the barometer in thesnow of the summit, and, fixing a ramrod in a crevice,unfurled the national flag, to wave in the breezewhere never flag waved before. During our morning’sascent, we met no sign of animal life, except a smallbird having the appearance of a sparrow. A stillnessthe most profound and a terrible solitude forced themselvesconstantly on the mind as the great features of theplace. Here, on the summit, where the stillnesswas absolute, unbroken by any sound, and the solitudecomplete, we thought ourselves beyond the region ofanimated life; but while we were sitting on the rock,a solitary bee (bombus terrestris, the humblebee) came winging his flight from the eastern valley,and lit on the knee of one of the men.
“’Around us, the whole scene had one mainstriking feature, which was that of terrible convulsion.Parallel to its length, the ridge was split into chasmsand fissures, between which rose the thin, lofty walls,terminated with slender minarets and columns, whichare correctly represented in the view from the campon Island Lake. According to the barometer, thelittle crest of the wall on which we stood was threethousand five hundred and seventy feet above thatplace, and two thousand seven hundred and eighty abovethe little lakes at the bottom, immediately at ourfeet. Our camp at the Two Hills (an astronomicalstation) bore south 3 deg. east, which, with a bearingafterward obtained from a fixed position, enabled usto locate the peak. The bearing of the TroisTetons was north 50 deg. west, and the directionof the central ridge of the Wind River Mountains south39 deg. east. The summit rock was gneiss, succeededby sienitic gneiss. Sienite and feldspar succeededin our descent to the snow line, where we found afeldspathic granite. I had remarked that the noiseproduced by the explosion of our pistols had the usualdegree of loudness, but was not in the least prolonged,expiring almost instantaneously. Having now madewhat observations our means afforded, we proceededto descend. We had accomplished an object of laudableambition, and beyond the strict order of our instructions.We had climbed the loftiest peak of the Rocky Mountains,and looked down upon the snow a thousand feet below,and, standing where never human foot had stood before,felt the exultation of first explorers. It wasabout two o’clock when we left the summit; andwhen we reached the bottom, the sun had already sunkbehind the wall, and the day was drawing to a close.It would have been pleasant to have lingered here andon the summit longer; but we hurried away as rapidlyas the ground would permit, for it was an object toregain our party as soon as possible, not knowingwhat accident the next hour might bring forth.’”
This peak was found, by barometrical observation,to be thirteen thousand five hundred and seventyfeet above the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.It bears the name of the Great Explorer, being calledFremont’s Peak.
The return trip was now commenced, all of the objectsof the expedition having been successfully accomplished.The party again reached Fort Laramie in the monthof September, 1842. Kit Carson had served inthe double capacity as a hunter and guide. Itis sufficient to say of the manner in which he performedhis duties that he won the friendship of John C. Fremont,and has ever occupied since then a prominent and permanentplace in his esteem. At Laramie, Kit Carson’slabors were done. There he bid his commander goodbye and set out for New Mexico. Fremont returnedto the United States in safety. Thus terminatedthe first of his great explorations.
Kit Carson’s Indian wife had long since beendead. In the month of February, 1843, he marrieda Mexican lady by the name of Senora Josepha Jarimilla.Of this lady it is sufficient to say that for hermany virtues and personal beauty she is justly esteemedby a large circle of acquaintance. By this wifeKit Carson has three children, to whom he is devotedlyattached.
In the following April Kit Carson was employed ashunter to accompany Bent and St. Vrain’s trainof wagons, while on their journey to the United States.On arriving at Walnut Creek, which is about two-thirdsof the distance across the Plains from Santa Fe, Kitand his companions came upon the encampment of CaptainCook, belonging to the United States Army—whowas in command of four companies of United StatesDragoons. Captain Cook informed Carson’sparty that in his rear was traveling a train of wagonsbelonging to General Armijo, a wealthy Mexican.
For the purpose of insuring protection to this richly-freightedcaravan while passing through an Indian country, theMexican wagon-master in charge, had hired one hundredmen. There were rumors, currently reported atthat time and believed, that a large body of Texianswere waiting on the road to plunder and murder thiswagon party, and thus retaliate the treatment Armijohad been guilty of in the case of the “famousMuir Prisoners;” but, in order that this shouldnot happen in Territory belonging to the United States,the War Department had ordered Captain Cook and thedragoons to guard the property as far as the fordingof the Arkansas River, which was then the boundaryline between the two countries. The Mexicans hadbecome alarmed for fear they might be attacked onparting with the United States soldiers; so, on meetingwith Kit Carson, who was well known to them, theyoffered three hundred dollars if he would carry a letterto Armijo who was then Governor of New Mexico, andlived at Santa Fe. This letter apprised the Generalof the danger to which his men and property were exposedand asked for assistance to be immediately sent tothem. Carson accepted the offer, and in companywith Owens, another mountaineer, he set out on hisexpress ride. In the course of a few days hereached Bent’s Fort, where his companion concludednot to go on with him. At the Fort, Kit Carsonwas informed that the Utah Indians, then hostile,were scattered along his intended route. He wasnot, however, turned from his duty by this danger,but he resumed his journey immediately. At thislast-named place his friend, Mr. Bent, kindly furnishedhim with a fleet and magnificent horse, which he led,so that, should he find himself in peril, he mightmount this fresh animal and make his escape.
By watching for signs and being continually on thealert, Kit Carson discovered the Indians and theirvillage without exposing his own person to view.He immediately secreted himself in an out-of-the-wayplace and remained until the coming on of darkness;when, he passed safely by the camp of the savages.In the course of a few days he reached Taos and handedhis dispatch to the Alcalde of the town tobe forwarded to Santa Fe. As had been previouslyagreed upon, he waited here for an answer with whichhe was to return. At Taos Carson was informedthat Armijo had already sent out one hundred Mexican
soldiers to seek his caravan and that the General himself,in command of six hundred more, was soon to followafter. It was afterwards learned that this unfortunateband of one hundred men went as far as the ArkansasRiver, but could not find any traces of the train ofwagons, it not having completed that much of its journey;therefore, they commenced to retrace their steps,but had proceeded only a few miles, when they weresuddenly attacked by the Texians, who succeeded inmassacring all but one man. This survivor hadsucceeded in catching, in the heat of the battle,a fully equipped Texan horse which was loose.Mounting him, he made off in the direction of SantaFe; and, at Cold Springs came upon the camp of Armijo,to whom he reported proceedings. The narrationof this sad story so dampened the courage of the Generaland his men as to cause them to make a precipitousretreat. The spot where this slaughter took placehas since gone by the name of the “battle ground”and many are the bleached human bones that are stillto be found there.It was during Carson’s stay of four days inTaos, that Armijo and his small army had started outin quest of the enemy; but, before his departure,he had received the letter and directed an answer tobe sent, thinking perhaps, that Kit Carson might reachthe train even if he himself did not. On theanswer coming into Carson’s hands, he selecteda Mexican boy to accompany him and was quickly on theroad again. They had left Taos two days’journey behind them and had reached the River Trinchera(for they were traveling via the Sangero de ChristoPass and Bent’s Fort) when they unexpectedlymet four Indian warriors. Eat Carson immediatelyrecognized them as hostile Utahs. As yet thered men were some distance off; and, while Kit andhis companion stood meditating what was best to bedone, the latter spoke and said to the former:“I am a boy and perhaps the Indians will sparemy life. At any rate yours is much more valuablethan mine, therefore mount the horse you are leading,without delay, and make your escape.” Carsonat first thought this advice to be good, and was aboutacting on it, when it struck his equally generous heart,how cowardly such a course would be—to deserta youth who had in the hour of peril so manfully bornehimself. Turning to the boy he thanked him andadded that “he could not and would not deserthim.” He said “we must stand ourground together and if we have to die let us takewith us each his warrior.” While this colloquywas going on, the foremost of the Indians came up.He approached Carson with the air of a man sure ofan easy victory, and, with a bland smile, profferedone hand in friendship, while, with the other, hegrasped Kit’s rifle. A powerful blow fromthe fist of the latter released his hold and instantlylaid him sprawling upon the ground. The otherIndians, seeing the fate of their companion, hastenedto his rescue. When they reached talking distance,
Kit, standing with his rifle brought to his shoulder,informed them that, upon the first hostile demonstrationthey made, he and his companion would fire. TheIndians commenced shaking their priming into the pansof their flint lock guns, and, while doing so, talkedloud and threatened to perform a great many things.This was a mere ruse to intimidate Kit and his companionand throw them off their guard. It was, however,well understood and operated to make them only themore vigilant. This endeavor to draw off Kit’sattention was continued in various ways, but, finallyseeing the determined posture of their opponent, theygrew weary of the game, and, at last, departed.The journey was now resumed. After five daysof hard traveling, Kit and his companion entered Bent’sFort, without further molestation. Here Kit Carsonlearned that the Texians had been caught by CaptainCook and his dragoons in United States Territory, andhad been disarmed. This had immediately relievedthe conductors of the train from all anxiety.They had, consequently, continued their route, notthinking a stop at Bent’s Fort necessary as hadbeen anticipated. Gen. Armijo’s letterof instruction was, accordingly, left by Carson withMr. Bent who promised to forward it to Santa Fe bythe first favorable opportunity. To pursue andovertake the wagons would be nothing but labor thrownaway. All danger had disappeared.
CHAPTER VIII.
Kit Carson visits Fremont’s Camp—Goes on the SecondExploring Expedition—The Necessary Arrangements—Trip to SaltLake—Explorations there—Carson is dispatched to FortHall for Supplies—Their Operations at Salt Lake—The GreatIsland—The Journey to the Columbia River in Oregon—Incidentson the Route—Tlamath Lake—The Journey to California—TheTrials and Privations met with while crossing the SierraNevada Mountains—Mr. Preuss is lost but finds the Partyagain—Arrival at Sutter’s Fort in a Destitute Condition—Twoof the Party become deranged—The Route on the ReturnTrip—Mexicans come into their Camp asking Aid andProtection—Indian Depredations—Carson and Godey start on aDaring Adventure—The Pursuit—The Thieves overtaken—TheseTwo White Men attack Thirty Indians—The Victory—Horsesretaken—The Return to Camp—One of their Companionskilled—The Journey continued—Arrival at Bent’s Fort—The“Fourth of July” Dinner.
A few days before Kit Carson’s arrival at Bent’sFort, Col. Fremont had passed by and had informedthe Traders there that he was bound on another ExploringExpedition. Having finished up his business withthe Mexicans, Kit thought he would like to see hisold commander once again. Accordingly, he startedon his trail: and, after seventy miles of travel,came up with him. The meeting proved to be mutuallyagreeable. Although Kit Carson had made this visitsolely from his desire to see again his old commanderand not with a view of joining his second expedition,Col. Fremont insisted so strongly upon havingKit accompany him that he acquiesced in doing so.
For Col. Fremont, Kit Carson has the greatestadmiration. He knows, as well as any man living,his bravery, his talents and the many splendid qualitiesof his mind and heart. The question will naturallyarise, does Kit Carson indorse the political creedupon which Col. Fremont accepted the nominationfor the Presidency of the United States? Thebest answer and the one which is true, will be:Kit Carson considers it one of the highest honorsand greatest blessings to be a citizen of the UnitedStates. He is willing to incur any danger forhis country’s good, even if the sacrifice ofhis life is the alternative. He has spent allhis life in the wilds of America where news is alwaysas scarce an article as luxuries of the table andfire-side, and, where the political strifes of factionsand parties are not known. The inference willtherefore be plainly apparent, that his curiositydoes not lead him to examine very attentively the minuteworkings of political machinery. He is not aman to be swayed by friendship from performing anyact which the interests of his country seem to requireat his hands. His political bias will, therefore,remain a matter of conjecture until such time, ifhis life is spared to see it, when New Mexico shallbe admitted into the Union as a State. So far,he has never lived where he could exercise the rightof franchise. The time must come which shallentitle him to a Presidential vote before he decideswhat political party shall count him as its supporter.
Soon after Kit Carson was again enrolled under thecommand of Col. Fremont, he received orders toreturn to Bent’s Fort and purchase some mulesof which the party stood in need. Mules are valuableanimals in new and mountainous countries. Theyare often the only beasts of burden which can be successfullyused in crossing the wild mountains. Being moresure footed and more able to endure great fatigue thanthe horse, in such expeditions, they become absolutelynecessary. While he was absent on this duty,the expedition journeyed first to Soda Springs andthence on to St. Vrain’s Fort, which was locatedon the South Fork of the Platte. At this point,the expedition was joined by Major Fitzpatrick witha command of forty men which he had enrolled, underorders, to assist in the exploration. When KitCarson had rejoined the party, the arrangements forthe arduous task in view were nearly complete.
Colonel Fremont divided his forces, sending one division,with most of the camp equipage, on the more directroute. This division was placed under the commandof Major Fitzpatrick. The other division underthe command of Colonel Fremont, consisting of a squadof fifteen men and his guide Kit Carson, struck outup Thompson’s Fork. The object of thisexpedition had in view by the government was, to haveColonel Fremont connect his explorations of the precedingyear with the coast surveys of Commander Wilkes onthe Pacific. This would give the data for making
a correct map of the interior of the wild lands ofthe continent. From Thompson’s Fork ColonelFremont’s division marched to the Cache la PoudreRiver, and thence to the plains of Laramie until theycame to the North Fork of the Platte. This riverthey crossed below the New Park and bent their wayto the sweet water, reaching it at a point about fifteenmiles below the Devil’s Gate. From thispoint they traveled almost the same road which isnow used by emigrants and which leads to Soda Springson Beaver River. It had been decided by Fremontto go to the Great Salt Lake and accomplish its exploration.He therefore started for that direction; but, beforedoing so, ordered Kit Carson to proceed to Fort Halland obtain such supplies as were required. Afterprocuring these necessities, Kit Carson, with onecompanion and his pack animals, set out on the returnfrom Fort Hall and eventually found Fremont on theupper end of Salt Lake. From here the party journeyedaround to the east side of the lake, a distance ofabout twenty miles. At this spot they obtaineda good view of the lake and its adjacent scenery.Before him, and in bold relief, stood out everythingwhich the explorer desired to examine, even to oneof the several islands which are located in the midstof this wonderful collection of saline waters.To this isolated land Fremont was resolved to go.Among the rest of the forethought, supplies, therewas an India-rubber boat. This was ordered tobe made ready for a trip to the island early the followingday. No doubt our readers will be pleased toenjoy Colonel Fremont’s account of this lake,its scenery and characteristics. We insert thereforeas much thereof as our space will admit. It wasthe twenty-first day of August 1843 that the littleparty reached Bear River, which, as has already appearedin another, part of this work, was the principal tributaryof the Great Salt Lake. At this point of ColonelFremont’s narrative, he says: “Wewere now entering a region which, for us, possesseda strange and extraordinary interest. We wereupon the waters of the famous lake which forms a salientpoint among the remarkable geographical features ofthe country, and around which the vague and superstitiousaccounts of the trappers had thrown a delightful obscurity,which we anticipated pleasure in dispelling, but which,in the meantime, left a crowded field for the exerciseof our imagination.“In our occasional conversations with the fewold hunters who had visited the region, it had beena subject of frequent speculation; and the wonderswhich they related were not the less agreeable becausethey were highly exaggerated and impossible.
“Hitherto this lake had been seen only by trappers,who were wandering through the country in search ofnew beaver streams, caring very little for geography;its islands had never been visited; and none wereto be found who had entirely made the circuit of itsshores; and no instrumental observations, or geographicalsurvey of any description, had ever been made anywherein the neighboring region. It was generally supposedthat it had no visible outlet; but, among the trappers,including those in my own camp, were many who believedthat somewhere on its surface was a terrible whirlpool,through which its waters found their way to the oceanby some subterranean communication. All thesethings had made a frequent subject of discussion inour desultory conversations around the fires at night;and my own mind had become tolerably well filled withtheir indefinite pictures, and insensibly coloredwith their romantic descriptions, which, in the pleasureof excitement, I was well disposed to believe, andhalf expected to realize.
“‘In about six miles’ travel fromour encampment, we reached one of the points in ourjourney to which we had always looked forward withgreat interest—the famous Beer Springs,which, on account of the effervescing gas and acidtaste, had received their name from the voyageursand trappers of the country, who, in the midst of theirrude and hard lives, are fond of finding some fanciedresemblance to the luxuries they rarely have the goodfortune to enjoy.
“’Although somewhat disappointed in theexpectations which various descriptions had led meto form of unusual beauty of situation and scenery,I found it altogether a place of very great interest;and a traveler for the first time in a volcanic regionremains in a constant excitement, and at every stepis arrested by something remarkable and new.There is a confusion of interesting objects gatheredtogether in a small space. Around the place ofencampment the Beer Springs were numerous; but, asfar as we could ascertain, were entirely confined tothat locality in the bottom. In the bed of theriver, in front, for a space of several hundred yards,they were very abundant; the effervescing gas risingup and agitating the water in countless bubbling columns.In the vicinity round about were numerous springsof an entirely different and equally marked mineralcharacter. In a rather picturesque spot, about1,300 yards below our encampment, and immediatelyon the river bank, is the most remarkable spring ofthe place. In an opening on the rock, a whitecolumn of scattered water is thrown up, in form likea jet-d’eau, to a variable height of aboutthree feet, and, though it is maintained in a constantsupply, its greatest height is attained only at regularintervals, according to the action of the force below.It is accompanied by a subterranean noise, which,together with the motion of the water, makes very muchthe impression of a steamboat in motion; and, withoutknowing that it had been already previously so called,we gave to it the name of the Steamboat Spring.The rock through which it is forced is slightly raisedin a convex manner, and gathered at the opening intoan urn-mouthed form, and is evidently formed by continueddeposition from the water, and colored bright redby oxide of iron.
“’It is a hot spring, and the water hasa pungent and disagreeable metallic taste, leavinga burning effect on the tongue. Within perhapstwo yards of the jet d’eau, is a smallhole of about an inch in diameter, through which,at regular intervals, escapes a blast of hot air witha light wreath of smoke, accompanied by a regular noise.’
“As they approached the lake, they passed overa country of bold and striking scenery, and throughseveral ‘gates,’ as they called certainnarrow valleys. The ‘standing rock’is a huge column, occupying the centre of one of thesepasses. It fell from a height of perhaps 3,000feet, and happened to remain in its present uprightposition.
“At last, on the 6th of September, the objectfor which their eyes had long been straining was broughtto view.
“’Sept. 6.—This timewe reached the butte without any difficulty; and,ascending to the summit, immediately at our feet beheldthe object of our anxious search, the waters of theInland Sea, stretching in still and solitary grandeurfar beyond the limit of our vision. It was oneof the great points of the exploration; and as we lookedeagerly over the lake in the first emotions of excitedpleasure, I am doubtful if the followers of Balboafelt more enthusiasms, when, from the heights of theAndes, they saw for the first time the great WesternOcean. It was certainly a magnificent object,and a noble terminus to this part of our expedition;and to travelers so long shut up among mountain ranges,a sudden view over the expanse of silent waters hadin it something sublime. Several large islandsraised their high rocky heads out of the waves; butwhether or not they were timbered was still left toour imagination, as the distance was too great todetermine if the dark hues upon them were woodlandor naked rock. During the day the clouds had beengathering black over the mountains to the westward,and while we were looking a storm burst down withsudden fury upon the lake, and entirely hid the islandsfrom our view.
“’On the edge of the stream a favorablespot was selected in a grove; and felling the timber,we made a strong corral, or horse-pen, forthe animals, and a little fort for the people who wereto remain. We were now probably in the countryof the Utah Indians, though none reside upon the lake.The India-rubber boat was repaired with prepared clothand gum, and filled with air, in readiness for thenext day.
“’The provisions which Carson had broughtwith him being now exhausted, and our stock reducedto a small quantity of roots, I determined to retainwith me only a sufficient number of men for the executionof our design; and accordingly seven were sent backto Fort Hall, under the guidance of Francois Lajeunesse,who, having been for many years a trapper in the country,was an experienced mountaineer.
“’We formed now but a small family.With Mr. Preuss and myself, Carson, Bernier, and BasilLajeunesse had been selected for the boat expedition—thefirst ever attempted on this interior sea; and Badeau,with Derosier, and Jacob (the colored man), were tobe left in charge of the camp. We were favoredwith most delightful weather. To-night therewas a brilliant sunset of golden orange and green,which left the western sky clear and beautifully pure;but clouds in the east made me lose an occultation.The summer frogs were singing around us, and the eveningwas very pleasant, with a temperature of 60 deg.—anight of a more southern autumn. For our supperwe had yampah, the most agreeably flavoredof the roots, seasoned by a small fat duck, whichhad come in the way of Jacob’s rifle. Aroundour fire to-night were many speculations on what to-morrowwould bring forth; and in our busy conjectures wefancied that we should find every one of the largeislands a tangled wilderness of trees and shrubbery,teeming with game of every description that the neighboringregion afforded, and which the foot of a white manor Indian had never violated. Frequently, duringthe day, clouds had rested on the summits of theirlofty mountains, and we believed that we should findclear streams and springs of fresh water; and we indulgedin anticipations of the luxurious repasts with whichwe were to indemnify ourselves for past privations.Neither, in our discussions were the whirlpool andother mysterious dangers forgotten, which Indian andhunters’ stories attributed to this unexploredlake. The men had discovered that, instead ofbeing strongly sewed (like that of the preceding year,which had so triumphantly rode the canons of the UpperGreat Platte), our present boat was only pasted togetherin a very insecure manner, the maker having been allowedso little time in the construction that he was obligedto crowd the labor of two months into several days.The insecurity of the boat was sensibly felt by us;and, mingled with the enthusiasm and excitement thatwe all felt at the prospect of an undertaking whichhad never before been accomplished, was a certainimpression of danger, sufficient to give a seriouscharacter to our conversation. The momentaryview which had been had of the lake the day before,its great extent and rugged islands, dimly seen amidstthe dark waters in the obscurity of the sudden storm,were well calculated to heighten the idea of undefineddanger with which the lake was generally associated.
“’Sept. 8.—A calm, clearday, with a sunrise temperature of 41 deg.. Inview of our present enterprise, a part of the equipmentof the boat had been made to consist of three air-tightbags, about three feet long, and capable each of containingfive gallons. These had been filled with waterthe night before, and were now placed in the boat,with our blankets and instruments, consisting of asextant, telescope, spy-glass, thermometer, and barometer.
“’In the course of the morning we discoveredthat two of the cylinders leaked so much as to requireone man constantly at the bellows, to keep them sufficientlyfull of air to support the boat. Although wehad made a very early start, we loitered so much onthe way—stopping every now and then, andfloating silently along, to get a shot at a gooseor a duck—that it was late in the day whenwe reached the outlet. The river here dividedinto several branches, filled with fluvials, and sovery shallow that it was with difficulty we could getthe boat along, being obliged to get out and wade.We encamped on a low point among rushes and youngwillows, where there was a quantity of driftwood,which served for our fires. The evening was mildand clear; we made a pleasant bed of the young willows;and geese and ducks enough had been killed for anabundant supper at night, and for breakfast next morning.The stillness of the night was enlivened by millionsof water-fowl.
“’Sept. 9.—The day wasclear and calm; the thermometer at sunrise at 49 deg..As is usual with the trappers on the eve of any enterprise,our people had made dreams, and theirs happened tobe a bad one—one which always precededevil—and consequently they looked very gloomythis morning; but we hurried through our breakfast,in order to make an early start, and have all theday before us for our adventure. The channelin a short distance became so shallow that our navigationwas at an end, being merely a sheet of soft mud, witha few inches of water, and sometimes none at all,forming the low-water shore of the lake. Allthis place was absolutely covered with flocks of screamingplover. We took off our clothes, and, gettingover-board, commenced dragging the boat—making,by this operation, a very curious trail, and a verydisagreeable smell in stirring up the mud, as we sankabove the knee at every step. The water herewas still fresh, with only an insipid and disagreeabletaste, probably derived from the bed of fetid mud.After proceeding in this way about a mile, we cameto a small black ridge on the bottom, beyond whichthe water became suddenly salt, beginning graduallyto deepen, and the bottom was sandy and firm.It was a remarkable division, separating the freshwater of the rivers from the briny water of the lake,which was entirely saturated with common salt.Pushing our little vessel across the narrow boundary,we sprang on board, and at length were afloat on thewaters of the unknown sea.
“We did not steer for the mountainous islands,but directed our course towards a lower one, whichit had been decided we should first visit, the summitof which was formed like the crater at the upper endof Bear River valley. So long as we could touchthe bottom with our paddles, we were very gay; butgradually, as the water deepened, we became more stillin our frail batteau of gum cloth distended with air,and with pasted seams. Although the day was very
calm, there was a considerable swell on the lake;and there were white patches of foam on the surface,which were slowly moving to the southward, indicatingthe set of a current in that direction, and recallingthe recollection of the whirlpool stories. Thewater continued to deepen as we advanced; the lakebecoming almost transparently clear, of an extremelybeautiful bright-green color; and the spray, whichwas thrown into the boat and over our clothes, wasdirectly converted into a crust of common salt, whichcovered also our hands and arms. ‘Captain,’said Carson, who for some time had been looking suspiciouslyat some whitening appearances outside the nearest islands‘what are those yonder?—won’tyou just take a look with the glass?’ We ceasedpaddling for a moment, and found them to be the capsof the waves that were beginning to break under theforce of a strong breeze that was coming up the lake.The form of the boat seemed to be an admirable one,and it rode on the waves like a water bird; but, atthe same time, it was extremely slow in its progress.When we were a little more than half way across thereach, two of the divisions between the cylindersgave way, and it required the constant use of thebellows to keep in a sufficient quantity of air.For a long time we scarcely seemed to approach ourisland, but gradually we worked across the roughersea of the open channel, into the smoother water underthe lee of the island, and began to discover that whatwe took for a long row of pelicans, ranged on thebeach, were only low cliffs whitened with salt bythe spray of the waves; and about noon we reachedthe shore, the transparency of the water enabling usto see the bottom at a considerable depth.“’The cliffs and masses of rock alongthe shore were whitened by an incrustation of saltwhere the waves dashed up against them; and the evaporatingwater, which had been left in holes and hollows onthe surface of the rocks, was covered with a crustof salt about one-eighth of an inch in thickness.
“’Carrying with us the barometer and otherinstruments, in the afternoon we ascended to the highestpoint of the island—a bare rocky peak,800 feet above the lake. Standing on the summit,we enjoyed an extended view of the lake, inclosedin a basin of rugged mountains, which sometimes leftmarshy flats and extensive bottoms between them andthe shore, and in other places came directly down intothe water with bold and precipitous bluffs.
“’As we looked over the vast expanse ofwater spread out beneath us, and strained our eyesalong the silent shores over which hung so much doubtand uncertainty, and which were so full of interestto us, I could hardly repress the almost irresistibledesire to continue our exploration; but the lengtheningsnow on the mountains was a plain indication of theadvancing season, and our frail linen boat appearedso insecure that I was unwilling to trust our livesto the uncertainties of the lake. I thereforeunwillingly resolved to terminate our survey here,and remain satisfied for the present with what wehad been able to add to the unknown geography of theregion. We felt pleasure also in rememberingthat we were the first who, in the traditionary annalsof the country, had visited the islands, and broken,with the cheerful sound of human voices, the long solitudeof the place.
“’I accidentally left on the summit thebrass cover to the object end of my spy-glass; andas it will probably remain there undisturbed by Indians,it will furnish matter of speculation to some futuretraveler. In our excursions about the island,we did not meet with any kind of animal; a magpie,and another larger bird, probably attracted by thesmoke of our fire, paid us a visit from the shore,and were the only living things seen during our stay.The rock constituting the cliffs along the shore wherewe were encamped, is a talcous rock, or steatite,with brown spar.
“’At sunset, the temperature was 70 deg..We had arrived just in time to obtain a meridian altitudeof the sun, and other observations were obtained thisevening, which place our camp in latitude 41 deg. 10’42”, and longitude 112 deg. 21’ 05”from Greenwich. From a discussion of the barometricalobservations made during our stay on the shores ofthe lake, we have adopted 4,200 feet for its elevationabove the Gulf of Mexico. In the first disappointmentwe felt from the dissipation of our dream of the fertileislands, I called this Disappointment Island.
“’Out of the driftwood, we made ourselvespleasant little lodges, open to the water, and, afterhaving kindled large fires to excite the wonder ofany straggling savage on the lake shores, lay down,for the first time in a long journey, in perfect security;no one thinking about his arms. The evening wasextremely bright and pleasant; but the wind rose duringthe night, and the waves began to break heavily onthe shore, making our island tremble. I had notexpected in our inland journey to hear the roar ofan ocean surf; and the strangeness of our situation,and the excitement we felt in the associated interestsof the place, made this one of the most interestingnights I remember during our long expedition.
“’In the morning, the surf was breakingheavily on the shore, and we were up early. Thelake was dark and agitated, and we hurried throughour scanty breakfast, and embarked—havingfirst filled one of the buckets with water from thelake, of which it was intended to make salt.The sun had risen by the time we were ready to start;and it was blowing a strong gale of wind, almost directlyoff the shore, and raising a considerable sea, inwhich our boat strained very much. It roughenedas we got away from the island, and it required allthe efforts of the men to make any head against thewind and sea; the gale rising with the sun; and therewas danger of being blown into one of the open reachesbeyond the island. At the distance of half a milefrom the beach, the depth of water was sixteen feet,with a clay bottom; but, as the working of the boatwas very severe labor, and during the operation ofsounding it was necessary to cease paddling, duringwhich the boat lost considerable way, I was unwillingto discourage the men, and reluctantly gave up my intentionof ascertaining the depth, and the character of thebed. There was a general shout in the boat whenwe found ourselves in one fathom, and we soon afterlanded.’”
* * * * *
We now resume Kit Carson’s narrative. Whenthe Indian-rubber boat was put in order, Colonel Fremontstarted, taking Carson and three others as companions.(Their names have already appeared.) The distance fromthe main land to the island is computed to be aboutthree leagues, hence the pull at the oars, for landsmenunaccustomed to such kind of work, was no small task.However a landing upon the island was safely accomplished,the boat made fast and the investigations commenced.After examining most of the island without findingeven a spring of water on it, it was determined toascend the great hill which was the highest elevationon it. The party was not long in reaching thesummit, where they found a shelving rock, on whichthey cut a cross, their names and the date as signsto after visitors, should any such follow in theirfootsteps, that they had been the first persons whohad ever, within the knowledge of man, been on thatisland.
The day having been far spent in their labors, orderswere given to camp on the island for the night.On the morrow they departed for the main land.When they had accomplished about one league, beingone-third of the distance, the clouds suddenly gatheredand threatened a storm. Just as this danger impended,the air which acted in giving buoyancy to the boat,by some accident, began to escape. A man wasimmediately stationed at the bellows and it requiredhis constant aid to supply the portion which steadilyescaped. Colonel Fremont then ordered the mento pull for their lives and try thus to escape thedanger of the impending storm. In this instance,as indeed in every hour of peril, an all-seeing Providenceguided them in safety to the shore. Soon afterthey arrived, the storm came on with such fury thatit caused the water of the lake, according to the naturalwater mark, to rise ten feet in one hour.
The party soon after recommenced their march and proceededsome distance up the Bear River. Crossing itthey went to the Malade and thence on until they reachedFort Hall. Here they met with the division underFitzpatrick and made a short stay.
Once more Colonel Fremont started with his small partyin advance of his main body. He marched abouteight days’ journey ahead, Fitzpatrick followingup his trail with the larger division. At thistime the expedition was journeying in the directionof the mouth of the Columbia River. In due timethey arrived safely at the river Dalles. Herethey made another brief halt. Colonel Fremontleft Kit Carson in command of this camp, while he,with a small party, proceeded to Vancouver’sIsland and purchased some provisions. On his returnhe found that the whole party had become consolidated.The command now journeyed to Tlamath Lake in OregonTerritory. The descriptions of all these journeyshave already been given to the public in several forms,all however based upon Colonel Fremont’s reports
made to the U.S. Government. It would besuperfluous, therefore, for us to fill up the pagesof the life of Kit Carson with matter already publishedbeyond the occurrences appertaining to him. Havingfinished the observations upon Tlamath Lake, the expeditionstarted for California. The route led througha barren and desolate country, rendering game scarce.As the command drew near to the Sierra Nevada Mountains,they were found to be entirely covered with deep snowthroughout the entire range of vision. At thistime the provisions had commenced giving out.Game was so scarce that it could not be depended on.The propositions which presented themselves at thiscrisis were to cross the mountains or take the fearfulchance of starving to death. Crossing the mountains,terrible though the alternative, was the choice ofall. It was better than inactivity and certaindeath. On arriving at the mountains the snowwas found to be about six feet deep on a level.The first task was to manufacture snow-shoes for theentire party. By the aid of these foot appendages,an advance party was sent on to explore the routeand to determine how far a path would have to be brokenfor the animals. This party reached a spot fromwhence they could see their way clear and found thatthe path for the animals would be three leagues inlength. The advance party also saw, in the distance,the green valley of the Sacramento and the coast rangeof mountains. Kit Carson was the first man torecognize these, to the snow-bound travelers, desirablelocalities, although it was now seventeen years sincehe had last gazed upon them. The advance partythen returned to their friends in the rear and reportedtheir proceedings. All were delighted on learningthat they had one man among them who knew where theywere. The business of making the road was verylaborious. The snow had to be beaten compactwith mallets. It was fifteen days before theparty succeeded in reaching, with a few of their animals,a place where the heavy work of the route was ended.During this time, many of their mules had starvedto death, and the few remaining were driven to suchan extreme by want of food, that they devoured oneanother’s tails, the leather on the pack saddles;and, in fact, they would try to eat everything theycould get into their mouths. The sufferings ofthe men had been as severe as had ever fallen to thelot of any mountaineer present. Their provisionswere all used and they were driven to subsist uponthe mules as they died from hunger. But, commanderand all bore these terrible trials in an exemplarymanner.An incident is related by Colonel Fremont, in whichKit Carson enjoyed a cold-bath, which occurred duringthis terrible march. “February Twenty-third.—Thiswas our most difficult day; we were forced off theridges by the quantity of snow among the timber, andobliged to take to the mountain-sides, where, occasionally,rocks and a southern exposure afforded us a chanceto scramble along. But these were steep and slipperywith snow and ice; and the tough evergreens of themountain impeded our way, tore our skins, and exhaustedour patience. Some of us had the misfortune towear moccasins with parfleche soles, so slipperythat we could not keep our feet, and generally crawledacross the snow beds. Axes and mauls were necessaryto-day, to make a road through the snow. Goingahead with Carson to reconnoitre the road, we reachedin the afternoon the river which made the outlet ofthe lake. Carson sprang over, clear across a placewhere the stream was compressed among the rocks, butthe parfleche sole of my moccasin glanced fromthe icy rock, and precipitated me into the river.It was some few seconds before I could recover myselfin the current, and Carson thinking me hurt jumpedin after me, and we both had an icy bath. Wetried to search awhile for my gun, which had beenlost in the fall, but the cold drove us out; and, makinga large fire on the bank, after we had partially driedourselves, we went back to meet the camp. Weafterwards found that the gun had been slung underthe ice which lined the banks of the creek.”
* * * * *
It was while undergoing such experience as we haveendeavored to narrate that the characters of men showforth in their true light and can be fully analyzed.John C. Fremont never was found wanting in times suchas tried men’s hearts. He was worthy ofthe trust reposed in him. His was no ordinarycommand. The men he had to deal with, in theirline, had no superiors on the American Continent; yet,he proved a match for any one of them and gained fromthem the name of being a good mountaineer, an encomiumthey are not prone to bestow lightly.
The party now commenced descending the mountains.On reaching the valley beneath, Fremont, taking KitCarson and six of the men, pushed on in advance, inorder to reach Sutter’s Fort, where he wouldbe able to purchase provisions. Fitzpatrick wasleft in charge of the main party, with orders to makeeasy marches. The second day after this divisionwas made, Mr. Preuss, Fremont’s assistant, accidentallygot lost. His friends began making search forhim. This failing, they traveled on slowly, firedguns and used every means in their power to let theirwhereabouts be known to him. After wandering aboutfor four days, to the surprise and joy of his companions,he came into camp. During his absence he hadsubsisted on acorns and roots, and, as a matter ofcourse, was nearly exhausted both in body and mind.Three days after Mr. Preuss was restored to them,Fremont, with the advance party, reached Sutter’sFort. He and his party were very hospitably received.They were entertained with the best the post couldfurnish, by its kind-hearted proprietor. Neverdid men more deserve such treatment. The conditionof all was about as miserable as it could well beimagined, for men who retained their hold on life.
It was at Sutter’s Fort, as most of our readerswill remember, that the great gold mines of Californiafirst received their kindling spark, the discoveryof that precious metal having been made there.While some men were digging a mill-race the alluringdeposit first appeared. This event has made theFort world-renowned.
At the time we describe Fremont on his second expedition,nothing whatever was known of the immense fields oftreasure over which he and his men daily walked, although,for many years previous to the discovery being made,the mountaineers had trapped all the rivers in thatvicinity, and on their banks had herded their animalsfor months together. They had drank thousandsof times from the pure water as it flowed in the river’schannel, and, no doubt, frequently their eyes hadpenetrated through it until they saw the sand beneathin which, perchance, the sparkling specs may haveoccasionally allured them sufficiently to recall theproverb that “all is not gold that glitters.”
The writer once made inquiry of one of these mountaineerswho had spent two summers in the manner narrated abovenear and at Sutter’s Fort some twenty yearssince. He was asked whether he ever saw thereanything in the shape of gold which in any way arousedhis suspicions? His reply was: “Never.And had I, it would have been only for a brief spaceof time, as finally I should have been certain thatI was deluded and mistaken, without there had beenthe Eagle of our country stamped upon it.”
Provisions were immediately obtained at the Fort andcarried to Fitzpatrick and his party. Great difficultyhad now to be encountered to prevent the men fromlosing their lives by the sudden change from wantto comparative luxury. Notwithstanding the utmostcare was taken, some of the party lost their reason.The hardships of the journey had proved too much forthem. Fitzpatrick and the main body arrived atthe Fort in a few days, where they were likewise welcomedby its hospitable and generous proprietor, CaptainSutter. His name in California has ever beenbut another term for kindness and sympathy for theunfortunate. This expedition, in one respect only,can be called unfortunate. When the terriblesufferings of the commander and his men have beennamed, the catalogue of misfortune is ended. Itsresults, grand and glorious, have immortalized thename of every man who assisted, in any way, to accomplish*t. “I belonged to the several ExploringExpeditions of John C. Fremont” is the key noteto the respect and homage of the American nation;the truth would be equally real, if we add, to thewhole civilized world. Every heart which beatswith admiration for the heroic, or which is capableof appreciating the rich contributions to the sciences,direct resultants from their terrible sufferings,has thrilled with delight when possessed of the historywhich records the brilliant achievements of these ExploringParties.
The band started from the little town of Kansas onthe twenty-ninth day of May, 1843. It returnedto the United States in August, 1844. After travelingseventeen hundred miles, it reached, September sixth,Salt Lake. On the fourth day of November it reachedFort Vancouver, on the Columbia River. On thesixth day of March, 1844, it reached Sutter’sFort in the destitute condition already explained.The distance from Fort Hall by the route taken isabout two thousand miles. The party remainedat Sutter’s Fort until the twenty-fourth dayof March, or as Kit Carson expresses the time fromhis memory, the expedition remained at this placeabout one month. At the expiration of this time,the party was sufficiently recruited to be ready fortheir return journey, which they commenced in April,1844. Just previous to their taking leave ofMr. Sutter, two of the company became deranged, owingto the privations and fasting to which they had beenobliged to submit before being ushered into a landof plenty. They had indulged appetite too freely,and brought on one of those strange revolutions inthe brain’s action which never fails to excitethe pity of friend and foe. The first warningwhich the party had that one of the men was laboringunder a disordered intellect occurred in the followingmanner. Early in the morning the man suddenlystarted from his sleep and began to ask his companionswhere his riding animal was gone. During thistime it was by him, but he did not know it. Unknownto the rest of the party he started off soon afterin search of his imaginary animal. As soon ashis absence became known to Fremont, he surmised thetruth and sent persons in all directions to hunt forhim. They searched the neighboring country formany miles and made inquiries of all the friendlyIndians they chanced upon, but failed to discoverhim. Several days of delay was caused by thismost unhappy circ*mstance. Finally, it becomingnecessary for the party to depart without him, wordwas left with Mr. Sutter to continue the hunt.He did so most faithfully; and, by his exertions, sometime after the party had set out on the return trip,the maniac was found and kept at the Fort until hehad entirely recovered. He was then, on the firstopportunity, provided with a passage to the UnitedStates. Before we follow the party on their homeward-boundtramp, it is proper that the reader should be favoredwith the estimate and views which the American historian,statesman and scholar, Colonel Benton, has recordedconcerning the perils undergone and results accomplishedby this expedition. His pen is so graphic andlife-like that the reader will doubtless thank usfor the extract. Besides presenting a view ofthe expedition, it will unfold a fact which shows wherethe origin of the expedition had its conception.We give all he says concerning the expedition.[17]
[Footnote 17: Thirty Years View, vol. ii. chap.134.]
“’The government deserves credit for thezeal with which it has pursued geographical discovery.’Such is the remark which a leading paper made uponthe discoveries of Fremont, on his return from hissecond expedition to the great West; and such is theremark which all writers will make upon all his discoverieswho write history from public documents and outsideviews. With all such writers the expeditionsof Fremont will be credited to the zeal of the governmentfor the promotion of science, as if the governmentunder which he acted had conceived and planned theseexpeditions, as Mr. Jefferson did that of Lewis andClark, and then selected this young officer to carryinto effect the instructions delivered to him.How far such history would be true in relation tothe first expedition, which terminated in the RockyMountains, has been seen in the account which hasbeen given of the origin of that undertaking, and whichleaves the government innocent of its conception;and, therefore, not entitled to the credit of itsauthorship, but only to the merit of permitting it.In the second, and greater expedition, from which greatpolitical as well as scientific results have flowed,their merit is still less; for, while equally innocentof its conception, they were not equally passive toits performance—countermanding the expeditionafter it had begun—and lavishing censureupon the adventurous young explorer for his mannerof undertaking it. The fact was, that his firstexpedition barely finished, Mr. Fremont sought andobtained orders for a second one, and was on the frontierof Missouri with his command when orders arrived atSt. Louis to stop him, on the ground that he had madea military equipment which the peaceful nature of hisgeographical pursuit did not require! as if Indiansdid not kill and rob scientific men as well as othersif not in a condition to defend themselves. Theparticular point of complaint was that he had takena small mountain howitzer, in addition to his rifles;and which he was informed, was charged to him, althoughit had been furnished upon a regular requisition onthe commandant of the arsenal at St. Louis, approvedby the commander of the military department (Colonel,afterward General Kearney). Mr. Fremont had leftSt. Louis, and was at the frontier, Mrs. Fremont beingrequested to examine the letters that came after him,and forward those which he ought to receive. Sheread the countermanding orders and detained them!and Fremont knew nothing of their existence, untilafter he had returned from one of the most marvellousand eventful expeditions of modern times—oneto which the United States are indebted (among otherthings) for the present ownership of California, insteadof seeing it a British possession. The writerof this View, who was then in St. Louis, approved ofthe course which his daughter had taken (for she hadstopped the orders before he knew it); and he wrotea letter to the department condemning the recall,
repulsing the reprimand which had been lavished uponFremont, and demanding a court-martial for him whenhe should return. The Secretary of War was thenMr. James Madison Porter, of Pennsylvania; the chiefof the topographical corps the same as now (ColonelAbert), himself an office man, surrounded by West Pointofficers, to whose pursuit of easy service, Fremont’sadventurous expeditions was a reproach; and in conformityto whose opinions the secretary seemed to have acted.On Fremont’s return, upwards of a year afterwards,Mr. William Wilkins, of Pennsylvania, was Secretaryof War, and received the young explorer with all honorand friendship, and obtained for him the brevet ofcaptain from President Tyler. And such is theinside view of this piece of history—verydifferent from what documentary evidence would makeit.“To complete his survey across the continent,on the line of travel between the State of Missouriand the tide-water region of the Columbia, was Fremont’sobject in this expedition; and it was all that hehad obtained orders for doing; but only a small part,and to his mind an insignificant part, of what heproposed doing. People had been to the mouthof the Columbia before, and his ambition was not limitedto making tracks where others had made them beforehim. There was a vast region beyond the RockyMountains—the whole western slope of ourcontinent—of which but little was known;and of that little, nothing with the accuracy of science.All that vast region, more than seven hundred milessquare—equal to a great kingdom in Europe—wasan unknown land—a sealed book, which helonged to open, and to read. Leaving the frontierof Missouri in May, 1843, and often diverging fromhis route for the sake of expanding his field of observation,he had arrived in the tide-water region of Columbiain the month of November; and had then completed thewhole service which his orders embraced. He mightthen have returned upon his tracks, or been broughthome by sea, or hunted the most pleasant path for gettingback; and if he had been a routine officer, satisfiedwith fulfilling an order, he would have done so.Not so the young explorer, who held his diploma fromnature, and not from the United States Military Academy.He was at Fort Vancouver, guest of the hospitableDr. McLaughlin, Governor of the British Hudson BayFur Company; and obtained from him all possible informationupon his intended line of return—faithfullygiven, but which proved to be disastrously erroneousin its leading and governing feature. A southeastroute to cross the great unknown region diagonallythrough its heart (making a line from the Lower Columbiato the Upper Colorado of the Gulf of California),was his line of return; twenty-five men (the samewho had come with him from the United States) anda hundred horses were his equipment; and the commencementof winter the time of starting—all withouta guide, relying upon their guns for support; and,in the last resort, upon their horses—suchas should give out! for one that could carry a man,or a pack, could not be spared for food.
“All the maps up to that time had shown thisregion traversed from east to west—fromthe base of the Rocky Mountains to the Bay of SanFrancisco—by a great river called the BuenaVentura: which may be translated, the GoodChance. Governor McLaughlin believed in theexistence of this river, and made out a conjecturalmanuscript map to show its place and course.Fremont believed in it, and his plan was to reachit before the dead of winter, and then hybernate uponit. As a great river he knew that it must havesome rich bottoms, covered with wood and grass, wherethe wild animals would collect and shelter, when thesnows and freezing winds drove them from the plains;and with these animals to live on, and grass for thehorses, and wood for fires, he expected to avoid suffering,if not to enjoy comfort, during his solitary sojournin that remote and profound wilderness.
“He proceeded—soon encountered deepsnows which impeded progress upon the highlands—descendedinto a low country to the left (afterwards known tobe the Great Basin, from which no water issues to anysea)—skirted an enormous chain of mountainon the right, luminous with glittering white snow—sawstrange Indians, who mostly fled—founda desert—no Buena Ventura; and death fromcold and famine staring him in the face. Thefailure to find the river, or tidings of it, and thepossibility of its existence seeming to be forbid bythe structure of the country, and hybernation in theinhospitable desert being impossible, and the questionbeing that of life and death, some new plan of conductbecame indispensable. His celestial observationstold him that he was in the latitude of the Bay ofSan Francisco, and only seventy miles from it.But what miles! up and down that snowy mountain whichthe Indians told him no men could cross in the winter—whichwould have snow upon it as deep as the trees, and placeswhere people would slip off and fall half a mile ata time—a fate which actually befell a mule,packed with the precious burden of botanical specimens,collected along a travel of two thousand miles.No reward could induce an Indian to become a guidein the perilous adventure of crossing this mountain.All recoiled and fled from the adventure. Itwas attempted without a guide—in the deadof winter—accomplished in forty days—themen and surviving horses—a woeful procession,crawling along one by one; skeleton men leading skeletonhorses—and arriving at Sutter’s Settlementin the beautiful valley of the Sacramento; and wherea genial warmth, and budding flowers, and trees infoliage, and grassy ground, and flowing streams, andcomfortable food, made a fairy contrast with the famineand freezing they had encountered, and the lofty SierraNevada which they had climbed. Here he restedand recruited; and from this point, and by way ofMonterey, the first tidings were heard of the partysince leaving Fort Vancouver.
“Another long progress to the south, skirtingthe western base of the Sierra Nevada, made him acquaintedwith the noble valley of the San Joaquin, counterpartto that of the Sacramento; when crossing through agap, and turning to the left, he skirted the GreatBasin; and by many deviations from the right linehome, levied incessant contributions to science fromexpanded lands, not described before. In thiseventful exploration, all the great features of thewestern slope of our continent were brought to light—theGreat Salt Lake, the Utah Lake, the Little Salt Lake;at all which places, then deserts, the Mormons noware; the Sierra Nevada, then solitary in the snow,now crowded with Americans, digging gold from itsflanks: the beautiful valleys of the Sacramentoand San Joaquin, then alive with wild horses, elk,deer, and wild fowls, now smiling with American cultivation;the Great Basin itself and its contents; the ThreeParks; the approximation of the great rivers which,rising together in the central region of the RockyMountains, go off east and west, towards the risingand the setting sun—all these, and otherstrange features of a new region, more Asiatic thanAmerican, were brought to light and revealed to publicview in the results of this exploration.
“Eleven months he was never out of sight ofsnow; and sometimes, freezing with cold, would lookdown upon a sunny valley, warm with genial heat;—sometimespanting with the summer’s heat, would look upat the eternal snows which crowned the neighboringmountain. But it was not then that Californiawas secured to the Union—to the greatestpower of the New World—to which it of rightbelonged; but it was the first step towards the acquisition,and the one that led to it. The second expeditionled to a third, just in time to snatch the goldenCalifornia from the hands of the British, ready toclutch it. But of this hereafter. Fremont’ssecond expedition was now over. He had left theUnited States a fugitive from his government, and returnedwith a name that went over Europe and America, andwith discoveries bearing fruit which the civilizedworld is now enjoying.”
On their homeward-bound journey, the party followedup the valley of the San Joaquin crossing over theSierra Nevada and coast range of mountains at a pointwhere they join and form a beautiful low pass.They continued on from here close under the coast rangeuntil they struck the Spanish Trail. This theyfollowed to the Mohave River. That stream, itwill be recollected, was an old friend of Kit Carson’s.The reader will recall the many times he had caughtbeaver out of its waters. They followed the trailup the course of the river to where it leaves it.At this point an event occurred which somewhat retardedtheir progress, relieving the monotony of the routeand somewhat changing their plans.
Soon after the camp had been formed, they were visitedby a Mexican man and boy; the one named Andreas Fuentes,the other Pablo Hernandez. They informed Fremontthat they belonged to a party of Mexican traders whichhad come from New Mexico. They said that six ofthem, including in this number two women who actedas cooks, had been left by their friends in chargeof a band of horses. The rest of the party wereabsent trafficking. The party of six thus leftto watch the horses, consisted of Santiago Giacome,Andreas Fuentes and wife, and Pablo Hernandez, togetherwith his father and mother. They were endeavoringto find better grazing for their animals. Forthis purpose they had penetrated the country as faras they dared; and, at about eighty miles from thecamp of Fremont, had resolved to wait for their friends.Fuentes and the boy Pablo were on guard over the animalswhen their camp was attacked by hostile savages.The attacking band was about thirty in number.
Their principal object was to seize the horses.To effect this the more easily, they saluted the littleband with a flight of arrows as they advanced.Fuentes and Pablo now heard Giacome warning them tostart the horses and run for it. Both were mounted.They obeyed the directions of Giacome and with theentire band of horses charged boldly into the midstof the Indians regardless of their weapons. Thecharge succeeded in breaking their line, through whichFuentes and Pablo boldly dashed after their animals.The Indians deferred the chase to attend to a morebloody purpose. Having put sixty miles betweenthem and the site of the attack, they left their horsesand started in search of their main body. Thissearch led them into Fremont’s camp. Fuentesfeared that the worst had overtaken his wife.Pablo already looked upon himself as an orphan boy.He doubted not that the bloody savages had murderedboth his father and mother. It was a sad pictureto witness their grief. But Kit Carson could notdo so unmoved. The heart of such grief has everawakened his earnest sympathy. His sympathy,too, has never been of a wordy nature. He volunteeredto go with Fuentes and make an attempt to deliver thecaptives, if such they should prove, or to avenge theirdeath, if that became the sad alternative.
Fuentes had left the horses at a spring of water,well known to Carson. There he had found signsof white men which had led him into Fremont’scamp. There was no difficulty for Carson to findthe spring. The whole company therefore traveledto the spring, which they reached early the next morning,distant about thirty miles from their last camp.The horses were not to be seen. A short examinationof signs soon revealed to Carson and Godey that thetwo Mexicans had been followed by the Indians andthat they had come upon the horses shortly after theyhad left them. Of course therefore they had capturedand driven them off.
Carson and Godey were determined to make one effortto punish the rascals. They started, taking Fuenteswith them, upon the trail of the Indians. Thechase was a severe one, as, in the judgment of themountaineers, the Indians would not make a short trailafter acquiring so much booty. The horse whichFuentes rode, most unfortunately, gave out after ashort ride. There was no time to be lost and nomeans at hand to supply this important deficiency.To turn back to camp would supply it, but that coursewould also lose them their game. Fuentes, therefore,was requested to return to Fremont’s camp, andthere await the return of Kit Carson and Godey.These two had been the only men in the entire commandwho had volunteered in this chase. The loss ofFuentes therefore made their task literally a Don Quixoticadventure. Two men against thirty. But KitCarson was not the man to turn his back upon an adventureas soon as the difficulties began to present themselves.He well knew that he had one man on whom he could rely.Richard Godey was his tried and trusty friend, hiskindred spirit and a noble hearted man. Leavingthe Mexican to find his way back to camp, a distanceof about twenty miles, they gave him their word thatthey would finish the business. The followingnight was very dark, and in order to keep on the rightscent Carson and Godey were obliged to lead theirhorses and frequently to follow the trail by the senseof feeling. It was seldom, however, that theylost the path, and never for more than a few momentsat a time. Gradually the signs grew fresher asthey advanced, which gave them the assurance that theywere rapidly gaining on the pursuit. Finally,they concluded that only a few hours separated themfrom the savages. Having accomplished a considerablepart of their journey during the night, and findingthat both themselves and their horses required rest,they concluded to halt. Having unsaddled theiranimals and turned them out to graze, they wrappedthemselves up in their wet blankets and laid down tosleep. The weather, however, was too cold to permitsleeping in comfort without a fire. That theydare not make, fearing it would prove a warning signalto the savages. Having worried through the remainderof this cold and cheerless night, they arose earlyin the morning and went to the bottom of a deep ravinewhere they kindled a small fire and succeeded in warmingthemselves. At daybreak they re-saddled theirjaded horses and once more started upon the trail.Just as the sun was rising they discovered the Indians.When first seen they were encamped two miles in advance,and were enjoying a breakfast on horse steaks, havingalready killed five of the stolen animals. KitCarson and his friend dismounted, and, concealing theirhorses near by, held a council of war. They decidedto crawl in among the herd of stolen animals whichwere grazing, without guard, at a short distance fromthe camp of the savages. Upon reaching the horses,
they agreed to be guided by circ*mstances. Firstdivesting themselves of all useless apparel, theycommenced their task. After much cautious laborthey gained their point and stood among the animals.As soon, however, as they arrived, one of the younghorses of the band became frightened at the grotesquefigures cut by the two creeping men and exhibitedhis fear by snorting and kicking up his heels.This alarmed the remainder of the horses and causedquite a commotion among them, which had the effectto alarm the savages, who sprang for their arms.With a yell, Carson and Godey instantly turned towardsthe savages. As soon as they were all fairlyin view the two white men saw that they had thirtywarriors before them to deal with. When they hadadvanced within rifle range Kit Carson halted and,aiming his rifle at the stoutest looking brave, fired.The fierce savage fell with a cry of anguish.Godey had also halted and fired, but he missed hisaim. Instantly reloading, he made the secondattempt and this time brought down a warrior.While these events were taking place the red men wererunning about in great confusion. Occasionallythey returned a few arrows, but they all proved butharmless missiles. The fact was the Indians werepuzzled what to think of the audacity of the two men.Evidently they considered them to be an advance partyof some strong force, acting with a view of decoyingthem into a close fight. Acting upon this theybegan to fly in every direction except that from whichdanger impended. Kit and Godey, as they had calculated,were thus, quite unceremoniously, left masters ofthe enemy’s camp. Besides the recapturedhorses, they had two trophies lying upon the groundin the shape of a brace of stalwart warriors.In order to show their companions on their returnthat they were not given to boasting, they followedthe example and practice of the savages and scalpedthe two Indians. The common expression now inuse is that they proceeded to “take the hair”of their victims. The performance of this actwas a matter of choice and fell to the lot of Godey,while Kit Carson, with the two rifles, ascended aneminence near at hand for the double purpose of standingguard over his companion and also to reconnoitre.Godey commenced his operations on the savage whichhe himself had shot. Having finished with him,he started for the other Indian hit by Kit Carson.But this fellow after he had fallen had crawled quiteout of view among some rocks. Being only wounded,he raised up and sent an arrow at Godey as he approachedwhich pierced his shirt collar. The Indian hadalready lost a large amount of blood. His lastact so exhausted him that he sank back upon the groundand expired. They next proceeded to collect thehorses. Upon counting them they found the numberstated by the Mexican to be correct with the exceptionof five killed by the Indians for their feast.The animals were now driven to the spot where theirown horses had been left.. Here they held anothercouncil and determined to seek out the fate of theremainder of the Mexican party. They thereforebent their steps towards the late camp of the Mexicans.There they found the bodies of the two men terriblymangled. The savage ferocity of the rascally savageshad here had full play as soon as they found thatthe two who were on guard had broken through theirline and escaped with the horses. Their bodieswere naked and full of arrows. The women werenot to be found. The remains were decently interredby Carson and Godey, and then they set about lookingfor the women. After a long search they coulddiscover nothing of them, and concluded that theyhad been reserved for a worse fate. The remainsof these two poor captives were afterwards found bysome of Fremont’s men. The Indians, notsatisfied with killing them, had staked their bodiesto the ground. Kit Carson and Godey having nowaccomplished, on this errand of mercy, all that layin the power of man to do, set out to return and soonrejoined their friends, whom they found anxiouslywaiting for them. Col. Fremont concludeshis account of this affair in the following words:“Their object accomplished, our men gatheredup all the surviving horses, fifteen in number, returnedupon their trail, and rejoined us at our camp in theafternoon of the same day. They had rode aboutone hundred miles in the pursuit and return, and allin thirty hours. The time, place, object, andnumbers considered, this expedition of Carson andGodey may be considered among the boldest and mostdisinterested which the annals of western adventure,so full of daring deeds, can present. Two men,in a savage desert, pursue day and night an unknownbody of Indians into the defiles of an unknown mountain—attackthem on sight, without counting numbers—anddefeat them in an instant—and for what?To punish the robbers of the desert, and to avengethe wrongs of Mexicans whom they did not know.I repeat: it was Carson and Godey who did this—theformer an American, born in Kentucky; the latter aFrenchman by descent, born in St. Louis; and both trainedto western enterprise from early life.”
The stolen property was restored to the Mexicans withoutone cent being demanded or received by either Carsonor Godey.
It was not for the love of Indian fighting as manymay suppose, that Kit Carson was moved to take partin such expeditions; but, when the life of a fellow-creatureis exposed to Indian barbarities, no living man ismore willing, or more capable of rendering a lastingservice than Christopher Carson. A name that,wherever it is known, is ranked among the “bravestof the brave.”
Soon after the two volunteers came in, Fremont resumedhis journey and continued it without anything transpiringto disturb the equanimity of the party until theyreached a point on the Virgin River where the SpanishTrail leaves it. It became necessary to changecamps here, in order that the animals might take advantageof better grass. As the party were enjoying aday’s rest, one of the men, a Canadian by birth,missed his riding mule from the herd. Withoutinforming any of his friends of his intentions, hestarted out in quest of the animal. His absence,at first, was not noticed; but, soon, inquiries weremade for him, and when an unusual length of time hadpassed without his return, Fremont became anxiousfor his safety. He directed Kit Carson to takethree men and go in search of him. On arrivingat their last camp, Kit found a spot where, undoubtedly,the man had fallen from his horse wounded, as, aboutthe place, there were pools of coagulated blood.It was now believed that their companion was dead.Kit immediately ordered the party to search for hisbody, but they could not find it. They then followedthe trail of the Canadian’s horse, which it wasvery evident he had caught and mounted before beingshot. It led to where the animal had crossedthe river. There, all signs disappeared.After a faithful search for the trail, Kit returnedto camp, and informed his commander of the resultof his day’s work. The next morning thesearch was renewed by all of the company. Theydiscovered Indian signs, yet could not trace themto where the body was. After looking in everyconceivable hiding-place in the neighborhood of thesigns, they gave up the hunt. Kit Carson was muchaffected by the loss of this man. He had beenhis friend. They had been associated in manytrapping expeditions, and knew each other most intimately.He felt assured that, if the Canadian had not beensurprised by any enemy in ambuscade, he would havekilled one or two Indians before he himself fell;for, besides being a very brave man, he was well versedin Indian mode of warfare, and was considered a finemarksman.
The party now proceeded on their journey, returningto and keeping on the Spanish Trail, which was notleft until they reached the “Vega of Santa Clara.”There they struck out across the country to the Utahlake, which, after crossing, they left, and went tothe Wintry River, and thence to Green River, Brown’sHole, Little Snake River, and so on to the mouth ofSt. Vrain’s Fork. It was here that theytraversed the mountains and came upon Laramie Riverbelow the New Park. They journeyed through thisinto the Old Park, and thence traveled to the headwaters of the south fork of the Platte. On quittingit, they bent their way to the Arkansas River, comingon to it at a point just below the place where itleaves the Rocky Mountains; and, by keeping on downit, they arrived at Bent’s Fort on the 2d ofJuly, 1844. On the following fourth of July Mr.Bent gave a dinner in commemoration of the occasionto Fremont and his party. Although hundreds ofmiles separated from their countrymen, yet they satdown to as sumptuous a repast as could be furnishedin many towns of the States.
The exploring party considered their labors finishedat this post, as, in accordance with the tastes ofmany of the party, they were near enough to civilization.The command was dissolved, and Colonel Fremont proceededon his route to Washington. Kit Carson, aboutthe same time, started for Taos, where he had beenfor a long time anxiously expected by his family andfriends.
The description which Colonel Fremont has given ofthe country through which this expedition traveled,seems to be an appropriate and almost a necessaryaddition to this work. On the 24th day of Maythe party, on their return, reached the Utah Lake.“Early the next day,” says Fremont, “wecame in sight of the lake; and, as we descended tothe broad bottoms of the Spanish Fork, three horsem*nwere seen galloping towards us, who proved to be UtahIndians—scouts from a village, which wasencamped near the mouth of the river. They werearmed with rifles, and their horses were in good condition.We encamped near them, on the Spanish Fork, whichis one of the principal tributaries to the lake.Finding the Indians troublesome, and desirous to remainhere a day, we removed the next morning further downthe lake, and encamped on a fertile bottom near thefoot of the same mountainous ridge which borders theGreat Salt Lake, and along which we had journeyedthe previous September.
“We had now accomplished an object we had inview when leaving the Dalles of the Columbia in Novemberlast; we had reached the Utah Lake; but by a routevery different from what we had intended, and withoutsufficient time remaining to make the examinationswhich were desired. It is a lake of note in thiscountry, under the dominion of the Utahs, who resortto it for fish. Its greatest breadth is aboutfifteen miles, stretching far to the north, narrowingas it goes, and connecting with the Great Salt Lake.
“In arriving at the Utah Lake, we had completedan immense circuit of twelve degrees diameter northand south, and ten degrees east and west; and foundourselves in May, 1844, on the same sheet of waterwhich we had left in September, 1843. The Utahis the southern limb of the Great Salt Lake; and thuswe had seen that remarkable sheet of water both atit* northern and southern extremity, and were ableto fix its position at these two points. Thecircuit which we had made, and which had cost us eightmonths of time, and 3,500 miles of traveling, hadgiven us a view of Oregon and of North California fromthe Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and of thetwo principal streams which form bays or harbors onthe coast of that sea. Having completed thiscircuit, and being now about to turn the back uponthe Pacific slope of our continent, and to recrossthe Rocky Mountains, it is natural to look back uponour footsteps, and take some brief view of the leadingfeatures and general structure of the country we havetraversed. These are peculiar and striking, and
differ essentially from the Atlantic side of our country.The mountains all are higher, more numerous, and moredistinctly defined in their ranges and directions;and, what is so contrary to the natural order of suchformations, one of these, ranges, which is near thecoast (the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range), presentshigher elevations and peaks than any which are tobe found in the Rocky Mountains themselves. Inour eight months’ circuit, we were never out,of sight of snow; and the Sierra Nevada, where wecrossed it, was near 2,000 feet higher than the SouthPass in the Rocky Mountains. In height, thesemountains greatly exceed those of the Atlantic side,constantly presenting peaks which enter the regionof eternal snow; and some of them volcanic, and ina frequent state of activity. They are seen atgreat distances and guide the traveler in his courses.“The course and elevation of these ranges givedirection to the rivers, and character to the coast.No great river does, or can, take its rise below theCascade and Sierra Nevada Range; the distance to thesea is too short to admit of it. The rivers ofthe San Francisco Bay, which are the largest afterthe Columbia, are local to that bay, and lateral tothe coast, having their sources about on a line withthe Dalles of the Columbia, and running each in a valleyof its own, between the Coast Range and the Cascadeand Sierra Nevada Range. The Columbia is theonly river which traverses the whole breadth of thecountry, breaking through all the ranges, and enteringthe sea. Drawing its waters from a section often degrees of latitude in the Rocky Mountains, whichare collected into one stream by three main forks(Lewis’s, Clark’s, and the North Fork),near the centre of the Oregon valley, this great riverthence proceeds by a single channel to the sea, whileits three forks lead each to a pass in the mountains,which opens the way into the interior of the continent.This fact in relation to the rivers of this regiongives an immense value to the Columbia. Its mouthis the only inlet and outlet to and from the sea;its three forks lead to the passes in the mountains;it is, therefore, the only line of communication betweenthe Pacific and the interior of North America; andall operations of war or commerce, of national orsocial intercourse, must be conducted upon it.This gives it a value beyond estimation, and wouldinvolve irreparable injury if lost. In this unityand concentration of its waters, the Pacific side ofour continent differs entirely from the Atlantic side,where the waters of the Alleghany Mountains are dispersedinto many rivers, having their different entrancesinto the sea, and opening many lines of communicationwith the interior.”
“The Pacific coast is equally different fromthat of the Atlantic. The coast of the Atlanticis low and open, indented with numerous bays, sounds,and river estuaries, accessible everywhere, and openingby many channels into the heart of the country.The Pacific coast, on the contrary, is high and compact,with few bays, and but one that opens into the heartof the country. The immediate coast is what theseamen call iron bound. A little within,it is skirted by two successive ranges of mountains,standing as ramparts between the sea and the interiorcountry; and to get through which, there is but onegate, and that narrow and easily defended. Thisstructure of the coast, backed by these two rangesof mountains, with its concentration and unity ofwaters, gives to the country an immense military strength,and will probably render Oregon the most impregnablecountry in the world.”
“Differing so much from the Atlantic side ofour continent in coast, mountains, and rivers, thePacific side differs from it in another most rareand singular feature—that of the Great interiorBasin, of which I have so often spoken, and the wholeform and character of which I was so anxious to ascertain.Its existence is vouched for by such of the Americantraders and hunters as have some knowledge of thatregion; the structure of the Sierra Nevada range ofmountains requires it to be there; and my own observationsconfirm it. Mr. Joseph Walker, who is so wellacquainted in those parts, informed that, from theGreat Salt Lake west, there was a succession of lakesand rivers which have no outlet to the sea, nor anyconnection with the Columbia, or with the Coloradoof the Gulf of California. He described someof these lakes as being large, with numerous streams,and even considerable rivers, falling into them.In fact, all concur in the general report of theseinterior rivers and lakes; and, for want of understandingthe force and power of evaporation, which so soonestablishes an equilibrium between the loss and supplyof waters, the fable of whirlpools and subterraneousoutlets has gained belief as the only imaginable wayof carrying off the waters which have no visible discharge.The structure of the country would require this formationof interior lakes; for the waters which would collectbetween the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada,not being able to cross this formidable barrier, norto get to the Columbia or the Colorado, must naturallycollect into reservoirs, each of which would haveits little system of streams and rivers to supply it.This would be the natural effect; and what I saw wentto confirm it. The Great Salt Lake is a formationof this kind, and quite a large one; and having manystreams, and one considerable river, four or five hundredmiles long, falling into it. This lake and riverI saw and examined myself; and also saw the Wahsatchand Bear River Mountains which inclose the watersof the lake on the east, and constitute, in that quarter,
the rim of the Great Basin. Afterwards, alongthe eastern base of the Sierra Nevada, where we traveledfor forty-two days, I saw the line of lakes and riverswhich lie at the foot of that Sierra; and which Sierrais the western rim of the Basin. In going downLewis’s Fork and the main Columbia, I crossedonly inferior streams coming in from the left, suchas could draw their water from a short distance only;and I often saw the mountains at their heads, whitewith snow; which, all accounts said, divided the watersof the desert from those of the Columbia, andwhich could be no other than the range of mountainswhich form the rim of the Basin on its northern side.And in returning from California along the Spanishtrail, as far as the head of the Santa Clara Forkof the Rio Virgen, I crossed only small streams makingtheir way south to the Colorado, or lost in sand—asthe Mo-hah-ve; while to the left, lofty mountains,their summits white with snow, were often visible,and which must have turned water to the north as wellas to the south, and thus constituted, on this part,the southern rim of the Basin. At the head ofthe Santa Clara Fork, and in the Vegas de Santa Clara,we crossed the ridge which parted the two systemsof waters. We entered the Basin at that point,and have traveled in it ever since, having its southeasternrim (the Wahsatch Mountain) on the right, and crossingthe streams which flow down into it. The existenceof the Basin is, therefore, an established fact inmy mind; its extent and contents are yet to be betterascertained. It cannot be less than four or fivehundred miles each way, and must lie principally inthe Alta California; the demarcation latitude of 42deg. probably cutting a segment from the north partof the rim. Of its interior, but little is known.It is called a desert, and, from what I sawof it, sterility may be its prominent characteristic;but where there is so much water there must be someoasis. The great river and the great lakereported may not be equal to the report; but wherethere is so much snow, there must be streams; and wherethere is no outlet, there must be lakes to hold theaccumulated waters, or sands to swallow them up.In this eastern part of the basin, containing Sevier,Utah, and the Great Salt lakes, and the rivers andcreeks falling into them, we know there is good soiland good grass, adapted to civilized settlements.In the western part, on Salmon-trout River, and someother streams, the same remark may be made.”“The contents of this Great Basin are yet tobe examined. That it is peopled, we know; butmiserably and sparsely. From all that I heardand saw, I should say that humanity here appeared inits lowest form, and in its most elementary state.Dispersed in single families; without fire-arms; eatingseeds and insects; digging roots (and hence theirname); such is the condition of the greater part.Others are a degree higher, and live in communities
upon some lake or river that supplies fish, and fromwhich they repulse the miserable digger.The rabbit is the largest animal known in this desert;its flesh affords a little meat; and their bag-likecovering is made of its skins. The wild sageis their only wood, and here it is of extraordinarysize—sometimes a foot in diameter, and sixor eight feet high. It serves for fuel, for buildingmaterial, for shelter to the rabbits, and for somesort of covering for the feet and legs in cold weather.Such are the accounts of the inhabitants and productionsof the Great Basin; and which, though imperfect, musthave some foundation, and excite our desire to knowthe whole.”“The whole idea of such a desert and such apeople, is a novelty in our country, and excites Asiatic,not American ideas. Interior basins, with theirown systems of lakes and rivers, and often sterile,are common enough in Asia; people in the elementarystate of families, living in deserts, with no otheroccupation than the mere animal search for food, maystill be seen in that ancient quarter of the globe;but in America such things are new and strange, unknownand unsuspected, and discredited when related.But I flatter myself that what is discovered, thoughnot enough to satisfy curiosity, is sufficient toexcite it, and that subsequent explorations will completewhat has been commenced.”
“This account of the Great Basin, it will beremembered, belongs to the Alta California, and hasno application to Oregon, whose capabilities may justifya separate remark. Referring to my journal forparticular descriptions, and for sectional boundariesbetween good and bad districts, I can only say, ingeneral and comparative terms, that, in that branchof agriculture which implies the cultivation of grainsand staple crops, it would be inferior to the AtlanticStates, though many parts are superior for wheat,while in the rearing of flocks and herds it wouldclaim a high place. Its grazing capabilitiesare great; and even in the indigenous grass now there,an element of individual and national wealth may befound. In fact the valuable grasses begin withinone hundred and fifty miles of the Missouri frontierand extend to the Pacific Ocean. East of the RockyMountains, it is the short, curly grass, on whichthe buffalo delight to feed (whence its name of buffalo),and which is still good when dry and apparently dead.West of those mountains it is a larger growth, inclusters, and hence called bunch grass, and which hasa second or fall growth. Plains and mountainsboth exhibit them; and I have seen good pasturageat an elevation of ten thousand feet. In thisspontaneous product, the trading or traveling caravanscan find subsistence for their animals; and in militaryoperations any number of cavalry may be moved, andany number of cattle may be driven, and thus men andhorses be supported on long expeditions, and evenin winter in the sheltered situations.
“Commercially, the value of the Oregon countrymust be great, washed as it is by the North PacificOcean, fronting Asia, producing many of the elementsof commerce, mild and healthy in its climate, andbecoming, as it naturally will, a thoroughfare forthe East India and China trade.”
Col. Fremont, in this beautiful and instructivepassage of descriptive writing, refers to the grasson which the buffalo “delight to feed.”It is eminently proper that we should add a few wordsfor general information concerning the grasses ofthe prairies, as also concerning the timber, flowers,game, face of the country, etc., etc., inwhich the whole life of Kit Carson has been spent.
On the west side of the Arkansas River, and betweenthat stream and the Rocky Mountains, there are threedistinct species of grass found. The first isthe short, curly variety, on which the buffalo aresaid to feed, from which fact it takes its name.The second kind is the Grama grass, which is, I believe,indigenous to only this section of America. Itsstalk grows to the height of about one foot. Nearits top, it gives off, at right angles, another stem,which is usually from one and a half to three inchesin length. From this last-mentioned stem, hangclusters of seeds which are well protected by a suitablecovering. It is said, and my own observation confirmsthe fact, that horses will leave grain, such as cornand oats, to feed on this grass; and its wonderfulnutritious properties cannot be denied. Wildoats are often seen in the mountain valleys. Alongthe low swampy lands which skirt the rivers of theplains, there is yet another species of grass whichgrows oftentimes several feet high, and has a broadblade, similar almost to that of the flag plant.On approaching the mountains the blue grass is found,which is nearly the same as that usually met within many of our western States. The bunch grass,as spoken of by Fremont, is not confined to the mountainsin New Mexico; it is sometimes met with in the valleys,where it grows to an immense height; but, in the lowlands, it is useless, being too tough for animalsto masticate. Strangers, when journeying in theseparts, often make the mistake of selecting camps inthis tall grass, being deceived by its thrifty appearance;but, one night, thus spent, will clearly prove itsutter worthlessness.
On the plains there are but few wild flowers; but,as the traveler approaches the mountains, they greethis eyes in extensive beds and of variegated colors.As a grazing country, the Rocky Mountains and theirimmediate vicinity cannot be surpassed. The timberfound there is poor in quality. It comprisespine, cedar, and cotton wood, with here and therepatches of small and crooked oak bushes. The riversin the mountains are formed from melting snows andsprings. They come tumbling down through roughgorges and rocky canons, until they are free in thevalleys, where, they form bold and beautiful rivers.
The brook trout are the fish which mostly inhabitthem, and, a singular fact, in many of these streamsthis kind of fish treat the presence of a man withperfect indifference, which has led me to believe,that in their primitive state, the “shy trout”fear neither man nor beast. The Indians catchthem, and it may be that this fish is first frightenedby them. In the Rocky Mountains, south of thehead waters of the Arkansas, comparatively speaking,there are but few small birds and squirrels.The raven, the crow, the hawk, the owl, and occasionallythe eagle, are seen. Wild geese, ducks, and cranes,are common. Pigeons, including the wild dove,are not often seen. The magpie is found in abundance.Turkeys and grouse are also in abundance. Wildrabbits and a species of hare are also common.Indeed a man can travel for days in the Rocky Mountainsand never hear the musical notes of a bird. Inthese mountains, rattle-snakes are only found in thevalleys, where it is warm. In the summer, thedeer and elk live in the mountains; but, when coldweather sets in, they are driven out of them by thedeep snows. The antelope of the plains seek themountain valleys during the winter. The buffalomigrate south as the season becomes too severe forthem. Sometimes they are caught by the storms,and are obliged to winter also in the mountain valleys.The pine trees of the Rocky Mountains bear a smallnut, which is called by the Mexicans pinon,which, when cooked, are quite pleasant to the taste.There are many small salt lakes in the mountains, andmany marshes, where the ground is covered white bythe salt deposit. The mineral wealth of the RockyMountains is very great, and there is no doubt butsome day, rich veins of gold, silver, and iron orewill be discovered there. The geological formationof the country is such as to warrant this belief.Nearly every stream carries down in its floods thatprecious metal, gold; but, in such small quantities,as not to attract the attention of miners. Ihave found there, on the surface of the earth, smallpieces of material resembling stone coal, which haveprobably been thrown up by some volcanic action.Hot and mineral springs are not unfrequently met with.They are places of frequent resort by the Indians,who use them for medicinal purposes.CHAPTER IX.
Kit Carson concludes to become a Farmer—He is joined in theEnterprise by a Friend—They build a Ranche on the CimeronRiver—Descriptions of Mexican Customs and Country—Fremontonce more at Bent’s Fort—Express sent for Kit Carson tojoin the Expedition as Guide—The Ranche Sold, andthe Departure—The Third Expedition andits Explorations—Difficulties with theMexican-Californians—General Castro’s Orders to leave theCountry—Determination to Fight—Fremont goes to Lawson’sFort—Fremont and his Men encounter a Thousand Indians—TheBattle and the Victory—The news that War had beendeclared between the United States and Mexico reachesFremont—Lieutenant Gillespie rescued from the Indians—Threeof the party killed in the Night by Indians—The Savagesrepulsed—The Burial of Comrades.
In the early spring of 1845, Kit Carson, after weighingthe various occupations which presented, decided tobecome a farmer. One of his mountaineer friends,Mr. Richard Owens, came to the same conclusion.Together they talked over their plans, and concludedthat it would be to them, at least, newness of lifeto be domiciled in their own houses. The twohunters carefully marked out their plans, and thenset to work with a will for success to carry theminto execution. A very short time enabled themto choose a farming site, because their knowledgeof the country enabled them to see all of its desirablelocalities, as it were at a glance. They decidedto purchase a tract of wild land situated on the littleCimeron River, and improve it. Their arrangementswere soon made, tools and implements, stock and animals,provisions and necessaries all procured. Withthe services of some laborers hired by them, theywere soon engaged actively preparing their land forthe reception of seed. The spot which they selectedwas forty-five miles east of Taos. They commencedthe enterprise by building some small huts. Theseafforded both themselves and their Mexican laborersa comfortable lodgment. They sowed a considerablequantity of grain, and prepared timber almost sufficientto build good substantial houses. Their vigorouslyprosecuted labors began to show evident results, andin the prospect, it was clearly apparent that anotheryear would serve to give them profitable reward fortheir enterprise.
It seems appropriate at this point, that we shouldenable the reader to look upon and judge of the farmingcountry and habits of New Mexico; their markets, andsome of the manners and customs of the people whodwell in cities. The town of Taos affords a fairsample of the markets, and as Kit Carson has manytimes been exhibited to the reader at that place,it is very proper that we should describe it.
The town of Taos is located in a valley called bythe same name. The town consists of a seriesof villages, which are scattered, and are known tothe Mexicans by various names. The main villageis called Fernandez de Taos, and is located near thecentre of the valley, on a high plateau of ground.The buildings here, as, indeed, in all the towns ofNew Mexico, are constructed of adobes, and are onestory high, with what is usually known as flat roofs.These houses are huddled together without much regardbeing paid to streets. The main attraction ofthe town is the plaza, where all the business, suchas marketing, etc., is carried on. It ishere that the stores are located; and, on a fete day,or in business hours, it is thronged with Mexicans,Americans, and Indians. Among these there is alarge per-centage of idlers. The houses are mostlycovered with a white material, which is either chalkor lime. The church is the largest building inthe town, and is a rough specimen of architecture,which is rudely finished within. It has a flat-sounding
bell, propped up in a sort of a belfry. To makea noise on this, a piece of iron, or several stonesare used; and, when an attempt at chiming is made,it is very laughable. The figures representingsaints, and even the altar, are a strange compoundof imitation. On the respective days set apartby the Catholic church for worship, marriages and feteservices are carried on with a great attempt at pomp,but, under the circ*mstances, they leave no lastingimpression of grandeur, save on the inhabitants, whohave beheld nothing beyond their own country.The dignitary most respected in these towns is thePadre (or Priest), who is looked upon as sacred; and,when so inclined, this class of men have the powerof accomplishing much good; but, oftentimes, theypervert this power, setting bad examples in their modeof life, and offering wicked counsel. However,under the management of the present bishop, who isa very exemplary man, these things are being changed.The old Priests of New Mexico were formerly educatedin Old Mexico. Their information was very imperfect,and their minds were contracted down to extreme narrowness,from want of observation; hence, they were the meansof retarding the natural progress of the people.It cannot be denied but that the Catholic religionhas been the pioneer system in the far West, and that,in the hands of good and pure men, it has done muchpraiseworthy work, and has set an example which othercreeds might and ought to follow. The valleyof Taos is bounded on all sides by lofty mountains,which are but continuations of the Rocky chain.The boundaries of this valley are very irregular, bothin the course they take and in their altitudes.The valley is about thirty miles wide and some fifteenmiles long. The ground has the appearance, atfirst sight, of being a plain; but, on closer observation,it is found to contain many ravines, and to bear theappearance of being undulating. To the west sideof it, rolls the Rio Grande, which cuts, for mostof the way, through a deep and impassable (for fordingpurposes) channel. In the valley, there are butfew, if any, trees, which fact gives the villagesa barren look. The mountains about are coveredwith timber, which is not generally of the first qualityfor building purposes. The number of people includedwithin the limits of this valley, it is difficultto estimate; but, about ten thousand would includeevery living soul. The occupation of the peopleis farming. Raising horses, cattle and sheepis carried on to a certain extent; but most of thelarge herds of these animals owned in this town arekept at ranches situated at more distant points, wheregrass is to be had in abundance, and those retainedabout the villages are only kept for immediate use.The reason for this is found in the fact that mostof this valley is not under cultivation, but is coveredwith sage bushes. It is around the skirts ofthe mountains, that the only valuable grass is found.The people, as a general thing, are quite poor, but,as they find a ready market through the military postsfor their produce, they manage to realize some money,and thus live quite comfortably, in contrast withtheir former destitute condition under the governmentof Old Mexico. Some of the inhabitants might besaid to be rich, though but few of this class ownten thousand dollars’ worth of property.It is with great labor that the people of Taos bringtheir crops to perfection, as it is necessary to irrigatethe soil, unless the season, which is rarely the fact,is favorable in furnishing rains to them. Thereare no fences to divide one man’s possessionsfrom another’s; but, by common law, they furnishshepherds to guard their flocks and cattle and keepthem from trespassing. The climate is very severeduring the winter season, but in the summer it isdelightful. The health of this community is wonderfullygood. Indeed, the only severe diseases they haveto contend against are brought on by vices. Excludingsmall pox, and the lesser complaints among young children,no epidemics are known. The country is so elevatedand inland, that the air is dry and salubrious, andthe “dew point” is rarely reached so asto amount to anything. It may be well to addhere, that for the consumptive patient, in the earlystages of the disease, there is no such climate inthe world to visit, as that of New Mexico; but, asa matter of course, he must vary his location withthe changes of temperature, being governed by the seasons.The winter in Taos is too severe for him; then, hemust go South, towards, or even to El Paso, whereit is congenial to his disease. I prophesy thatsome day our internal continent will be the “Mecca”for pilgrims with this disease.The dress of the New Mexican is the same as in OldMexico. The peasant wears his sombreroand his everlasting blanket, which serves him as acoat, and a covering by night. He rarely has butone suit of clothes, which are put on new and wornuntil they are of no further use. By amalgamatingwith the Americans, they are gradually changing theirstyle of dress. The buckskin pants, which werecharacteristically cut and ornamented, are giving wayto the ordinary cloth ones of his white companion.It is so with the blanket, which is being shed forthe coat; and, again, this is true with the moccasin,which is being replaced by the leathern shoe.The dress of the female has undergone the same alteration.From almost a state of nudity, they have been raisedto a position from which they look upon silk and satinwith a “connoisseur’s eye.”When New Mexico was part and parcel of the domainof Old Mexico, Taos was the seat of much smugglingfrom the United States, and many an apparent pack ofgrain drawn into the town has been nothing less thanpackages of domestic goods, the duties upon which,when introduced in the legal way, were enormous; hencethe white men engaged in this business, when successful,
met with ample rewards for their labors. The frontierswere like the olden sea coasts. The Mexicans keptout scores of custom-house officers to guard theirfrontiers, but the shrewd foreigners, many times,were able to escape them; at others, they were sofortunate as to find that a bribe would answer as well.An old trick was to have a double bottom to a wagon,and, in the vacant space thus formed, were stowedvaluable shawls and such light articles as would meeta sure and remunerative sale. Sometimes the goodswere brought near the frontiers and there hidden inthe ground until a favorable opportunity offered tosteal them into the country. When there was greatdanger that these secreted goods would be discovered,the smugglers would so arrange a keg of powder witha loaded pistol pointing at it, with strings runningto the shrubbery near by, so as to cause it to explodeand kill the searchers should the bushes about bedisturbed. One old smuggler once fixed thingsin this manner, but performed his task too well; for,on going to remove his property, he came very nearblowing himself up, as the mine was sprung and he wasthrown in the air, but miraculously escaped. Manyof the adventures of these men would be interesting;but they are too voluminous to be embodied in ourwork. The valley of Taos is well watered by mountainstreams which flow into the Rio Grande. On oneof these creeks and near the mountains, to the eastof Fernandez de Taos, is located an Indian Pueblowhich is very interesting to the traveler. Itshouses are built one on top of another until a sortof pyramid is formed. The people enter theirrespective domicils through the roofs, which forma kind of steps. At the foot of this queer buildingthere is a church; and around, the scenery is verypicturesque, as the whole is bounded on one side bya gap in the mountains, while on the other is the openvalley. This band of Indians at first offeredgreat resistance and fought with much bravery againstthe United States; but now they are counted amongits most faithful allies, and are great in their admirationof Kit Carson. The farming utensils of the NewMexicans are rude in the extreme; but the agriculturalimplements of the Anglo-Saxon are slowly replacingthese articles. The old plough, as frequentlyused at the present time by the New Mexicans, is indeeda curiosity, as it probably was invented in the earliesttimes. It consists of one piece of timber whichis crooked the proper shape by nature; the end ofthis is sharpened, and on it is fastened a singlepiece of iron which has an attempt at a sharp point.The force to propel this farming implement is attachedin the usual way, with but few modifications.Oxen are always employed in this labor, and theiryoke is fastened after the Egyptian fashion, to theirhorns instead of by bows. In breaking up thehard prairies, this plough had a difficult task toperform and was often broken; but, by the assistanceof men employed in clearing obstacles, such as sagebushes, etc., the task was imperfectly gone throughwith. The Mexican axe is another curious tool,which resembles as much the common pick of our laborersas it does the axe used by American woodsmen.The sickle is used in harvesting to this day in theseparts, performing the duties of the scythe, the cradle,etc. The most remarkable sight of all isthe Mexican cart, the noise of which, when moving,can, be heard on a still day at a great distance.The wheels of this vehicle are at least one foot thick,and consist of pieces of solid wood which are peggedtogether and made to approach a circle by the bestjudgment of the eye, without the aid of measuring.These wheels are very heavy, and when rolling theygo by jerks, owing to their want of proportion, etc.The body of the cart, as are all of its parts, is madeof soft wood, and seems to be constructed for weightand strength instead of beauty. The whole affair,when complete, is almost a load by itself; hence, itis capable of carrying but a small cargo. Thegrain that Mexicans of New Mexico grow is corn andwheat, and it is on these crops that they depend fortheir support. In converting this grain into flour,they either use the old water mill which is very primitivein its construction, or else, when these are not nearby, they make use of two stones and grind it by hand.Their common diet is a sort of thick gruel made ofcorn meal, wheat bread, eggs, peas, beans, pumpkins,which latter articles they roast, and then break holesinto them and with a spoon dip out the contents asthey are required; and, to finish the catalogue, sometimesmeat, game and milk. The fruits found in NewMexico are not various, and are mostly confined toapples, peaches, plums and grapes. These latterare truly superior, and are raised in the greatestabundance in the south of the Territory, where, also,they manufacture a very pleasant red wine, which goesby the name of El Paso Wine. We take the mannersand customs of the people of Taos as a good type tojudge of the manners and customs of the New Mexicans,for the town is second only in size, in this Territory,to Santa Fe. The inhabitants of New Mexico, notwithstandingtheir poverty and neglect, owing to their remote locality,are perhaps as happy and contented as any communityin the world. They are not over-celebrated fortheir chastity or virtue; and, to the disgrace of thewhite man, they have not been assisted by him in thesecardinal principles; but, time will work wonders onthis score and teach the immorality of such proceedings.Their great source of enjoyment consists in dancing;and hence the fandango is always looked for as a timewhen dull care will be dispelled. A grand fandangois the event of a New Mexican’s life. Theseaffairs are gotten up sometimes for charitable purposes,when the money gathered in the sale of refreshmentsis distributed to the poor; or else they are startedby individuals to make a little money out of.In a town the size of Taos, during the winter season,hardly a night passes by without a dance. Writteninvitations in Spanish are freely circulated aboutthe town in order to entrap the strangers, while theinhabitants are invited by other means. The musicconsists of a high-strung violin and a species ofguitar. This is perambulated about the town.The players perform light dancing tunes and accompanythe music with their voices, making up the words asthey go along. This music is learned entirelyby ear, and is transmitted from one generation toanother through the means of these fandangos.The vocal music is anything but harmonious to theear, but some of the airs, when played on the instruments,are rather pleasing, and one, on hearing them, findshimself often humming them afterwards. The powersof music are nowhere better illustrated than amongthese people. Their ready ear quickly catchesa new tune, and it is not uncommon to hear, in a Mexicantown, a senorita giving vent to a negro melody or afavorite polka which she has heard some American singor whistle. At Santa Fe there are several notedplayers on the violin and harp who cannot read a wordof music, yet they can play on their respective instrumentswith taste and skill. A New Mexican female, inpreparing herself for these balls, is very particularin making, by the aid of cosmetics, her complexionas light as possible. She first uses a red berrywhich stains her face almost to the color of brickand renders her excessively ugly; this she leaveson several hours, when it is washed off and chalkis applied so freely as to render it easily perceptible.In her toilet she is also very particular, as far asthe exterior is concerned, and in the fandangothe stranger’s eyes are taken by storm by thegaudy colors he sees rather than the neatness of thedress. The floor of the dancing-room is usuallythe mother earth, which is frequently sprinkled withwater to keep down the dust. The men are in theireveryday habiliments, with the addition of any cleanthing they may chance to possess; but, usually theyare a motley crowd, a glance at whom at first leavesthe impression that they are far from being refined.Except when dancing, they cling to their blankets,and at the least pause in the proceedings, they atonce draw forth the materials and make their cigarettos.Both men and women indulge in these articles; andoftentimes when the dance is in full blast, the airof the room is densely charged with the smell of theburning punchi, a species of tobacco, makingit anything but agreeable. The women are seatedon benches along the walls of the building, by themselves,while the men congregate in knots together. Onthe commencement of a figure, the Mexican selects hispartner and notifies her that she is his choice bymaking a signal to her with his hand, when she takesher position in the dance. The eyes and the latentsmile on the face of the “dark eyed senorita”shows she is enjoying herself. The men exhibittheir pleasure in a more boisterous manner; that is,by occasionally whooping and cracking jokes.Gambling[18] is carried on under the same roof; andin this both men and women join as long as their moneylasts. Then they make room for others who areanxious to try their fortunes. This vice is trulyof a national character, and so given to it are thesepeople, that they will part with anything to supporttheir appetite. To their credit it can be said,that the New Mexican women indulge but sparingly inalcoholic liquor; but the men are prone to the intoxicatingcup. They often anticipate the evil effects ofdrink, and it is not unfrequent to see a New Mexicanassuming the airs of a drunken man after two or threemouthfuls of “aqua-diente.”The spirit of the ball is carried on well into theshort hours of night, when all parties depart fortheir homes. Intoxication, that curse to all men,is playing havoc with this innocent amusem*nt of thepeople, and causing these scenes to terminate in riot,and often bloodshed, especially when the jealousyof the white blood is raised at some imagined insult;and then, as is always the case, the two races comein fierce contact. It is hoped that by the aidof schools and education these things may be ameliorated,but they cannot be cured. The mischief is toodeeply rooted.[Footnote 18: The game most frequently playedis monte.]
We have thus endeavored to give the reader a viewof the people among whom Kit Carson had determinedto become a farmer. But he was not destined tofinish and perfect his plans.
Near the conclusion of the second exploring expedition,and at the time when Kit Carson took his departurefrom the party, Col. Fremont had received a promisefrom him to the effect that he would join, as guide,any party of discovery, for the further explorationof the Rocky Mountains, which he, Col. Fremont,should command.
During the active duties of a farmer’s life,and just as Kit Carson had brought his new enterpriseinto working order, an expressman from Col. Fremontarrived at his ranche, bearing dispatches to Carson.The purport of these dispatches was to remind KitCarson of his promise, to inform him of the organizationof a third expedition, and to appoint a place whereKit Carson might find his old commander.
The express found Carson in the midst of so many caresand anxieties concerning his new project, that itbecame a very difficult matter for him to keep hisword. But the sacrifice of pecuniary interestwas but a slight consideration with Kit, when weighedin the balance against his promise. He knew thathis promise had not been either lightly given or received.Col. Fremont, by it, had the first right to histime and energies, and had formed his expectationsaccordingly; and Kit lost, therefore, no time in makingpreparations to satisfy these expectations by reportinghimself at the appointed place of meeting, ready forthe march.
But to effect this was attended with no slight difficulties.Kit Carson had a large sum invested in his improvements,by way of payments for labor, as well as purchasesof stock, provision, farming tools, utensils, teams,wagons, seed, and stock in general. The erectionof his house, barns, etc., was under an advancewhich reached far towards completion. But withKit Carson, his word was worth more than prospectivelosses which its fulfillment would entail. Incompany with Mr. Owens, he set himself actively atwork to effect a complete sell-out. After a gooddeal of anxious inquiry, he found a man who was willingto pay one half of the real valuation attached to hisproperty. Notwithstanding this sacrifice, thebargain was closed and the business details completed.In company with Mr. Owens, Kit Carson once more badehis family and friends an affectionate farewell.They took the route for Bent’s Fort, and arrivedthere in the course of a few days. The meetingbetween Fremont and Carson was mutually satisfactory.With his friend, Mr. Owens, he joined the Third expeditionof Col. Fremont, which was the last one whichhe undertook by authority of the United States government.
A long tramp was before them. The arrangementspreparatory were, therefore, made with correspondingcare and diligence. The route led up the ArkansasRiver to the point where that stream leaves the mountains;thence they made a circuit by the Ballo Salado, orSoda Springs, coming back again upon the Arkansas,striking the stream above its great canon. Thencethey journeyed on to the head waters of the river.Here they left the Arkansas River and took a directroute for the Piney River, down which latter streamthey traveled to a spot within twenty-five miles ofits mouth. From this place they continued theirexplorations of the country to the head of White River.Following down it, they soon reached the mountains.Crossing them, they proceeded to Prevost’s Fork.
At this spot a desperate fight once occurred betweena party of trappers and a band of hostile Indians.The trappers were commanded by a man whose name hasever since been applied to the stream. Prevost,although he had a strong party and fought a most desperatebattle, nevertheless was outnumbered, outgeneralled,and most completely overpowered. The Indianssucceeded in killing the entire party, including himself,with but four exceptions. These four escapedonly with the greatest difficulty and prudence.Through them the particulars of the affair becameknown to the mountaineers.
Col. Fremont (we should before this have mentionedthat Fremont had been promoted in the corps of TopographicalEngineers from the post of Lieutenant to the rankof Captain by brevet) now examined the country asfar as the south side of the Great Salt Lake, passingon his route a smaller body of water, which, for manyyears, has been known as Little Utah Lake. Thecommand halted at Great Salt Lake a few days to recruit,
preparatory to undertaking the further explorationof the lake, together with one of its largest islands,which would be reached by this southern route.The Indians met with on the journey, informed themthat on this island there was plenty of fresh water,and game in abundance. On arriving at a suitableplace, Col. Fremont pitched his tents for themain camp. On the following morning, taking KitCarson and a few chosen men, Col. Fremont startedto explore the island. The reports of the Indianswere proven to be true. In addition to plentyof fresh water and game, they discovered very goodtimber growing there. The game, which provedto be antelope, was so abundant that they decidedto kill from the herds a quantity sufficient for futureuse. The island was about fifteen miles in lengthby about five in breadth. From the main landto the island they were able to ride their horses,as the water was not deep. Upon the banks of thelake they found the salt deposit to vary from thethickness of a wafer to the depth of twelve inches.Having made their observations, the small party returnedto the main camp. On the following day the journeywas resumed, the route leading around the south sideof the lake, until they reached the last fresh waterto be found in that direction. Before them laya wide and unknown desert, over which no white manhad ever passed. Kit Carson had been at thisspot several times in previous years, and had oftenheard the oldest trappers speak of the impossibilityof crossing it for man or beast. They had alwaysshrunk from a path apparently endless, which offeredappearances of neither grass nor water. ColonelFremont had determined to try the formidable desert,and, if possible, unfold its hidden secrets.His men were equally ambitious with himself, and wereready to second his efforts without fearing the trialsor sufferings which the desert route might exact.
Colonel Fremont arranged all of his plans commensuratewith the hardships in expectancy. Early the subsequentmorning he dispatched Kit Carson, Maxwell and twoothers as an advance party to break the road and lookfor a camping site. With his telescope, he thenascended a neighboring mountain to watch the littleparty of pioneers. In the event that water andgrass should be found, Kit Carson’s orders wereto build a fire, the smoke of which would serve asa signal to Fremont, who would immediately followup their trail with the whole command.
For sixty miles, Kit Carson with his little partytraveled over this level, barren and sandy desert,without coming to a drop of water or a blade of grass.At the end of this distance they reached the mountains,on the west side of the lake, and found both in abundance.The signal of smoke was now made, according to agreement.Even at this long distance Fremont discovered it,and immediately set his party in motion. KitCarson sent back one of the men to meet the main body,
and guide it across the dreary waste. Beforethe party had accomplished more than half the distanceto Kit Carson’s advance, night set in, forcingthe whole band to encamp without water, grass, or fuel.The camp became more necessary because the darknesswas so great that they could not follow the trailin a night march. Early the following day themarch was resumed, and a few hours served once moreto reunite the command. They had the misfortune,however, to lose a few of their animals. Theplace which Kit Carson had selected for the camp was,to the weary travelers, in every respect equal toan oasis on the Great Sahara. There is no onething which a traveler on the plains dreads more thanbeing forced to camp without water and grass.At this resting-place Colonel Fremont, in order toaccomplish as much as possible, divided his forcesinto two commands. One of them he gave into thecharge of Mr. Talbot, his assistant, and appointedfor his guide a mountaineer named Walker. Tothis party Colonel Fremont gave instructions to shapetheir course for Mary’s River; on striking which,they were to follow down the stream to where it islost in the Great Basin. Colonel Fremont retainedwith him fifteen men besides his guide. The routewhich he pursued lay in the country south of Mary’sRiver forming a large tract of land, which it was verydesirable that he should explore. After finishingthis, he was to join Talbot on the lake which is formedby the widening of the Carson River. The countrythrough which Colonel Fremont traveled, he found tobe well furnished with grass, water and wood.It is highly picturesque; but, as its characteristicsare so vividly painted in his reports, it is superfluousto add our attempt to the same task. Having arrivedat the lake already mentioned, he there awaited thearrival of Talbot. It was three days before thecommand was again united. They, however, remainedtogether only one night. Early the following morningthey separated once more. This time, Talbot’sinstructions were, to find a certain pass which wouldbring him out in the vicinity of the Sierra NevadaMountains, which he was to cross, and then keep onhis course for the waters of the San Joaquin.Fremont, with his division, journeyed up the CarsonRiver, and after traversing the Sierra Nevada Mountains,he arrived safe at Sutter’s Fort, without meetingwith any incidents that were not to be expected onsuch a trip. Captain Sutter, with his usual urbanityof manner, kindly received them, and supplied theirwants. Of him, Fremont purchased forty head ofcattle and a few horses, with which he set out tolook for Mr. Talbot. In doing so, he traveledup the valley of the San Joaquin, and forded that riverat about where it is ushered forth from the mountains.Mr. Talbot was not to be found in this direction,so the party went to Kings River, and journeyed upit to its head waters. It now happened that thecattle belonging to the party began to grow foot-sore
and weary from travel over rocky trails and throughdeep snows. It became evident that the looked-formen were not in that quarter; therefore, Fremont returnedto the prairies near by, in the hopes of saving hiscattle; but, when he arrived there, he was destituteof these animals, for they had all given out and died.The party had, previous to this misfortune, killedsome of the best of the oxen, and prepared the meatto carry along with them; but, in no great quantities,as their riding animals were not strong enough tobear heavy burdens. The command had hardly leftthe mountains and succeeded in reaching the prairies,before they were obliged to submit to further trialsand losses. After going into camp one night,the men, tired and worn out by much labor, had laindown to rest. As a guard had been posted, theygave themselves but little concern about danger.Their sentinels were not on the look-out as sharplyas they might have been. The consequence was,that some hostile Indians crept within their linesand killed two mules, which depredation was not discovereduntil the next morning.Fremont had no animals remaining in condition to givechase, and therefore had quietly to submit to hisloss. He now resolved to give up for the timebeing his search for Talbot’s party and returnto Sutter’s Fort, where he could reorganize.While on their road to the Fort, the men came suddenlyupon a band of the same Indians who had recently annoyedthem. These fellows seemed to invite an engagement,and were gratified by Col. Fremont. In theskirmish that ensued, they lost five warriors killed.The rest fled. The party, after undergoing manyhardships, finally reached their point of destination.During the latter part of this tramp, game had becomeso scarce that the men had to shoot whatever camein their way. This time it chanced to be wildhorses. When they arrived at the Fort they wereon foot, their saddle and pack animals having allgiven out and broken down. By the kind assistanceof Mr. Sutter, they were furnished anew. Afterrecruiting a little their own worn-out bodies, theystarted on their second trip in quest of their companions.They traversed the coast range and went to San Joseto see if they could hear anything through the Mexicansand Indians who resided there, concerning the whereaboutsof the missing men; as perchance, some of the huntersor traders among these people might, in their travels,have met or heard something of them. On makinginquiries at San Jose, they were informed that theparty was encamped at a well known place on the SanJoaquin. This piece of intelligence immediatelydecided Fremont to dispatch Carson and two companionsto that section of country, while he and the remainderof the men would remain where they were and awaithis return. Kit Carson performed his missionwith his usual promptness and soon returned with hischarge, when the expedition was once more united underone leader. Owing to the great trials and privations
recently met with, and the inability to procure atSutter’s Fort all that was wanted in the matterof an outfit, therefore it was determined upon thatthe party should proceed next to Monterey, where theyknew they could purchase the articles that were actuallyrequired. While en route, and when within thirtymiles of this last-named town, an impertinent orderwas received from Gen. Castro, the Mexican commanderof the territory. The purport of this order was,that Fremont and his party must immediately vacatethe country without further notice, or else the gallantgeneral would be obliged to drive them out. Itwas late in the afternoon when the messenger withthis document arrived in Fremont’s camp; yet,he found time the same day to pack up and fall backto a place where he could fortify his position, ashe felt confident that this was but an empty excusewhich the Mexican general had invented to prevent himfrom penetrating further into the country. TheAmericans had hardly got things in proper trim beforethe Mexican general, at the head of several hundredtroops, arrived and established his camp and head-quarterswithin sight of the former, being deluded with thebelief that he would easily intimidate the exploringparty. The general commenced firing his cannonand making a great uproar. He had all branchesof the service with him, including artillery, infantryand cavalry. In the intention of intimidation,however, he was greatly mistaken, though the differencein numbers between the two parties was in itself almostdecisive, should they come to a conflict. Yetthe Mexicans had but poorly estimated the mettle containedin the American commander and his forty men.They were ready, one and all, to sell their livesdearly in a cause good as that before them. Unshakenin their purpose, the little band of intrepid menremained in their camp for the period of three days.The Americans who were then living at Monterey sentseveral expressmen to their countrymen, warning themof their danger, as they felt that the Mexicans could,without a doubt, completely annihilate them.Fremont’s reply was perfectly characteristicof the man; he said he had done nothing to raise thewrath of the Mexicans, who were now treating him disgracefully.He had come to perform a duty, and could not leavewithout executing it. In fact, neither himselfnor his men would submit to be driven out of the country.At the end of three days, Fremont saw that there wasno prospect of Gen. Castro’s consummating histhreat; and, considering that he had sufficientlyshown his willingness to fight if driven to it, hetherefore concluded to strike his camp and withdrawto the Sacramento River. The party were not disturbedin their movements, and on reaching this stream theyfollowed it up until they came to Peter Lawson’sTrading Post, where Fremont intended, since he couldnot go to Monterey without being too rash, to purchasethe outfit for the homeward-bound trip. The partyremained at this post some ten days, during whichtime some American settlers in the neighborhood camein with the information that one thousand Indian warriorswere collecting for the avowed purpose of destroyingtheir ranches, probably at the instigation of theMexicans. The exploring party, and also five whitemen from the Post, proffered their services to go tothe aid of their countrymen, and shortly afterwardsthe whole command under Fremont moved forward to meetand measure their strength with the savages.The village of the Indians was in due time found, whenthe whites commenced the fight by making an attackon it. The battle was for a little while stoutlycontested; but finally the red men were completelyrouted. The number of the killed it was difficultto ascertain; but Carson is of the opinion that thisfight had the tendency of fixing on the minds of thistribe the truth of their inability to cope with whitemen, the convincing evidence of which was that thebattle-ground was strewn with their dead. Havingmore than accomplished his chastisem*nt of the Indians,Fremont with his party returned to Lawson’s.On finishing his purchases, at this post, whose occupantshad done their utmost to supply his wants and makehis stay agreeable, the explorer once more set hiscommand in motion en route for the Columbia River.He traveled up the Sacramento and passed near the ShastaButtes,[19] and thence on to the Tlamath Lake.While encamped on the head of this collection of water,news came to the party that war had been declaredbetween the United States and Mexico. This intelligencehad been sent to Fremont through Lieutenant Gillespie,of the United States marines, who had with him sixmen as an escort. After traveling three hundredmiles over bad trails at a rapid pace, his animalsbegan to succumb to fatigue. The lieutenant sawhe would fail to accomplish his ends with the wholeparty together, therefore he selected two of his mostreliable men, mounted them on his fleetest horses,and sent them on ahead to bear the dispatches, whilehe himself would jog on slowly. The expressmenoverhauled the exploring party after several daysof hard travel and handed to Fremont the communications.As soon as he had read his letters, Fremont made inquiriesin regard to Gillespie, and found that he was in rathera precarious position; for, should the Tlamath Indianstake the notion, they would murder him and his menjust by the way of pastime. Fremont at once determinedto return with all haste and succor Gillespie fromthe imminent peril that surrounded him. Withthis purpose in view, he selected ten picked men,leaving orders for the rest of the party to followon his trail, and set out. He had traveled aboutsixty miles when he met the officer he was in searchof coming on. The meeting was very gratifyingto both, but especially so to Fremont, who was fullyalive to the dangers through which Gillespie had passed;for, the lieutenant was not sufficiently aware howblack-hearted in their villainy and treachery thistribe, through whose country he was passing, were,as he had heretofore never dealt with them. Acamp was selected near by, and all hands were notlong in being snugly seated in it around a good fire,listening to the important news fresh from the civilizedworld.
[Footnote 19: Blunt projecting mountains.]
Fremont sat up until about one o’clock readinghis letters from the United States. Kit Carsonand Owens, wrapped in their saddle blankets, had pickedout their beds near the fire, as the night was cold.On concluding the reading of his correspondence, Fremontturned in and was soon sound asleep. All wasquiet for awhile, when Kit Carson heard a noise thatawaked him; the sound was like the stroke of an axe.Rising to his feet, he discovered Indians in the camp.While in the act of reaching for his rifle, he gavethe alarm, to his slumbering companions; but, twoof them were already sleeping their last sleep, forthe fatal tomahawk had been buried in their brains.One of these victims was the brave Lajeunesse, whilethe other was a full-blooded Delaware Indian.As Kit Carson left the fire, where he was too conspicuousan object, he saw several warriors approaching towardsit. There lay near to it four other Delawares,who, on hearing the alarm, sprang to their feet.One of them by the name of Crane, seized hold of arifle which, unfortunately, was not his own, and wasnot loaded. The poor fellow was not aware ofthis important fact. He kept trying to fire itwhile he stood erect, and manfully received five arrows,all of which penetrated his left breast, and eitherone of which was sufficient to cause his death.At last, he fell. On grasping his gun, Kit Carsonremembered that the evening before, he had dischargedit for the purpose of cleaning it, and while doingso had accidentally broken its cap tube, and consequentlyhe had not reloaded it. As this flashed acrosshis mind, he threw the rifle down and drew from hisbelt a single-barrelled pistol, with which he madeat the warrior who was so safely throwing his arrowsinto his companion. When sufficiently near, KitCarson fired, but as the fellow kept dodging about,he only succeeded in cutting the string that held thetomahawk to its red owner’s arm. Maxwellnow shot at this same brave and hit him in the fleshypart of one leg; and, as he was turning to run, whichwas the case with most of the Indians by this time,a bullet from the rifle of a mountaineer passed throughhis heart and arrested his progress. The whiteswere now fully awakened to their danger, and aboutready to commence the fight; but the enemy had scattered.If all the savages had shown the same quickness andcoolness as did their foremost warrior, the probabilityis that the most, if not the whole of the party wouldhave been massacred. As it was, the attack waswell planned, but poorly carried out.
The result of the affair was, that Fremont lost threebrave men, and had one other wounded slightly.It now became evident that the party had fallen intoa snare which was intended for Lieutenant Gillespieand his small force, but the coming up of Fremont hadcaused the assassins to find they had caught a Tartar.
Fremont and his party apprehended no danger that night;consequently, they did not post a guard, and as themen were very tired they slept very soundly.Before lying down, several of them had fired off theirrifles, and, after cleaning them, they had neglectedto reload them. This was the first and last timethey were guilty of such a mistake while in an Indiancountry.
Of the three men killed, the one by the name of Lajeunessewas the most regretted, for he had been with Fremonton his previous expeditions, and had won the admirationand confidence of his commander and companions.In a small company of men, such as these expeditionswere composed of, where every member becomes intimatelyknown and admired by his companions, the loss of onewould be greatly felt; but, when three such were thussuddenly taken, it caused a gloom to be cast overthe remainder, not easily to be dispelled. Theonly consolation left to the living was, that theyhad been instrumental in saving Lieutenant Gillespieand his four companions; therefore, in sacrificingtheir comrades, they had saved more lives than hadbeen lost.
There were no more thoughts of sleep in this campfor that eventful night; but instead, the men selectedpositions behind neighboring trees and fallen logs,and were ready to receive the enemy should they seefit to visit them again.
The Indians, however, as Kit Carson predicted, hadcome to the wise conclusion not to attempt so unsatisfactorya business as another attack, for the grey light ofthe following day came without their reappearance.Before the sun had fairly risen, Fremont had brokenup this camp, which had become odious to the men fromits unpleasant associations. With their packs,and with the bodies of their dead companions, theparty started to find their rear guard. They hadproceeded about ten miles on their journey, when, byunanimous consent, they resolved to halt and interthe remains, which they had wished to carry untilthey united their forces, so that all could participatein the funeral rites; but, the woods through whichthey were traveling were very thick, and already thebodies had become greatly disfigured, on account oftheir frequently striking against the trees, as theywere fastened on the backs of three animals.
Slowly and sadly, in that dense forest, hundreds ofmiles from their nearest countrymen, was this funeralprocession formed. A spot was selected on oneside of the main trail, at a distance of about onehalf mile, where a rude grave was dug, and, wrappedin their blankets, in the same common house, weredeposited all that remained of these three brave men.An observer of these obsequies, would have seen thelips of daring men, now and then, giving spasmodictwitchings; eyes swimming in tears, and a silenceand solemnity that bespoke the truest kind of grief.Among that party, such a one would have been sure tohave marked out the countenance of Kit Carson; for,engraven on it were the throes which were troublinghis kind heart on being thus obliged to separate fromold friends. Not a man left that grave, but whor*solved, secretly and silently, to make these dastardlyIndians suffer for the lives they had thus wantonlytaken. In fact, they felt it an imperative dutythey yet owed to their departed comrades; who, ifthey but stood in their places, would have sworn tobe avenged; hence, the reader must not judge themharshly if they nourished these feelings.
That very day the two parties met and went into camptogether. Plans were concocted to chastise thered men soundly. The next day, on quitting thislast resting-place, a squad of fifteen men was leftconcealed in the neighborhood, in order to watch andact against any Indians who, by chance, might be followingthem from one camp to another, in hopes of findingsomething. The main command then moved on slowly,and had advanced but a few miles when they were overtakenby their friends, who came up with two scalps.These were the sum total of their morning’swork. The two warriors to whom they had belongedwere caught following the trail as scouts of theirmain body. The unerring rifles of the party inambush had performed their fearful duty.
CHAPTER X.
Fremont en route for California—Hismen are anxious to punish the Tlamath Indians—KitCarson, in command of ten Men, is sent on aheadto reconnoitre—He discovers the main Villageof these Indians—The Attack and theVictory—Beautiful Lodges—TheTrophies mostly destroyed—Fremont savesKit Carson’s Life—The Journeyresumed—The Sacramento Valley—AnIndian Ambuscade—One Savage defies theParty—Kit Carson shoots him—TheTlamath Indians still on the War Path—AnotherLesson given to them—A Thief is shot—Arrivalat Lawson’s Trading Post—A periodof Inactivity—A Detachment sent to captureSonoma—Prisoners taken—The Mexicanscome to punish the Americans—TheirCourage deserts them—The Retreat—ThePursuit—Fremont goes to Sutter’sFort and establishes a Military Post—Montereyis taken by the American Squadron—Fremontmarches there—Further Operations—Thetaking of Los Angelos.
The news of war having been declared between the UnitedStates and Mexico, determined Fremont to return toCalifornia; and, in doing so, he decided to enterthat country by a new route of his own selection.
He commenced his journey by traveling around LakeTlamath, and had not proceeded far in that direction,before he found himself encamped on a small streamwhich empties into the lake, nearly opposite to theplace where his three men were killed. The distanceof each day’s progress had been carefully reckonedand noted by the party. Upon their minds therewas still resting a sadness, which, their leader saw,was only to be effaced by a satisfactory revenge,and that they were eager to obtain it before quittingthe country. Perhaps, also, their commandingofficer thought it best, while the opportunity offered,for the benefit of his countrymen, whom he felt surewould some day possess this territory, to impressthese savages with the power and bravery of the whitemen. Whatever was the object to be gained, itmatters not in relating the particulars. Thenext morning he sent Kit Carson on ahead, with tenchosen men, giving him orders to the effect that ifhe discovered a large village of Indians, which was
the general surmise, without being himself seen, hewas to send back word; when he (Fremont) would hastenon with reinforcements, in order to make the assault.If it should happen that the Indians were the firstto be apprised of his near approach, then, withoutdelay, Carson was to engage them as he thought best.Acting under these instructions, Kit Carson, withhis detail of men, set out, and fortunately soon founda fresh trail that led directly to where the savageshad established their village. This Indian villagenumbered fifty lodges; and, to each wigwam, the mountaineersestimated three braves, as this is the complementof men who live in one of these huts on the prairiesand in the Rocky Mountains; thus making the forceof the Indians to be in the neighborhood of one hundredand fifty. From the commotion noticed in thevillage, it was evident to all present that the tribehad become aware of danger, and that there was notime to be lost in sending back the desired information.Kit Carson, notwithstanding the strength of his enemies,determined to hazard an attack; and, after a briefconsultation with his companions, he decided to takeadvantage of the confusion that was existing amongthe red men by charging right in among them.If ever there is a time when Indians will stand theirground, it is when defending their families; therefore,on this occasion, the white men were warmly received;but, they fought with such a degree of desperation,as they themselves had never done before. Theresult was, that the savages became panic stricken,and soon afterwards fled, leaving everything theypossessed behind them. The victors, after pursuingthe Indians for some distance, and adding a few moreto the list of killed, returned to the village, whichthey found to be rich in booty. The lodges heretaken, Kit Carson describes as being the most tastypieces of handiwork that Indian skill could devise,and surpassed anything of the kind that he had previouslylooked upon. They were made of the broad leavesof the swamp flag, which were beautifully and intricatelywoven together. Within the wigwams, the partyfound a very large amount of fish in different stagesof preservation for future use. Wishing to dothese people as much harm as possible, and thus beeven with them for their recent savage cruelties ontheir own party, Kit Carson gave the order to collecteverything in the lodges and arrange the articles insuch manner that fire would either destroy, or completelydamage them. Having accomplished this work, thelighted tinder was applied, when the flames leapedhigh up in the air, forming a fit funeral pyre fortheir slain companions. Fremont saw the reflectionof the fire, and also the smoke, and at once knewthat Kit Carson was engaged with the Indians; consequently,he pushed on at a very rapid pace to assist him.He arrived too late for what the men called the sport;but instead, heard the report of his lieutenant andguide, Kit Carson, whose words, to use his (Fremont’s)own language, “are synonymous with truth.”The gloom which had prevailed over the party, whilethe men recounted to their friends the details ofthe fight was temporarily dispelled; and, while thusengaged, the command moved on about two miles fromthe Indian village. Having here selected a site,they went into camp. After comfortably stowingthemselves away in this resting-place, another “wartalk” was called, and what was best to be donewas canvassed over. After the adjournment of thecouncil, Fremont decided to send back twenty men,under Richard Owens, to the neighborhood of the ruinsof the village, there to conceal themselves and awaitthe return of the Indians; who, it was thought, mightcome back to look after their dead. He did so;and Owens had not been secreted a great while beforeabout fifty savages returned, and, by the moon’slight, were quite visible. As had been previouslyagreed upon, word was sent by a trusty messenger toFremont, who, with six companions, Kit Carson beingof the number, hastened on horseback to join his outpost.For fear of being discovered, Fremont chose a differentroute from the one taken by Owens, which was quitedirect, while that of the former was circuitous.On approaching the smouldering remains of the village,Kit Carson discovered only one Indian wandering abouton the ground. As soon almost as he was seen bythe party, they made a dash at him. Kit Carsonwas in the advance, and on arriving within about tenfeet of the warrior, he drew up his horse and broughthis rifle to his shoulder to fire, but the gun onlysnapped, and left its owner in a very precarious situation,as the red man had already drawn the string of hisbow to plant an arrow in the body of his adversary.A moment more and, in all probability, Kit Carsonwould have been breathing his last. Fremont sawthe danger his friend was in, although Kit had triedto avoid the arrow by throwing himself on one sideof his horse. With much forethought, as well aspersonal exposure, he plunged the rowels of his spursdeep into his riding animal. The noble horse,obeying the impetus thus given by his rider, madea few extra strides, until he reached, knocked downand passed over the Indian, thereby causing his arrowto fly in a different direction from the one intended.Before the savage could regain his feet, a ball fromone of the rifles belonging to the party had senthim to his last resting-place. Fremont now learnedfrom Owens, that while the messenger was absent, therest of the Indians had decamped, and as he had receivedorders from him to await his coming in case he foundthe enemy, therefore, he was obliged to let the rascalsquietly depart without firing into them, which wasmuch to his own and his men’s displeasure.[Illustration: A moment more and in all probabilityKit Carson would have been breathing his last.Fremont saw the danger his friend was in, althoughKit had tried to avoid the arrow by throwing himselfon one side of his horse.—PAGE 265.]
It was now necessary to return without delay to theirown camp, and thus anticipate the movements of theIndians, as they might conclude to make an attackin that quarter; but, on arriving there, they foundeverything safe; nor were they, during that night,in any way disturbed. Kit Carson was, and isstill, very grateful to Fremont for thus interposingbetween him and almost certain death; for it wouldhave been the work of an instant for the Indian warrior,at ten feet distance, to have sent an arrow into somevital organ. It was such noble generosity, bravery,and disinterested exposure in the hour of peril, inorder to serve his men, that strongly cemented Fremontto them. Indeed, in all of his expeditions, hehad such command over his employees, that little orno trouble ever occurred among them while on theirmarches, although they had privations and dangers toundergo that would often try men of the most eventemper.
On the day following the one on which his party hadencountered and chastised the Tlamath Indians, Fremontstarted for the Valley of the Sacramento. Theexpedition was progressing well, and was four daysout from this last camp; when, as two of the men,whose names were Maxwell and Archambeau, were outhunting at a distance of about three miles on oneside of their friends, they were surprised at seeingone Indian, on foot, approaching towards them.
The hunters, in order to do away with all suspicion,at once halted and laid down their arms, to show thewarrior that they were friendly disposed. Theythought it was best to have a “talk” withhim, and question him in regard to the country theywere then in. As he showed no symptoms of fear,but kept coming on, they supposed that he had understoodtheir actions; therefore, they paid but little attentionto him, until they saw him stop. Their curiositywas now excited to know his intentions; and, as theywatched his movements, they saw him take some youngcrows from his quiver, and, after untying the stringthat held them, he concealed them to his satisfactionin the grass, and again moved forward; but, whiledoing so, he was busy arranging his weapons for immediateuse. The white men were not astonished at this,for they concluded that he was only preparing himselfa*gainst danger. The Indian slowly advanced toa spot that was within fifteen yards of the hunters,when he again stopped, and commenced shooting his arrowsat them. At first they dodged about, and madesigns for him to desist, as they were friends; but,to their admonitions he paid not the least attention.Several of the missiles had come near causing thembodily injury. After a time, forbearance ceasedto be a virtue. Raising his rifle, one of themen fired; when, to use mountaineer parlance, theIndian “went under.”
What could have been the foolhardy ideas of this warriorthat compelled him to take such a course as he did,not one of the party, when they were informed of theadventure, could conjecture; but, a fact it is, thathe lost his life and his scalp by his indiscretion.In due time the command reached the Sacramento River,and were proceeding on the trail down that stream,when they came to a point, not far from a deep canon,the sides of which were almost perpendicular and composedof cragged rocks. Fremont decided not to passthrough this deep gorge, but instead, to travel aroundit; and he did so by crossing the river. It provedafterwards to be a very fortunate change; for, theirold enemies, the Tlamath Indians, had concealed themselvesthere, thinking, as a matter of course, that the whitemen would keep the trail. Seeing that the whitemen were not coming into the ambuscade laid for them,the Indians became so disappointed that they boldlyventured forth from their hiding-places. A few,more daring than the rest, advanced into open ground,when Carson, Godey, and another member of the party,made a dash at them. They all ran except onewarrior, and as the charging party were mounted onmules, they made but poor progress in overtaking them.The one Indian who, apparently, had resolved to makewar on his own account, concealed himself behind arock, strung his bow, putting several arrows in hismouth, and thus awaited the advance of his foes.Kit Carson and Godey soon came within shooting distance,when he began to let fly his arrows, and kept it upso briskly, that the men dodged about, without beingable to do anything else for some moments. Atlast, wearying of this dangerous sport, Kit Carsondismounted, and crept around until he obtained a goodsight at the Indian; when, he drew up his rifle, fired,and sent a bullet through his heart. From thisdead brave, Kit Carson took a beautifully wrought bowand quiver, which still contained a large number ofarrows, and which he presented, on rejoining the party,to Lieutenant Gillespie. It is a pity that sucha brave man as this savage was, should have met withsuch an inglorious death; but, it was his own seeking,for he had attacked the wrong persons. Anothertwenty-four hours now passed by without any furtherannoyance from the Indians; who, notwithstanding thelate forcible instruction they had received, stillcontinued to hover around, and follow after the exploringparty. On encamping the next evening, after KitCarson had killed the Indian, as above described,the party found themselves entirely destitute of anythingto eat, although they were very hungry. Game had,all at once, become very scarce, as the hunters whoseturn it was to be out that day, had returned unsuccessful.Two more men were then sent out, in hopes that byperseverance they might find something. They hadnot proceeded far before they discovered an Indianwatching their camp, as if awaiting a favorable opportunity
to make a descent on the animals. Step (one ofthese hunters) crept unperceived by the red man untilhe was within range of his rifle, when he fired, andkilled the would-be thief. No other game couldbe found, so the hunters returned, and the whole partyretired to rest supperless, and arose the next morningto fast again. That day, however, they foundand killed some game, and for the time being, theirappetites were once more appeased. Fremont wasnow on his way to Peter Lawson’s Fort, wherehe arrived safely, after several days of hard traveling.At this place the party rested for about one week;but the desire to have an active share in the approachinghostilities, caused Fremont to delay no longer thanwas absolutely necessary; hence, he started and wentto a point lower down on the Sacramento, known tothe mountaineers under the name of the Buttes.Here, a camp was made, and here Fremont had decidedto wait positive orders concerning the war; and, untilthese instructions should arrive, he employed hismen in hunting. After several days spent in thisway, he began to weary of inactivity. He thoughtthat, in all probability, war had commenced; and,finally, he decided to take the responsibility ofsending a part of his force to surprise Sonoma—aMexican military post that had but a weak garrison.This the party accomplished to the entire satisfactionof their commander. They captured and made prisonersof war at this fort, one general and two captains,besides taking several cannon and quite a quantityof small arms. It was about this time that newsreached Fremont which convinced him that hostilitieshad already commenced, and that both countries weretaking active measures to carry the war on with vigor.He set out immediately, on the receipt of this information,and joined his detail of men at Sonoma. Duringhis stay at this fort, General Castro sent one ofhis captains, with a large force of Mexicans, fromSan Francisco, with orders to drive the Americansout of the country. This command came, and accidentallyfell upon and butchered two men whom Fremont had sentout as messengers to inform all American settlersthat Sonoma had been taken by him, and that thitherthey could fly for safety. The gallant Mexicancaptain, on seeing and hearing that Fremont’sforces were anxious to meet him, becoming disheartened,began to retreat, and was pursued by the exploringparty. For six days they thus followed the retreatingenemy, whose courage had evidently deserted them thoughthey had triple the force of their pursuers. Sohot was the chase, that the Mexicans deserted manyof their animals, which, as a matter of course, fellinto the hands of the Americans. Fremont, onfinding that he could not overtake the enemy, returnedto Sonoma. The captain, with his Mexican command,as was afterwards learned, did not remain at San Francisco.No doubt he did not like to trust himself within reachof Fremont, for he continued his march until he reachedthe Pueblo of Los Angelos, where he was rejoined byGeneral Castro, who reorganized the forces and assumedthe command himself. The exploring party hadnow become a military expedition, and around thisnucleus the Americans, then in California, flockedto pour out their vengeance against their country’sfoes. Having quite a little army at his disposal,Fremont left a strong detachment at Sonoma, and departedwith the rest of his command for Sutter’s Fort.On arriving there, he placed the fort under militaryrule, and left his prisoners, General Vallejos andthe two captains, who had been captured at Sonoma.Also an American by the name of Lace, who was a brother-in-lawto General Vallejos, and whose predilections appearedto lean in favor of the Mexican side. With allhis mountain men, including Kit Carson, Fremont thentook up his line of march towards Monterey, for thepurpose of attacking and taking possession of thetown; but, this movement had been anticipated by CommodoreSloat and the American squadron. Soon after Fremont’sarrival at Monterey (where he was very kindly receivedby the commodore and his officers), Commodore Sloatleft the country, and the command devolved upon CommodoreStockton.A consultation having been held among the officers,it was the prevailing opinion that it would be impossibleto overtake and engage the Mexicans by following themup on land; therefore Fremont asked for a ship totake his force to San Diego, where he could obtainanimals and march on to Los Angelos. The UnitedStates vessel Cyane, under the command of Capt.Dupont, was furnished him for this undertaking byCommodore Stockton. In four days time the partyarrived at San Diego, where they landed. Theythere parted with the ship and the gallant captain,with many pleasant reminiscences of their short voyage.At San Diego, Fremont found himself at the head ofabout one hundred and fifty men, which was not a verystrong force to be in an enemy’s country with,especially so far from their homes as they were.However, nearly every man was a veteran in war, andthe whole body felt themselves invincible, which wasa source of great consolation to their leader.From San Diego, parties of the command were sent toscour the neighboring country, in order to bring ina sufficient number of horses to mount the men.This being accomplished, Fremont set out for Los Angelos,where the Governor and Gen. Castro had a force ofseven hundred men at their disposal. These officials,with their soldiers, on learning the near approachof the Americans, broke up and fled, most of themtaking the road to Sonora, while the balance scattered,not apparently caring where they went, as long as theydid not come in contact with the Americans. Fremontmarched within about one league of the town, and encampedto await, as had been previously agreed upon, thearrival of Commodore Stockton, who soon joined himat this place with a party of sailors and marines,“As fine a body of men,” says Kit Carson,“as ever I looked upon.”
When the two commands had been consolidated, theymarched direct for Los Angelos, which they easilycaptured, as its would-be defenders had some daysbefore deserted it. In this town the command wasquartered for some time; but, as it is our intentionto follow the career of Kit Carson, who, shortly aftertheir arrival, had been detailed for important duty,which placed him in new scenes; hence, we are necessitatedto take leave of affairs as they transpired there,and hereafter revert to them casually as they connectwith our narrative.
CHAPTER XI.
Kit Carson is sent Overland as Bearerof Dispatches to Washington—The Preparationand the Start—The Journey—Privationsand Sufferings—Meeting with General Kearney—TheGeneral takes Carson as his Guide and sends on theDispatches by Fitzpatrick—The March—Arrivalat Warner’s Ranche—Mexicans onthe Road—Preparations for a Battle—TheBattle—Disastrous Consequences—KitCarson and Lieutenant Beale offer to run the linesof the Mexican Sentinels and carry Informationto San Diego of Kearney’s critical position—TheDaring Undertaking—The Sufferings theyencountered—Their Arrival—Reinforcementssent out—Lieutenant Beale is Deliriousfrom the Privations he has undergone—Gen.Kearney and his Command finally reach and join theother American Forces in California.
On the 15th day of September, 1846, Kit Carson wasplaced in the command of fifteen men, with ordersto make an overland journey to Washington, as bearerof very important dispatches.
At the time of which we write, there was no steamcommunication, as now, via the two great oceans,consequently, the intercourse between our brave countrymenin California and the government at Washington wasattended with extreme difficulty. Fortunately,Fremont had in Kit Carson just the man to make sucha journey through an enemy’s country.
Kit Carson was instructed to use his utmost endeavorsto make the journey in sixty days, which was no smallundertaking, when we consider the great distance tobe traveled over and the obstacles that lay in hispath; he undertook it, however, with a determinationnot to be easily frustrated.
By judicious management and watchfulness, Kit wasmaking good progress, and had reached a point withintwo days’ travel of the Copper Mines in NewMexico without being in any way annoyed. Herehe came into full view of a village of Apache Indians,who were then, as they nearly ever since have been,at war with the Americans. He had been discoveredby these Indians, and there was but one true way toact, which was not to show the white feather by attemptingto evade them. Fremont’s dispatch bearerhad not the least idea of that; he was too well schooledin Indian stratagem to be out-manoeuvered, so he rodeon as if nothing had happened until he came to sometimber that lay within one hundred yards of their
village, when he halted. At first the Indianswere disconcerted at the boldness of the whites, andwere showing it by hurrying to and fro, either forthe purpose of leaving or to be better prepared tooffer fight. On arriving near enough so to do,Kit Carson called to the savages and informed themthat his party were friends and wished a parley.To this an assent was given, when Kit made them understandthat he and his men were simply travelers, en routefor New Mexico; that they carried the olive branchof peace with them, and had come among them bearingit, in the hopes of being able to exchange their fatiguedanimals for others that were fresh. With thisthe Indians were satisfied; therefore, Carson chosea camping-ground for himself and men, and selectedthe site so that they could best contend against thetreachery of the red men, should they attempt any.When the camp was arranged, the Indians were allowedto come in; and, soon after, the trading commenced,which proved to be very successful, for the men obtainedvery good riding animals in place of their old ones.Their intercourse with this band of Apaches closedearly the next day, when both parties bid each othergood bye on the most friendly terms.A few days more of travel brought Kit Carson and hismen to the first Mexican settlement which then stoodin their road. Their arrival in the town happenedvery opportunely, having for the past few days beensuffering severely from hunger. They had startedfrom California with but a small stock of dried meatand corn, not being able conveniently to carry morewithout impeding their progress; therefore, they wereleft to depend on their rifles. Game they foundto be scarce; and, in a short time, their meat wasexpended. Being reduced to the corn, they were,as a matter of necessity, very sparing of it.The maize was parched, and for several days they derivedtheir entire subsistence from it; though, on accountof the short allowance, they but poorly satiated theirappetites. About the time succor appeared to themin the shape of this Mexican town, even the maizewas nearly used up. They were delighted to reacha place where they would be able to replenish theirprovisions. It was well known to their commanderthat, as a dernier resort, he could kill andlive upon his riding animals, but in so doing, hewould cripple his means so much, that the businesshe was on might prove a failure. While so muchdepended on it, he felt that he ought not to leaveany other means untried before resorting to such aprocedure. It was true, the Mexicans at that timewere at war; but, there were scattered over New Mexico,in almost every town, former friends of Kit Carson,who would, he felt confident, serve him in the hourof trial. At the first ranche they came to, theyhalted and made a rest of two or three days, whileKit employed himself in purchasing supplies, in whichhe succeeded beyond even his expectations.
It was while obeying instructions, in traveling asfast as possible, that one day, the sixth of October,1846, the party discerned something which, at first,looked like a mere speck moving on the prairies.Watching it with intense anxiety, the little speckincreased in size until they saw it emerge, as itwere, from the apparent junction of the heavens withthe earth, and form a visible line; as the front ofthis column came nearer to view, they discovered thatit was a strong detachment of United States troops.The truth was now evident to them all that this wasan expedition sent out by government to operate inCalifornia. Spurring on their animals, Kit andhis men soon met the advance guard of the soldiersand learned that their commander was Gen. Kearney,who was further back in the lines. On comingto the general, Kit Carson reported himself, informedhim of the business he was on, and also furnishedhim with all the intelligence in his power in referenceto the disposal of the American forces in California,besides detailing to him what had already been accomplishedin that quarter.
After due deliberation, Gen. Kearney determined tosend Mr. Fitzpatrick on to Washington with the dispatchesand to order Kit Carson to join him as guide.In fulfilling this duty, he well knew that Kit wouldbe invaluable to him. Acting on this decision,he sent for Kit Carson and informed him of what hewished him to do. Kit Carson replied, “Asthe general thinks best.” The fact was,that Kit well knew he could be of great service tothe command, and he was too honest not to confessit, though he was now nearly in reach of his happyhome and its loved inmates, from whom he had been solong separated and whom he fondly wished to see.In facing about, Kit took upon his shoulders the prospectof encountering fearful dangers; but, he undertookhis new duties without allowing a murmur to escapehis lips, and without even asking additional pay;though, had he but mentioned it, the general couldnot have well refused the demand. A noble motiveengrossed Kit Carson’s mind. He has everlabored to win and wear the confidence and respectof his countrymen, being ambitious to leave a namebehind him that shall be an honor to his friends andfamily.
On the eighteenth day of October, 1846, General Kearneyand his command left the Rio Del Norte, in New Mexico.The services of Kit Carson in directing the route,proved the wisdom of General Kearney in making thechange in the bearers of dispatches. So true wasKit Carson’s guidance, that the command traveledwith so much dispatch as to reach Warner’s Ranche,in California, on the third day of December following.From this place it took up a line of march for SanDiego.
While on their march, news was brought in by theirspies that a strong command of Mexican Californianshad taken up a position on their route, evidentlyawaiting their advance with the view of attackingthem. This occurred on the sixth day of the samemonth. General Kearney made no change in hisroute, but advanced to within fifteen miles of theenemy’s encampment. Here he commanded ahalt. A reconnoitering party, consisting of fifteendragoons, commanded by Lieutenant Hammond, was senton in advance to note the position and force of theenemy. He proceeded upon the duty, but was discoveredby the Mexicans. Nevertheless, he fortunatelysucceeded in making his observations previous to beingseen. His report to General Kearney, among otherfacts, stated that these Mexican soldiers had stronglyestablished themselves in an Indian village.
General Kearney determined, without delay to attackthem. Orders were given to resume the march;and, by one o’clock the next morning the Americansoldiers had fastened all their packs on their mules,and were themselves mounted and ready for the commandto move. The order came without delay, and thelittle army was immediately in motion. Fourteenmiles of the space which separated the two partieswere passed without interruption. When withinone mile of the Mexican position, the advance guardof the Americans suddenly came upon a small advanceguard of the Mexicans, who were evidently posted towatch their approach and guard the road. As soonas they were discovered, the trumpets of the dragoonssounded, in quick succession, the orders to trot,and to gallop. The Americans were so prompt inmaking their charge that they came upon the Mexicans,when a sharp skirmish ensued, in which several ofthe enemy were killed. The remainder of the outpostwere driven in, bearing the news of the attack totheir friends. Captain Johnson, Kit Carson andfifteen American soldiers formed the attacking partyin this affair. They had been ordered to securethe loose animals belonging to the enemy. Inthis they failed, the animals being too strongly guarded,and because, upon the first alarm, they were drivenout of harm’s way.
This attack, however, proved to be the commencementof a serious fight. Seeing that his orders couldnot be obeyed in regard to the animals of the enemy,Captain Johnson and his party joined a party underCaptain Moore. The force of the latter consistedof twenty-five American volunteers from California,who had attached themselves to General Kearney’scommand since its arrival in the country. Moore’scommand also comprised parts of two companies of UnitedStates dragoons. Captain Moore had been orderedto make an attack on the centre of the enemy, in orderto cut their forces in two, and thereby cause confusionin their ranks. As has been stated, Captain Johnson,with his little force, joined Captain Moore in makingthis attack. While the charge was in progress,
and when within one hundred yards of the Mexican camp,Kit Carson’s horse, occupying a leading positionin the column of attack, accidentally fell, and threwhis rider with such force as to break the wood part,or stock, of his rifle into several pieces, renderingit useless. His position, for a short time, wasprecarious. Being foremost in the charge whenthe accident happened, the whole troop of horse camegalloping over him as he lay upon the ground.His escape was almost a miracle. When the lasthorseman had passed, Kit arose, and was quite happyto find that he had received only slight contusions,which did not in the least impair his movements orstrength of body. Casting a hasty glance overthe field, he discovered a dead dragoon, not far distantfrom the spot where he himself had fallen. Instantlyrunning up to the poor fellow, he relieved him ofhis gun and cartridge-box. Being once more armed,he rushed forward at the top of his speed and plungedinto the thickest of the fight, which was then severelycontested. Captain Johnson and several of themore advanced soldiers had been killed by the bulletsof the enemy, almost at the same instant that Kit Carson’shorse had fallen. It is not at all unlikely,therefore, that the accidental falling of his horsehad been the means of saving Kit Carson’s life.After a desperate and deadly conflict, Moore and hismen dislodged the enemy, causing them to retreat.They were followed by the Americans, but, unfortunatelyfor their complete success, the large majority ofthe latter were mounted on mules. These, whenthe firing commenced, became almost unmanageable.But forty of the entire command of General Kearneywere mounted on horses, and these were none the bestfor cavalry purposes, having been but recently brokento the saddle. They had been captured since thearrival of the American forces in the country, froma party of Mexicans, who were en route to Sonora, byLieutenant Davidson and twenty-five dragoons, assistedby Kit Carson. By the uncontrollable actionsof the stubborn mules, Moore’s men became greatlyseparated and could not act in concert. This renderedthe pursuit, so far as the enemy was concerned, nearlyharmless.The Mexicans, quickly perceiving the condition oftheir assailants, and comprehending the chances, whichthe apparent difficulty gave them, at once ralliedand turned on their pursuers. The fight was renewedwith most determined courage. The Mexicans foughtwith a bravery and success which turned the hitherto,comparatively speaking, bloodless victory of the Americans,into a terrible slaughter. Every moment saw somebrave dragoon yield up his life to the deadly bulletsor blows of the exasperated Mexicans. Out of theforty dragoons who were mounted on horses, thirty-sixwere either killed or severely wounded. Amongthe names to be added to the sad list already killed,was Captain Moore, “as brave a man,” saysKit Carson, “as ever drew breath in any service.”As fast as the scattered American soldiers could reachthe scene of carnage, they joined in the battle; but,the Mexicans, elated by their success, fought likedemons, and seemed to sweep everything before them.
General Kearney, seeing his officers thus shot down,drawing his sword, placed himself at the head of hisremaining forces; and, though severely wounded, hemade a desperate attempt to cause the enemy, oncemore, to retreat. At this crisis of affairs, LieutenantDavidson arrived on the ground with two mountain howitzers.Before he could get his guns unlimbered and readyto commence firing, nearly every man he had to workthem was shot down, being either killed or badly wounded.Following up their success, the Mexicans charged rightup to the guns, and, with the lasso, unerring in theirhands, captured the horses attached to, and, on theinstant, made off with one of the guns. On reachinga distance of three hundred yards, they halted andprepared to turn the fire of the howitzer upon theAmericans. From some unaccountable reason, itwould not go off. Lieutenant Davidson did hisutmost to prevent the loss of this gun, and after severalnarrow escapes from dangerous lance wounds, as hisclothing and saddle sufficiently attested, he wasfinally stricken down, and nearly gave his life asacrifice to his heroism.
After being thus badly cut up, and with not more thanone or two officers left who had not been either killedor wounded, while the men had been handled with equalseverity, the Americans were obliged to take refugeat a point of rocks which chanced to be near wheretheir advance had been defeated. A rally was madeat this place. The Mexicans, however, did notventure to attack them. Both sides were apparentlyweary of fighting for that day. The firing ceased,and soon after, night closed over the scene of thebattle field.
These California Mexicans, previous to the war withthe United States, were considered by the mountaineersas the bravest Spanish blood in the Mexican provinces.During the war, they proved that they had not beenover-estimated, as they met their foes, at the commencementof hostilities, with a determination to win, or selltheir lives dearly. The reason of this differenceof courage in their favor over their countrymen whoinhabited the internal States, is supposed to be owingto their opportunities for intercourse with the boldmariners from different countries who visited themin ships for the purpose of trade. This commerceconsisted in the transporting into the country ofsuch articles as arms, ammunition, groceries, and drygoods, for which were bartered, hides, tallow, andfurs. The currency of California at that timewas hides, which were estimated as so many dollars.The raising of cattle and horses was the leading employmentof the people, and occupied most of their time.On the discovery of gold, these affairs underwenta change, and the rapid strides of civilization hasleft this people far in the minority. The horsesof California were celebrated as being larger thanthe ponies of New Mexico, and also for being muchfleeter of foot. The California rider, at thattime, was looked upon as being unrivaled by those
who had witnessed his performances. However,the intercourse between the two countries was verylimited among the Mexicans, and it was difficult tofind a New Mexican who had seen the Pacific.Their dialects were also slightly different, as muchso as happens in the dependencies of any other country.It was fear of the Indians that put a damper on thetravel between these adjoining districts. Thesociety of the man who had had the boldness to makea journey to California from New Mexico was courted,he being considered a renowned traveler. His amusingstories of large ships and the men who managed them,and also, of the great expanse of the ocean, amazedhis auditors and made them deeply interested in hisconversation and information. It has become astrange sight to look upon whole communities of men,who have only heard of steamboats, telegraphs, railroadsand other great improvements and inventions of theage, yet there are thousands of men living in thegreat interior of the North American continent whohave only vague ideas of these things; and many thereare, who cannot realize them, but believe that theyare fabulous stories, and will meet the narrator ofthem with equal wonders, which they manufacture tosuit the occasion. To give a specimen: weremember one night to have tried to explain theseadvancements to an old Mexican of some eighty winters,while we were the guest of his house. He listenedattentively, but evidently could comprehend but littlethat we said. We changed the subject, and beganto describe to him the great beasts of the forest,such as the lion, the tiger, and the elephant, andsoon found that we had struck the theme which pleasedhim. In reply, he told us that in his youngerdays he himself was a famous hunter; and that, onone occasion, while on the chase, he met Adam,who, he informed us, was the greatest hunter of hisage. We were somewhat surprised to hear thisold man thus annihilate time and space, but not moreso than when we heard him relate the conversation thatpassed between himself and Adam. It was bothshort and sweet. The Mexican demanded of Adamwhat was the particular game he was seeking in theseparts, and the reply was deer. He said that hewished to kill a few choice bucks, in order to gettheir skins to clothe Eve with, and hence hehad come to the Rocky Mountains. The flavor ofthis yarn was so good, I attempted to try the oldman on another adventure, by asking him if he ever,by chance, in his travels, met the Evil One.Immediately, he informed me that at one time, thatgentleman lived in a salt marsh, which is to be foundin the valley of San Louis. The objectof his staying there was to watch a very fine bandof horses which he was raising near by. The Indiansand Mexicans one day determined to deprive Satan ofhis stock, and arranged things accordingly; but, oncoming upon the horses, they were surprised to findthat they could not overtake them, and that the horsesran directly into the swamp and vanished by easilysinking out of sight. While looking for a paththat led into this marsh, they were all at once scarednearly out of their senses by seeing the devil raisehimself up in the midst of the bog. The sequelwas, that the Mexicans and their Indian friends retreatedas fast as possible, and never stopped until theyhad reached a place of safety. My companions becamevexed to think any man could perpetrate such a storyon travelers, who considered they knew a thing ortwo, and commenced quizzing the old gentleman by askinghim what the Indians knew of Satan; but the old Mexicanevaded the answer by taking down the little woodencross which hung on the wall of the room and expressedthe desire to confirm the truth of his story by swearingto it; this, of course, was said to be entirely unnecessary.From it, we had learned the lesson never to try toimpress on the minds of the ignorant too weighty matters.This is true with the Indian also; for, he is incredulousof anything beyond the grasp of his own mind; whichfact is illustrated by the following incident.An American had some business to transact with a certainband of Indians, who were celebrated as being verytreacherous. Being a bold man, he thought hewould beard the lions in their den, and accordingly,traveled alone to where the band was located; but,instead of being received with open arms, as he expected,he was made a prisoner, and so held until it couldbe decided what was to be done with him. At last,a council was formed, before which he was to be tried.The first question asked by the head chief was, “Howdo your white people get gunpowder?” The replywas instantaneous: “We sow it in a peculiarsoil and it grows up like wheat.” This wasresponded to by a grunt from the examiner. Apause ensued, when the chief looked the captive fullin the eyes, and thus addressed him: “Knowyou, young man, that the Great Spirit came into ourcamp this morning, and after resting a short timehe took yonder large hill and placed it on the topof its fellow, and after leaving it there two hours,he returned it to its former site. He then bidhis Indian children good bye. Young man, yourtongue is split: one fork is for telling lies,and the other is for telling truths.” Thiswas enough to convince the white man that he had madea mistake, and, that if he had attempted to presumeon too much knowledge, his scalp might soon be danglingon some lodge-pole. The Indians admired the braveand manly course he had pursued in coming to themsingle-handed, and this, with the importance of thebusiness he came on, saved his life.The California Mexicans were so remote from theircapital, that, although they acknowledged their allegianceto the general government, yet they were accustomed,in many things, to act with great independence.Whenever a governor was sent to them who would notconform to their rules and regulations, or made himselfin the least obnoxious, he was immediately placedon board ship, with orders to take himself out ofthe country as fast as possible, which he never failedto obey, in order to save his life. Attempts weremade by the home department to make them suffer forthese disobediences of the general laws, but, in allof these contests, the Californians came out victorious,and hence they believed they were beyond the powerof being vanquished. They were taught differentlyby the Americans.
These few cursory remarks will serve to show the readerthat General Kearney had no despicable foe to overcomeand subdue. His care now was to attend to thewounded. There was no rest for his command thatnight, as, during the hours of darkness, his men werebusy interring their dead and looking after the wantsof the sufferers. A sharp look-out, also, waskept on the movements of the enemy, who were continuallyreceiving reinforcements. A council of war washeld in the American camp, when Gen. Kearney, aftertaking the advice of his remaining officers, decidedto move on early in the morning, with the hope ofmeeting reinforcements. He had dispatched threemen as bearers of dispatches to Commodore Stocktonat San Diego before the battle; but, whether theyhad been successful, or not, in reaching the commodore,the general did not know. Just before the latefight, they had returned to within sight of theirfriends, when they were taken prisoners by the Mexicans.The order of the march on the following day was asfollows: Kit Carson, with a command of twenty-fivemen, proceeded in the advance, while the remainder,of the now very much crippled band of soldiers, followedafter on the trail made by their guide. Steadilyand compactly these brave men moved forward, beingcontinually in expectancy of a charge from the enemy,who would show themselves, from time to time, on theneighboring hills, and then again, for a time, disappear.During the previous day, a Mexican lieutenant hadhis horse shot from under him and he himself had beentaken prisoner. On a favorable opportunity occurring,General Kearney ordered the “halt” tobe sounded; when, through a flag of truce, he askeda parley. It being granted, he succeeded in makingan exchange of the lieutenant for one of his expressmen.He gained nothing by this, for the man stated thathe and his companions had found it impossible to reachtheir point of destination, and hence they had turnedback. The manoeuvering on the part of the Mexicans,which we have alluded to as consisting of making temporarystands on the hills, and then changing their positionsas the Americans drew near to them, continued for
the greater part of the day. Finally, as Gen.Kearney and his men were approaching the water, wherethey, intended to camp, and were not over five hundredyards from it, down came the Mexicans, divided intotwo separate commands, for the purpose of making acharge. They were at first warmly received bythe Americans, who, after a time, were obliged togive way to superior numbers; but, in doing so, theyretreated in good order to a hill about two hundredyards to their left. Here they halted and determinedto decide the battle; but the wary Mexicans, on seeingthe strength of the position taken by their foes,declined to attack them and drew off to a neighboringheight, from which they commenced and maintained adeadly fire on the Americans. Captains Emery andTurner, with all the available dragoons, were sentto dislodge them. This they did in splendid style,after a sharp encounter, and when their companionssaw them take possession of this position, GeneralKearney, with all his wounded and luggage trains,joined them there. Here a permanent resting-place,for the time being, was made. In fact, the menhad no other choice, as they were now pretty effectuallyused up from fighting, severe loss and fatigue.The Americans found on this hill water barely sufficientfor their own use, and were obliged to exclude theidea of sharing it with their animals. Althoughwithin sight of abundance of this much-needed article,yet they did not dare to drive the latter to it, forthey were too weak to defend them from the assaultsof the enemy. The situation of Gen. Kearney’sforce was now critical in the extreme; as, besidesthe dangers that surrounded him, the men were reducedto living on their mules. That afternoon anothercouncil of war was called, at which desperate effortsto be made for immediate relief were discussed.When every spark of hope had almost died within them,and when they were in a dilemma as to what still remainedfor them to do, Kit Carson was found to act as thereader has previously seen him act to parties almostsimilarly situated—the right man in theright place. Rising to his feet, he addresseda few simple words to those present, saying that hewas willing to make the attempt of creeping throughthe Mexican lines. Should he succeed, he pledgedhis word that he could carry information to CommodoreStockton at San Diego, and thus bring them succor.No sooner had he made this proposition than he wasseconded by Lieutenant Beale, then of the United StatesNavy, who, equally as brave and daring as Kit Carson,volunteered his services in the undertaking.This gentleman, since the time he first turned landsmanup to the present date, has been adding fresh laurelsto his fame. His recent career in exploring newroutes across the great western girdle of prairiesand mountains is so well known through his valuableand interesting reports as not to require recapitulationat our hands. His life has been one series ofrare adventures; while, to the scientific world, hehas proved a valuable acquisition. To the UnitedStates Government his services are inestimable; and,as an explorer, he has but few equals.
General Kearney at once accepted the noble and generousoffers of these two men, knowing that if he waiteduntil the following day and then attempted to leavethe hill, the consequences would be most disastrous;for, in so doing, a sanguinary battle must certainlyensue, with the chances greatly against him. Havingmade the few preparations necessary, Kit Carson andLieutenant Beale waited the setting in of night, underthe cover of which they had both resolved to succeedin the performance of their mission or die in the attempt.Having got well under way, and while stealthily crawlingover the rocks and brush, they found their shoes wouldoften, even with the greatest preventive care beingtaken, strike against the various impediments to theirprogress and make sounds which might lead to theirdetection. To avoid this, they took them off andpushed them under their belts. Slowly, but surely,they evaded the vigilant guard of the Mexican sentinels,who they found to be mounted and three rows deep,evidently being determined not to be eluded. Sonear would they often come to these Mexican sentinels,that but a few yards would measure the distance betweenthem and their enemies; yet, with brave hearts theycrept along over the ground foot by foot; they werealmost safe beyond these barriers, when all theirhopes came near being dashed to pieces. Thisalarm was caused by one of the sentinels riding upnear to where they were, dismounting from his horseand lighting, by his flint and steel, his cigarretto.On seeing this, Kit Carson, who was just ahead ofLieutenant Beale, pushed back his foot and kickedsoftly his companion, as a signal for him to lie flaton the ground as he (Carson) was doing. The Mexicanwas some time, being apparently very much at his leisure,in lighting his cigarretto; and, during these momentsof suspense, so quietly did Kit Carson and his companionlie on the ground, that Carson said, and still affirms,that he could distinctly hear Lieutenant Beale’sheart pulsate. Who can describe the agony ofmind to which these brave hearts were subjected duringthis severe trial. Everything—the livesof their friends as well as their own—sohung on chance, that they shuddered; not at the thoughtof dying, but for fear they would fail in accomplishingwhat was dearer to them than life, the rescue of thebrave men whose lives hung on their success.After quite a long time, the Mexican, as if guidedby the hand of Providence, mounted his horse and madeoff in a contrary direction from the one where thesebold adventurers were biding their time to accepteither good, if possible, or evil, if necessary, fromthe wheel of fortune. For a distance of abouttwo miles, Kit Carson and Lieutenant Beale thus workedalong on their hands and knees. Continually,during this time, Kit Carson’s eagle eye waspenetrating through the darkness, ever on the alertto discover whatever obstacle that might present itselfon which was stamped the least appearance of danger.
Having passed the last visible image in the shapeof a sentinel and left the lines behind them at a suitabledistance, both men regained their feet, and once morebreathed freely. Their first thought was to lookfor their shoes, but, alas, they were gone. Inthe excitement of the journey, they had not given thema thought since depositing them beneath their belts.Hardly a word had hitherto passed between these twocompanions in danger, but now they spoke hurriedlyand congratulated each other on the success that sofar had attended them, and thanked God in their heartsthat He had so mercifully aided them. There wasno time for delay, as they were by no means yet freefrom danger, though they thought that the worst wasover. Kit Carson was familiar with the country,and well knew the necessity of avoiding, for fearof being discovered, all the well trodden trails androads which led to San Diego, every one of which wasclosely watched by the enemy. He chose a circuitousroute, over rocks, hills and wild lands. Thesoil was lined with the prickly pear, the thorns ofwhich were penetrating, at almost every step, deepinto their bare feet, which, owing to the darknessand the thickness of the plants, they could not avoid.The town of San Diego was located many miles in astraight line from the point from whence they had started,but, by the round-about route they were obliged totravel, this distance was much lengthened. Allthe following day they continued their tramp and madeas much progress as possible. Their mental excitementkept them in good spirits, though, from previous fatigue,the want of food during this time, and by the rapidpace at which they were traveling, they were puttingtheir physical powers to their full test. Anothernight closed in around them, yet “ONWARD”was their watchword, for they thought not of restwhile those behind them were in such imminent peril.Kit Carson’s only compass was his eye, whichserved him so well that soon the dark outlines of thehouses of San Diego could just be discerned.Both men were ready to leap with joy. They werechallenged by the American sentinels about the town,and answered in pure English, “Friends,”which same English was unmistakable proof to the guardfrom whence they came. On stating their importantbusiness, they were conducted into the presence ofCommodore Stockton, to whom they related what we havetried to describe. Commodore Stockton, with hisusual promptitude, immediately detailed a commandof about one hundred and seventy men to make forcedmarches in order to reach and relieve their besiegedcountrymen. With as much dispatch as possible,this force set out, taking with them a piece of heavyordnance, which, for want of animals, the men themselveswere obliged to draw, by attaching ropes to it.Kit Carson did not return with them, for it was consideredthat he had seen service enough for the present; besides,his feet were badly swollen and inflamed from therough usage they had recently been obliged to submitto. He graphically described the position of Gen.Kearney, so that the relief party could have no difficultyin finding him. He remained to recruit in SanDiego; though, had the commodore expressed the leastwish to have Kit Carson return, every man who knowshim can bear witness with me that he would have beenthe last person to object, so long as there was lifein his body. Unused then to such hardships andmental excitements on land, as was his more experiencedcompanion, Lieutenant Beale, from the trials of theservice performed, became partially deranged; andfor treatment, was sent on board the frigate Congress,which ship lay in the harbor, being one of the vesselsattached to the commodore’s fleet. Two longyears elapsed before the gallant lieutenant fullyrecovered from the effects of this adventure, which,for the bravery and unselfishness evinced in its planning,and the boldness with which it was carried out, withoutmentioning the good results it produced, was not excelledby any one feat performed during the Mexican War.Better than all, had these two men known previouslythe poor rewards which were afterwards to be bestowedupon them by their government for this heroic deed,I hesitate not in saying, that it would have had noeffect in changing their purpose. The reinforcementssent out to meet General Kearney, by traveling bothby day and night, soon reached and released him, withoutcoming in contact with the enemy. They kept abright look-out and were early apprised, through theirspies, of what was transpiring among the Americans;hence, as the naval brigade drew near, they retreated.The road being now clear, General Kearney, with hissoldiers and the marines, marched on to San Diego,where his wounded men were comfortably housed andreceived the attentions of skillful surgeons.CHAPTER XII.
A Command of Six Hundred Men is sentagainst Los Angelos—The Mexican Armyevacuates the Town—Its Capture—Rumorsof an Attack to be made on Fremont’s Command—TheMexicans surrender—The Winter Quarters—KitCarson is ordered to carry Dispatches overlandto Washington—Lieutenant Beale accompanieshim—A Night Attack made by the Indians—Arrivalin the United States—Kit Carson’sIntroduction to Col. Benton and Mrs. Fremont—Hospitalityoffered to him at Washington—Kit Carsonreceives the Appointment of Lieutenant in theRifle Corps of the U.S. Army from President Polk—Heis ordered to carry Dispatches to California—TheJourney—A Brush with the Camanche Indians—Arrivalat Santa Fe—More trouble with hostileIndians—Arrival at Los Angelos—Dispatchesdelivered—Kit Carson is assigned to doDuty with the Dragoons—Is ordered toGuard Tajon Pass—The Winter spent there—Isordered again to carry Dispatches to Washington—TheJourney and its Adventures—The return toNew Mexico.
One month elapsed before the forces of the United
States that were concentrated at San Diego were entirelyrecruited, and in fine trim for taking the field again.At the expiration of this time, a command of six hundredmen was detailed for the purpose of capturing LosAngelos. The commanding officers of this forcewere General Kearney and Commodore Stockton.At Los Angelos was assembled the main strength ofthe Mexicans then in California; the number of theirfighting men was about seven hundred. Towardsthis town the Americans took up their line of march,and, in the course of a few days, they arrived withinfifteen miles of it. The Mexican forces had takena strong position on a hill, near by where they hadpitched their tents and strongly fortified their camp.Between the Americans’ and the enemy’scamp ran a small river. It was decided to postponethe attack until the following day. Early thenext morning, General Kearney ordered two pieces ofartillery to be brought to bear upon the Mexican position.The guns were so well and successfully served, thatthe Mexicans were forced to break up their camp.As soon as this state of things became apparent, GeneralKearney and Commodore Stockton crossed the river andmarched on the town. On entering Los Angelos,they found that it had been evacuated by the Mexicans,and that only a few stragglers remained in or nearthe place. From some of these they learned thatthe retreating army had gone to attack Col. Fremont;who, with a force of four hundred Americans collectedin Monterey, was also on the march for Los Angelos.It turned out afterwards that the Mexicans succeededin finding Col. Fremont, but, for unknown reasons,failed to give him battle, as they had boasted theywould; but instead, they gave him the preference overthe other American commanders by surrendering to him.Col. Fremont continued his journey, and finallyreached Los Angelos, where he and all the officersand men heretofore spoken of as engaged in this campaign,rested for the winter, and managed to pass the timevery agreeably, considering their remote position.Carson, who had, for a great length of time, beenrendering valuable services to Kearney, rejoined Fremont,when that officer arrived in town, and once more enrolledhimself on his old commander’s muster roll.We have said that the cold and dreary winter dayswere passed at Los Angelos as agreeably and happilyas the circ*mstances of the case would permit.This is only true to a certain extent. It wasat Los Angelos, and during this winter, that the seedsof discord were first sown between the rival commanders,and the plot carefully laid, which finally led toColonel Fremont’s court martial. Rank, withits green-eyed monster, jealousy, which is ever watchingwith a restless and caustic determination to snatchfrom the subaltern his hard-earned laurels, was activelyat work during these winter months. By the programme,cut and dried, the ambitious young soldier, who wasnobly breasting the conflicts against the enemies
of his country, was to be summarily put down, andhis career quickly guillotined. These ungenerousplans had their birth and were carefully fostered atLos Angelos; but, the wise decrees of the Americanpeople, ever just in the cause of truth, althoughtardy, came at last to the rescue, and stamped thecourse with its approval and complete indorsem*nt whichhad led the bold Explorer to unfurl the standard ofhis country over the modern El Dorado. In thisview the course of the Mexican forces at Los Angelosin surrendering their swords to Colonel Fremont becomessignificant. A brave though fallen enemy, seldomfails to admire a heroic, chivalrous and discreetvictor. The choice here plainly indicated betweenColonel Fremont and General Kearney, we repeat, issufficiently significant. In Colonel Fremont thefallen chieftains of the brave Californian-Mexicansdiscerned all the qualities which make up true nobilityof character. Many of the men under him were wellknown to the Mexicans as being upright, honorable andgenerous. For many years they had lived amongthem. Hence we discover the reason of their preferencein laying down their arms in their presence.Kit Carson took no active part in these unhappy differences,but, his simple action in leaving General Kearney’scommand and reenlisting under his old commander showsplainly to a discerning public, that he could notbe alienated from his friend by acts of injustice.It also spoke more significantly than words that headjudged his friend to have performed in behalf ofhis country, meritorious actions and a great service.Such was Kit Carson’s view; and no man was capableof forming a better judgment in the premises thanhe. As an occupant of an inferior rank, he thenkept his counsel to himself; the time has at lastarrived when he should fully and appropriately expresshis opinion, though that opinion he is well awarehas been rendered entirely unnecessary by the honorablemention since attached to the name of Fremont by thehighest officer in the American service, by the recommendationto the President of the officers of the court to commutethe sentence, and by the President of the United Statesin appointing, unsolicited, the court-martialed Conquerorof California to the high and important trust of commissionerto run the boundary line between the United Statesand Mexico, and finally, by the spontaneous outburstof enthusiasm which greeted the name of John C. Fremont,from around the firesides of the American people, whenhis name was placed at the head of one of the greatpolitical parties of the nation.
It is not for or against regulations that these remarksare directed. The transactions with which theydeal have not been forgotten. They are recordedas historical facts, and, as such, are always openfor investigation or deductions. In the monthof March, 1847, Kit Carson was ordered to carry importantdispatches to the war department at Washington.Lieutenant Beale, who was still a great invalid, waspermitted to accompany him. In order to show theregard which Kit Carson entertained for this braveofficer, and also to portray to the reader the goodnessof heart which has ever been the actuating impulsein all of Kit Carson’s actions, we will givehis own words in relating this part of his adventures.He says: “Lieutenant Beale went with meas bearer of dispatches intended for the Navy Department.During the first twenty days of our journey, he wasso weak that I had to lift him on and off of his ridinganimal. I did not think for some time that hecould live; but, I bestowed as much care and attentionon him as any one could have done under the circ*mstances.Before the fatiguing and dangerous part of our routewas passed over, he had so far recovered as to beable to take care of himself. For my attention(which was only my duty) to my friend, I was doublyrepaid by the kindness shown to me by his family whileI staid in Washington, which was more than I had anyreason for expecting, and which will never be forgottenby me.” On the river Gila, Kit Carson’sparty was attacked by Indians during the night, whilethey were encamped. These savages threw a goodround number of arrows into the midst of his men, which,however, did no damage, as, early in the commencementof the assault, he had directed them to hold up beforethem their pack-saddles, behind which they could prettysecurely conceal themselves while lying upon the ground.He also directed the men not to talk, lest they shouldindicate their positions. It was very dark, andthe Indians, from the above precautions being taken,were frustrated in their plans. His men lay verystill; and, having previously received the order soto do, they awaited the near approach of the red men,when they were to use their rifles as clubs.The reason which made this latter command best was,because no man could see to shoot; hence, were theyto fire at random, they would only expend their ammunition,a loss they were in no situation to sustain.However, the Indians became weary of their shootingafter a few hours, and did not hazard a close attack,but went away to parts unknown.
Kit Carson and Lieutenant Beale arrived at Washingtonin the following June, having accomplished their journeyoverland, a distance of nearly 4,000 miles, in aboutthree months, a record which shows that they had notbeen idle while on the route. With the exceptionof the Indian attack sustained on the Gila, they werenot again annoyed by the red men, although, over thevast tract of wild territory which they had traversed,
there roam thousands of savages who often, for theslightest pretext, and frequently without any reasonwhatever, will murder the unsuspecting traveler, asit chances to please them. Hence, to accomplishthis journey, it was not only necessary to know thedirection to shape their course, but also to be familiarwith the haunts and habits of these various tribes,in order to avoid them. All of this knowledge,Kit Carson, the mainspring of this little party, waswell possessed of, and, as a matter of business, guidedhimself and men in a direct and safe course.The hardships and privations of this trip were trivialaffairs when compared to most of Kit Carson’sprevious adventures, and not considered by him asworthy of mention. Indeed, Kit Carson appearsso hardened in all kinds of vicissitudes, that a man,in his eyes, must have stood on the brink of deathbefore he has seen much real suffering; but, probably,if the reader had been one of the members of thisparty, he would, unless equally experienced in Westernfrontier life, have considered that he had seen somethingof the world, and the rough side of it at that.
It requires no small amount of courage and determinationto start out with but a handful of men to performthe difficult and dangerous task of threading theAmerican continent from tide to tide, even at thepresent epoch; but, eleven years ago, there were fewmen living who had ever performed, or were able toperform the feat at all; much less with the certaintyand speed which lay within the power and experiencepossessed by Kit Carson. In describing these trips,he now speaks of them as lightly as a man would aftermaking a journey of a few hundred miles in a railroadcar. He seems to have acted with the idea thatthis duty was expected of him, and it required butthe official orders to send him bounding over thecountry, without regard to obstacles or dangers.His final object was his destination; which, on reaching,he was ready to quit at a moment’s warning,with as much sang froid as a Russian courierpossesses when doing his master’s bidding.Yet so cautious is he when traveling, that, at first,to a new companion, he often appears to be wantingin courage. Not a bush, a tree, a rock, or anyother hiding-place on his path, escapes his notice.Towards the heavens, in search of smoke ascendingfrom, or crows, as they hover about Indian encampmentswhich are deserted, or for ravens, and back againto the earth, on the look-out for moccasin or horsetracks, his eyes are continually turning. Thereis a nervous action about the man that shows he isever alive to meet and be ready for any emergency.These traits are sure to instill confidence in hisfollowers.
On starting from Los Angelos, Kit Carson took buta few rations of provisions with him, as he couldnot burden the few animals he had, too heavily; hence,he was compelled to depend on the rifle and the chancesof meeting with game. This, of course, is alwaysan uncertain mode of supporting life, and, consequently,it not unfrequently happened, that the party wereout of food and went fasting; yet, not a murmur washeard. On they sped, in the hopes of reachingtheir homes and firesides, where kind friends wereawaiting them, and where their cares and troubleswould be buried in the past, and appear like dreams.In the breast of the leader of this expedition, therewas throbbing a heart that was anxious to do its dutywell, for he was approaching, not his family circle,but instead, the fireside of strangers to whom hewas only known by name. Yet, in the common causeof his country’s honor, he recognized in everyAmerican with whom he came in contact his true friend,and therefore he, also, was very happy as he nearedWashington. There he looked confidently forwardto hear the words: “Well done thou goodand faithful servant.” At St. Louis, KitCarson had the honor of an introduction to the Hon.Thomas H. Benton, who was greatly interested in him,and who kindly invited him to make his house in Washingtonhis home during his stay there. Of this invitationKit Carson availed himself, and since considers thathe was very fortunate in doing so, for the best ofeverything was heaped upon him, while he enjoyed thesatisfaction of meeting and conversing with the greatmen of his country.
Mrs. John C. Fremont, daughter of Colonel Benton,and wife of the distinguished explorer, was in attendanceat the railroad depot, when the train of cars in whichKit Carson was traveling arrived in Washington.It was quite late in the evening when he reached theterminus of his journey; yet, notwithstanding this,Kit had hardly landed on the platform of the depot,before he was addressed by a lady who said that sheknew him from her husband’s descriptions of him,and that he must accept the hospitalities of her father’shouse.
The distinguished father-in-law of John C. Fremontbecame, from the time of their first meeting in St.Louis, the warm friend and patron of Kit Carson; and,up to the time of his death, he had no cause to changehis first impressions of him. There was not afriendly favor within his power which would not havebeen freely given, had it been asked. It is onething to make a friend, but another to keep him; andthose who knew the true character of Mr. Benton arecognizant of the fact, that he was not easily won;but, when gained, that he was true as steel, as isbeautifully illustrated by the able and devoted mannerin which he stood by General Andrew Jackson.
It is indeed a valuable possession to know that onehas friends who cannot be bought by wealth or othersordid attractions; men, who can discern through therough garb of the working, as well as thinking man,those noble qualities which place them on a par.This acquisition Kit Carson holds. He easilymakes a friend, and never deserts him; hence, those,with whom he comes in contact, who are worthy of thisname, are enrolled on his side; and he seldom has occasionto call a man his enemy. Kit Carson was so embarrassedand overcome by the expressions of kindness and hospitalitywhich greeted his first arrival at Washington, thathe could hardly essay a reply; and yet, he was almosttoo happy at the opportunity presented of acceptingMrs. Fremont’s invitation. If there wasanything wanted to cement Carson more firmly in hisfriendship and admiration for Colonel Fremont, itwas thus to know his accomplished and gifted lady.The situation of Jessie Fremont has often been comparablewith that of the noble-hearted Lady Franklin.Again and again has she been compelled to part fromher husband when he started out to battle in the causeof science, and, in the words of the poet, she seeminglysaid:
“Go, wondrous creature! mount wherescience guides;
Go, measure earth, weigh air, and statethe tides.”
Kit Carson remained some time in Washington; but hadit not been for the many tokens of kindness whichhe there received, he would have grown weary of therestraints of civilization. As it was, he continuallylonged to be once more in the mountains and prairies.His desire, in time, was granted; for, having receivedthe appointment of lieutenant in the rifle corps ofthe United States army from President Polk, he wasordered, as bearer of dispatches, to return acrossthe continent from whence he had but recently come.Lieutenant Beale had intended to return with him,but did not eventually proceed any further than St.Louis. There he became too ill to continue onthe journey. After arriving at Fort Leavenworth,Kit Carson was furnished with an escort of fifty men,who were volunteers in the war which was then beingcarried on against Mexico. With his usual promptnessand dispatch, Kit Carson was soon under way crossingthe plains. At Leavenworth he had learned thatthe Camanche Indians were at war with the whites.As he knew them to be a numerous and treacherous tribe,he had taken this strong escort in order to give thembattle, if they should be anxious for it. However,he arrived at a place called the “Point of Rocks,”which is not far from the Rocky Mountains, and ontheir east side, without discovering any signs of theseIndians. At this place they made their appearance.
The “Point of Rocks” appears to be a favoriteplace of resort for the Indians of the plains.It is notorious as being one of the most dangerousplaces for the traveler in all the far West. Itis a series of continuous hills, which project outon the prairies in bold relief. They end abruptlyin a mass of rocks, out of which gushes a cold andrefreshing spring, which is the main attraction aboutthe place. The road winds about near this point,and therefore it is a chosen spot for the Indiansto lurk, in order to catch the unwary pilgrim.Several encounters with the savages have taken placehere, which has caused it to be pointed out as thescene of bloody tragedies, thereby making it quitehistorical. The Indians themselves have made thisspot the stage on which has been enacted several desperatebattles. In making the journey to Santa Fe, whenthese rocks are passed, the traveler counts his marchas being drawn to a close. Government troops,on the look-out for Indians on the plains, rarelyfail, when they come from New Mexico, to give thisplace a visit.
Kit Carson had arrived at the place with his escort,and was about establishing his camp. His menwere under orders to keep a vigilant watch for Indians,while Kit Carson’s restless eye was searchingthe country in every direction to discover their signs.About three hundred yards distant he discovered whitemen, and found there was encamped a company of UnitedStates volunteers, under the command of LieutenantMulony. With this company was a large train ofwagons bound for New Mexico. Kit Carson orderedhis men to go into camp. The night passed bywithout any signs of the Indians; but, early in themorning of the subsequent day, as Lieutenant Mulony’smen were leading out their animals to picket themin fresh grass, the savages suddenly made their appearanceand began an attack upon the picketing party, capturingall their cattle and twenty-six horses. Mulony’smen had left their rifles in camp, and therefore,in order to escape being killed, they retreated totheir wagons. The cattle, in the confusion whichensued, turned and came towards Kit Carson’scamp. He and his men, who were instantly on thealert, made an unexpected charge upon the Indiansand recaptured the oxen. During the skirmish whichensued, two of his men dismounted, in order to bemore certain of a deliberate aim, but, in so doing,they accidentally let their own horses go loose, andlost them, as they ran away with those that were beingstampeded by the red men.
In this affair three of the volunteers were wounded.With the two horses lost by Kit Carson’s men,twenty-eight riding animals, belonging to the UnitedStates government, were stolen by this band of Camanches.But, had it not been for Kit Carson and his men, LieutenantMulony would have lost his cattle likewise.
Young oxen, when stampeded, are sometimes lost bythe Indians. When not killed by wolves they usuallyjoin with the herds of buffalo and soon become wild.In this state, they are represented as being quitefleet of foot. More generally, they fall a preyto the wolves, and sometimes, again into the handsof the savages. A party was crossing the plainsin the year 1854; the advance of the party sent backword that the first buffalo was in sight. Manyamateur hunters eagerly volunteered for the chase,and soon, quite a squad of men were traveling at agood round gallop towards the supposed game. Onapproaching the game, it was found to be an old lameox, which had been turned out by some caravan to die.The disappointment which prevailed in this crowd ofneophyte hunters, on discovering this mistake, canbe better imagined than described. The poor ox,apparently, had no idea of giving up the ghost quiteyet. He was in good health and spirits, and showedsigns of being pleased to see a white man again.The little birds of the prairies had used him as aperch. This office he appeared quite accustomedto perform, for he did not disturb the flock thatwas then occupying his back. How he had escapedthe wolves is a miracle.
From signs discovered after the Indians had decamped,it became evident that several of the thieves hadbeen mortally wounded; but, being tied on their horses,they were carried out of sight before they died.This is a fair sample of many of the Indian fightswhich have occurred, and are yet not unfrequent, onthe prairies; the object of the savages is to plunder;therefore, an unguarded moment is selected for theirattacks. In this instance, by the time the whiteshad got their firearms and men ready to commence thecontest, the Indians had perpetrated their intendedassault and were off.
[Illustration: CAMANCHE WARRIOR.]
The Camanches are excelled by no men in the worldin their horsemanship, not excepting the famous Cossacksof Europe. The level prairies are beautiful fieldsfor them to act on. It is in a skirmish similarto the one we have endeavored to describe, that theyput these qualifications to the test. The arenawhere these scenes are enacted is a very undesirableplace for a mere spectator. Kit Carson and partyresumed their march the same day, and arrived safelyat Santa Fe, without meeting with any other adventures.At this town he left his escort of fifty volunteers,and hired sixteen other men with which to performthe remainder of his journey. This was in obedienceto the orders he had received at Fort Leavenworth.Pursuing his route on Muddy Creek, a tributary ofVirgin River, he came upon a village of some threehundred Indians, so suddenly, as his route twistedabout among the hills, that he had to make a boldmatter of it, and go into camp, for the purpose ofhaving a “talk.” Kit Carson had learnedsome time before that these very red men had massacred
seven Americans. For this reason he determinednot to trust them, even if they professed friendship.The Indians wished to come into his camp, but thisprivilege he would by no means grant to them.He posted his men and selected a place so that hehimself could talk, and at the same time let themsee that if the least hostile demonstration was madeby their side, it would be answered by a volley ofbullets from the rifles of the white men. KitCarson harangued them and informed them that he knewof the murders they had committed on his people duringthe past year. He told them that they bore atreacherous character and could not be treated asfriends, and wound up his discourse by adding, thathe would not allow himself to be deceived, for he knewthat their only object in gaining admission into hiscamp was to repeat their bloody acts. He nowgave them a limited period of time in which to be off,at the expiration of which, several lounged about,apparently doubting his words. He now gave theorder to fire. In consequence, a few shots wereaimed at them, which killed one and wounded three orfour others. This had the tendency to hurry themovements of the remainder, who retired from the dangerousproximity to his camp. This was a case whichrequired some nerve and great experience in the commanderof the little party. Nothing but the personalcourage and promptness of Kit Carson saved his command.The success of fifteen men against three hundred Indiansin this manner, is chiefly due to their commander.The party proceeded on their journey, but soon weretroubled for food. Having used up all the gamethey could find, they were obliged to kill two mules,on which they lived until they arrived at Los Angelos.Kit Carson, finding that the officers to whom he wasordered to deliver his dispatches were at Monterey,journeyed thither, and having reached that town insafety, gave the documents to Col. Mason, thenof the First Regiment of United States dragoons, whowas in command. Obeying orders, Kit Carson, nowan acting lieutenant in the United States army, returnedto Los Angelos and was assigned to do duty in thecompany of United States dragoons commanded by CaptainSmith. Kit was allowed little time to recruit,but his restless disposition did not ask, nor hishabits require it; consequently, he remained at LosAngelos only a short period. With a command oftwenty-five dragoons, he was ordered to proceed toTajon Pass, the main outlet through which hostileIndians went out of California, bearing the proceedsof their incursions, such as cattle, horses, sheepand captives. Kit Carson’s duty in thisplace was to intercept the Indians and examine theirpapers and cargoes. He spent thewinter in doing much good in this service. Inthe spring, he was again ordered to proceed overlandto Washington, with dispatches. An escort beingfurnished him, he was soon under way, and had reachedGrand River without encountering any serious difficulty.At this place an accident happened to his party whilecrossing the river on rafts.
During the early part of summer, the fording of streamswhich have their source in the Rocky Mountains isno safe or easy task. When the sun and the warmsouth winds begin to melt the immense piles of snowand ice in the mountains, the water comes tumblingdown in torrents; and, having overflowed the rivers’banks, floods the adjacent country. By this means,new gullies and ravines are continually forming, which,when the melting process ceases, are converted intodry beds. With this rush of angry water, largerocks and masses of earth are swept from their naturalseat, leaving a wreck behind that is fearfully grandto behold. The roaring of these torrents as theycome leaping past and over every obstacle, resemblesa low, rumbling thunder, which is reechoed throughthe deep forests and canons. Sometimes travelersare compelled to wait weeks before these rivers fallsufficiently to allow a safe transit. Heavy rainshave the same effect to enlarge them; and, in oneinstance, a body of soldiers, while crossing the plains,were overtaken by these rains, which fell with suchrapidity and in such quantity as to make the levelprairies almost one sheet of water, while every ravinewas converted into a river, swift and deep. Tocross these, the men were obliged to use their bestexertions with very poor means to guard against loss;and, even with the best care, one man was drowned,while several mules shared the same fate. In theprospective construction of bridges for highroads andrailroad tracks across the continent, in certain seasonsof the year, this sudden accumulation and explosionof water may cause trouble by sweeping them suddenlyaway.
This accident crippled the resources of Kit Carson’sparty very much and caused them afterwards great suffering.The accident occurred something after the followingmanner. One division of the men, with their leaderas a companion, had constructed a float of logs, onwhich they had crossed the stream in safety; but thesecond branch of the party, under charge of LieutenantBrewerton, then of the United States army, and whowas traveling in company with Kit Carson, were notso successful with their raft; for, no sooner didthey get it into the swift current than it becameunmanageable, and finally precipitated its contents,among which were included several of the men and theirluggage, into the water. The wrecked men withgreat difficulty saved their lives by swimming tothe shore from which they had started. The daywas far spent and no attempt to succor them could bemade that evening; so, in their semi-state of nudity,and without the means of making a fire, they passeda miserably cold night; but, early the next morning,one of their friends recrossed and carried them anaxe, by the aid of which a new raft was made, on whichthey embarked a second time and were soon safe withtheir companions. Among the very useful articlesthat were lost by this mishap there were several saddles
and six valuable rifles. What made this losspeculiarly unpleasant was, that they could not bereplaced until the party could reach the settlements.The owners of the saddles were now in a sad plight;for, neither to the rider or his horse is it a verypleasant prospect to make a long journey without theseuseful articles. After repairing their damagesas best they could, they struck out afresh. Settingaside hunger and the suffering experienced from exposureto cold, they were not again incommoded in any wayuntil they had come to the vicinity of the Mexicantowns. Here they met several hundred Utah andApache Indians. These red skins showed some warlikesymptoms which Kit Carson did not in the least fancy;but, to make the best of his situation, he orderedhis men to post themselves in a neighboring thicketand be ready to act on the defensive. Kit Carsonthen informed the Indians that they must keep at aproper distance, or otherwise he would direct hismen to fire into them. He told them that if theywere disposed to be friendly, which they professedto be, towards the white men, they could show it byleaving and not annoying his party, who, being nearlynaked and in a destitute condition, could give themnothing. Evidently the savages saw this was true,and so did not hazard a fight, but departed.Kit Carson traveled that night ten miles further.It was late in the day when he again ventured on thetrail, but this distance was all that his animalscould accomplish without food and rest, for they werefatigued and poor. His object in thus resuminghis march, was to separate himself and men as far ashe could from the Indians, fearing that they mightchange their minds and conclude to attack him.Being too weak, his party was in no condition foran engagement. At the end of this distance hefortunately met with a party of volunteers, who hadbeen out in search of these very savages, in orderthat they might punish them for some rascality theyhad been recently guilty of. The next day KitCarson reached Taos, where he allowed himself a shortrespite for the purpose of recruiting, and also tohave the pleasure of a visit to his family and friends.These were privileges which, during his life in themountains, had been seldom granted to him, though hisfeelings of attachment for relatives and intimateacquaintances are not exceeded by those of any livingman. Indeed, his love for his children is unbounded.We have several times heard him assert, that if therewas any one thing that could make him a coward, itwould be the thoughts of his little ones. Whenhis party was sufficiently recruited, Kit Carson leftTaos and proceeded to Santa Fe. At this time ColonelNewby, of the Illinois Volunteers, was in command ofthe United States forces stationed there. Thisgentleman informed Kit Carson that his appointmentas lieutenant, made by President Polk, was not confirmedby the United States Senate. Many of Kit’sfriends, on hearing this, came to him and advisedhim not to carry the dispatches any further; but,instead, they counseled him to deliver them to thecommanding officer of the post he was at, advisinghim that he was doing duty as an officer in the armyand yet was not recognized by government. Thelanguage used by Kit Carson on this occasion, in replyto his friends, is so much to his credit and is solike the man, that every American citizen ought toknow it. It was as follows: “I wasintrusted with these dispatches, having been chosenin California, from whence I come, as the most competentperson to take them through safely. I would tryto fulfill this duty even if I knew it would cost memy life. It matters not to me, while I am performingthis service for my country, whether I hold the rankof a lieutenant in the United States army, or am knownmerely as an experienced mountaineer. I have gainedsome little honor and credit for the manner in whichI have always conducted myself when detailed on anyspecial and important business, and I would on noaccount now wish to forfeit the good opinion formedof me by a majority of my countrymen because the UnitedStates Senate did not deem it proper to confer onme an appointment which I never solicited, and onewhich, had I been confirmed, I would have resignedat the termination of the war.”The reasons why the wishes of the President were notcarried out by Congress in this instance, we knownot; but, certain it is, that the lucky aspirant whoeventually received this office at the hands of thesame United States, had no credentials to present thatcould, as far as merit was concerned, compare withthose held by Christopher Carson. It is fairto infer, that Kit Carson had but few friends at court,though it cannot for one moment be supposed that hisname was not well known at Washington, when for fivelong years he had been the right-hand man of JohnC. Fremont in his explorations. The privatesand the hardships which that commander and his guidewillingly submitted to during those years, it is impossibleto describe through reports. The whole newspaperpress of the United States, together with severalvolumes of well-written books, have attempted it, butall have failed in giving a true picture of the reality.These things availed nothing when brought in contactwith political moves; and Kit Carson was doomed togo by the board. He had, however, met, duringhis eventful life, with too many disappointments tobe much chagrined at this, and we find him, soon afterwards,making inquiries in relation to the state of feelingamong the Indians who inhabited the country throughwhich he had to pass.
The appointment of civilians to the responsible dutiesof a command in the United States army has, of lateyears, become, in many instances, very unfortunate.Perhaps it is this that has taught our legislatorsa lesson. But there is a truth which lies abovethis difficulty. The severe ordeal necessaryto be gone through with at West Point, in order tomake military men of the proper standard, has verynaturally raised a jealousy between these two classesof men. This is very healthy for the country,as it stimulates each to noble exertions. Inorder to make the army less secluded, it is necessaryto appoint a certain per-centage of men from the walksof private life, and therefore the most meritoriousshould be selected. West Point men, as a body,are a great credit to our country; and, as a scientificcorps, they cannot be surpassed; but, the fact isincontrovertible, that many, if not most of the leadingofficers of the United States army, are self-educated,and have risen to their exalted positions by untiringindustry and distinguished services. For frontierwork, men, to be capable of taking command, are requiredto have great experience in Indian strategy, and tobecome accustomed to endure privations and vicissitudes.These cannot be taught by schools or books. Forthese positions those are best fitted who have beentrained to the mountains from earliest boyhood, andwhere is the man in North America who has battledin this service longer or more successfully than ChristopherCarson? But Kit Carson could see no reason whythe votes of the United States Senators, refusingto confirm the President’s effort to rewardhim for his services to his country, should cause himfor one moment to swerve from his duty. He pocketedat once his disappointment, and went to work.Colonel Newby informed him that the Camanches hadof late been very hostile, and that they were thenroaming in war parties, numbering from two to threehundred, scattered along the old Santa Fe road, onwhich their depredations had, so far, been mostlycommitted. On learning this, Kit Carson determinedto make a trail of his own, and endeavor thus to avoidthem. He reduced the number of his escort toten trusty followers. With them, he returned toTaos, and after a halt there of two days, once morewas on the march. At first, he traveled to thenorthward, until he reached a tract of country whichthese Indians seldom visited; then, changing his routeby compass, he struck the Bijoux River, which is atributary of the Platte River, and followed it downstream. At about twenty-five miles from the mouthof the Bijoux, he quit that stream, and struck outdiagonally across the prairies, and soon reached thePlatte itself, down which he journeyed to Fort Kearney.Here he again changed his course for the RepublicanFork. On leaving this last-named stream, he traveleddirect to Fort Leavenworth, finally reaching that postwith his men and animals in fine condition, for thejourney had been as pleasant as could have been expected.Here he left his escort, and set out alone for Washington.After reaching the land of railroads and steamboats,he was but a few days in bringing the latter part ofhis journey to an end. Handing his dispatchesto the proper authorities, Kit Carson turned rightabout and made his way to New Mexico, where he arrivedin the month of October, 1848.
It will be seen by following on a map the route whichKit Carson planned on this occasion, that it was verycircuitous, and led him a great distance out of hisway. Indeed he was, at times, far beyond theroaming grounds of the Camanches, but this was necessary.He was not, however, free from danger; but was obligedto be on the lookout for their allies, the Kiowas,who are usually at war whenever the Camanche nationis. His trail led him through a country whichis celebrated as abounding in game, and also in beingwell watered, and last, but not least, the desideratumof finding grass of a good quality, whenever he desiredit, was proved a valuable assistant on the march.It may be well to mention here, that one of the mostcurious of the phenomena of the plains, to the inexperiencedtraveler, are those mirages which, on every clearday, are sure to meet and delude his eyes. Sowonderful are these deceptions, that often the visionleads one to believe he is beholding, in the distance,a beautiful city which is located on the banks ofsome attractive lake. The outlines of the palaces,spires of cathedrals, and even the lesser buildingsthemselves, all surrounded with trees, bearing luxuriantand green foliage, together, form an imaginary picturewhich throws into the background any of the realitieswhich are the work of man. The shading is oftentimesvery captivating, and on it the traveler can be entertainedfor hours, until a change in the rays of light orintervening clouds, or else by approaching the delusionitself, the magic scene fades away. A mirageand a prairie on fire, seen by night, the one a delusion,the other a fearful reality, are two of the grandestsights to be seen in the far West; we might add, onthe American continent.
CHAPTER XIII.
Kit Carson at his Home—TheApache Indians become hostile—An Expeditionsent against them—It is not successful—Anotheris organized, with which, Kit Carson goes as Guide—TwoIndian Chiefs captured—Other Incidentsof the Trip—Colonel Beall attemptsto force the Indians to give up Mexican Captives—Twothousand Savages on the Arkansas River—TheVisit to them—Kit Carson emigratesand builds a Ranche at Rayado—Descriptionof the Valley—The Massacre of a SantaFe Merchant—His Wife is made Prisoner—TheExpedition sent to rescue her—The Indiansovertaken—Bad Counsel and Management—Thecommanding Officer wounded—Mrs. White’sBody found—Severe Snow Storm on thePlains—One Man frozen to Death—KitCarson returns to Rayado—The occupationof a Farmer resumed—The Apaches steal fromthe Settlers nearly all their Animals—KitCarson with thirteen others in the Pursuit—TheSurprise—A running Fight—TheAnimals recovered—A gallant Sergeant andhis Fate—Kit Carson and Goodel go ona Trading Expedition to meet California Emigrantsat Fort Laramie—Humorous Adventures—TheDangers that beset the Road to New Mexico—Hair-breadthEscape—Arrival at Taos.
Being comfortably housed in his own pleasant homeat Taos, Kit Carson made up his mind to treat himselfto a more lengthy stay there than he had for sometime enjoyed. While he was quietly enjoying thepleasures of home, active operations were transpiringabout him, for the neighboring Indians had dug upthe tomahawk and buried the calumet, and were holdingin defiance the United States forces, which had beenstationed in New Mexico to protect its inhabitants.Colonel Beall was at that time commanding officerof the district, and had established his head-quartersat Taos. The colonel, soon after assuming thecommand, being a resolute man, saw that there was butone way to deal with these Indians, and that was tobring them to a strict account, and make them amenablefor their many crimes. This tribe of Apacheshas given the government of the United States almostas much trouble as have the Seminoles in Florida,and I hesitate not in saying, that before they areexterminated, which is the only sure plan of makinga peace with them, they will have surpassed their redbrethren of the swamps of the South in the numberand enormity of their crimes. Before New Mexicocame under the jurisdiction of the United States, theApaches, for many years, had committed all kinds ofheinous offences against the Mexicans; and, for aperiod of ten years after that event, these same savageswere continually on the war path, notwithstandingmilitary expeditions, one after another, were organizedand sent out against them. Their mountain retreatsare almost inaccessible to white men, while the Indians,apparently, play about in them like rabbits.The amount of physical endurance and the length ofthe journeys these red men can make, appear very astonishingto one not accustomed to them. The Apaches, asan Indian race, are not wanting in bravery, the bestevidence of which statement is, that nearly all theirwarriors die in battle. Their countryis the healthiest in America. Besides wagingwar against the whites and Mexicans, they have theirdifferences to settle with their neighboring tribes,with whom they are punctilious in vindicating theirnational honor. Colonel Beall commenced his operationsagainst these Indians by dispatching a junior officer,backed by a strong force, with orders to pursue, overtake,and chastise them. This expedition started; but,on coming to the mountains, the guides reported thatthere was too much snow on them for the command topass through in safety; so the undertaking was givenup, and the men were marched back to Taos.
The most famous war chief of the Apaches, during thesetroubles, was called by the Mexicans Chico Velasques,and his name, for many years, was a terror to thesurrounding country. His savage brutality knewno bounds, and he was truly in his element, only whenhe was tearing the bloody scalp from his half-lifelessvictim. He was the sworn enemy of the Americansand Mexicans, and his hunting-knife was rarely cleanof human blood, until his cruel life, by the wise decreesof an all-seeing Providence, was suddenly cut short.He fought against his disease (small pox) with thatrashness that had been his ruling spirit through life,and thus ingloriously terminated his days. Thepride of this man was to strut through the Mexicantowns and gloat over his many crimes. To thegazing crowd, he would point out the trophies of hismurders, which he never failed to have about him.To his fringed leggins were attached the phalanges(or finger bones) of those victims whom he had killedwith his own hands. On the one side, he proclaimedto his auditors, were the fingers of the Mexicans,while on the other, were the same tokens from theAmericans; and it gave him great delight, ironically,to dwell upon the latter name. With whip in hand,he struck out right and left when anything displeasedhim. He met one day more than his match in theperson of the famous Mexican hunter, Armador Sanchez,of whom we have previously spoken. The circ*mstancesof this rencounter were as follows: The bold Indian,with but few followers, was on a visit of pleasureto the Mexican town of Culebro. He had agreedto a temporary peace, to suit his convenience andends; and, taking advantage of it, he made his appearancein the settlements, to lord it over the peaceableinhabitants. After indulging in a little fire-water,his wicked propensities could be controlled no longer,and broke forth in minor cruelties. At last hefound himself in the house belonging to Sanchez, whowas quietly conversing with his aged father, for whomhe had great veneration, and also with his son.The Indian peremptorily demanded that some whiskyshould be given him. He was informed by Sanchezthat he did not keep the article. A second demandwas now made, with the threat that if it was not forthcomingimmediately, he would whip the person who refusedhim. This had the effect of bringing Sanchez tohis feet, when the following colloquy, in Spanish,between him and the Indian transpired: “ChicoVelasques, you have long been accustomed to treatour people almost as you please. You have robbedand murdered us at your will, notwithstanding we havegiven you no cause thus to act. Had you askedfor bread, I would have given it to you, for the doorof my house is always open to the friendly red man;but, as for whisky, you can have none from my hands.Raise that whip but once to strike me, and I willdash your brains out with this mass of lead.”Suiting his actions to his words, Sanchez drew forth
from the pocket of his hunting-shirt a slung shotthat weighed nearly four ounces, which he always carriedto dispatch his game with when it was in the lastagonies of death. With uplifted hand, the Indianhesitated; for, he knew the character of the man whostood before him, as they had hunted together duringmany moons gone by, on the same mountains and on thesame trail. At last, using his own savage dialect,in order that his words could not be understood byothers about him, the savage answered the Mexicanhunter by saying, “that by chance they mightsome day meet again;” a threat which fell harmlessat the feet of Sanchez. As he took his departure,the chief added, in Spanish, “I will tell thesethings to my father,[20] Kit Carson,” as if furtherattempting to intimidate the hunter; but Sanchez knewthat his own and Carson’s opinions were thesame in regard to this man; therefore, he smiled atthe rascal’s knavery. Chico Velasqueswas followed in his chieftainship by Blanco,who did his utmost to walk in the footsteps of hisillustrious predecessor; but, he was not so cunning,and was less successful in his encounters with theAmericans and Mexicans, and therefore had not thatinfluence with his tribe which the former possessed.Still, he performed his quantum of mischief, and yetlives to play his part in the great drama of Indianlife. An Apache Indian is rather small in stature,but everything about him denotes symmetry and strength.His limbs are almost straight, and their muscles areas hard as iron. The elasticity of his movements,when in the least excited, shows a high degree ofphysical training. His coal-black eye exhibitsan amount of treachery rarely seen elsewhere, provingthe truth of the Chinese adage, that “the tonguemay deceive, but the eye can never play the rogue.”[Footnote 20: This expression of “father,”with these Indians, means their agent.]
But to return to the narrative. The commandingofficer of the party sent out against these Indians,on arriving again at Taos, reported to Col. Beallthat the reason he had returned was because, at thepresent time, it was impracticable to cross the mountains.That brave and experienced officer replied, “thatthere was no such word as impracticable in the soldier’svocabulary, and that nothing ought to be impossiblefor the 1st regiment of United States dragoons toaccomplish.” Suiting his actions to hiswords, Col. Beall reorganized the command, tookcharge of it himself, and employed Kit Carson as hisguide. When everything was in proper trim, thisexpedition set out, and after surmounting many obstaclesand privations, finally accomplished the feat of crossingthe snow-clad mountains, and after a long and fruitlesssearch for the Indians, the men were obliged to turnabout, because their stock of provisions was runninglow. As the command emerged through the “Sangrede Christo Pass,” on their return route,they came suddenly into view of a village of Apaches.
As soon as the Indians were discovered the charge wassounded, but the animals of the dragoons were toomuch jaded to obey the summons with the celerity wishedfor by their riders; the result was that, besidesa considerable amount of plunder, only two personswere taken, but they, fortunately, proved to be noless than two important chiefs. In order to impressthese Indians with the fairness and liberality whichhis government wished to show to the red men, aftera long talk, in which the colonel exacted promisesof good behavior, he let the prisoners go. Theydeparted, to forget as quickly as possible all theirvows and promises; for, seemingly, they will act inno other way than as their own savage instinct teaches.After this affair, Col. Beall made a direct marchfor Taos, where he remained for some time, attendingto the ordinary duties of his garrison.In the treaty between the United States and New Mexico,entered into at the close of the Mexican War, a clausewas inserted binding the former to turn over to thelatter all the Mexican captives then held by the Indianswho inhabited territory belonging to the first namedgovernment. The carrying out of this provisionof the treaty involved the United States governmentin a large and constant bill of expense. Thiswas, undoubtedly, unavoidable, for even had the clausenot been inserted in the treaty, the maintenance ofabout the same frontier military forces would havebeen necessary. It would have proved a difficultmatter to carry out this treaty to the letter.
If it had been so carried out to the letter, the Camancheswould have been great sufferers, for at least onethird of the blood that now runs in their veins isMexican. During the last half century, and perhapslonger, they have been accustomed to make annual visitsinto the Mexican settlements of Old Mexico. Theobject of these hostile incursions has ever been toload themselves with plunder. They steal allthe horses that fall in their way, and also take forcaptives as many young children as they can lay handson. The latter are brought up in true Indianstyle, and, having cast off all remembrance of theirformer habits and friends, they gradually become thewild men of the plains. The female captives,on arriving at the suitable age, are married to theyoung warriors of the tribe, and thus the true Indianstock, becoming amalgamated with the Mexico-Spanishblood, is fast becoming degenerated. The reason,therefore, why the fulfillment of this treaty wouldhave militated strongly against the Camanche Indiansespecially, is clearly apparent.
In the following February, Col. Beall learnedthat on the Arkansas River there were congregateda large body of Indians, who had quite a number ofMexicans in bondage. He felt it to be his dutyto visit these savages and endeavor to have them deliverup all such captives, using peaceable means to accomplishthis result in the first instance; and, should theyfail, he made up his mind to resort to more forcibleand potent arguments. With this determination,and with two companies of dragoons to back him andKit Carson as his guide, he set out on his mission.In due time he reached the Arkansas, and there foundcongregated four tribes of Indians who numbered inthe vicinity of two thousand souls. Their objectin thus coming together was to have a grand counciland lay out plans for the future, and also to meettheir agent. This agent, who was an experiencedmountaineer, informed the colonel that, consideringthe present state of ill feeling existing among theseIndians towards the whites, it would be useless tomake the demand for the prisoners; and as to usingforce, it would almost certainly prove a failure,when such a large number of well armed warriors werearrayed against him. It required a great dealof persuasion to bring the colonel around to thismode of thinking; but, at last he yielded to the adviceof his friends and concluded to make no demonstrationagainst the Indians at the present time, concluding,as his anger cooled, that it was the wisest policyto await a more favorable opportunity, when a treatycould be made with them, in which there could be anarticle inserted that would stipulate for the restorationof the captives.
In parting with these red men without accomplishingthe main object for which they came, both officersand men felt that their labors had not been entirelythrown away. Their presence must have left lastingimpressions on the minds of the savages, in showingthem that they no longer had poorly clad and poorlyarmed Mexican soldiers to deal with.
On arriving again in Taos, Kit Carson returned tohis home to ruminate over what was best for him totake up as a business for the future. He revolvedin his thoughts his past career, and, in the end, finishedthe mental study by resolving to give up his roaminglife, as he rightly considered that now was the time,if ever, that he should be making a substantial homefor himself and family, before old age crept uponand disabled him from the undertaking. About thetime that he was in this frame of mind, his old mountaineerfriend, Maxwell, was about going to a pretty littlevalley called by the Mexicans Rayado.Maxwell proposed to Kit Carson to join him in the enterpriseof building a ranche on the site which he had selected.This offer the latter gladly accepted. Rayadowould have, long before, been settled by the Mexicans,had they not been deterred by its exposure, and consequentinviting position for Indian depredations. The
valley is about fifty miles east from Taos; and, forits scenery, cannot be surpassed by anything of thekind in America. Standing at the head of it ona blunt bluff, you look down and out on the prairies,and nothing can be more enchanting than the view thatis thus presented. On each side there are loftyhills, which, when green with grass and foliage, adda magic beauty to the scene. Through the valley,as if it had been intended for its dividing line,runs a broad mountain stream, the banks of which arenow metamorphosed into beautiful fields.We stop here to undeceive the reading public concerningan idea which has gained currency by the extraordinaryimaginative writings of novelists. These trashyfictions represent the western plains, or prairies,as flower-beds. In this a great mistake has becomeprevalent. A traveler often pursues his way overthem for many days without seeing anything to interruptthe continuity of green grass except it be the beautifulroad over which he is journeying. Near the slopesof the mountains and on the river banks the remarkwill apply. There, fields of wild flowers areoften found growing in great luxuriance.
The settlement was soon after commenced by Kit Carsonand Maxwell, and, as now completed, is really a beautifulspot. It is located about midway down the valley.Among its several houses, there are two which aremore conspicuous than the rest. In the finestof these two, the owner of which has taken great painsand spent much valuable time with its construction,lives Maxwell, whose honest pride is the being masterof a model farm. In the residence next most tobe admired in Rayado, Kit Carson sometimes sojourns.
The mansion which belongs to Maxwell would be an ornamentto any country. At one time, it was used as agarrison for American troops, and on it, the soldiersmade many improvements. It is built one storyhigh, in the shape of a hollow square, and has thesize of an ordinary block in a city. Around thewhole runs a fine veranda. With its lofty ceilings,large and airy rooms, and its fine yard in the centreof the square, which is well stored with its fowls,pigeons, and other pet animals, with appropriate kennels;with antlers of noble buck and elk; hams of venison,buffalo meat, wild turkeys, etc., and near bya fine vegetable garden; altogether, it presents apicture of sumptuous living rarely seen within thepale of civilization. Maxwell counts his steedsand cattle by hundreds, while his flocks of sheep areenumerated by thousands. Near by stands Kit Carson’sranche, which, though more modest, yet, when the hunteroccupies it, in dead game and comfort, it fully rivalsits compeer. Around these two hunters live ahandful of Mexican friends, who are either engagedin agricultural pursuits for themselves, or else inthe employ of the “lords of the manor,”Carson and Maxwell.
In this his residence at Rayado, Kit Carson is onlykept from spending his whole time by business forwhich his tastes are more suited. Soon afterthe commencement of the settlement, and while he wasengaged in his vocation as farmer, news reached himthat the Apaches had been committing a most wickedmurder, the details of which are horrible in the extreme.A merchant by the name of White, who was engaged inbusiness at Santa Fe, had been into the United Statesfor the purpose of purchasing goods. With histrain of wagons and his small escort of men, traveledhis private carriage, in which there were, as passengers,his accomplished but unfortunate lady and her onlychild. On arriving at a point where he anticipatedno further danger, Mr. White started on ahead of hiscaravan, in order that he might reach Santa Fe assoon as possible, and thus relieve his family fromthe privations of camp life. He had proceededbut a few miles when he was attacked by some Indianswho had concealed themselves in the rocks on eitherside of the road. The savages, as the carriageneared their hiding-place, fired with such accuracyof aim that they killed, by their first volley, allof the men who were with the carriage before theywere aware of the danger which surrounded them.Mrs. White and her child were reserved for a worsefate. They were carried off into captivity.The child proved to be a source of annoyance to theblood-thirsty savages, and its angel spirit was releasedfrom earth by their cruel ferocity. Before theeyes of its captive mother the fatal tomahawk wasraised, and by one dastard blow its keen edge was madeto mingle with its brains. The horrid work failednot to bring the bitter woes and anguish of despairto the breast of the unhappy mother. It was thenthrown into Red River, which was the stream nearestto the scene of the bloody tragedy.
Red River and its great canon has always been to theApache Indians a favorite haunt of refuge, eitherwhen pursued, or after the committal of some terriblecrime. There are several streams in the West calledby this name. The one here referred to is theRed River of the plains, and is one of the upper tributariesof the Arkansas River. In olden times it wentby the name of the Canadian River. Several sharpconflicts have occurred on this stream between theApache Indians and parties of United States troops.It has also formed the stage of many an Indian tragedyin conflicts between the mountain Indians and theIndians of the plains. Quite recently, attemptshave been made by whites to use its banks for grazingpurposes, but every enterprise which has been seton foot to establish ranches in its vicinity, havebeen warmly contested by the Camanches, who have killedseveral persons who have dared to essay such attempts.
The intelligence of this terrible butchery havingbeen carried to New Mexico, a command was organizedin hot haste, which had for its object the immediaterescue of Mrs. White from her bondage, worse than death.Two men went with this party as guides, named Lerouxand Fisher. Watkins Leroux is an old and famoustrapper and mountaineer, whose reputation and skillas a guide in the far West, is second only to KitCarson’s. A few of his warm partisans, whoare ever very warm in their praise of their friend,at one time considered him superior even to Kit Carson;but, when the skill of the two men came to be triedin the same cause, the palm was yielded to Kit Carson.Leroux has guided several parties over new routeswith meritorious success. His knowledge of Indiancharacter is nearly equal to that possessed by KitCarson, and he is endowed with a wonderful amount offorethought and prudence; but, in an Indian fight,or on any great emergency, his faculties appear tobe less active, and his judgment less certain, thanthose exhibited by the great Nestor of the Rocky Mountains.It is a well well-understood maxim, that there aremore or less narrow-minded persons who are ready andeager to pull down any and every rising man; and,for this purpose, such must choose a champion.Kit Carson’s association with Colonel Fremonthad won him so great renown, as a mountaineer andguide, that an opposition party was formed to detractfrom his merits and capabilities. Leroux, owingto his popularity, was chosen for the leader of thisparty, and whenever the name of Kit Carson was mentioned,the friends of Leroux always saw fit to compare thedeeds of the two men together. This strife, ofcourse, could not be lasting, and now it is almostforgotten. It is a just tribute of praise dueto both of these brave men, to say that they do notsanction, by word or deed, either party to the controversy.They could but appreciate each other, and, as friends,ever felt elated, the one at the success of the other,and vice versa. They mutually consideredthat every fresh laurel of glory added a measure-fullof honor and renown to their common brotherhood ofmountaineers, among whom the good reputation of theircloth was as dear as it was among the knights attachedto the orders of chivalry. Their ranches arelocated in the same valley, and in the same town;where, having lived together as fast friends in life,in all probability they will find their last resting-placesin the same graveyard. Few men can say aughtagainst the character of Watkins Leroux, but in thisestimate of his actions, we are only reviving whathas already been given to the public.
With Leroux and Fisher employed as guides, the expeditionfor the rescue of Mrs. White set out on its route,and, on its journey, passed by Rayado. Kit Carsonimmediately proffered his services for the expedition.They were accepted, but, much to the surprise of manyof the party, instead of being at once placed in theposition which his great experience demanded, he wasassigned to an inferior position under the commandof Leroux. Kit Carson, however, was too good asoldier to exhibit the conduct which the little buzzingtalkers so anxiously looked for from their supposedkindling of his jealousy, and quietly took the postassigned him, eager to lend a helping hand, whichmight even thus be instrumental in saving a valuablelife. It is proper, however, that we should add,that this slight upon his reputation and experiencewounded his feelings. But, especially, as thelife in jeopardy belonged to a woman, he would not,and did not, think of allowing his actions to partakeof his feelings. We have reason to believe thatthis slight, at least on the part of the commandingofficer of the expedition, was not intentional.That gentleman was an honorable man, and would nothave committed an act which he considered would haveresulted otherwise than for the best; and, in appointingLeroux his chief counsellor, he had selected a goodman, but, one whom he afterwards learned, to his sorrow,was every way the subordinate of Kit Carson in managingIndian affairs.
A few years subsequent to the transpiring of thismurder and the skirmish which succeeded it, we travelednear to the spot under the same officer who had thecommand of the above expedition. He revertedto the affair with much feeling, and from his actionsand remarks, we could plainly see that his sympathieshad been, perhaps, too greatly enlisted in behalfof his unfortunate countrywoman, and that his betterjudgment had been overcome by giving way to the urgentadvice of others. If it had been a battle whereeither scientific attainments or manly courage couldhave succeeded, he would, doubtless, have been himself,and carried everything through with success. Thisis no mere assertion, for his long and well triedmilitary career warrants us in this belief. Wehave the greatest respect for this gentleman, andconsider him a very able man; but, as a biographer,we are called upon to narrate the facts as they cometo us. If he had succeeded, everything wouldhave been considered as well done; but he failed, andthe cause of his failure is plain.
The party being thus constituted, and no delay havingbeen occasioned by any unforeseen accident, the partyarrived in good season at the place where the cold-bloodedmurder had been consummated. Around the spot,there was strewn, in great confusion, boxes, trunks,pieces of harness, and many other things, which hadbelonged to the unfortunate party, and which the villainsdid not fancy and carry away with them. The path
taken by these Indians was soon found, and on it, thecommand traveled in full chase for twelve days, withoutseeing the outline of a savage. Carson describesthis as being the most difficult trail to follow heremembers ever to have undertaken, for the rascallyApaches, on breaking up their camps, would divideinto parties of two and three, and then scatter overthe vast expanse of the prairies to meet again atsome preconcerted place, where they knew water couldbe had. In several of these camps the pursuersfound remnants of dress and other articles, that wereknown to have belonged to Mrs. White. By thesesigns, they were led to believe that she still lived.Although these things would be trifles on ordinaryoccasions, yet, at the present time, they were thecause of stimulating the white men to their utmostexertions; and, as they grew fresher, the excitementamong the party increased. At last, the camp,and even the persons of the savages, became visibleto the foremost of the pursuers; and, among the firstto get a glimpse of them was Kit Carson. At thetime the discovery was made, Kit Carson was considerablyin advance of most of the men. Turning to thosenear him, he shouted to have the command come on asfast as possible, for he saw at once that there wasno time to be lost in consultation as to the bestmode of assaulting the Indians. They, already,were in commotion, and were making hurried preparationsto decamp. Riding on at full speed for some distance,Kit Carson again turned his head and saw, to his dismay,that he was not followed; but instead, the commandhad halted. The cause of this curious order beinggiven, at such a precarious moment, was, as he afterwardslearned, brought about by the advice of the chief guide,who told the commanding officer that the Indians wishedto have a parley. On seeing what was transpiringbehind him, Kit Carson had no alternative but to reinup his horse also; for, to ride on alone into themidst of the savages, would have been unjustifiablerashness, and might, perhaps, have destroyed the planshis superior officers were concocting. So, hestood paralyzed and confounded at the inactivity ofhis companions. Just about this time, a bullet,fired from the Indian camp, struck the commandingofficer in the breast, and bent him forward.Those around him, for a little while, supposed thathe had received a mortal wound. Still, he retainedhis seat in the saddle, but could not speak.Thus again was precious time lost, as the party, duringthis time, were virtually without a leader, and didnot seem to be inclined to make one. Fortunatelyfor this officer, just before he received the shot,he had taken off his thick buckskin gauntlets andcrowded them into a breast pocket. The ball hadstruck this bundle; and, as its force was somewhatexpended by the distance it had come, it was unableto more than penetrate the mass and contuse the softparts of the chest.This accident assisted in preventing this well knownmilitary man from inflicting such a blow on thesesavages, that they would have been long in recoveringfrom it. He had undoubtedly seen, soon after hehad halted, that Kit Carson was right in recommendinga charge; for, as quick as he recovered sufficientlyfrom his injury to be able to speak, he commandedthe men to make the attack, and leave him to himself.Unfortunately, the time had passed to accomplish thedesired effect when this order was given, for, onarriving among the lodges, the men found only onewarrior. He, as a matter of course, was slain.The body of Mrs. White was also found in the camp.Life was extinct, though her soul had but just flownto heaven. There was still warmth in the corpsewhen the men first discovered it. An arrow hadpierced her breast. Evidently she had been consciousthat friends were near, and was trying to make herescape when the missile of death produced the fatalwound.
Much has been written and said about this sad affair,and much unjust calumny has been heaped upon the headof the leader of the expedition; therefore, the opinionof Kit Carson in reference to the matter may not beout of place; hence, we give it word for word.“I am certain” says Kit Carson, “thatif the Indians had been charged immediately on ourarrival, Mrs. White would have been saved. Atfirst, the savages were much confused at our approach,and I do not hesitate to say that she saw us as quickas any one of the redskins did, for it undoubtedlywas the all absorbing topic of her mind that her rescuewould be attempted by her friends and countrymen.On seeing us coming, she had attempted to run towardsus, when she was shot down. Had she been liberated,she could not have long survived the brutality, hardshipsand vicissitudes she had experienced. Words cannotdescribe the bitter cup that she had been obligedto drink during her captivity. It was the willof Providence that, having suffered like a martyr onearth, she should be taken to himself before we arrivedto where her remains lay; upon coming upon which,we shed tears at thus being defeated in what had beenour cherished hopes even had it cost some of us ourown lives.”
By this language it can be readily seen that Kit Carsonregretted the failure of this attempt made to rescueMrs. White as deeply as any one, either in the expedition,or among her friends at the home from which she hadso recently, in health and happiness, been torn.“Yet I cannot,” says Kit Carson, “blamethe commanding officer, or the other guide, for theaction they took in the affair. They evidentlydid as they thought best, but I have no doubt thatthey now can see, that if my advice had been taken,the life of Mrs. White might have been spared forat least a short period.” This expeditionwas far from being a failure, for the Indians lostall their provisions, camp equipage and a few animals.Many of these savages ran away leaving behind themeverything they possessed in the world, except thescanty amount of clothing they had on.
For six miles they were pursued over the level prairieswhen another brave was killed, several wounded andthree children taken prisoners. The horses belongingto the Expedition broke down, one by one, until atlast, the chase had to be given over, after which theIndians made short work in getting out of sight.Among the trinkets and baggage found in the capturedcamp, there was a novel which described Kit Carsonas a great hero who was able to slay Indians by scores.This book was shown to Kit and was the first of thekind he had ever seen. After glancing at it hemade the remark, “that perhaps Mrs. White, towhom it belonged, knowing he lived not very far off,had prayed to have him make his appearance and assistin freeing her. He wished that it might havebeen so, but consoled himself by thinking that he hadperformed his duty.” While on their routeback to Taos, the command was overtaken by a terriblesnow storm which was accompanied by a high wind; asthere were no hills to break its force, it amountedalmost to a tornado. The snow was driven withsuch force into the men’s faces that they becamenearly blind, and were bewildered as to the coursethey should travel. During its continuance, theywandered about on the prairies. Finally theywere so fortunate that at last they reached a clumpof timber in the neighborhood of Las Vegas inNew Mexico; but, during the tramp, one man had beenfrozen to death and others had come near to perishing.
After arriving in the settlements; the party learnedfrom some friendly Indians, that the Apaches had sufferedseverely by being exposed to this same storm, andthe report was that many of them had since died inconsequence thereof. From this, it would appearas if an all seeing power had protected the whites,while it had dealt out a fearful judgment upon thesewicked savages, who have more than vague ideas ofthe sin of murdering, in cold blood, innocent people,sages and philanthropists far distant and safe ingreat cities to the contrary notwithstanding.There are no set of men in the world who can drawthe line between right and wrong based on its firstprinciple, and taught to them by the great lessonsof nature, as can many tribes of Indians. Amongthemselves, and especially among their individualbands, in regard to all crimes, the Indian has hismoral code of laws which, in many respects, is notsurpassed by those of his pale-faced brother.They have their civil chief who is responsible forthe peace and good order of the camp; and, beforehim, are tried, by the lawyers of the tribe, all casesworthy of notice. If the parties are found guilty,the offender or offenders are summarily dealt with—therefore,“with his untutored mind,” in his intercoursewith white men, the Indian is not altogether excusablein committing crime.
There are many people who believe that the Indians,as a race, have been greatly sinned against, and tosustain their views, have called in the assistanceof flowery-written romances and the high-soundinglanguage of prose and poetry. Much of this noveltyand interest rubs off by coming in contact with thesavage as he really exists. Admiration oftenchanges, in this case, into distrust and even enmity.It is natural that this should be so, for mere book-educationbiases the mind always, either for or against, andtherefore, it is not strange that in the far West,we should often meet with men who unhesitatingly declarethat the red man, if capable, is unwilling to entertainin his character even one redeeming trait; but, oninvestigating their individual case, we find that theyare but superficial observers who are prone to findfault with everything that does not exactly suit theirtastes. It is necessary to spend a whole lifewith Indians, in order to judge them without prejudice.The Great Spirit has endowed his red children withreason, the same in quality as possessed by any otherrace, but their habits, mode of life and experienceis of such a kind, that, when taken, as a whole, theyare truly original. Looking upon this class ofpeople, either in the light of an enthusiast or asa detractor, cannot be otherwise than wrong; for,as is usually the case, the truth lies between theextremes.
To be caught in one of these winter storms on theplains is a very serious affair; and one only needsto have been through a fearful gale on the seas torender him dubious of which to choose. To thefaint heart, death seems inevitable in either case;and, to such a one, a choice between a watery graveor a bed of snow, when hunger and cold are his attendantswhile life is gradually ebbing out, is a questionin which the contrast appears small. During manyof the winter months, a life on the prairies becomesa necessity to the frontiersman and not a pleasure.The force and power of the winds on the level earthof the far West, are beyond human imagination.The snow storms there, at the proper period of theyear, are terrific in their grandeur. The quantityof the snow that falls is not so much a matter of noticeas the force with which it comes, being almost blindingin its effects and requiring all the physical powersof both man and beast to meet and contend againstit. It but seldom happens, during one of theseseasons, that the roads are so blocked up by snow thathuman ingenuity cannot overcome the obstacle; forthe wind drifts the snow, rendering the path clearat intervals which vary in their area. The poormail parties are the ones who experience this undesirablelife; and, in their attempts to make their journeys,they are often driven near to death’s door,although every precaution is taken to make the transitsafe. The mules of these parties are well protectedwith india rubber coverings which are lined with blankets,
and, so snugly are they made to fit every availablepart of the animal, that it seems almost impossiblefor cold to touch them. Corn and fodder, to alimited extent, is transported; but, even with theseprecautions, the mules now and then succumb to cold.The man covers his body with warm clothing and carrieswith him furs and robes enough to be seemingly ableto defy the storms. He can provide himself onlywith a scanty amount of fuel, for his means of conveyanceare very contracted. When overtaken by the storms,which may last several days, he is rendered almostpowerless, and is at the tender mercies of the gale;for he cannot make fires,—and without themhe may perish. This is not true of every tripmade across the plains during the winter, for, likeon the ocean, the passage may be frequently gone throughwith the encountering of but little real suffering.One thing in favor of making the journey in this seasonof the year is, the probability of not seeing an Indian.They, usually, during the cold months, stow themselvesaway in their, comparatively speaking, warm mountainretreats. In crossing the plains, small partiesfind the item of meeting Indians to be of considerableimportance, as, even in the time of peace, they arevery exacting and troublesome, demanding that provisionsshould be given them, by way of toll. To refuseis apt to bring down their ire, when they will usuallyhelp themselves to whatever suits their fancy.They are very partial to sugar, which, when they cannotsay the word in English, they call “Shoog.”If not understood, they make their wants known bythe Indian sign of touching with the index fingerthe tip of the tongue, thereby indicating the sweetnessof the article. Many of them come armed with apiece of paper, which testimonial of good behaviorthey have obtained from their agent or forced fromsome traveler. As they cannot read, it makesbut little difference what is the sense of the writingso long as it is bona fide penmanship.I once saw one of these documents which the ownerprized very highly, but, had he known the purport ofhis paper, he would have sighed for the scalp of hiskind friend who wrote it. The languagewas as follows: “Crossing of the Arkansas,”etc. “The bearer, Young Antelope,is a good Indian and will not take anything out ofhis reach. This is to warn traders and travelersto beware of his race, breed, seed, and generation.”It was signed evidently with a fictitious name, andanswered the purpose for which it was intended, whichwas, to get rid of an ugly customer and to put strangerson their guard against the man who carried it.On arriving at Taos, Kit Carson left this party andproceeded to Rayado, where he was, soon after, activelyengaged in farming pursuits.
During the subsequent winter, a detachment of tendragoons under the command of sergeant Holbrook wasstationed at Rayado to protect the little settlement.In order that their animals might have the benefitof the good grass which was to be found in the mountainsat a place where but little snow fell, the settlersestablished there a herder’s ranche, postingtwo men there to look after and guard the property.The cold months were passed in peace and quiet, but,in the spring the marauding Apaches came, and, afterwounding both of the herders, stole all the gentleanimals, including both horses and mules. Oneof the wounded men made his way to Rayado, notwithstandinghis injuries, and gave information of what had happenedto himself and companion. On learning these facts,Kit Carson, the dragoons and three of the settlers,immediately proceeded to the ranche. They arrivedthere just as the shades of night began to fall.Nothing could be attempted until the dawn of anotherday, consequently, a camp was ordered and duly arranged.As the first faint beam of light gilded anew the mountaintops, the party were up and moving. They soonfound the trail made by the thieves and commenceda sharp pursuit. The pace at which they traveledbecame so rapid, that, at the distance of only twenty-fivemiles from the spot where they first struck the trail,the Indians were discovered moving on the prairiea long way in advance. There remained nothingbut an open chase.
Orders were issued to accelerate even the hithertorapid march. Each man resumed his exertions toput his horse to his best speed. The chase wasgrowing intensely exciting when four of the animalsbelonging to the pursuers gave out, completely riddendown. Their riders were the most unhappy of anyof the party at this circ*mstance, for it precludedeven the chances of engaging in the expected affray.Leaving the four men behind, the remainder of the partypushed on in the pursuit, and every bound made bytheir horses brought them nearer to their foes.After several hours of this hard riding, they camenear enough to the warriors to count their numbers.Their force consisted of twenty well armed and equippedIndians. They showed no fear of the party pursuingthem, but clung to their stolen property with suchpertinacity that they allowed themselves to be overtaken.A running fight was immediately commenced which becamemost exciting, as well as dangerous, to the participants;but, all the more exciting because thus dangerous.The Indians were all skillful horsem*n and foughtwith great dexterity. Their animals being comparativelyfresh, in this respect they had the advantage.Notwithstanding this fact, the pursuing party administeredto them a severe lesson. Five of the rascallyIndians were killed and several wounded, while allof the stolen animals, with the exception of four,were overtaken and recaptured. The whole of thispursuit and the running fight which terminated so
successfully was accomplished under the advice of KitCarson. Each man in the pursuing party felt thatthe simple fact that Kit Carson’s eagle eyeand experienced hand watched and guided their movementswas a guaranty of certain and ample success. Hence,the labor of the long chase and the demands upon theirpersonal skill, activity and courage made by the necessitiesof the fight, were all met with that kind of readinessand determination which seldom fails to make the soldierinvincible. Every man in that party knew wellthat an Indian chase with Kit Carson for a leader,meant fight and win success or die.In referring to this adventure Kit Carson, when speakingof the gallant men who accompanied him, said, “Theyall proved themselves to be men of the very best material.”
Unfortunately, two of this gallant party have sincefallen by the hands of these same Apache warriors.One of these was Sergeant Holbrook, a brave man, askillful soldier and a noble friend. He was onewho adorned his profession of arms and who was an honorto the country whose uniform he wore. He waskilled at the well known battle of Ceneguilla whilebravely fighting against overwhelming odds. Thisbattle was fought in New Mexico in the year 1854.In it, a company of United States dragoons were worstedand cut to pieces by a greatly superior force of theseIndians who succeeded in drawing them into an ambuscade.
The other person referred to as having been sincekilled by this tribe of Apaches was a brave and experiencedtrapper, well known throughout the range of Indiandepredations as a fearless and dangerous adversary.His name was William New. He was literally murderedat Rayado by these Apaches. This occurred onlya few months after he had formed one of the partyto pursue and recover the animals stolen from theirranche. When he was attacked, New was engagedtilling the soil on his own farm. The rascallyIndians surrounded him before he became aware of theirpresence. Having an empty rifle with him, he succeeded,for some time, in keeping his assailants at bay, bypretending that the piece was loaded and pointingit at the foremost warrior as if he intended to fireit. The savages, however, finally discovered thetruth and immediately made a rush upon him. Amost desperate fight ensued, for William New, eventhus defenceless, was not one who would yield up hislife without a struggle. He made almost superhumanefforts to effect his escape, using the rifle as aclub; wound after wound was given him in rapid successionin return for the desperate blows which he dealt withthe rifle. His efforts, however, proved futile.Gradually the red blood was gathered from his bodyand drank up by the soil to which he looked for thesustenance of himself and family, until finally, hesank upon the ground fainting from its loss, literallycovered from head to foot with frightful wounds.Thus died one more of the sparse race of originalmountaineers, now fast passing away, bravely meetingthe fate that has hitherto usually awaited this bandof fearless men.
We again turn to the adventures of Kit Carson.On the fifth day of May, 1850, accompanied by an oldmountaineer named Timothy Goodel, he started withfifty head of mules and horses for Fort Laramie.This fort is distant from Rayado, over five hundredmiles. The object which the two men had in viewwas to trade their animals with the emigrants whowere, at that time, thronging the overland route toCalifornia. The journey was safely accomplished,Kit Carson and Goodel arriving at the fort, with theiranimals all in good condition, sometime in the followingJune. They remained here about one month disposingof their animals at good bargains.
A few rather amusing anecdotes have had their riseconnected with this visit which Kit Carson made toFort Laramie. Among several other incidents thefollowing is somewhat laughable and seems to us worthrelating. Among the line of emigrants then onthe road, the report was circulated for some distanceback that the famous Kit Carson was at the fort.The result was that every man, woman and child, asfast as they arrived at the fort, were eager to gratifytheir curiosity by a sight of the man whose name andexploits had already been the theme of many a conversationamong them. If ever Yankee, or American, (whichis the more appropriate term, we will not attempt todecide) inquisitiveness was exhibited, it certainlycould be then seen at Fort Laramie. The largemajority of those who were thus anxious to see thefamous guide, were led astray by the descriptions whichthey had heard and read, and picked out some powerfullybuilt trader who chanced to present himself, especiallyif the man was tastefully dressed in a hunting shirt,with buck-skin leggins, and whose appearance indicatedferocity. Of this kind of personages there werequite a number present at the fort. Usually theywould accost the man whom they had thus selected.Sometimes, if their address was appropriate and thehumor of the person accosted so inclined, they wouldget put right, but more frequently they were leftto enjoy and cherish their mistake, or were made thesubject of a joke. Among the rest there came alongquite a rough looking individual fresh from the cane-brakesof Arkansas. He, also, was seeking to place hiseyes upon Kit Carson. Accidentally, or intentionally,it matters not for the story, he was directed to theplace where the bona fide Kit Carson stood.His powerful frame and determined looks, as he puthis inquiries, made those inquired of, apparently,cautious how they perpetrated a joke upon the Arkansasman. At last, standing face to face with Kit Carson,he thus interrogated him. “I say, stranger,are you Kit Carson?” Being modestly answeredin the affirmative, he stood a moment, apparentlyquite taken aback at beholding the short, compact andmild-looking man that stood before him. Evidentlyhis beau ideal of the great mountaineer did not comparewith the man whom he thus faced. This momentaryhesitation resulted in the conviction that he was beingdeceived. The conviction, at last, took form inwords. Rolling an immense quid of his belovedIndian weed from one cheek to its brother he said,“Look ’ere stranger, you can’tcome that over me any how. You ain’t thekind of Kit Carson I am looking for.”
This was too much for Kit Carson to hear without treatingthe person addressed to his beau ideal of KitCarson, so suppressing a laugh, and assuming a verymeek expression of countenance, as if he was afraidto impose upon the Arkansas man, he quietly pointedto a powerfully built trader, who chanced to be passingnear by, dressed in true prairie style. The Arkansasemigrant followed around after the trader until, seemingly,he was perfectly satisfied, that he had, at last,found the famous person of whom he had heard so manywonderful stories narrated. After gazing at theman for some time, he departed, no doubt with onemore perfect description of what sort of personageKit Carson was.
From the time Kit Carson’s name began to beheralded throughout the world up to the present date,impostors have presented themselves in various cities;and, acting on the credulity of the people, they havepalmed themselves off as the individual of whom wewrite; but, from the perusal of this work, it canbe seen how seldom the real Kit Carson has enjoyedthe luxuries of civilized life. It is in thisway, many persons have gathered wrong impressionsconcerning Kit Carson.
Within the past few years, a stranger one day presentedhimself in the quiet town of Taos, and, being a fellowof words, he soon let everybody there know his business,both past and present. In one of the principalstores of the town, there happened to be congregateda small party of friends, among whom was Kit Carson.They were talking of the important affairs of theirsection of country, when this strange individual entered.His familiarity with all things soon gave him an introduction;and, after a short conversation, a wag present wastempted, by the fellow’s boasting, to quiz him.Addressing the traveler he asked, “What partof the world, pray sir, do you come from?”
The answer was prompt.
“I kum from the Cheyenne Nation. I’vebeen living with them Injins fur several years.Indeed, I consider myself more of an Injin than a whiteman.”
The conversation then turned upon other matters.The fellow made some remarks which led the party tobelieve that he was entirely unacquainted with theCheyenne Indians, or any other Indians. When hewas apparently off of his guard, the wag resumed hisquestioning.
“I presume, stranger, you accompany the Cheyenneswhen they go out on war parties, as you say that youhave turned warrior.”
The reply was:
“When they go out ’gainst t’otherInjins, I do; but when they hunt white men’shair, I am allowed to stay behind. This was oneof the stip’lations when I took a squaw andjined the tribe.”
“Oh ho! that is the way you manage!” exclaimedthe wag.
“Yes! and I’ve bin the means of savingsome scalps for my race too, fur the Injins believein me, they do,” continued the fellow.
The wag resumed—
“Perhaps, stranger, you have heard of Kit Carson.It is said he is on the prairies somewhere, eitherdead or alive.”
The fellow answered:
“You’ve got me! Know Kit Carson!I reckon I do. It is strange that you shouldask me that, when Kit was the very last man I laideyes on as I left our tribe.”
Here the fellow lowered his voice and said, as ifexemplifying sympathy.
“Poor Kit was in a very bad way one hour beforewe parted. The fact is, you know, he’dbin playin’ the papers (meaning gambling) andhad lost everything. However, I made him happyby giving him my gun and powder-horn. With them,you know, he will git along anywhere!”
All hands, except Kit Carson, joined in the laughat the fellow’s impudence. Kit Carson’spatience was exhausted in listening to the barefacedfalsehoods which the man was uttering; so, with someexcuse, he left the party. The fellow was unapprisedof the farce which he had been acting; and, shortlyafter, left the town, believing that he had acquittedhimself as became a hero.
By way of episode, and while story-telling keeps itshold on our pen, we may as well relate a short anecdote,which, though it does not form any close connectionwith this part of the narrative, seems to illustratethe practical jokes which are sometimes played offby the western men upon those who have yet to undergotheir novitiate.
A German accidentally wandered out to and locatedhimself in company with others on or near the GreenhornRiver, which is one of the tributaries of the Arkansas.Their business was trading with the Mormons, manyof whom at that time traveled to Salt Lake, by whatis known as the Arkansas River route. In so doing,they came near the vicinity of the site selected fortrading purposes. In the commencement, the Germanwas very inexperienced in matters that pertained totrading with these emigrants, and, as a matter ofcourse, in an Indian country, met with many singularadventures. It so happened that this man wasexceedingly afraid of rattlesnakes, and those he wasassociated with, by way of amusem*nt, delighted inaugmenting his fears by telling him wonderful storiesof what feats the reptile had been known to perform.On the first trip which he made to the camp of someMormons located about nine miles off, his ride tookhim through a perfect hot-bed of these snakes.Behind his saddle, on the horse’s back whichhe rode, he had tied a bag of rice which he had intendedto barter. The German, not being used to riding,was a poor horseman, while unfortunately, his steedwas a spirited animal, and at once, on his mounting,started off on a trot. The string of the bagof rice became loosened by the severe jolting, andits contents came tumbling on the ground in greatquantities, but afterwards as the stock on hand decreased,this was lessened. The German, who had his handsfull to keep his seat in the saddle, heard the rattlingnoise behind him, but dared not look around, for fearof being thrown off from his horse. He supposedhe was chased by a ferocious snake, and, at once,
thought only of escape; therefore, seizing the maneof the horse, he gave him the spurs. He was soongoing at a flying gait; still, the rattling noisepursued him as the increased speed sent the littlegrains of rice out of the sack in greater quantities.At last the sound died away, as the cause of the troublewas expended. The frightened rider now consideredhimself safe, and began to rein in his horse.After a while, he brought him to a stand-still, andturned to look for his retreating enemy, but instead,found the origin and cause of the mischief. Hisloss was irrecoverable, and he could only laugh atthe ridiculous figure he must have cut. This adventuregave his friends much merriment, and served to openhis eyes in reference to the much vaunted capabilitiesof this snake. He has since often told this storyof himself, and considers it a capital joke.The labor of settling up their business at Fort Laramiewas soon over, when Kit Carson and Goodel took theirdeparture. Goodel started for California, whileKit Carson commenced his tramp homeward. As atraveling companion, he took with him a Mexican.They pursued their journey quite pleasantly and safelyenough, but, on their arrival at the Greenhorn River,the scene of the German’s adventure with a rattle-snake,they were obliged to be very wary in their progress,for Kit had learned that the Apache Indians were outon the warpath, and were waylaying the road which,he intended to pursue with the avowed purpose of attacking,plundering and murdering whoever chanced to fall intheir savage clutches. Kit Carson, therefore,halted for six days on the banks of the Greenhorn,and spent the time recruiting his animals. Whilehere and thus engaged, a party of white men, whom hefound encamped on the same river, formed the subjectof his earnest attention. They had come thusfar on their route to New Mexico, but, on learningthe news of the hostile attitude of the Apache nation,their courage had entirely deserted them. Theydid not dare venture into New Mexico, and counselledthe retracing of their steps. Kit Carson sethimself to work, but found he had a difficult taskto talk courage into these men. By dint of muchargument, he succeeded in persuading one of them toaccompany him. On the seventh day, with thisone companion—for the Mexican had left him—hebroke up his little camp on the Greenhorn, and setout upon his dangerous journey.
By taking a zigzag course, avoiding, in the mountains,all the usually traveled trails, he advanced on hisroute forty miles without seeing any very fresh Indiansigns. As often as the moon was unclouded, thetwo men embraced the assistance of its pale light tomake progress through the dangers that beset them;and, on the days which succeeded this night-work,they would conceal themselves and animals in someout of the way place, where they were not to be easilydiscovered. Kit Carson had not sufficient confidencein the quickness of perception of his companion to
trust him as a sentinel, therefore, he had to takeupon himself all of that important duty. Whileon the lookout, he usually posted himself in the toplimbs of a tree and always took care to select onethat commanded a good prospect of the surroundingcountry. After several days passed without havingproper rest, Kit, in the monotony of his positionas sentinel, would feel sleep stealing over him, untilit was difficult to keep longer awake. He wouldclose his eyes and commence to nod, but on these occasionshe was sure to be quickly aroused on almost losinghis balance, by which, however, he endangered hisneck. One day, while thus employed, he was perchedin the highest branches of a lofty old cotton-woodon the banks of the River Timchera and not far offfrom the “Spanish Peaks.” Nearlyten hours had passed without anything special havingattracted his attention, when, all at once, a bandof straggling Apaches came into view not over onehalf mile distant. A single look was sufficientto convince him that, as yet, neither himself norhis companion had been discovered. No time wasto be lost, so Kit, as quickly as possible, descendedand ran to where his friend was, and informed him oftheir danger. The animals were soon saddled,and the two men mounting them, struck out in a directionjust the opposite to that in which the Indians weretraveling. Fortune favored them, as, soon afterthey had emerged from the timber into the open prairies,night set in, thus shutting them out from the viewof the savages. Profiting by the darkness andthe level country which lay before them, they reached,by the rising of the next morning’s sun, theMexican town of Red River, which was sixty-five milesdistant from the place they had last started from.All dangers having been now surmounted, they made asufficient stay at Red River to rest themselves andanimals.On resuming their journey, they jogged along overthe now rough trail and, after a ride of thirty miles,came to Taos, where they were once more safe fromthe perils that had so recently surrounded them, andwhere they were well provided for by kind friends.
Rio Colorado, or Red River settlement, is, next toTaos, the oldest town in northern New Mexico.It is located on a small stream of the same name,which flows into the Rio Grande. The town itselfcontains some two or three hundred inhabitants, andoccupies rather a pretty site, being built on a highbank, while between it and the river there is a largestrip of bottom land, which is under cultivation.The scenery about is picturesque, embracing lofty andbold mountains, beautiful wood-land and open prairies.The external appearance of the village is that ofabject poverty; and, on entering it, one readily seesthat his eyesight has not deceived him, but that hisfirst impressions are fully realized. It washere that Fremont and his men found a haven of safetyafter meeting their trying reverses on the fourthexploring expedition. To them, the sight of this
town must have been hailed with delight. In RedRiver there live two old trappers, who have long sincebeen weaned from the habits and manners of civilization.These two men are Canadians, one of them notoriousfor the “yarns” he can spin; but as theyare many of them past belief, they are listened toby the traveler as a help to pass the time while heis obliged to tarry in the place. A young Englishnobleman who was on a visit of pleasure to the westerncountry, once fell into this man’s clutches,and, from the trapper’s after boasting, we inferthat he (the trapper) more than surpassed himselfin story-telling. Among other things, he informedthis nobleman that he had once mastered a grizzlybear in a hand-to-hand fight by cramming a stick thatwas sharpened at both ends into the bear’s mouthin such a way that the monster could not close hisjaws, because it fastened and kept them open.Being asked by the nobleman how large were the harein that vicinity of country, his answer was, thathe had seen them of such a magnitude that one wouldbe a load for a man, and that when strung across thehunter’s shoulder, one part was sure to be draggingon the ground. He then boasted that he had killeda grasshopper that, with his head cut off, weighedsix ounces. Notwithstanding his love oftalk, this old man had once been a brave and famoushunter; but no confidence could be placed in him,owing to his habituated want of regard for truth andhonor; hence, he has long since been excluded fromthe companionship of the mountaineers. The Englishgentleman above spoken of was an experienced traveler,and therefore undoubtedly knew how to weigh the truthof his astonishing information.CHAPTER XIV.
Kit Carson reaches Home—Himselfand Neighbors robbed by the Apaches—MajorGrier goes in Pursuit of, and recaptures the stolenStock—A Plot organized by White Men to murdertwo Santa Fe Traders for their Money—TheDisclosure—Kit Carson goes to the Rescueof the Traders—The Camp of United StatesRecruits—Captain Ewell with twenty Menjoins Kit Carson and they two make the Arrestof Fox—Gratitude expressed by the Traders—Moneyoffered but refused—The Prisoner taken toTaos and incarcerated—Kit Carson receivesa magnificent Pair of Revolvers as a Present fromthe grateful Traders—The return toRayado—A Trading Expedition to the UnitedStates—The return Journey—AnEncounter with the Cheyenne Indians—A Stateof Suspense—The Deliverance from Dangerby a Message sent by a Mexican Runner—Thearrival at Rayado.
After finishing the pleasant visit which he was thusenabled to make, while recruiting himself among thegood people of Taos, Kit Carson bent his way to hishome at Rayado. He safely reached there and hadbut just dismounted at his own door, when he was informedof a recent calamity that had befallen himself andneighbors during his absence. It was the old
story, viz. that the Indians had come in and boldlystole all the animals belonging to the settlement—Atthe time this depredation had been committed, therewas a small detachment of United States troops stationedin the place, but the soldiers were too few in numberto attempt a rescue of the property from the savages.The latter had visited the little town with a strongforce on this occasion; the settlers, therefore, madeapplication to the commanding officer of the territory,who promptly dispatched Major Grier with a commandof dragoons to hunt up the guilty parties and punishthem. This the major did and was so fortunateas to recover nearly all of the stolen stock whichhe had the satisfaction of returning to its owners.Kit Carson remained through the following summer monthsat his ranche at Rayado, busying himself in effortsto improve his house and lands.
In his employment Kit Carson had several faithfulMexicans. His task was to superintend their labors,which occupied only a part of his time. Whenanything required it he lent a hand to assist them;but, these men had to be provided with provisionswhich, to purchase in those distant parts, would haveentailed a great item of expense; indeed, more thanequal to the profits arising from their labor.Therefore, a certain amount of time had to be set apartfor hunting, which kind of employment he truly enjoyed.Mounted on a fine horse, with his faithful gun anddog, early each day, he would start out on the prairiesto engage in the chase. In a few hours he wouldreturn on foot, with his noble hunter loaded downwith choice game. Sometimes it would be antelopeor elk; on another occasion, it would consist of blacktailed deer, which are celebrated as being the largestand the finest species of venison that roam the forestsof any country and are only to be found in the RockyMountains; on another, wild-turkeys; and then mountaingrouse and prairie chickens helped to complete theload. When thus provided for, it is no wonderthat Kit’s workmen loved their employment andlabored with good will. While thus engaged KitCarson’s weather eye was always open for Indiansigns. His horses, cattle and sheep which hehad bought since the last depredation were watchedwith great vigilance, as no one could foretell whatthe next hour would bring forth. In his mountainhome Kit was often visited by Indian friends who cameto smoke the pipe of peace with him and enjoy hishospitality. When thus surrounded by rival huntersworthy of his steel, who had sprung up, like oaksof the forest, he felt truly happy. This happinesswas greatly enhanced and augmented by the thriftyappearance of everything that pertained to him.
He saw himself in the possession of fine lands, wellwatered and well timbered. Also plenty whichwas ready for the plow. It was almost a farm,made to order by the most perfect Workman. Thesoil, unsurpassed in richness and fertility, was asafe and sure depository for his seeds, telling him,in its silent, but unmistakable language, of the richharvest in store for him. His stock was the bestwhich heart could wish; and last, but with him notleast, he was within a stone’s throw of splendidhunting grounds, which, to his unerring rifle, asthe reader has already seen, proved as safe an assistant,as would have been a Wall street bank with a largecredit side to his account.
We have here a picture of Kit Carson enjoying therewards of a home congenial to his taste and knowledgeof life, while around him are gathered the objectswhich his manly soul had learned to love and livefor. The painting is one which we find beautifulto the sight and which is rich in its lessons of life.But these deductions must be left for the sensitiveand honest hearted imagination to draw. It isnot fitting to add them to these pages, however truthfulthey may be, until the last sad rites which are measuredout to all, shall have been performed for the braveman of whom we write, and his noble soul shall havewinged its flight to the happier hunting grounds ofeternity.
The duties of farming and hunting were only once interruptedduring the summer which Kit Carson thus enjoyed withhis family. The exploit which called him, onthis occasion, from his home, was caused by an effortto save the lives of two well known traders. Toaccomplish this, he assumed the character and dutiesof a detective police officer. The circ*mstancesof the case were as follows.
An American, by the name of Fox, had organized a partyto accompany as a guard over the plains, and, whileprofessedly engaged in this duty, to murder Messrs.Brevoort and Weatherhead, two gentlemen who were travelinginto the United States, as the rascal and party supposed,with a large sum of money which they expected to expendin the purchase of goods to be used for trading purposes.Fox played his part so well that when he offered himselfand men as an escort, the offer was accepted by theintended and unsuspicious victims, as if it had beena mark of particular favor. Before the route wasentered upon, Fox visited Taos for the purpose ofenlisting among his band of desperadoes, a fellowwho resided in that town. He was a person whobore a very bad character, but for some reason, whichhas never transpired, he refused to go; yet, provingtrue as a wicked confidant, he waited until he thoughthis friend Fox was sufficiently advanced on the roadto accomplish his hellish purposes without any chanceof his being overtaken and arrested. He thensaw fit to divulge the plot.
Every new country is the favorite place of resortfor desperadoes and rascals of all grades, who cannotlive in their native districts on account of theirmany crimes.
Until the machinery of law and order begins to worksmoothly, these fellows, in their new homes, haveevery thing their own way unless they go to too greatexcesses, when their neighbors will rise for theirown protection and treat them with summary and severepunishment. Often, by thus making an example ofa few, large numbers are prevented from doing furthermischief. In the early history of nearly everyone of our western territories, escaped convicts,murderers, thieves and the worst sort of humanity,mingled in with good men, have commenced their nefariouspractices on a grand scale. These things havebrought such sections of our country into bad reputeabroad. It needs but time for communities to ferretthese human monsters out and visit upon them a justretribution. The inland position of New Mexicoand the consequent difficulty of intercourse withthe General Government of the United States, made itan inviting place, from time to time, for men of thisstamp to visit; but, as they have met on most occasionswith a reception from the friends of order, not inthe least suited to their tastes, they have almostceased their coming, thereby showing what a few resolutemen can accomplish at the commencement of such trouble.The reforming work of mitigating the evil, which issure to result among a mixed population under the bestregulations, is slowly progressing, and the day isnot far distant, when New Mexico, in this respect,will compare favorable with her sister (and older)territories.
The purport of this diabolical plot accidentally cameto the ears of an officer in the army, who chancedto be in Taos at the time. This gentleman wasone of the first to hear of it, and at once soughtKit Carson; but instead of directly telling him whathe had just heard, from some strange reason of hisown, he demanded of Kit whether he would be willingto pursue and apprehend Fox for debt. To thisproposition Kit Carson replied in the negative.
On hearing Kit’s indignant refusal to be employedin such a menial undertaking, the officer concludedto lay the true state of the case before him, who,he naturally enough thought, could, above all othersin that territory, devise some plan that would resultin rescuing Brevoort and Weatherhead from their impendingfate. Here it may be proper for us to add thatthe officer who had thus indiscreetly acted, musthave had previously a very slight acquaintance withKit Carson, or he would not have selected him as aman ready and anxious for any dirty job which mightoffer, as it is entirely foreign to his true character.Kit Carson, on being apprised of the facts, becameinterested, and took the management of the affair,for the most part, into his own hands; and, on investigatingit more thoroughly, he came to the conclusion thatFox and his companions contemplated committing thecrime on the Cimaron River.
This river is nearly east from Taos; and the pointat which Carson anticipated overhauling the partywas between two and three hundred miles distant.At this time, the Mountain Indians were unusuallyhostile; but Kit Carson was always well informed oftheir movements—as much so as it was inthe power of any one to be. With the little commandunder him he was willing, where so weighty a matteras saving the lives of two of his countrymen demandedhis services, to march anywhere—even ifhe had to contest his way. One hour was sufficienttime for him to make ready for the undertaking, butnot so with the soldiers. They had to put theirhorses and themselves in trim, for it might be severeand taxing duty. The route taken by the partywas a trail, which leads direct to Rayado, and on which,just before reaching the last-named place, there aremany curious piles of stones, which are scatteredover the side of a mountain, and have formed a puzzleto many an inquiring mind. By some they are supposedto be Indian graves; but, by others, they are thoughtto have been made as a sort of landmark by the olderinhabitants of the plains, when they started intoNew Mexico on some marauding incursion. Theselatter persons believe that the Indians were unacquaintedwith the country they were invading, and had leftthese marks to assist them in making their way outagain. Most likely the first hypothesis is true,and that the stones were thus heaped up to protectthe corpses from being devoured by the wolves.On quitting Rayado Kit Carson struck out on the openprairies.
By making an expeditious march, Kit Carson felt thatthe traders could yet be saved. His party consistedof ten picked men of the dragoons, and it was splendidlymounted on horses furnished him to assist in the undertaking.The pace which Kit commanded and required was one whichwould try the nerves and courage of most good horsem*n.Onward, over the level prairie, the party galloped—everyman feeling proud of the guide, whose spirit theycaught and imitated. The second night out fromTaos they came upon the camp of a detachment of UnitedStates recruits who were under the command of CaptainEwell, and who were bound for New Mexico, where theywere to reinforce the regiments of the army whichwere stationed in that territory.
It is customary to send out, each year, detachmentsof recruits to the different departments of the West.These men are enlisted and collected at the depotswithin the States; and, whenever a sufficient forceis collected to fill up the requisitions, they aredispatched, at the proper seasons, to their respectiveregiments. Those intended for New Mexico setout during the summer months. They are rarelysent at the same time, or as the same command of men.These recruits are a hard set to manage, especiallywhen traveling through the States, where they areexposed to temptation. On arriving at the commencementof their hardships, on the plains, it is usually found
that many have deserted, and also that many mighthave done so with benefit to the government.Military service with recruits, and the same with oldsoldiers, are two different things. With the former,officers are obliged to command, threaten and punish,to accomplish in one day, what the latter would performwithout much trouble in half the time. Recruitsknow little or nothing about marching or camp duty;and, in taking care of them, an officer has his handsfull. Even the most minute items have to be lookedto; for example, they are men rarely used to fire-arms,being, for the most part, foreigners by birth, andare just as apt to load a gun with the ball of thecartridge first down, as with the powder. Oldsoldiers look upon these new comers as verdant inthe extreme, and the pranks they often play upon themare very humorous. With patient discipline, theybecome serviceable men, and are an honor to the standardwhich they carry; and, what appears to be the strangestfact of all, frequently the poorest looking recruitmay make the best soldier. This is a fair pictureof the men Capt. Ewell was commanding.Kit Carson at once informed the captain of the dutyhe was on, when that distinguished officer, generouslydetermined to assist in putting a damper on the wickeddesigns of the wretches. Taking with him twentymen, Captain Ewell joined Kit Carson, and togetherthey proceeded in the pursuit. By using everyprecaution in their power, and forcing their marches,they entered into the camp of the traders, and arrestedFox before he had time even to suspect the businessupon which the party had come. After Fox wassecured, Messrs. Weatherhead and Brevoort, were informedof the dangers through which they had passed.These gentlemen, at first were astounded, but theysoon became assured of the truth of what they heard.They then selected fifteen men whom they knew to beinnocent, and ordered the remainder of their escort,numbering thirty-five souls, to leave their camp instanter,which command was promptly obeyed. To Kit Carson,they offered any sum of money that was in their powerto bestow, in return for the invaluable service hehad rendered them. Kit Carson replied, “thatit was reward sufficient for him to have been instrumentalin saving the lives of two worthy citizens, and thathe could not think of receiving one cent of money.”
A long colloquy was held that night around a goodcamp fire, that was freely fed with “buffalochips."[21] At midnight, most of the party were asleep,and nothing could then be heard except the barkingof wolves and the heavy tread of the guard, as theywalked to and fro on their respective beats.On the first appearance of day-light, all hands wereup and preparing to strike their tents. Soon afterthe parties separated, but, before doing so, the tradersagain expressed their thanks, and then resumed theirjourney. Fox was first taken to Captain Ewell’scamp, then he was turned over to Kit Carson, who conveyed
him to Taos, where he was imprisoned for some time;but was finally released, as nothing positive couldbe proved against him, chiefly because he had committedno overt act, but had only, thus far, engaged in plottingthe double murder and robbery. This is alwaysa difficult crime to establish. In this instance,the difficulty was greatly augmented from the factthat the witnesses in the case, as soon as they heardof Fox’s capture, scattered and left for partsunknown. He was finally set at liberty.[Footnote 21: Buffalo chips form the principalfuel of the plains. It is dry buffalo manure.]
At that day the keeping of a prisoner in close confinementin New Mexico, or of having him continually underthe surveillance of the military was no ordinary,or easy matter. The only places which could beconverted into jails, were the common adobehouses of the inhabitants. From these a wideawake and determined prisoner with the free use ofhis hands, and the assistance of the smallest kindof a tool, as a jack-knife or pair of scissors, coulddig out of his dungeon in five or six hours.The large majority of the criminals who were thusincarcerated, managed to effect their escape.In the case of Fox, however, he had a man to dealwith who was seldom thwarted in any of his undertakings.With so much convicting evidence of his wicked intentions,and with so much trouble to bring him to trial, itwas greatly regretted, that he did not receive a suitablepunishment. As soon as he was set free, Fox madehis way out of the country; but his further historyis not known.
The general impression left upon the minds of thepeople who were familiar with the minutiae of thisaffair was, that Fox was guilty. As he was knownto be a finished villain, it was universally believedthat, after murdering and plundering the two traders,he intended to grasp the “lion’s share,”and with his portion, to proceed to Texas, where,as he was there entirely unknown, he hoped to enjoythe rewards of his rascality.
This valuable service rendered to Messrs. Brevoortand Weatherhead, was most gracefully and handsomelyrewarded by them. In the course of the followingspring, they presented Kit with a pair of magnificentrevolvers. Upon the silver mountings, there wereengraved a very few, but expressive words, indicatingthe obligations which the donors considered themselveslaboring under towards their deliverer. Such atestimonial to an unselfish heart like that which beatsin the breast of Kit Carson, is a prize of greatervalue than any more substantial gift, which moneycould purchase. These beautiful weapons, Kit Carsonprizes very highly; and, the donors may here learnthe fact that, in the hands of their owner, they havesince been duly initiated into active service, andfound to perform their necessary duties most admirably.
After the task of the arrest of Fox was thus successfullyundertaken and consummated, by his being securelylodged in jail and placed under suitable guard, KitCarson returned to Rayado, where he spent the winterin a very quiet manner. We use the term quietmanner: it should be qualified with the phrase,quiet manner for him. He found plenty of employmentin looking after his animals, besides spending a largeshare of his time in hunting. This, however, althoughalways attended with paying practical results, hedid as much for pleasure as from necessity. Healways found a large number of hungry mouths readyto relieve him from any superabundance of game; and,as his hospitality to all classes is unbounded, hetook especial delight in feeding and liberally bestowinghis bounties upon his poor Mexican neighbors, to whompowder and lead were more of a desideratum than tohimself, and with whom his experience and skill asa hunter, were a source of support which they couldonly wish for.
Early the next summer Kit Carson, in charge of a trainof wagons belonging to himself and his friend Maxwell,set out for the United States. After an unusuallypleasant journey, he reached the Missouri River, andproceeded down it, in a steamboat, to St. Louis.Here he purchased a large stock of goods. Withthis freight, he returned to Kansas, where he hadleft his caravan, into which, on his arrival, he transferredhis merchandise. He then started on his returntrip to New Mexico. In order that his animalsmight take advantage of the fine grass to be foundthere, he chose the route, known to all traders onthe plains, as well as to the reader, as the road byBent’s Fort. He was progressing on hisjourney quite happily, when unfortunately, at a pointthat is located about fifteen miles above the fordingof the Arkansas, he fell in with a village of CheyenneIndians who were just at that time violently hostiletowards the whites and were waiting an opportunityto wreak their vengeance on them. This state offeeling had been brought about only a few days previous,and was due to an officer who was attached to a commandof recruits that some ten days before Kit Carson’sarrival had passed by. He had flogged a warriorfor some liberty which the fellow had taken while hewas in the camp of the soldiers. These Cheyennesare very fond of dress and show; but, as a body, theyare as noble and athletic looking men as tread thisearth. Singular though the contrast may appear,a greater set of rascals never went unhung; yet, theyare Indians, and, as such, they ought to command sympathyand forbearance.
The young men who belong to the Cheyenne nation, arefond of dress, and when arrayed in full costume oneof them is a picture to look upon; when thus gildedno man could be prouder. These Indians wear theirhair in a long cue a la Chinese style. They takegreat pleasure in ornamenting this cue with innumerablepieces of silver, which are made from half dollarpieces, and are beat out in the shape of small shields.With their blue, or red blankets, long ribbons of differentcolored flannel, fancy leggins and bead decorations,and finally (as I once saw one) with a red cottonumbrella, they represent the very Paris tip of Indianfashion. Their squaws do not possess as regularand fine features as the men; but, this may be saidto be true of most of the wild tribes of savages inNorth America, for it requires an enormous stretchof the imagination to call them handsome, while manyof the men are fine looking. Hard work spoilsthe beauty of the Indian women. To admire anIndian woman one must seclude himself from the societyof other females; under such circ*mstances it may bethat a person might be inclined to change his opinionand think the race lovely. The lazy brave considersit beneath his station to work; therefore all camplabor and the packing, saddling and looking afterthe ponies devolves upon the squaw. When thereis a scanty supply of horses, she is obliged to giveher lord the preference in taking his ease, and goherself on foot and carry her pappoose. In factit is lowering to the Indian’s pride to do elsethan hunt and fight. Owing to the scarcity oftimber on the western prairies the Indians transporttheir lodge poles from camp to camp. This is doneby attaching them to the sides of the pack animalswhile the free ends drag on the ground, and in timeof war this constitutes one of the signs of the trailby which to follow when in pursuit of them.
The reason why the commanding officer of this partyof recruits inflicted the summary punishment referredto, is not known to the writer; but, it surely doesappear as if the person who ordered its executionor perhaps courageously performed it himself, mighthave reflected, that a savage, least of all men, allowsa supposed injury done to him or his tribe to passby unrevenged, and also that it is a matter of perfectindifference to him as to who the victim is, if heonly gets the chance to strike a blow on the same nation.This revenge will quench his cruel thirst for bloodquite as effectually as if he had the satisfactionof scalping the perpetrator of his real or supposedinjury. It is a fact—alas too frequentlytrue—that the parties who are strong innumbers, courage, and equipment, while crossing theplains, are prone to treat, in an overbearing andinsolent manner, the bands of Indians with whom theychance to come into contact. For these insultsand injuries weaker parties who travel upon the sameroad are held to a strict and revengeful account bybeing made to suffer even with their lives, as wellas effects. Kit Carson and his small force, unfortunately,or rather, fortunately, so far as Kit himself wasconcerned, for no man could be better fitted to dealwith such a crisis of trouble than he, were the firstwhite men who came along after the flogging of theirwarrior had wrought up the temper of the Cheyennenation to a degree which nearly bordered on frenzy.
As soon as the whites were discovered, the Indianswent into council evidently to decide on the bestmode of attacking and making away with them.Kit Carson, though he did not know that this tribehad declared war, and much less their reasons forso doing, when he first saw them, was not long incoming to a conclusion, from their actions, that therewas a screw loose somewhere. He, therefore, beganto act with more than usual sagacity and caution.He ordered his men to keep their wagons close together,to have their rifles in good trim and be ready foran instant fight. In this manner, with every manon the watch, he pushed on for a distance of twentymiles. Although he had left the Indians far behind,he did not relax his vigilance, being still impressedwith the belief that a storm was brewing. Hissurmises began to be verified soon after, for theIndians, in parties of two, three, and four, appearedin sight, arrayed and painted in their full war costume.Having approached some of them to within a distancesufficiently near so to do, Kit Carson commenced talkingto them in a conciliatory manner. They were inclinedto heed his words; and, in order to make it appearthat he was not intimidated by their actions, he wentinto camp, and invited these advance parties of theIndians to come in and have a talk and smoke withhim. The savages accepted the invitation andwere soon seated in a circle. After the pipe hadpassed from one to the other, until all present hadhad a puff or two from it, they began to talk loudamong themselves.
At the time we now speak of, several years, as thereader can readily compute, had elapsed since KitCarson was a hunter at Bent’s Fort, and thenwell known to most of the Cheyenne nation; but, thesefew years had so altered him, together with his newstyle of dress, that it is no doubt that, at first,not one of the Indians remembered ever having seenhim before.
Kit Carson remained quiet and allowed the Indiansto open the talk, as he was watching to find out whathad so suddenly aroused their anger, and he well knew,that if they supposed that he and his men did notunderstand what they were conversing about, they mightrefer to the cause of the trouble, and thus give hima clue whereby he might take advantage and form aline of conduct. It was clear to his mind thatthe Indians were resolved to have revenge on his party,and that there was time enough to let himself be knownto them, which, in their present excited state, wouldserve him but little. The Indians had at firstconversed in the Sioux tongue. The reason forthis was, to conceal their own nationality and thus,if necessary, in the future, they could shield themselvesby laying the massacre, which they were about to commit,on the shoulders of that tribe. This is a ruseoften employed by the Indians; but, in this case,in their heated state they forgot their native cunningand commenced conversing in the language which was
most familiar to them. A Frenchman, called inthe mountains Pete, who spoke English fluently andwho was with Carson during these trying scenes, informedthe writer, on one occasion, that he never fully knewor appreciated Kit Carson until this occurrence.“Why,” said he in his enthusiasm, “Kitknew just what was to be done and did it too.With any other man, we would have gone under[22]The Indians were more afraid of him than all the restof us put together. There were red fellows enoughthere to eat us up, and at one time I could almostfeel my hair leaving my head. We had twowomen traveling with us and their crying made me feelso bad that I was sartin there was no fight in me.Women (he added) are poor plunder to have along whengoing out on a war party, but Kit talked to them andthen to the Indians, and put them both finally onthe right trail. Wah!! but them were ticklishtimes.”[Footnote 22: A trapper phrase for being killed.]
As soon as the Indians, in their excitement, beganto speak their own language, they became very violent,and so unguarded were they in expressing their individualsentiments that they treated Kit and his party withperfect indifference, and openly, though secretly asthey thought, arranged for the massacre.
Little did they imagine that Kit Carson, whom theyhad at first sight selected as the leader of the company,understood every word that was said. Kit listenedattentively to their plans and heard them decide thatthe time to kill him was, when he again took the pipeto smoke; for, in so doing, he would lay down hisweapons. They could be instantly seized, andtherefore he would be prevented from doing them anyharm. As to the Mexicans who accompanied him,they said they could kill them as easily as they couldbuffalo. Already enough had passed among theIndians to arouse in Kit Carson’s breast thegreatest feeling of alarm as to what would be theresult of the position in which he was placed.He had with him fifteen men, two only of which number,were men on whom he felt that he could rely. Theother members of the party, who counted thirteen inall, were Mexicans of whom he had a poor opinion asto their bravery. Nothing daunted by such anaccumulation of unfavorable circ*mstances, he at oncesaw that a bold face was to be put on in order toextricate himself from the grasp of the Indians.Springing to his feet with his weapons ready for immediateuse, Kit Carson, as he advanced into the centre ofthe seated warriors, gave directions for his men tobe ready to defend their lives. Then, turningto the Indians, who sat rooted to the earth, as itwere, with astonishment at the suddenness of such actionsand such coolness, he commenced addressing them.He informed them “that they might readily seefrom the fluency with which he spoke their language,that he had comprehended all that they had been talkingabout. What puzzled him most, however, was the
cause of their wishing to have his scalp. Never,”said he, “to his knowledge had he been guiltyof any wrong to their tribe; that, on the contrary,there were braves among those present, who, if theyturned to their memories, would recognize his faceas that of an old friend in years gone by, and whocould testify to the many acts of kindness which hehad performed in their behalf.” He remindedthem “how that, even now, he had received theminto his camp and treated them with all the hospitalityin his power; and yet they persisted in repaying himby taking his life.” In the end, he woundup his discourse by giving peremptory orders for themto leave his camp, and should any one refuse, he wouldbe shot. The Indians were completely nonplused,and not feeling inclined to risk a fight without theirusual accompaniment of a surprise, after saying somethingabout returning, to which they were answered “thatif they did they would be received by a volley ofbullets,” they departed to join their friendswho were in swarms upon the neighboring hills.It is supposed that a grand council was called, inwhich the proceedings that had transpired in the campof the white men were fully reported, and perchance,many of the braves, in refreshing their memories,began to recollect some of the daring deeds whichKit Carson had performed when he lived in their country.This, doubtless, led them to the conclusion that theyhad caught an experienced traveler; for, certain itwas, that afterwards their actions became somewhatdisconcerted and not so rash as they had been.No sooner had the savages retired from the camp, thanKit Carson ordered his men to harness their animalsto the wagons so that they could resume their journey.As the train moved on, the Indians were once moreleft behind, although they had, by no means, formedthe idea of allowing the white men to depart in peace.They were busy concocting some scheme whereby theycould accomplish their ends without loss to themselves.The muleteers, as they walked beside their teams,by order of Kit Carson held in one hand their rifles,while in the other were their whips, which, from timeto time, they were obliged to apply freely to theiranimals in order to keep the caravan in compact order.Mounted on a fine horse, with his rifle and pistolsso adjusted that he could lay his hands on them ata moment’s notice, Kit Carson rode from one endof the line to the other, inspiring his men with hisown courage. He felt that upon him was restedthe responsibility of saving the lives of his companions,and that it was to him they all looked to be rescuedfrom the perils that surrounded them. As he rodealong, his eyes were busy scanning the prairies inevery direction. Now and then he rested fromthis duty as his mind became somewhat relieved, whenhe could discover nothing except bands of antelope,or, here and there, a hungry wolf, who, with his white,canine looking teeth, seemingly, spoke volumes of
the empty condition of his stomach. For the remainderof that day, the train traveled on in apparent safety.When the shades of evening had fairly set in, a camping-groundwas selected on a small stream. The wagons wereformed in a circle, in which were huddled the menand animals so that both could be protected by theweapons of the former. Grass was cut with thebutcher knives belonging to the members of the partyand was laid before the mules. In this dangerouslocality, they could not be allowed to procure thisfood for themselves. As strong a guard as theirforces would permit of was posted. The remainderof the party gathered some wood that had floated downthe stream from the mountains and was sparingly scatteredalong the shores of the river near to the camp.This was brought in, when small fires were made overwhich their frugal meal was prepared, after whichthe men lay down to rest. Many persons there arewho would think that after escaping such perils once,it would take very great inducements to make themthus expose themselves a second time. Nevertheless,there exist in our land hundreds upon hundreds of menwho take delight in returning into the midst of thesedangers.A life on the prairies of the “Far West”has its good chances as well as its counter chances,and no man can be happier than the true mountaineer.At first, to one accustomed to luxuries and modernrefinement, nothing can be more unpleasant than a journeyover the plains; but each day thus spent, hardensthe traveler until meals, that a beggar in our townsor cities would hardly deign to touch, are by himeaten with a relish to which he has long been a stranger.It is on these long tramps that the dyspeptic andmelancholic man becomes the liveliest of the party;his sociability often increases to such a degree thathe soon can spin a yarn in a true Baron Munchausenstyle.
Eat Carson, as he rode silently along all the followingday, had been meditating over the scenes through whichhe had so recently passed, and also the most practicablemeans to be employed for the future. When thenight had fully set in, without saying one word tothe other members of the party, he called to a youngMexican whom he knew to be very fleet of foot andwhose powers of endurance were wonderful. Onhis coming to him he led him one side, when, afterhe had depicted to the boy their fearful situationin its true colors, he told him that he held the powerof saving the lives of the whole party.
The New Mexicans of the north are famous as beingvery fleet of foot, and the great distance which theycan run in a short period of time is astonishing.As a general rule, they are very partial to horses,but, when they have no riding animal, they will starton a journey of hundreds of miles and accomplish itin an incredibly short time. A journey of fortyor fifty miles in a day is an ordinary circ*mstancewith them, even when the inducement for making it has
in its behalf only a minor consideration. Owingto want of mail routes, it sometimes becomes necessaryto dispatch them on express duty, such as carryingone, or several letters to some distant point.Their charge is wrapped up in a handkerchief and tiedabout their waists to prevent being lost. Then,on a jog trot, they will start out; and over mountainsand broken country they will not alter the pace formany consecutive hours, and this for a reward of oneor two dollars per diem. It is not uncommon tomeet traveling companions where one is on horsebackand the other on foot; but notwithstanding, they willkeep together for an entire journey, and completeit as quickly as if the horseman had undertaken italone. When, by chance, they come to and stopat a village where there is a fandango or other festivescene in full blast, they will, notwithstanding theirlong tramp, join in and dissipate as hard as any memberpresent. Their healthy climate, coarse but plaindiet, and the great amount of exercise which they takein the open air, make them capable of a wonderfulamount of physical endurance, under which they seemnever to grow weary. In this respect, the onlysuccessful rivals which they have, are the Indians.This was the kind of material Kit Carson had in theMexican boy, whom he was now about to part with, havingdetailed him for a very important duty.That youth had long been known by and had the fullconfidence of his employer. He was ready at hisbidding to undertake anything. Therefore, onhearing the mission which Kit proposed sending himon, he promised to use every exertion in its accomplishment,and at once set about its execution. Having obtaineda few rations of provisions, he soon rejoined Carson.They then proceeded outside of the camp, where hewas to receive his final instructions. By thedim light of the moon, Kit pointed in the directionof Rayado, where he was to travel; and, after warninghim of the dangerous places that lay in his route,and giving him the message that he was to deliver tothe commanding officer at Rayado, he bid him goodbye, with the words, “be sure and leave a goodmany miles between us, by to-morrow’s sunrise.”The distance to the settlement of Rayado, from KitCarson’s camp, was between two and three hundredmiles, yet, this runner was capable of travellingit in as short a period of time, as could any ordinaryhorse. Kit now returned among his men, not tosleep, but to watch. This he did until the breakof the following day, when he summoned all hands tohitch up the teams and proceed. Until twelve o’clockno Indians were visible; but, at about that hour,five of the savages were seen approaching. Onthey came, and when within speaking distance, KitCarson ordered them to halt. They obeyed his command.On scanning them closer he bade them come nearer,when, he informed them, “that the night beforehe had sent an express to Rayado, for the purposeof letting the troops there know of the annoyances
their tribe were causing him. Among the soldiers,”he said, “he had many friends, who would becertain to come to his relief, and, if they shouldfind that his party was massacred, which he let theIndians know could only be accomplished by his menbeing overpowered, they would be already informedby whom it was done, and would be sure to visit uponthe perpetrators of the crime, a terrible retribution.”The Indians said they would look for the moccasintracks made by the messenger, and thus decide whetherthat which they had just heard was true, or not.Kit Carson hearing this, at once considered it as theturning point in favor of the safety of his party.The Indians immediately went to look for the trail.Shortly afterwards the entire Indian village passedwithin sight, and were evidently making the best oftheir time in seeking some safe hiding-place.The five warriors had, therefore, evidently foundthe expressman’s trail, as they had been informedthat they would, and that the boy had proceeded toofar on his journey to think of pursuing him.On his way to Rayado, the messenger overtook the detachmentof recruits to which was attached the officer who hadcaused the trouble. To the commander of thesem*n, the young Mexican reported the position, as heleft them, of his employer and companions, but thatgentleman, for some unaccountable reason, would notthen grant the desired aid; therefore, the boy pushedon to Rayado, where he found a warm-hearted and bravesoldier in the person of Major Grier, who commandedthe post. The major, on hearing the message sentby Kit Carson, immediately ordered Lieutenant R. Johnston,his subaltern officer, to take a squad of dragoonsand proceed to the assistance of his countrymen.While on his march, Lieutenant Johnston met with thecommand of recruits of whom we have before spoken.In the course of the conversation which ensued, Johnstonwas asked, by the officer in charge of the recruits,what was the service he was engaged on? and, beinginformed, that gentleman probably gave the subjectdeeper thought, and it may have occurred to him, andsuch is the opinion of Kit Carson, that if the affairwas properly managed, there might be some glory accruingfrom it. At any rate, he suddenly changed hismind, and ordered a detail of men to go with the lieutenant.The relief party, as thus reinforced, again started,and found Kit Carson and his train of wagons at a pointthat is some twenty-five miles below Bent’sFort. Under the escort of the soldiers, Kit andhis men travelled in safety to Rayado, where he hadthe pleasure of thanking Major Grier for his praiseworthy and prompt action, in succoring him and a fewother American citizens who had thus been exposedto the barbarities of savages, made hostile by theoverbearing conduct of a man whose double blunder wasshielded by power. Although the fighting qualificationsof the soldiers were not called into requisition,yet, they performed a meritorious service by coming.They might have been instrumental in saving lives whileprotecting commerce, and their frequent visits to remoteIndian countries always leaves salutary impressionson the minds of the red men.Kit Carson’s thorough knowledge of Indian characterand his established bravery and integrity ought, itappears to us, to have been a sufficient guarantyto this officer, that he was acting in good faithwhen he asked, through the proper channel, that protectionto which he was certainly entitled while pursuingthe necessary though hazardous business, connectedwith the commerce of the plains.
Never, throughout his eventful career, had Kit Carsonrefused to offer his services in the cause of a countrymanwho stood in need of them; and now, when the firsttime came that he felt it necessary to make the callfor assistance, he could not understand why two valuabledays were allowed to pass, by an officer who couldhave aided him, without some notice being taken ofhis urgent requisition. It is true that by some,especially those who are not acquainted with the characterof Kit Carson, he is regarded as being ever anxiousfor an Indian fight; but, had this been the case,he would have long since paid the forfeit with hislife. To contradict such a statement, we havebut to appeal to the reader of this narrative, andask him to bear testimony of the marked discretionthat has so far coupled itself with Kit Carson’sfame. An amusing incident which came under theeye of the writer is to the point.
In the early part of the so-called gold “fever”of California, when parties were organizing in thecity of New York, to proceed overland to the Pacific,we chanced to be present at a meeting held by one ofthe companies. As most of those present were entirelyunacquainted with the country to be passed over, andas they were anxious to place themselves in a safeposition, some one proposed that Kit Carson shouldbe employed as a guide, provided his services couldbe had. This was ruled out. The amusingpart of this incident consists in the reason whichgoverned this judgment. It was on account of thefear that he might lead them out of their way in orderto engage in some bloody Indian fight, it being generallyrepresented and believed that he was sanguinarilyinclined. Cheap literature had so ferociouslymade the man, that he, of all men most experienced,could not be trusted, showing thereby how little hadbeen known of the real Kit Carson.
CHAPTER XV.
Kit Carson’s last Trapping Expedition—Heembarks in a Speculation—His Trip toCalifornia with a large Flock of Sheep—TheMethod employed by Mexicans in driving Herds andtheir Dexterity—Kit Carson goes to San Francisco—Itswonderful Growth—Maxwell joins Kit Carsonat Sacramento City—The Lucky Speculation—TheReturn Trip to New Mexico and its Adventures—TheMormon Delegate to Congress informs Kit Carsonof his Appointment as Indian Agent—Kit Carsonenters upon the Duties of his Office—Bell’sFight with the Apaches on Red River—KitCarson’s Interview with the same Indians—High-handedMeasures on the Part of the Apaches—Davidson’sdesperate Fight with them—The Soldiersdefeated with severe loss—Davidson’sBravery is unjustly questioned—KitCarson’s Opinion of it—The Apacheselated by their Victory—Their Imitationsof the Actions of Military Men.
The expedition into the United States which terminatedwith the last chapter, proved to be valuable in itsresults so far as the parties engaged in it were concerned.Kit Carson was once more trying hard to keep quietin his comfortable home at Rayado. But his restlessspirit was not proof against this inactivity.His stay at home therefore was short. The memoriesof other days came upon him, and he longed once moreto enjoy, in company with the “friends of hisyouth,” the scenes, excitements and pleasuresof his old life as a trapper. Throughout hiseventful life, as the reader has been able clearlyto see, Kit Carson seldom spent his time in idle thinking.His thoughts almost invariably take form in actions.This eager longing resulted, therefore, in the formingof a regular trapping expedition after the olden style,shape, etc, which he organized with great care andattention. The members of the party were selectedby himself chiefly with great exclusiveness, and numberswho wished to join the party were refused, on accountof their inexperience. After a good deal of inquiry,Kit succeeded in collecting eighteen of his old companions.No one among them was not entitled to be called amountaineer. Kit looked upon this party of menwith an eye of real affection. The meeting previousto the start was a scene to behold. Such a greetingof old friends, well tried and true, will not soonbe again seen on the American continent. The daywhen men went trapping was “long time ago.”Kit Carson, as he stood among this band of friends,the acknowledged leader of the party, every man ofwhom he knew would have periled his life for eitherone of the company, felt that, indeed, the days ofhis youth had returned unto him.
Everything preliminary was arranged in the most approvedstyle. When all was complete, Kit Carson, mountedon his magnificent charger Apache, riding to the headof the line, gave the order to march. Kit hadput it to vote and the result was unanimous, that theexpedition should be no boy’s play. Onthe contrary, the boldest and one of the longest ofthe routes, known to their experienced footsteps,was selected. It comprised many of the mightyrivers of the Rocky Mountains, every one of whichwas almost a hunting ground by itself. Onward,over the wild and broad plains, this band of stalwartmen, brave and kindred spirits, dashed. Theysoon put many a mile between them and the comfortablefiresides at Rayado. But these miles, Kit Carsonhas often said, were the shortest he ever traveled.The way was beguiled by many a recollection in whichevery man present could participate with a relish,keen as disuse alone can render the palate of enjoyment.In a short time the well-remembered waters of the South
Fork of the River Platte were descried. Theirpractised eyes soon discovered the oft-noted “signsof the beaver.” The camp was formed andthe traps set. The beaver, so long left to mindtheir own business, had increased in great numbers.The hunt proved correspondingly successful. Theparty continued working down this stream through theplains of Laramie to the New Park; and from thence,on to the Old Park. We cannot follow them throughthis long and enlivening hunt. They trapped alarge number of their old streams until, finally,the expedition was terminated on the Arkansas River.Throughout the whole course the hunt proved to be verysuccessful. With a large stock of furs they returnedin safety to Rayado, via the Raton Mountains, whichare spurs of the great Rocky chain.The fact that most of the old trappers had given uptheir vocation furnishes the reason why the beaverwere found, along the entire route, to be so plentiful.We desire that the reader shall paint for himselfthe enjoyment which these men gathered in this renewalof a pursuit rendered congenial by the experienceof long years of activity in following it. Ithas been our purpose to enable the reader to gathera spark of this same enjoyment by the endeavor to makeof him an amateur trapper. He has followed KitCarson throughout the trapping expeditions of hisearlier life. It is to be supposed that with Kithe has acquired some experience. With Kit thereforehe shall now receive his final polishing, and if hedoes not in the end catch a beaver, he shall at leastlearn how they are caught, and all the necessary minutiaeof toil which he must expect to encounter and undergo.
On striking any river, when on the hunt, the trappersare accustomed to keep a bright lookout for signs,often heretofore referred to. The word “signs”conveys but a vague idea of its all-important meaning,as it was received by the trappers. The newsof the presence of “signs” sent a thrillof joy through the hunters of the olden time onlyequalled on board of whale-ships when the man at thelookout cries “there she blows”.It rarely happens that this cunning, amphibious animalcan be seen moving free, either on the river banks,or in the water; for nature has given him no powerfulweapons with which to defend himself when surprisedand attacked; but, what is better, she has endowedhim with exceedingly sensitive eyesight and hearing,which enables him to detect the approach of dangerin time to escape. The marks, however, whichhe leaves behind are, for a time, ineffaceable.These were only to be detected and used for his ownpurposes, by the superior intellect of man. Theunequalled industry of gnawing down trees and cuttingtwigs, peeling off the tender cuticle of the willowbushes, digging away banks, and carrying on their shovel-shapedtails the earth, together with innumerable foot-printsand sometimes dams, were the items which filled upthe catalogue of “signs” on which the
trappers’ vision was regaled after long and dangeroustramps in search of them. These “signs”were not always found together; but instead, theyeach could exist separately and thus would arouse thehunter’s suspicions of the game near by.The little twig, as it floated down the stream, halfdenuded of its bark, would go unheeded by the casualobserver, but, to the experienced trapper, it was aprize to be obtained; for, by its freshness, it indicatedto his mind how near he was to the chance of obtainingand adding another pound or so of valuable fur tohis stock on hand. To him, this small event, orone like it, as for instance, a fresh footprint, withits neatly defined claw-tracks, as moulded in themoistened earth or sand, was of a greater importancethan the wonderful and striking workmanship exhibitedin a dam; for, the latter might be old and deserted,whereas, the former was too recent to cause him tobe deceived with such a sign; and in such a vicinity,he hesitated not to set his trap.An idea prevails which ought to be exploded.It is boldly asserted that the beaver builds his damfor the purpose of having a nice swimming pond inthe neighborhood of his residence, which is alwayslocated in the river’s bank. This is nottrue; for, in every stream which he inhabits, if thiswas his sole object, he could select many naturalplaces where the water is without a ripple and whereit is both deep and broad. The animal has a wiserobject in view; and, it consists in providing againstthe pinching wants of hunger during winter, when nearlyeverything green has lost its sap and nutrition, andis, as a body, without blood and animation. Hetherefore chooses a place favorable for obtainingfood, and also where his labors will be assisted bynatural formations or accidents in the river’scourse and construction. Having pitched uponthe right section to build, he sets to work with hisfellows and falls giant trees. In this he againexhibits his wonderful instinct; for, while one partyis cutting with their sharp teeth the hard wood ofone side of the tree, another division is activelyemployed on the other side, never forgetting to make,like unto the woodman, the lowest incision on the sidethe tree is to fall, which, to suit their purposes,is always directly into and across the stream.When a tree is thus fallen, it is attacked in itsbranches, which are so turned and woven together inthe outline of the dam as to catch in their meshesany floating material, or receive the tail-loads ofsoil and rubbish which they carry to it. Anotherand another tree are then systematically fallen andarranged as is the first, until the work is finishedas completely as if it had been planned and executedby a reasoning mind. The finishing stroke isthe transporting of the mud and laying it. Inthis labor, they show themselves to be excellent masons.They now act in concert. A large gang marchesin a line to the bank where they load each other’s
tails and swim with their cargoes elevated above andfree from the water. When they arrive at an unfinishedpoint of the dam they dump the mud and mould it inplace. Their houses they have previously builtin the river banks. These consist of holes whichlead into large and airy subterranean rooms, and whichare above the water-mark. In these houses theyare said to sleep and live in pairs; and, if we couldbelieve the story of the trapper related many pagesback, they imitate human beings in managing theirhousehold and in keeping house. The main objectthey have in staying the progress of the current ofthe river is to afford a deep place where, havingfallen numbers of trees, the deep water will preservetender and fresh the limbs and shrubs on which tosubsist during, not only time present, but also timeto come. It is well known that fresh branchesof trees and young willows, when placed in water,will keep up partial life for a considerable lengthof time. On this principle, the beaver acts insubmerging his food deep in the water where it willretain its verdure and where the freezing processthat is going on at the surface of the river willnot bar his efforts in getting at his store of provisionsduring the winter season. It is said that thebeaver goes so far as to bundle up small branchesof trees and willows which he stows away in the muddybottom of the river. The trapper, in his wondrousyarns, insists that there are grades of society amongbeavers the same as among men; and he will have itthat they have their “head chiefs,” andthat often individuals among them roll in wealth andthat they have slaves who stand ready to do theirmaster’s bidding at a moment’s warning;for instance, to bring them a bundle of green twigson which to feast. According to their imaginativestories, the life of a beaver cannot be rivaled inhappiness; and if we could put full credence in theirdescriptions of the pastimes of the animal, his palacesand luxuries, we could only compare a beaver to acitizen of Venice in her most palmy days—thedifference between the two being, that the formerenjoyed himself more in the water than the latter didon it in his favorite gondola.The beaver, when captured young, can be sufficientlydomesticated to make him a pet; but their unattractiveform is anything but an ornament to the house.With young children, they are very friendly, thoughtheir disposition is amiable to any one. Theyare very neat in their person and, when moved fromtheir comrades and domiciled with human beings, nothingdo they so much like as being allowed the daily privilegeof taking a clean bath. When thus engaged, theyare a curiosity to look at, as they are very agileand particular in removing every particle of dirt.We remember seeing one of these pets in the Mexicantown of Culebro thus enjoying himself.His owner hesitated not in taking the animal to theriver, which was close by, and giving him his freedom.On finishing his ablutions the beaver returned towhere his owner was standing, without making an effortto escape, and by a look as much as said, “Iam ready to return to your home.”
The signs having been discovered, the trappers nextselect a suitable location for a camp, which theysoon occupy. After the pack animals are unloaded,a part of the men start out to set the traps, whilethe remainder busy themselves in looking after theirwants and in cooking and guarding their property,etc. The trap is very much like the sameinstrument used in different sections of the UnitedStates for catching foxes, wolves etc, excepting,that it is smaller and perhaps made with more skill.Old trappers were very superstitious in regard tothe makers of their traps, for they entertained theidea that much of their good or bad fortune dependedon the tools they worked with; hence, they alwayshad their favorite makers, and would pay more fortheir traps than for those of any other maker.This is true also with their rifles. For manyyears a rifle was condemned at first sight if it didnot have the name of Hawkins[23] stamped on it, andit was not uncommon for them, when boasting of thegood qualities of their riding animals, if they consideredthem of the maximum degree of superiority, to stylethem “regular Hawkins horses”, therebyshowing how far, in this respect, their predilectionsgrounded their opinions.
[Footnote 23: Mr. Hawkins was the owner of alarge gun establishment at St. Louis, Mo.]
The setting of the trap required expertness and experience,or else it availed nothing; for the game to be caughtis, as the reader can now readily conceive, very waryand his suspicions of there being anything wrong nearat hand, had to be allayed by concealing as much aspossible the instrument from view; yet it must notbe far from the surface of the water; and then againit had to be firmly fixed in its position, by beingmade fast to something that was firm so as preventit* being dragged off. The trapper, while thusengaged, is in the water. About his waist thereis a strap to which is attached a pouch in which iscarried the bait. Everything being arranged, thetrap is set and the bait applied, when the man notesthe place where he has been at work so as to recognizeit again, and then takes his departure to return earlythe following morning. The beaver, during thisinterim, is attracted by the peculiar scent of thebait, and, as a reward for his curiosity, he generallyis caught by one of his paws and thus falls a preyto the hunter’s pleasure. The traps, whenvisited, are relieved of the contents and then setagain. The game is put out of its misery andcarried to camp, where it is skinned, and where allof the pelts recently taken are stretched out, dried,cured, and packed in small bales, whenever a sufficientquantity is obtained so to do with it. The trapper,when in full dress for an expedition, and especiallyafter having been on one with its concomitant hair-breadthescapes, Indian and bear fights, etc., cuts, toall appearances, a sorrowful figure. His wardrobeis meagre in the extreme, yet it answers all of his
purposes and the man would have no other. Whensummed up, it would be found to consist usually oftwo pairs of moccasins, one (or two pair) of buckskinpantaloons, two woollen shirts, a loose, fringed buckskincoat and an old slouched hat (usually made of somekind of skin with the fur on). His baggage, limitedto a very small bundle, comprises his blankets, a buffalorobe or two, a spare hide of dressed buckskin, hisextra garments above spoken of, and a little tobacco(when it can be had). These, with his camp kettleand outfit of powder, lead, extra traps, scanty allowanceof provisions, guns, pistols, horses, bridles,[24]saddles, etc. make up his traveling and workingkit; it may be only for a few months or it may befor years. With them he was ready to penetratethe loftiest mountains and unexplored regions.This is but a true picture, in a brief space, of theappearance of Kit Carson and the resources of hisearlier days, the tools he had to work with, the modeof doing his labor, and the habits of the animal hediligently hunted for several years in order thathis fellow man might convert into a luxury the productsof his toil; yet had he been allowed the choice, hewould not have exchanged situations with the consumerof the commodity. In the company of his booncompanions and enjoying the pure mountain air, hehad often seen as happy hours as ever fell to the lotof any man. And now he was starting out on probablyhis last trapping expedition.[Footnote 24: These saddles and bridles are queer-lookingarticles; but, for use, they could not be surpassedeither for durability or comfort. Their bridlebits are the same as are used by the Mexicans.They are very powerful and intended for managing wildhorses and mules, particularly the latter. Withone in his mouth, an animal cannot drink or feed.A Mexican only waters his horse twice a day when traveling,viz. morning and night.]
The party did not return to their homes until severalmonths had expired, and, as much of the excitementthat used to pertain to their former exploits hadbeen worn off from the changes brought about by civilization,they decided that this, as far as they were concerned,should be their last trapping expedition; therefore,this visit to their old haunts was a sort of funeralservice performed over their early adventures.On quitting each favorite river, the trappers feltthat they were shaking hands with the streams and biddingthem, one by one, a final good bye.
Kit Carson, after disposing of his beaver, occupiedhimself in attending to his ranche, and was thus employedwhen news was brought to New Mexico of the exorbitantprices which sheep were bringing in California.He made up his mind to embark in a speculation in thoseanimals by collecting a herd and driving it to thatterritory. He set out for the valley of Rio Abajo,which lies to the south of Santa Fe, and there, tohis satisfaction, made his purchases. In company
with two friends, after employing a suitable numberof shepherds, he commenced his journey and travelednorthward to Fort Laramie, where he came to and followedthe emigrant road that leads direct into Californiavia Salt Lake, etc. In the month of August,1853, after meeting with very trifling losses, ashe traveled very slowly and understood thoroughlythe business he was employed in, Kit Carson with hisflock of sixty-five hundred sheep reached the pointof his destination in California, where he found nodifficulty in disposing of them at the rate of fivedollars and fifty cents per head.The making of these long journeys with such largeherds of sheep, over a diversified country, sometimesabounding in water and grass, while on the other hand,and not unfrequently, for many miles, the earth isbarren, is a difficult task. When broad, deepand swift rivers are to be forded, it requires dexterityand management to prevent heavy losses.
The trail which Kit Carson followed to Fort Laramieis now a well-beaten path. It runs almost duenorth from Taos, and abounds, in the proper season,in good grass and water. For about one hundredand twenty miles, it passes through a broken country,but when that distance is accomplished, the traveleris ushered on to the plains and keeps on them formost of the way close under the Rocky Mountains.The scenery on this route is most magnificent, andat times as grand perhaps as can be seen in any partof the world. The distance from Taos, Kit Carson’sstarting-point, to Laramie River, is counted by hundredsof miles; and in this great tract of country, therelive several of the largest and most troublesome tribesof Indians in the far West. The names of thesetribes are the Utahs, Apaches, Arrapahoes, Cheyennesand Sioux. A man with a large drove of sheep isso conspicuous an object that he is certain to attracttheir notice and bring them to him. Kit Carson,however, was well received by them and allowed topass unmolested. They were pleased to find soformidable an enemy moving boldly into their countryand bearing the olive branch of peace. He howeverforgot not to pay them toll by presenting them witha suitable number of the sheep. In this way heprevented them from being tempted to steal from him.This is a usual custom, and the Indians expect thatthis sort of attention will be shown them. Theydo not like, at all seasons of the year, to have theseherds pass through their country. Being so large,they eat up much of their grass, which assists greatlyto drive away the game. We remember on one occasionthat an American, in charge of several thousand sheep,started on a journey from New Mexico to California.Everything went prosperously with the man until heleft the Raton Mountains and entered the country inhabitedby the Arrapahoes and Cheyennes. At first, hewas received in a friendly manner by these Indians;but was commanded by them to rest where he was until
they went ahead and killed their annual amount ofbuffalo. This, the man could not do; for theseason was so far advanced that if he delayed, andthen attempted to make California, he would be certainlyovertaken by snow-storms which would bury him andhis property in the mountains. In vain he usedhis best endeavors to impress this state of affairson the minds of the Indians. They would not listento him or sanction his going on, and threatened topunish him if he undertook to disobey them. Biddingdefiance to these threats, this man started; but hadonly proceeded a few miles, when a band of one hundredsquaws, mounted on horseback, overtook him and dashedinto his herd, and with savage delight put to deathone hundred and fifty of the sheep before their owner’seyes and without his being able to stop them.The carcasses of the slaughtered animals were leftto rot on the ground, thereby showing that the Indiansdid not stand in need of food, but that they wishedto teach the intruder a lesson which he would be aptto remember. These women had been sent out bytheir husbands, who no doubt were close by in casetheir services should be needed, to show to the whiteman the contempt they had of his power. The resultwas that the American was obliged to return to NewMexico from whence he came. When he set out again,he chose what is known as the Southern Route, whichruns via the Rio Gila and strikes California in itslower section.In the Rocky Mountains, the Indian women are rathersmall in stature, but, from their constant exercisethey are physically very strong. They are naturallynot wanting in modesty; but, being compelled to workand even engage in war, they soon become roughenedand hardened. Their dresses consist principallyof deer skins, and sometimes they are very tastefullyarranged. They give birth to their children withgreat ease, and, as they have not become martyrs tofashions, or dress, they suffer but little inconveniencefrom this provision of nature. The children learn,during their earliest years, to look out for themselves,and soon become expert at it. The marriage ceremonyamounts to little or nothing, and consists of a merebarter. The warrior is obliged to pay so manyhorses to the father for the bride. We remember,on one occasion, buying a superior pony from a trader,who said that he had obtained him from his Indian ownerwith great difficulty. The facts were as follows:This Indian was in love with a young maiden of histribe. The young girl wished some silver ornamentswhich the trader had. The only thing the warriorhad to exchange for these trinkets, was his prizedpony. An old chief stood by with the trader andsaw the warrior look and sigh at his horse. Thechief gave the trader a wink, and said in a low toneof voice to him: “That man loves his horseand he loves his affianced bride, but the bride electwill conquer. Hold on and he will sacrifice thehorse to please the girl. His love for her isthe deepest feeling.” Sure enough thiscame true, and we never regretted that it was so.The pony proved a valuable addition to our stock ofanimals.
Besides the many dangers to his flock which a personruns the risk of, both from the numerous accidentsto which it is liable, and the unwelcome visits ofthe Indians when thus traveling, there are otherswhich may occasionally happen to his own person.He may be, while standing guard, suddenly attackedand bitten by a mad wolf. On this event occurring,he is almost certain to be seized with that terrible,and we might as well add incurable disease, hydrophobia,which renders him a most pitiful object to behold.From a human being so recently respected and belovedby his companions, a person, thus unfortunate, issuddenly changed into an object most dreaded and detested.A party of Mexicans in charge of a large herd of sheep,a few years since, were bound to California.One night a large, ferocious wolf entered the camp,and bit a man in the leg. Symptoms of hydrophobiavery soon set in, and in a short time the victim wasa confirmed case of the disease. His comradeshad no proper means of taking care of and transportinghim, as they were hundreds of miles from the nearesthouse. They were superstitious, and believed thatall would die if they kept the man’s companyany longer; accordingly, they drove a stake in theground, to which they inhumanly secured him; and, afterdepositing a small allowance of provisions near by,they left him to die. Human bones were afterwardsfound near the identical spot where it was said thisunfortunate incident happened, which afforded strongcirc*mstantial evidence that the man had eked out amiserable existence soon after he was deserted byhis so-called friends, and also, that the truth ofthis story rested upon strong probability.
When the Americans first obtained possession of NewMexico, sheep could be bought at the rate of twenty-fivecents per head. The reason of this was, the wantof a market and the ease with which they were raised.Cheapness of labor, also, assisted in reducing theirvalue. The wool of these sheep was rather coarse,resembling hair more than wool. The only usein which it was employed, was for manufacturing blankets,rough carpet, and in filling mattresses. The valleyof the Rio Grande is wonderful as a sheep growingcountry. The mountain districts also cannot beexcelled in this respect. Their fitness for grazingis best exemplified by their abounding in the famousRocky Mountain sheep. In many respects this animalresembles the chamois. They live on the topsof the highest peaks, eat the tenderest grass, andproduce the finest flavored mutton in the world.One of their heads, with the horns, often weighs onehundred pounds. To shoot them, requires all ofan experienced hunter’s skill, and, when he hasbrought down one of these trophies, he feels he hasdone more than if he had killed ten deer. Thesight of one of these mountain sheep, as perched ona high, rocky peak, is beautiful. The hostileIndians are the main drawback in New Mexico, to thesuccessful raising of sheep.
The usual modus operandi employed by Mexican herders,who cannot be surpassed in their vocation, to whichthey appear to take intuitively, although many ofthem serve an apprenticeship at it, which begins withearly life and ends only by death, is, to send a youthwho leads a goat in advance of the flock. Fromsome strange and unaccountable reason, the sheep willfollow after him even to the crossing of rivers whosecurrents are deep and swift. The shepherds, withtheir dogs to assist them when necessary, allow theherd to scatter over a space varying in its size,but always allowing sufficient area so that the animalscan move on at their ease and at the same time be ableto feed. The danger above all others that isto be apprehended and guarded against, while thustravelling, is crowding; for, in this manner, whenjourneying through deep gorges in the mountains andover the precipitous banks of rivers, hundreds ofsheep can be, and not unfrequently are, smothered.When this crowding commences, it is next to impossibleto arrest it; a sort of panic prevails over the entireherd, and they rush on, one on top of another, untila mass of dead and dying is thus piled up and a barrieris made; or else, until, as most frequently happens,a bridge of carcasses is formed over which the survivorspass in safety. The Indians who inhabit the countryon the various routes to California, have a strongpredilection for mutton, which is a fact to bear inmind when migrating with this sort of property.Such accidents as having a few sheep bitten by rattlesnakes,and also a certain percentage becoming foot-sore andbreaking down from fatigue, are common to every herdthat crosses the Rocky Mountains. Economy inliving is the great fundamental principle among thelower classes of the Mexicans; therefore, when a sheepis going to die from fatigue, or any simple disease,natural death is anticipated by the herders with theaid of the hunting-knife, and the meat, being dressedand cooked, is unhesitatingly eaten by them.Next to the Mexican shepherd, his dog, although heis not generally a handsome animal, is found to beever faithful in guarding the flocks. The greatestenemy to the herds is the wolf; and in keeping themat bay, and preventing their inroads by night, thedog is capable of performing valuable service; hence,no band of sheep should cross the plains and mountainswithout a full complement of them. It was at oneof the frontier towns of California that Kit Carsondisposed of his flock. There having heard ofthe rapid and marvelous growth of San Francisco, hemade up his mind to verify these reports with his owneyes, for he was well acquainted with its ancient aspect.
San Francisco had now had since the year 1848 to growunder the impulse of the gold fever. Kit Carsonremembered it, a Spanish settlement as it existedin 1845—6—7, then containingnot over two hundred inhabitants. In 1847, thefirst gold discovery was made at Sutter’s Fort.In two months thereafter, about $250,000 in gold dustwere carried into the town. The next two months$600,000 more. In February, 1849, the populationof the town was two thousand. In the six monthsfollowing, it increased to five thousand. In theearly part of the year 1850, the population had increasedto nearly twenty thousand. In 1852, accordingto the census, it was thirty-four thousand eight hundredand seventy. The first settlement made at SanFrancisco, was commenced in the year 1776. Theplace was then called Yerba Buena, or Good Herb, fromthe fact that an herb of that name, which was supposedto have great medicinal value, grew in rich luxurianceover the surrounding country. The houses wereat first built of adobes, or sun dried bricks.It is now one of the most important cities on thewestern continent.
As Kit Carson neared this great emporium of California,possessed of some of the details of its astonishinggrowth, and remembering it as it existed when itsinhabitants could be easily counted in an hour, hewas perfectly astonished to behold the great changeswhich a few short years had produced.
Had it not been for the immovable landmarks aboutthe city and the familiar scenery of the bay, he wouldhave been entirely at a loss in considering that thiswas the spot, called San Francisco, which he had visitedin former years. This metropolis, however, likeall others, presented few attractions to Kit Carson’svision, further than its objects of curiosity, whichwere a source of interest and amusem*nt to him.When he had finished sight seeing he was ready andanxious to be on his way to New Mexico. Previousto his setting out, he went on business to SacramentoCity. While there, he received a message fromhis friend and partner, Maxwell, asking him to waituntil the latter could come in with a herd of sheepfrom Carson River, when they could join forces andreturn home together.
Kit Carson’s stay in California was shortenedby the annoyance (as he considered it) of being madea lion. His society was constantly courted bymen whom he had never seen; he was passed free onsteamboats and to all places of public amusem*nt; and,in fact, the people, in acknowledging his worth, treatedhim with marked distinction. He was pointed outwherever he went as a man who had done the State greatservice. This reward of his merit was indeed ajust tribute to his worth. Kit felt himself highlyhonored and favored, but he did not expect or wishsuch attention. He felt himself to be a humbleindividual, who had honestly and faithfully performedhis duty, as it had been assigned to him, and hismodesty would not allow him to ask or be willing to
receive any other than the unexpressed opinion ofthe people. There were some men (there alwaysare such persons in every community) who sought hiscompany expecting to hear him boast of his deeds andproclaim himself a hero such as had never before existed;but, what must have been their surprise on seeing hisunassuming bearing, his disregard of notoriety, andhis anxiety to escape that popularity which they themselveswould have highly prized. Tired, by the anxietyand hard work of bringing his property over a longand dangerous journey to a good market, he had lookedfor rest and retirement; but instead, he was everywheresought out and made conspicuous.And here we pause to speak of the noble qualitiesof moral character and good judgment evinced by KitCarson on this occasion of his eventful life.He found himself surrounded with the choice spiritsof the new El Dorado; his name a prestige of strengthand position, and his society courted by everybody.The siren voice of pleasure failed not to speak inhis ear her most flattering invitations. Good-fellowshiptook him incessantly by the hand, desiring to leadhim into the paths of dissipation. But the gayvortex, with all its brilliancy, had no attractionsfor him; the wine cup, with its sparkling arguments,failed to convince his calm earnestness of character,that his simple habits of life needed remodeling.To the storm, however, he was exposed; but, like agood ship during the gale, he weathered the fierceblast, and finally took his departure from the newcity of a day, with his character untarnished, butnevertheless leaving behind him many golden opinions.With a hurried farewell and many kind remembrancesof the good people of California, he left their greatcity to return to a home where he was certain to finda life better suited to his tastes. Money-gettinghad no charms for him. Had he chosen to acceptsome of the offers made him while then in San Francisco,he could easily have amassed an immense fortune.But his home had now the greater allurements, anda legitimate business gave him the certainty of comfort.The power merely which wealth assumes, Kit Carsonnever has desired to grasp.
The time had nearly arrived for the appearance ofMaxwell. He finally joined Kit Carson, when thetwo immediately engaged in the very profitable workof disposing of their sheep. The market provedto be quite active—so much so that theydisposed of their entire flock at high cash valueswithout the least difficulty. The speculationthus proved to be highly satisfactory to all concerned.In a monetary point of view, the adventure provedto be the most fortunate in which Kit Carson had beenengaged. Heretofore, money had been a secondconsideration with Kit Carson. He had directedhis energies and attention to almost everything, orat least to many things besides its accumulation.
The sums which he had received for the important servicesrendered both to government officers and private individuals,had been expended on the wants of his family and onhis suffering friends and countrymen. A triflingamount had always sufficed to satisfy his own immediatedesires. The calls upon his purse, at the endof each year had left, therefore, but little whichhe could call his own. The snug sum now at hisdisposal, Kit Carson determined to lay by; and servingas a nucleus, around it, he has since accumulated enoughamply to supply those comforts which will tend, inhis old age, to make him happy. Maxwell and Carsondecided to return to their homes by the southern routewhich runs through the country on and adjacent to theRio Gila. Maxwell determined to take a steamerdown the coast as far as Los Angelos, distant fromSan Francisco about three hundred and fifty miles,and used his best endeavors to persuade his friendKit Carson to accompany him. In this however,he failed. Already one cruise over a part ofthe ocean route which Maxwell contemplated making,had been made by Kit Carson in 1846, and which hadso sickened him of sea life, that he resolved neverto travel on salt water again while it was in hispower to obtain a mule to assist him in journeyingby land. Maxwell, by his water conveyance, reachedLos Angelos fifteen days in advance of Kit Carson,and employed himself in making the necessary preparationsfor their trip to New Mexico. When Kit rejoinedhis companion, everything was in readiness for themto proceed on their route, and, in a day or so afterwards,they started. Everything favored them until theyreached a village belonging to some Pimo Indians,and located on the Rio Gila. Here the grass becamesuddenly very scarce. They learned from theseIndians that the season had been unusually dry, andthat, if they attempted to proceed on the regulartrail, they would do so at the risk of losing theiranimals by starvation. While undecided as towhich was the best course to pursue, Kit Carson informedthe party that he could guide them over a new routewhich, though difficult and rough to travel, he feltconfident would afford sufficient forage to answerall their purposes. At once the men agreed tobe governed by their experienced friend’s advice,and, having signified to him their willingness to doso, they resumed their march, following up the RioGila, until they came to the mouth of the San Pedro,when they struck out up the latter for three days,and then parted with it to risk the chances of reaching,at the end of each day, the small mountain creeksthat lay on their contemplated route. After travelingin as direct a course as the nature of the countrywould admit, they arrived seasonably at the coppermines of New Mexico.
While pursuing this experimental journey, Kit Carson,who was well acquainted with the general outline ofthe country, but was not equally conversant with itin reference to the certainty of finding eligiblecamping-sites, where wood, water and grass presentedthemselves in abundance, was frequently made the subjectof a tantalizing joke by the men of the party.
Occasionally his memory would not solve the question,what is the next course? He had neither map,chart, nor compass, and depended entirely upon oldlandmarks. Occasionally, the resemblance of differentmountains, one to another, would serve to embarrasshim. For a time, he would become doubtful asto the exact course to pursue. At such moments,the mischievous dispositions of the men would get thebetter of their judgment, and they would exert theirlungs in shouting to him, as he spurred his ridinganimal to keep out of the sound of their raillery.He was not always successful in this, and occasionallya few sentences reached him like the following:
“Hurrah!”
“I say! are you the famous Kit Carson, who knowsthis country so well?”
“Are you really a good pilot, or are you lost?”
These and similar expressions saluted Kit’sear—a language to which he had not beenheretofore accustomed—as some impediment,such as a fallen tree, a rock, a swamp, or a creekstaid, for a brief period, his progress, thus allowingthe party to approach within speaking distance.The remarks might have temporarily chafed his spirit;but, he had too much good sense to allow his friendsto see that they had gained any advantage over him.He rode boldly on, and answered their raillery withsilence. He knew, however, very well, that histurn would come; and, when he had brought them insafety to a spot with which all were familiar, heturned the tables on them by retorting to their questionsin a playful manner, which made their future interpretationof his occasional doubts, less sweeping in its conclusions.
Kit succeeded in guiding the party safely to the CopperMines, from whence their route was plain. Fromthe Copper Mines the party traveled through to theRio del Norte. This river is 1,800 miles in lengthand forms the boundary line between Texas and Mexico.It takes its rise in the Rocky Mountains and emptiesinto the Gulf of Mexico. It is navigable forsmall steamers, sloops and schooners, for a distanceof about four hundred and fifty miles from its mouth.About nine hundred miles from its mouth, there isa spot where the river is only about three or fourfeet deep. Here the Apache and Camanche Indiansalways cross when on their depredatory tramps intoMexico.
Leaving the Rio Grande or del Norte, the party pursuedtheir homeward route through the settlements of theRio Abajo and Santa Fe and finally reached Taos onthe twenty-third day of December, 1853.
Soon after the party entered the Territory of NewMexico, Kit Carson accidentally met the Mormon delegateto Congress. That person informed Kit Carsonthat the appointment of an Indian Agent had been conferredupon him.
On learning this piece of intelligence, Kit was muchelated. He felt that the office was perfectlysuited to his tastes, and he was honestly impressedwith the belief that he was capable of performingthe duties of this office, and of accomplishing muchgood. His happiness and pride were heightenedby thinking that, finally, his services had met theapprobation of his government, the substantial proofof which, was the offering to him of an important trustwithout solicitation on his part. Immediatelyon arriving at Taos, he wrote an answer to the authoritiesat Washington, in which he expressed his willingnessto serve the government, and the pleasure he feltin accepting the office; at the same time he sent thenecessary bond required of persons who hold this appointment.
Hardly had Kit Carson been ushered into his new dutiesbefore the Jiccarilla Apaches, who formed one of thetribes of his agency, began to show new signs of dissatisfactionby committing various kinds of outrages on the propertyand lives of the citizens of the northern part ofNew Mexico. To arrest them in their career andmake them amenable for the crimes they had alreadycommitted, Lieutenant Bell, of the 2d Regiment ofUnited States dragoons, was sent in quest of them.He found them on the Red River, and at once commencedoperations against them. At first, these redmen were equally ready to break a lance in combatwith their foes; but, after the soldiers had made twocharges and penetrated through and through their ranks,they were, although in superior numbers, glad to giveup the mastership of the field, and run away.In this fight, the Apaches lost, by his being killed,one of their great chiefs, besides many warriors.On the side of the soldiers, two men were killed andseveral seriously wounded.
A short time after the news of this skirmish had reachedTaos, Kit Carson found it necessary, in order to attendto some official business, to proceed to Santa Fe;but, just as he was on the point of setting out, hewas informed that a large party of these JiccarillaApaches had recently arrived at a place in the mountainsonly about twenty miles from Taos, and were thereencamped. With the view of pacifying them ifit was possible, Kit Carson immediately posted thither;and, with no small degree of peril attending his movements—forhe went unattended, and among Indians who were at thetime very bitter against the whites—he confrontedtheir “head men” in their den. Heneeded no introduction, for, during many years, hehad been well known to them. Therefore he proceeded,at once, to business. After passing through theusual Indian salutations, he commenced by haranguingthem, in a style that most pleases their fancy, therebyfixing their attention on what he was saying.Among other things, he forewarned them that the coursethey were pursuing, if persisted in, would prove thecause of their being exterminated, as their “GreatFather,” the President, had at his disposal thousands
of soldiers to replace those who fell in battle, while,when their warriors were killed, they could not immediatelyplace others in their moccasins. When a warriorwas killed, they were compelled to wait until theirchildren grew up. He added, that the “GreatFather” loved his red children, and throughhim, whose servant he was, he wished to give themannuities and otherwise aid them in living at peace.These Indians, on learning that Kit Carson was theiragent, expressed great pleasure, and, at his earnestsolicitation, came forward and professed friendship.So little reliance, however, was to be placed in thistribe, that Kit Carson doubted their sincerity; althoughhe exacted every pledge which he thought would inthe least tend to bind them to their promises, hefeared they would not prove true. Having finishedhis business, Kit bent his way to Santa Fe; but, hehad not more than reached there before he heard thatthe Jiccarillas had already become tired of the restraintswhich he had placed upon them, and had broken outin open defiance of the authorities. From thistime onward, so thick and fast did their wicked crimesincrease, that coercive measures became necessaryto put them down. This finally resulted, in assanguinary a battle being fought between a small bandof soldiers and this tribe, as was ever recorded.A rapid sketch of it must suffice to illustrate tothe reader what kind of a fight this was, and whatplucky fellows these Apaches are. Lieutenant J.W.Davidson, with a command of sixty men belonging toF and I companies of the 1st Regiment of United Statesdragoons, was ordered out to seek and act againstthese red men. Both the soldiers and their officerswere renowned for their bravery and experience inIndian mode of warfare; hence, more than ordinarydeeds were expected to be performed by them.The result will show that they did not disappoint anyreasonable expectation. Lieutenant Davidson marchedto the “Embuda Mountains” (whichrange lies between fifteen and twenty miles southwestof Taos), as he had been informed by good authoritythat the Indians were to be found there.On reaching the mountains he soon came upon the savagesand found them fully prepared to meet him. Theyhad selected their ground with great skill. Thesite which they had chosen was upon a high elevation,and at the first glance, to get at them, appearedto be an impossibility on account of the roughnessof the country. If the Indians had hunted overthe whole of the Rocky Mountains they could not havehit upon a place that offered them so many advantagesfor the use to which they intended to put it; but,as the red men had, by great labor, reached the topsof the crags, therefore, the soldiers resolved notto be outdone, even if they had to be the assaultingparty.
The strength of the Apaches amounted to eight lodges,or two hundred and forty warriors; and, as they wereon foot and without their families, they were entirelyunencumbered. Lieutenant Davidson’s firstmanoeuvre was to send in advance a small party, whoseduty it was to act as spies, while at the same timethey endeavoured to engage the Indians in a talk,of which they are usually so fond; but, the courageof the red men was apparently much elevated on seeingthe smallness of the whole force sent against them;therefore, they received the advance with such coldnessthat the latter soon after gladly retreated to theircompanions, who were halted on the little creek thatruns by the foot of the mountains. LieutenantDavidson now saw that his only course was to commencethe attack and trust to fortune and the bravery ofhis men. Therefore he ordered the gallant fellowsto dismount, and after leaving their horses with asmall guard, they commenced the work of scramblingup the rocks so that they might get at, and dislodgethe enemy. In this they succeeded, notwithstandingthey met with a powerful and determined resistance.In the attempt, five soldiers were killed; and whenthe dragoons had reached the highest eminence of themountain, they found, to their disappointment, thatthe Apaches had not taken to flight according to theiranticipations, but instead, they were scattering andsurrounding them. There being great danger, asalready demonstrations were visible in that quarter,that the Indians would capture the horses of the soldiers,therefore Lieutenant Davidson placed himself at thehead of his men and led them back to the spot wherethe animals were congregated. In so doing, hewas obliged to fight his way, as every foot of groundhe passed over was stoutly contested; but at lasthe arrived, just in time to save them. The fightthen became desultory, but desperate, on the part ofthe soldiers; for the Indians, by concealing themselvesbehind rocks, trees and whatever came in their way,were quite secure against injury from the carbinesand revolvers of the whites, while, from their side,came a deadly fire that fast diminished the numbersof their adversaries. In vain did the dragoonscharge them and cause the foremost of the enemy toretreat to their friends in the rear. LieutenantDavidson soon found his party so much crippled in strengththat he saw he could no longer protect his horses andat the same time carry on the combat against suchgreat odds. When there was little left that hecould do except to offer himself and men as targetsto be shot at, Lieutenant Davidson reluctantly orderedhis men to retreat.
In obeying this command, the soldiers had not morethan wheeled about, when down came the foe in fullpursuit, making the very air ring with their war-whoopsand unearthly shouts. So bold did these Indiansbecome from the victory which they had achieved, thatthey charged so hotly and so near the soldiers thatthe latter were compelled, in self-defence, to turnand, in a hand to hand contest, beat them off.After resisting a succession of these assaults, thecommand finally gained the main road. Upon countinghis men, Lieutenant Davidson found that twenty ofthem were killed and left behind on the battle-field;and that, out of the surviving forty, hardly one manhad escaped being wounded, thereby showing, consideringthe numbers engaged, how bravely the fight had beenmaintained, and how gallantly each one had endeavoredto turn the tide of affairs to a more favorable result.
The course pursued by, and even the bravery of, LieutenantDavidson in this affair, has been unjustly assailedand questioned by some persons who have probably beenmisinformed on the subject. Judging from theevidence of his companions, there was not a more courageousman on that ground than the officer in command.Kit Carson refutes the accusation made against hisfriend in the following strain: “I am intimatelyacquainted with Lieutenant Davidson and have been inengagements with him where he has taken a prominentpart and can testify that he is as brave and discreetas it is possible for a man to be. Nearly everyperson engaged in and who survived that day’sbloody battle has since told me that his commandingofficer never once sought shelter, but stood manfullyexposed to the aim of the Indians, encouraging hismen and apparently entirely unmindful of his own life.It was, however, in the retreat they say that he actedthe most gallantly, for, when everything was goingbadly with the soldiers, he was as cool and collectedas if under the guns of his fort. The only anxietyhe exhibited was for the safety of his remaining men.”
The Indians must have lost many of their warriorsin this fight, but the exact number has never beenascertained. The news of the defeat was broughtby the retreating soldiers themselves to the town ofTaos, where on hearing it, for short time, consternationseized hold of its inhabitants; but slowly they calmeddown, and a party, consisting of Americans and Mexicanswith wagons, was sent out to bring in the mutilatedremains of the fallen. On reaching the field,the dead were found, but they were all mutilated andstripped of all their clothing. The Indians hadleft nothing which they thought might be turned tothe least account. One poor fellow had escapedthe rigid scrutiny of the red men by crawling to anobscure place where he had died from his wounds.On his body was found a belt that contained three hundreddollars in gold—his hard earnings that hehad been saving up against a day of need. Hadthe savages known of this money, they would not have
left it, for they are quite familiar with the use,if not with the real value of gold. A few dayslater, the Apaches made their appearance in a smallMexican settlement which was far distant from thescene of their success. They were dressed in portionsof the uniforms and accoutrements taken from the deaddragoons; and, as they sauntered about the town, theywould salute each other in military style, and otherwisemock the actions of the military men. Callingfor a piece of paper, one fellow, with a bit of charcoal,pretended to write on it an order. No doubt,by so doing, he thought he was imitating somethingof the kind which he had seen done at a military post.After making a few scratches on the paper, he handedit to one of his red companions, and, with a smileon his rough countenance, addressed to him some directionsin reference to the document. Although the Mexicanswere much amused at these burlesque actions of theIndians, yet they did not dare to show their mirthuntil the latter had departed and left them in possessionof their lives.The day following the one on which the fight had takenplace, Kit Carson returned from Santa Fe and passednear to the spot where the soldiers had been so roughlyhandled; but he did not see a visage of an Apache.They had, by that time, traveled to the west side ofthe Rio del Norte. Indeed, he anticipated nodanger to himself, as he was well aware, that thesafest time to travel through any section of an Indiancountry, is just after the savages have been guiltyof some highhanded act. They are then, instinctively,as some may say, but, as the fact appears to us, byuse of their reasoning powers, well aware that activemeasures will be set on foot to repay them for theirrascality.
The trail which, on this occasion, Kit Carson traveledover in coming from Santa Fe, is one of the most interestingroutes, in safe times, that the mere traveler canselect. It comprises some of the most beautifulscenery in New Mexico. The length of the trailis about seventy-five miles, and so many windingsand turns does it make through mountains, forestsand gorges, that every hundred yards furnishes a suitableplace for an Indian ambuscade. The largest partof the country which lies between Taos and Santa Fe,is mountainous; therefore, this trail is one seriesof ascents and descents. The greatest pitch isnear the scene of the fight in which Lieutenant Davidsonand his command were engaged, where the path, in orderto avoid an almost perpendicular declivity, makesa zig zag course. To accomplish the ascent ofthis mountain on a good riding animal, it takes, atleast, two hours; therefore, the height of the mountaincan be easily imagined by those accustomed to mountainclimbing. On reaching some of these immense eminences,the scenery is principally formed by the broken country,studded here and there with mountains, which appearas if in miniature, as well as real. Between are
valleys, rivers, creeks, canons, etc., whichrender the views truly grand. There is sufficientwoodland, plenty of pure air, and different speciesof game, in great abundance, playing about, and fillingup the picture with life. To use the words ofromance, this does not fail to make the scenery perfect.The trail runs through hamlets and villages, whichcome in at the proper distances and form great auxiliariesto the traveler, when fatigued by horseback riding;for, at most of these places, the traveler can findrest for the night, always provided that he be willingto submit to a multitude of inconveniences.The most desirable place at which to stop, on thistrail, is a town nearly midway between Taos and SantaFe. It is called Rio Arriba. In this village,the traveler can obtain many comforts which are deniedhim even in the larger towns. At the present timeit is a very difficult matter for loaded caravansto pass direct from Santa Fe to Taos; but the UnitedStates government has taken the matter in hand andhas appropriated large sums of money for making a goodroad between the two places; therefore, it will notbe a long time before the transit will be accomplishedwith ease and safety. Scattered over the countryadjacent to this trail now under consideration, thereare many hamlets and villages which are being greatlyaugmented by new settlers yearly. Many of thesehave been seldom, if ever, visited by white men, andthe minute geography of this tract of country is stillin the embryo. Perhaps a new El Dorado is therein store for mankind, and that some day its resourceswill receive an impetus and be developed by the suddendiscovery of valuable mines therein. This isno chimerical illusion; it scarcely rests upon an uncertainty;for, the mineral wealth of New Mexico, we are firmlypersuaded, is still in its infancy. To use trapperlanguage, judging from “signs” which existthere in abundance, we shall not be surprised to hear,in time, that this territory has turned out to bea second California. Rumors of gold, and evenspecimens of the article itself, are frequent in manyparts of the country; but the poverty of the inhabitantskeeps them from searching as they ought in order tomake the discovery. The Americans find a moreprofitable business in commerce and trade, thereforethey but seldom indulge in speculations designed todevelop the mineral wealth of the country; but nevertheless,they have faith that gold, in immense quantities,exists there, and believe that, in time, scientificmen will disclose the fact and position. We haveseen quills full of gold dust which has beencollected there, and we are well acquainted with menwho have washed out from several streams in the northernpart of the Territory, the value of two and a halfdollars per diem; but, with the high prices of living,this rate of produce cannot be made to pay unlessthe work shall be carried on by the assistance ofcapital.
On this trail to Santa Fe, there are several smallPueblos which are inhabited by the descendants ofthe ancient Aztecs. These settlements, generally,are quite thrifty, and exhibit many external appearancesof comfort. To prepare and cultivate the soil,it takes much labor in irrigating and bestowing otherfarming operations upon the land in order to bringcrops to perfection. Hence these people, likethe New Mexicans, can realize from their toil butlittle beyond their own subsistence. This trail,as it approaches Santa Fe, enters through groves ofsmall pines which are many miles in extent. Insuch places the ground is sandy and the vegetationpoor in the extreme. It has proved an exceedinglydifficult problem, for more than one mind, to solvethe reason why the capital of the Territory shouldhave been located in such a barren section of thecountry. Perhaps it was because this was themost central spot that could be selected, althoughsuch a reason can hardly be offered in sober earnestness.The most charitable reasoning which we can offer forit, is because the Mexicans knew no better. Itis true there are valuable silver mines near by; butthis could only cause a town to be raised to suit theminers and not to form the attraction where the eliteof New Mexican society should for so many years congregate.
Santa Fe is located on a plateau of ground which isabout seven thousand feet above the level of the sea.The town itself contains about five or six thousandinhabitants which includes all races. It is builtof adobes, or sun-burnt brick, and occupiesboth sides of a small stream which is called the RioChicito and which flows into the Rio Grande nearlytwenty miles from the town. The site of SantaFe is low when compared with the altitude of the surroundingcountry, being bounded on nearly all sides by loftymountains. One of these mountains is quite famous.It is the loftiest of all in that section of country,and is capped during the greater part of the year withsnow. As is invariably the case with the largemajority of Mexican towns, there is but little regularityin the streets of Santa Fe; but yet, the plaza iseasily reached by several avenues. Santa Fe formsthe grand commercial emporium of the great interiorcontinent of North America; and its trade divergesto every point of the compass. The extent ofthis trade can be realized when we assert the factthat with the State of Missouri alone it amounts annuallyto several millions of dollars. In the southit has overland communication even with the city ofMexico. If the tariff between the two countriescould be arranged upon a more equitable footing thanit now is, the Mexican trade would swell into an enormoussum. Every acquisition of a new territory inthe far west and southwest aids in developing the commerceof Santa Fe; therefore, until steam shall cause arevolution in the course of trade, this town mustnecessarily increase greatly in importance. The
stores in the town are mostly owned, and the mercantilebusiness chiefly carried on, by Americans. TheseAmerican speculators are celebrated for the daringmanner with which they launch out their money uponvarious enterprises. With them, the greater therisk when their chances appear that the gain willbe large, the more eager they are in facing the hazard.They sometimes lose, but oftentimes realize largefortunes. The appearance of these stores is captivatingto the fancy, and many of them would be ornamentsto any of the larger cities or towns of the east.The most expensive articles of luxury and dress areto be found in them, and in these distant parts, suchproperty commands a price which would startle andquite shake the nerves of a prince; but, when thepeople can obtain the money, they purchase everythingwhich their fancy dictates. A Santa Fe senoritadashes in her rich silks which have cost hundredsof dollars with as much grace as does one of the Washingtonor Fifth Avenue belles, clothed in the same luxuriantstyle. In Santa Fe, we are sorry to say, it requiresvice of the worst shade for women to support such astyle of living; but the morals of the Mexicans areso loose in all classes, that virtue is boldly partedwith by both sexes in a spirit which the triumphsof natural reason alone ought to prevent, and whichno lover of humanity can admire or tolerate.Gambling, in this town, has long held its full sway,and many is the victim which this wretched wickednesshas prematurely hurried into a vortex, from which therehas been no recovery.The palmy days of gambling, in San Francisco, havebeen rivaled in the little town of Santa Fe, and theboldness with which the Mexican player will part withhis last dollar, shows the hardened state to whichthe man, and, what is perhaps worse, the woman, havebeen brought, by years of habitual playing for money.In olden times, the Mexicans used to travel hundredsof miles, and bring their money with them in orderto squander it at their favorite game of monte.Not only this fact is true, but men will often sellthemselves into the slavery of debt in order to satisfytheir craving desire to gamble.
The town of Santa Fe is watered by azequias or smallcanals, which are used in every section of the Territory,with which to irrigate the soil. Near the town,and on a hill adjoining, stands the ruins of FortMarcy, which was used by the American Volunteers duringthe conquest of the country in the year 1846.This fort commands the town; and, for the purposewhich governed its building it answered very well.There are several good boarding-houses in Santa Fe,and one hotel, which is well fitted up and well kept.It forms the rendezvous for the whole town. Thecommanding general of the military department whichcomprises the Territory of New Mexico, with his staff,makes this town his head-quarters. There is alsoa garrison of American soldiers stationed in the town.
The governor of the territory, the judges, surveyorand all the government officials of any importance,make this place their home. The Territorial buildings,being the halls of legislation, and such other buildingsas are necessary for the State and Territorial purposes,both finished and under process of erection, are locatedin Santa Fe. On one side of the plaza there standsa long, low building known as the Palace. Noone, however, would be aware of the fact if not informedof it; for the building has more the appearance ofhaving been intended for a rope-walk than for theassemblage of savants who were to discuss andarrange matters of state and public interest.Notwithstanding the small pretensions in the way ofarchitecture which the Palace presents, nevertheless,within it, there have lived old Mexican governors whoruled their people with a rod of iron, and whose fieryimpulses went forth as just and equitable law.These tyrants—for it was very seldom thatthe poor and ignorant New Mexicans were favored witha good, wise and just governor—governedon the principle of self aggrandizement. Beingfar separated from their home government, they tookcare to smother all evil reports, while the good,only, were allowed to circulate; and these, so faras the home government was concerned, solely by theirauthority, in order to have the desired effect to retainthem in office. In this they were usually successful,as they generally retained their lucrative positionsuntil cut off by death, or until they had amasseda fortune which made their tasks burdensome. Manyof these men might have been envied by the richestamong Americans, so far as wealth is considered.They were so envied by the wealthy men at the capitalof the republic. These provinces of Mexico werethe Indies where troublesome opponents were to besent by government, to suck, like leeches, the publictreasury, and thus obtain their fill to repletion.When the United States came into possession of theterritory of New Mexico, affairs were somewhat temperedto the state of reason and justice; but, a peoplewho had so long been kept down, could not at onceappreciate the value of the changes; consequently,they have been slow in elevating their heads to theproper standard of men. The legislature of NewMexico, as it has been recognized under the constitutionof the United States, resembles other forms of territorialgovernments. This statement is true in theory,but not in practice; for it is impossible to collectan uneducated people, unused to self government, andallow them to steer their own bark as law-makers,without observing that they make many openings forserious mistakes to creep in, which are and shouldbe severely criticised. The pioneer laws, asthey came from the first New Mexican legislature,were faulty in the extreme. They seemed to pointout wickedness as a punishment for wickedness.If we desired to afford our readers a laugh, we shouldpermit them to read many of these laws. The simpleperusal of them would cause merriment equal to themost laughable comedy. Had it not been for thefew white men, who, from time to time, have foundtheir way into the legislature of New Mexico, the wholebody would long since have lost themselves in the depthof learning which their untutored minds had undertakento engraft upon their statute books. The membersof this body, for a long time, turned their attentionmore to the emoluments which naturally accrued fromtheir position, than to endeavors to steady the helmof government for the good of their country.In order to save their pay, they studied economy,which caused them to make a beggarly appearance, and,in the eyes of the white men, they were often contemptiblymean. Greatly predominating in numbers, the Mexicansof course had no difficulty in ruling the country;and they naturally preferred their own countrymenin filling the law-making department of their government.The consequence was, that they thus obtained a crowdof legislators who could hardly read. By theaid of a few schools, an enlightened press, and theexamples of a few worthy Americans, they are graduallymending their ways in this respect; and the time willcome in a few years, when the legislature of New Mexicowill compare favorably with its sister territories;but this, not until education has made her indeliblemark upon the people.The town of Santa Fe is provided with a Roman Catholicchurch, which, under the judicious management of thepresent bishop and clergy, is doing what it can toimprove the condition of the Mexican population.Other religious denominations have not yet been fullydeveloped; although the attempt is being made to establishchurches of the Protestant faith on a sure and permanentfooting; but this, although we regard it as certain,will take time, for the majority of the people leanstrongly to the Roman Catholic faith. It is avery singular fact that among a population of seventythousand souls included in the limits of the Territoryof New Mexico, there have been such feeble and vainattempts made by Protestant missionaries to bringthe people to their mode of thinking. The taskmight have been impossible when the country was underthe jurisdiction of old Mexico; but, since it haschanged masters, this excuse does not hold good.The Mexicans, as a body, learn readily; they easilydiscern between right and wrong; and, as the fieldfor Christian enterprise to work in is large enoughfor all sects, it is strange that the Protestant churchis not found laboring in the good cause, side by sidewith its Roman Catholic friend. It is true, thereare a few persons struggling on under the auspicesof the Protestant church; but they are so few thatthey are seldom met in the great expanse of the country.Santa Fe has long been celebrated as having a depravedpopulation; but, as honest and honorable men are nowworking with satisfactory success for a reformation,the day cannot be far distant when this town will redeem
itself. It is true that, not many years back,Santa Fe was filled with gamblers and desperadoesof all grades; but, at the present time, law and orderis beginning to predominate, and it is to be hopedthat the next generation will see a better state ofaffairs. The vices which have characterized theinhabitants have not been confined, by any means,to the Mexicans; but rather they have been exemplifiedin those Americans with bad characters, who have,from time to time, crept in among the people.These men, in several instances, have set exampleswhich the most debased Mexican would hesitate to follow.The appearance of Santa Fe, from an outside view,is anything but striking. Its houses, like mostMexican buildings, are seldom higher than one story,and, with few exceptions, they are entirely wantingin beauty. They are built after what may be styleda Mexican mode of architecture, and consist of a seriesof rooms which encircle an open square or court, theaccess to which is through a large portal. Thesebuildings are usually huddled together towards thecentre or plaza, while, in the outskirts of the town,they are greatly scattered. The arrangement ofthe streets appears as if they were mere matters ofaccident rather than matters of system or intention.The town is ornamented by few, if any, trees, whilethe general appearance of the adjacent country, ashas been seen, is barren. The markets of the townare but sparingly supplied with a variety, and thosearticles which are the most common, bring, comparativelyspeaking, good prices. Not many miles from SantaFe there are famous silver mines, which for many yearswere worked almost entirely by hand. Within arecent date machinery has been introduced by someenterprising Americans, and the precious silver oreis being brought to light in large quantities.In point of amusem*nt the people still cling to thepleasures of the fandango; and, as this town is muchin advance of any other in the Territory, the SantaFe balls are carried on, sometimes, on quite a grandscale. The majority of them are the places ofresort for the free classes of society. The morerespectable people seldom attend them, and then onlywhen they are certain that they will find the ceremoniesconducted in the spirit which administers really topleasure and not to excess. The distance fromSanta Fe to the Missouri River is in the neighborhoodof nine hundred miles. The road, for the firstone hundred miles towards the Santa Fe terminus, isrough and hilly; but, after that, it strikes out onthe open plains, and is as level as can possibly befor such an immense distance. It is over thisbeautiful road that we have several times describedKit Carson as he traveled to and from the United States,though, more frequently, as has been seen, he preferredroutes of his own selection, which enabled him, withhis small escorts, to elude the vigilant watch of hostileIndians. The rich merchandise which finds itsmarket in New Mexico passes over this road; and, duringthe summer months, the heavily-laden caravans arecontinually traversing it.
CHAPTER XVI.
A fresh Campaign set on foot—Col.Cook in Command—Kit Carson goes asGuide—The Apaches and Utahs leagued together—TheRoughness of the Country and the Privations towhich the Command was exposed—The Indiansoverhauled—A running Fight—TheAdvantages gained—The Chase resumed—TheApaches resort to their old Tricks—Col.Cook is obliged to return to Abiquiu—AUtah taken Prisoner through Mistake—KitCarson goes to Taos and has a Conference withthe Chiefs of the Utah Nation—Cook’ssecond Scout—He is caught in a furiousSnow-storm and obliged to return to Rio Colorado—MajorBrooks and Reinforcements come to the Rescue—MajorBrooks on the Lookout, but fails to find the Indians—Carleton’sExpedition—Kit Carson goes with it asGuide—The Adventures met with—KitCarson’s Prophecy comes true—The MuacheBand of Utahs summoned by Kit Carson to a GrandCouncil—Troubles brewing among theseIndians—The Small Pox carries off theirHead Men.
To retrieve the ground lost, and also, to show theJiccarilla Apaches that their recent victory had tendedonly to stimulate the movements of the Americans toa display of greater activity and energy, after abrief space of time, a large body of regular troopswere made ready to take the field against them.The commander of this expedition was Col. Cookof the 2d Regiment of United States dragoons.That officer chose for his principal guide Kit Carson,whose peace duties as Indian Agent had been abruptlyarrested by the warlike attitude of some of his Indians.It was necessary, also, that Kit Carson should be onthe ground in case the red men were overtaken, inorder to ascertain whether, or no, the Utahs weremixed up with the operations of the Apaches.A large branch of the former tribe were part and parcelof his agency, and the two nations were known to beon very friendly terms with each other; consequently,it was surmised that they might be secretly, and underdisguise, acting together in the war.
Col. Cook employed, besides the troops of theline which were under his command, some forty menselected from among the Mexican and Pueblo Indians,whose duties were to act as spies and trailers.
These Pueblos were selected for spies on account oftheir being familiar with Indian habits and theirmode of warfare. They were taken from among thebest hunters which the Pueblo villages could furnish.They presented themselves provided with their own horses,rifles, and, in most cases, with their own ammunition,and were supplied only with their rations of food.When it was practicable, they were allowed to killgame; and, being very expert at it, they seldom returnedfrom a hunt open-handed. Their peaceful modeof life prevented them from engaging in any deep leaguewith the hostile Indians; but yet, there is no doubtthat when the different tribes were at war with thewhites, the Pueblos harbored the warlike Indians and
supplied them, in many instances, with such articlesas they stood most in need of. Their policy inthus acting might have been to retain the friendshipof these Indians and thus prevent their committingany depredations on themselves. The Pueblos mayhave taken advantage of the state of affairs whenwar existed, and doubtless frequently did, under disguiseof the enemy, become guilty of crimes which could easilyhave been proven against them. The Mexicans haveoften tried to criminate the Pueblos for thus acting;but they have proceeded with such bungling policy,that it has seldom happened that anything criminalhas been definitely proven against them. If apart of them have thus acted, there is not the leastdoubt but that the majority are guiltless. Theyare, as a body, loyal to the government of the UnitedStates; but, not so much from love of the Americansas from being shrewd. They know it is for selfinterest to keep good friends with the strongest power.On these war scouts they rendered valuable service,and in this light, have been long regarded with favorby the whites.The command of these forty Mexicans and Pueblo Indianswas conferred upon James H. Quinn, a well-known andprominent citizen of New Mexico. This gentlemanbecame intimately associated with the Territory ofNew Mexico soon after that country was annexed tothe United States. In politics, military life,farming and mercantile pursuits, he was most activelyengaged, and by his talents and industry took a prominentposition and became an influential member of society.He had some faults; (who has not?) but his unexpecteddeath came so suddenly upon his friends that theycould only think of him for the many good qualitiesboth of his head and heart. Hence, his faultswere most willingly passed over in silence.
All things being in readiness, the command enteredupon the pursuit of the Indians. They marchedfrom Taos, ten miles north, to a stream called theArroya Hondo. Thence, following the banks of thisstream down through its deep and rocky canon, theycame to the Rio del Norte.
On the first-named stream, there is a small and unattractivesettlement, which bears the same name. Severalyears since, there was a large distillery in fulloperation at this place. This establishment wasowned by an American, and was very extensive.The building was celebrated as being the place whereseveral Americans were slaughtered by the Mexicansduring the revolution, in which Governor Bent losthis life, heretofore spoken of. On the plainwhich is contiguous with the south bank of the ArroyaHondo, there are to be found the remains of a largeAztec town, which was, at some remote period, the largestsettlement inhabited by that interesting people tobe found in northern New Mexico. At the presentday, can be seen the size and almost the number ofhouses which formed the town—which are verynumerous. The building material, as here used
by the Aztecs, was small cobble-stones which undoubtedlywere mixed with mud and thus formed the structure.Pieces of pottery, flint arrow-points; stone pipe andrude tools have been, from time to time, found on thesite of the town, going to prove that the people werenot wandering in their habits, but that instead, theyoccupied their time in farming, raising cattle andmining. The wild Indians may have murdered theinhabitants, and then destroyed the town; or, civilwar and pestilence might have caused it to becomedeserted, when, as a natural result, it fell to decay.The most plausible theory to entertain is the former,as every old Mexican town of the north contains relicswhich could not have been designed merely in caseof an emergency. Not one of these towns in oldentimes was without a large well, which, in most instances,was bountifully supplied with water. In time ofpeace, these extensive reservoirs were covered overand concealed from view, and therefore, but few strangerscould be made aware of their existence. On thebreaking out of war, these wells were thrown open forpublic use, and, being located in the centre of thetowns, the inhabitants escaped that danger in procuringwater which necessarily would have surrounded themin case they had been obliged, as they are now, tobring it from the neighboring streams. As timerolled on, and danger was lessened, these wells werealmost forgotten, until the timber which covered themrotted and allowed their fragments and the earth tocave in, when the object of the digging these reservoirsbecame apparent. It is an established fact inhistory, that the town of Taos once withstood a longand fearful siege, but finally escaped, as did itspeople, uninjured. The besieging party, in thisinstance, was composed of the Indians of the plains;they were present to the number of many thousand,and were at last compelled to depart, as is supposed,in consequence of their provisions giving out.Reasoning from analogy, it is no more than properto suppose, that if the early settlements of the Mexicanswere thus annoyed, the case of the Aztecs must havebeen still harder, and that being overcome by numbers,they were necessitated to succumb; and hence, wereswept, by the Indians of the plains, from the faceof the earth, leaving but a dim outline of their ancientgrandeur.The party found the stream very much swollen by themelting of the snows in the mountains. When theyarrived at its fording-place, notwithstanding a torrentrolled before them, the command was, of a necessity,given to cross. There was no shrinking. Withouta single murmur, the entire command set themselvesabout the perilous task. The bed of the riverat this place is rocky and shelving. At low water,these facts offer no great obstacles in crossing.The case is very different when the torrent has reachedhigh-water mark—then, a single step willoften plunge horse and rider into the angry watersbeyond their depth. Kit Carson boldly took the
lead, and before the infantry had all passed, thehorses of the dragoons had to be sent back to assistthem. To facilitate this fording, Kit Carson crossedand recrossed the stream at least twenty times.No serious accident occurred, although three of thedragoons came near being swept down the current, which,at the time, was very swift and strong. Had theygone below the fording-place, they would most assuredlyhave been drowned, as the river there takes a fearfulleap through a cut in the rocks. Having safelygained the opposite shore, the men found that theirlabors had but just commenced. In front of themstood a precipice that was, at the least calculation,six hundred feet in height, of solid rock, and almostperpendicular. Up this ascent the command hadto mount, by following a zigzag trail. With muchtrouble and toil, the summit of the height was reached,when they once more commenced their journey over adiversified country, made up of plains and ravines.No grass or water was found until the expedition arrivedat a small Mexican town called Sirvilletta. Herean encampment was formed for one night, and here theiranimals were to have their last rations of corn andforage. The sale of these latter articles proveda windfall to, and made glad the hearts of the inhabitantsof the settlement; for the money which they received,in exchange for their produce, was the largest sumthey had ever possessed. Thus, in more ways thanone, these campaigns in the mountains caused good results.These settlements on the remote frontiers of the territoryof New Mexico are composed of very poor people, who,for many years succeeding their first efforts on establishingtheir small farms, find great difficulty in doingmore than to feed themselves. Their distancefrom markets such as Taos affords, prevents them fromtransporting thither more than their small surplusof grain; but, as in this case, on thus finding manyhungry horses and mules to feed, their corn-stalksand wheat-straw come into demand, and bring them ina remuneration in ready money, in sums which theyhave not even dreamed of before. The only difficultyin trading with such people is to fix a fair priceon their produce; for they are so fearful of not receivingenough, that they often overshoot the mark, and chargeso much as to prevent other expeditions of the samesort from visiting them. With the few dollarsin their pockets thus gained from the party, theseMexicans for once felt themselves rich men.
Early on the subsequent day the whole force was againin motion, and continued an active march for two daysover a rough country. At last Kit Carson struckthe Indian trail. The course was instantly madeto suit this trail, when the party marched on twodays more at a rapid pace. On the second day’smarch, the Indians were overhauled. The bandof Apaches had been jogging on slowly, and consequently,their animals were in good order. The case wasfar different with their pursuers; their horses were
much used up by overwork and privations. Thus,when their strength was most needed, it was foundwanting. The Indians espied the soldiers in timeto make good their flight, but not quick enough tosave the lives of all their warriors. Severalof them were killed and many more were wounded.They also lost a few of their horses, and nearly alltheir camp equipage. The roughness of the sectionof the country where they were overtaken, assistedthe savages in escaping, notwithstanding every effortwas made by the Americans to prevent their leavingso easily. Kit Carson, when describing theseevents, says: “To Capt. Sykes, whocommanded the infantry, is due the greatest amountof praise for the part he acted in our adventures.When his men were almost broken down with sore feet,long and difficult marches, want of provisions, thecoldness of the weather, and with their clothing nearlyworn out, and when they were on the point of givingup with despair, they were prevented from so doingby witnessing the noble example set them by theircaptain. He showed them what a soldier’sduty really was, and this so touched their pride thatthey hobbled along as if determined to follow him untildeath relieved them from their sufferings. Althoughthis officer had a riding animal at his disposal,yet never for once did he mount him; but instead,he lent the horse to some deserving soldier who wason the point of succumbing to overwork. Whenthe Indian village was discovered, he cheered hismen from a limping walk into a sort of run, and dashingthrough a swollen mountain stream, that was nearlyup to their arm-pits and full of floating ice, hewas, with his company, the foremost in the attack.”Two soldiers of Captain Sykes’s company[25]were wounded, and one of them afterwards died.The other man was severely injured, but eventuallyrecovered. The Indians, on being routed, werepursued through a deep canon for about four miles.A few who had been previously wounded were overtakenand slain. Night now came on; therefore, themen had to give up the chase, and on returning to theirown encampment they found their friends had locatedit on the same ground which the Indians had occupiedwhen they were first discovered. The next morningthe surviving wounded man, with an escort, was sentback to the nearest military post, so that he couldreceive proper attention. The pursuit at an earlyhour was then resumed, by the soldiers’ takingthe fresh trail of the Indians. Away went bothparties through valleys, canons, and over snow cladmountains, until, in the end, the Americans saw thatit was impossible to overtake the red men, who beganto break up into squads of two and three and scatterin every direction. During the latter days ofthe chase, the routes which the Indians traveled werethe worst they could select; their object being, entirelyto use up the animals of their pursuers, who werethus vigorously driving them from one haunt to another.
Very often, at night, the soldiers would find themselvesbivouacked but a short distance from the place whichthey had left on the previous morning; and this happened,when not once during the whole day, had they missedthe trail or ceased travelling; but the fact was, thatthe enemy were so familiar with the country that theymade these crooked trails with impunity. Finally,the Indians saw that in this trial of muscles andnerves they gained nothing, and could not thus shakeoff their pursuers, but that it was necessary for themto try other expedients; therefore, they separated,to meet again at some preconcerted rendezvous.On this occasion, as so often heretofore, the Apachesdid not belie the character formed of them by someof our most experienced military men, and of whichwe have before spoken: viz., that they haveno equals for endurance, and such a thing as overtakingthem when once put to flight is almost out of the categoryof the white man’s feats.[Footnote 25: Company D, 2d Regiment U.S.Artillery.]
There being nothing more that could be accomplishedby the pursuit, consequently, Col. Cook orderedhis men to face about, and they having done so, hemade a direct march to Abiquiu, a Mexican village thatis located on the Rio Chamo, a tributary of the Riodel Norte. The design he had in going there wasto recruit his men and animals. Their sufferingshad been severe. Although performing constantlymore than double duty, the entire command was putupon half allowance of food, and that little couldnot be properly cooked. For this reason, thetrials and hardships which they experienced were ofno ordinary character.
The town of Abiquiu, where Colonel Cook arrived, isabout sixty miles northwest from Santa Fe, and a travelercan make a journey through valleys from one town tothe other. It stands next to Taos in point ofmagnitude and importance in the matter of townshipsin the north of New Mexico. The scenery aboutthis settlement is very attractive, and, as it lieson the borders of the Utah Indian country, it is frequentlyvisited by these Indians. The neighbors of theUtahs, the Navajoes, occasionally make their appearancein the town. The Mexicans of Abiquiu, from theircontinued intercourse with bands of the Utah Indians,are more or less linked in with them; and, in timeof war, the Americans can place but little confidencein the inhabitants of Abiquiu on this account.The grazing and farming facilities of the countryadjacent to this town are quite progressive, and wereit not for the Indians, its resources would be muchmore rapidly developed than they now are.
Utah was originally part of the territory of UpperCalifornia. The United States came into possessionof it by treaty with Mexico in 1848. The populationis chiefly Mormon. The new territory, as setoff by the United States in 1850, includes an areaof one hundred and eighty-seven thousand, nine hundredand twenty-three square miles, or one hundred andtwenty millions, two hundred and seventy thousand andseven hundred and twenty acres. Near the easternbase of the Sierra Nevada range there are severallakes which receive the waters of the eastern slopeof these leviathan mountains. One of these lakesbears the name of Kit Carson, having been named CarsonLake by Colonel Fremont.
In one respect this country has characteristics seldommet with in any part of the globe. Large numbersof the lakes and rivers have no outlets. Suchis the fact in regard to Carson Lake. The onlymeans by which their waters are reduced is by evaporation.The Great Salt Lake of Utah, to the traveler is ofgreat interest. It may well be called the DeadSea of Utah.
As has been seen, Col. Cook and party were nowhalted at a Mexican village on the Rio Chama, a tributaryof the Rio Grande or del Norte.
The party that had been sent back with the woundedman, while on their journey met and captured an Indian.Supposing him to be an Apache, they deprived him ofhis horse and arms and otherwise treated him as aprisoner. While they were en route, the Indianmade his escape and joined his tribe. This captivethey afterwards learned was a Utah, whose tribe hadthe external appearance of being friendly towards thewhites, although there were existing good reasons fordoubting their sincerity. Col. Cook, fearingthat such treatment might offer the Utahs a plausibleexcuse for openly declaring war, determined to clearhimself of censure by making such reparation as wasin his power. Accordingly, he dispatched KitCarson to the head-quarters of his Agency, in orderto settle matters. On reaching Taos, Kit Carsonsent an expressman to the Utah village with the requestthat their chiefs would come and have a talk withhim. They obeyed his summons, and when they wereseated in Council with their “Father Kit,”he explained to them how that the soldiers had takenprisoner their brave through mistake and ignorance.He informed them, that his countrymen did not wishto do their tribe any injury, and he trusted that theywould overlook the affair; advising them that thebest way to show to the white men that their intentionswere honest would be by not rendering aid to the Apaches.He said that he had not sent for them through fear,as their warriors were but a handful when comparedto the soldiers of their “Great Father;”but the main object, always to be held in view intheir deliberations, was to cultivate friendship, asthe country was large enough for both parties to livein. The Indians replied that they were satisfiedwith the explanation made to them, and declared thattheir hearts were not in the least inimical towardsthe whites. On hearing this, Kit Carson restoredto them the captured property, and also made to thechiefs themselves a few useful presents.
Col. Cook, after granting a sufficient rest tohis men, and after obtaining supplies at Abiquiu,started out again to hunt the Jiccarillas. Hewas so fortunate soon after as to find a fresh trail,and in hot haste followed it for several days, when,unfortunately, he was caught in a furious snow-stormwhich obliterated the tracks of the Indians, besidesotherwise greatly damaging his resources. Thefair prospects of a successful termination to the
expedition being so suddenly frustrated, the commanderhad no other alternative open to him but to return.This he did by going to the Rito Colorado, a smalltown that lay on his route. Here the command wasjoined by Major Brooks of the 3d Regiment of U.S.Infantry, who had marched to the relief of Col.Cook with reinforcements. As soon as the necessarypreparations were gone through with, another scoutwas undertaken under charge of this last-named officer,while Col. Cook and his men retired from theiractive service.Major Brooks, without much difficulty, struck upona recent path made by the enemy, and on it, gave themchase. The Indians were making their way to theUtah country, and on arriving there, the plans ofthe major were completely balked, owing to the greatnumbers of fresh trails that he discovered in thoseparts. They were so numerous that they crossedand recrossed one another at all points, and were sosimilar that his best guides could not distinguishthe one made by the Apaches from those belonging tothe Utahs. The result was that this command,after being in the field for fifteen days, was compelledto return without accomplishing anything.
These two nations, the Utahs and Apaches, have beenso long intimate, that many of their habits and customsare the same, and very often it requires them to speaktheir respective languages, before they can be recognized;but, usually, the Utahs are cleaner and better dressedthan their faithful allies, the Apaches, whom theyuse, in time of peace and war, as tools.
After allowing sufficient time for the Apaches tocollect and reorganize so that they would be moreaccessible, a third expedition was made ready andplaced under the command of Major Carlton of the FirstRegiment of United States dragoons. Major Carltonemployed as his guide, Kit Carson.
This command, at first, traveled to the north onehundred miles, until it reached Fort Massachusetts.Here it halted for one day until the final arrangementcould be finished. Major Carlton then dividedhis party, sending one division, which consisted ofhis spy company, under Captain Quinn, to examine thecountry on the west side of the White Mountains, whilehe took it upon himself to inspect the territory onthe east side of the same range.
Captain Quinn followed up the valley of San Luis.When he reached the Mosco Pass, he turned off throughit, in order to get into the Wet Mountain Valley,where it had been previously agreed upon that he shouldmeet with and report progress to his commanding officer.
The Mosco Pass is a narrow opening in the White Mountains,which latter is but another name for a branch of theRocky Chain. This pass has been traversed byCol. St. Vrain, many years ago, with wagons;but, at the present time, such a feat would prove tobe an impossibility, as the mountain streams havewashed down large rocks and other obstacles, whichnow present difficulties which simply men and animals
cannot overcome. The pass itself is but a fewmiles in length. It is but a deep cut throughvery lofty mountains. Its sides are rocky, craggyand very rough, defying, in many places, the mostexperienced climber to ascend them. It is a favoriteroute, which the Apaches delight to take when hotlypursued, as it offers them the saving of many milesof difficult and circuitous traveling, when they wishto reach the open prairies.On reaching the place of rendezvous, Carlton, whilein the Sangre de Christo Pass, by the aid of his guideKit Carson, discovered a trail made by three of theenemy, and on following it up, it was found to jointhe main path on the Huerfano Creek. On the arrivalof Quinn, who had discovered signs which indicatedthe direction the Indians were taking, a conferencewas called, when all the old guides and spies of theparty agreed in believing they were on the right scent.The skill shown by men accustomed to the businessof tracking Indians, either for friendly or warlikepurposes, is oftentimes truly wonderful, and especiallyis it so to a person brought up in a civilized community,only familiar with the reports of such things.The age of the trail, the haunts the red men are boundto, their object in going there, the numbers on thetrail, and the tribe, or tribes to which they belong,can, in the majority of cases, be told with the greatestaccuracy. It is by philosophizing on minute things,which in ordinary life would be considered mere trifles,and hardly worth a consideration, that this knowledgeis arrived at. Thus, it takes but a minimum amountof wisdom to realize that a spear of grass, when troddenupon, is usually crushed to the earth; but, few reflectthat the attempt is made by nature to restore theblade to its naturally upright position, and in doingso, requires a certain period of time to accomplishthe task. This process, to the trailer, is anindex by which he judges the age of the visit madeby the Indians, to that section of country. Theshape of the sole of the moccasin, or the carvingson arrows when they are found, which not unfrequentlyhappens, and many other like things, are sure signsin guiding the experienced trailer to the particularparty he is seeking.
Carleton and his men became flushed with the prospectsof success on finding the main trail, and they lostno time in following it up. For six days theymade rapid progress, and at the end of that time espiedthe Indians encamped on “Fisher’s Peak”in the Raton Mountains. Although the mountainwas none the easiest to climb, yet the soldiers wentat its performance with a determination that broughtthem upon the Indians before they could collect theiranimals and be off, and the consequence was, thatmany a brave warrior then and there drew his lastbreath. However, the most of the Indians ran away,but were pursued and a few were overtaken and shot.
The mountain on which the Apaches were concealed,as described in this adventure with them, is devoidof trees, and hence, is what, in western languageis known as a “bald mountain.” Itssummit contained a dry basin; which, besides the openlookout that the eminence commanded, formed anotherinducement to these Indians in selecting it for ahiding-place. The route from New Mexico to theUnited States, which we have before spoken of as theBent’s Fort road, runs through, or rather, closeto, the Raton Mountains. On account of its beingwell timbered, and offering somewhat of a protection,this route is often chosen late in the autumn andearly in the spring, as the safest for caravans totravel. As a hunting district it cannot be surpassed,especially in the seasons of the year above mentioned,as the game collects there for shelter from cold andstorms.
At night, a squad of men under command of LieutenantR. Johnston, of the First Regiment of United StatesDragoons, secreted themselves in the camp lately occupiedby the Indians, in the expectancy that some of themwould return to reconnoitre and see what had been donethere. Along with this detachment, there wasa man belonging to the spy company who could counterfeitthe call used by these Indians when they wish to findeach other and collect their forces. At aboutmidnight, when all was still, this peculiar-tonedwhistle was sounded, when lo and behold! two warriorsand two squaws came forth and commenced groping aboutin the darkness. They were fired upon, but asno accurate aim could be taken, only one of the menwas mortally wounded. There is no reason to doubtthat there were more of these Indians concealed inthe neighborhood, but the report of the rifles andthe yells of their exposed brothers, caused them tocling to their hiding-places; and, as the shades ofnight advanced, they thought it was best to be onthe move to distant parts. Hence, they escaped.The Apaches, in this affray, parted with forty headof horses and also their scanty allowance of campequipage; for, by prosecuting the war, they were fastbecoming poverty stricken; but, to do them as muchharm as possible, all the articles that could be ofany service to them were collected and destroyed.
A spectator, not used to seeing Indians in all phases,on beholding these Apaches in their most nourishingcondition, would at once decide they had but littleelse to lose than their bodies, for they usually havebut a small quantity of clothing on them; but thisis but an instance where human eyes can be easilydeluded. As long as he has his rifle with plentyof ammunition, or even when he is reduced to his bowand arrows, the Apache still considers that he is amplyprovided to carry on war. Least of all the Indiansin the far West does this race prepare for the future.When deprived of his horse, which he is ready, ata moment’s warning, to convert into food by killing,his spirits are as buoyant as if he was mounted onthe fleetest charger. He is equally carelessabout partaking of his last morsel of nourishment,although his rashness may drive him, and often does,to the alternative of subsisting on roots and bark,or such other articles as may fall in his way.
On the morning of the day that the Apache villagewas discovered and captured, Kit Carson rode up tohis superior officer and said, “Major, if noaccident shall happen to prevent us, we are certainto overtake the Indians by two o’clock thisafternoon. The signs are becoming so fresh thatI feel confident that I will not be mistaken.”Carleton replied that if his words came true, he wouldpresent him with the finest hat that could be purchasedin the United States. Strange as it may appear,the Indians were found at the hour which the guidehad predicted. Sometime afterward, as it requiredquite a length of time to write and have the commissionexecuted, Kit Carson was presented with a superb hat,in which there was a very appropriate inscription—viz.
+----------------+| AT 2 O’CLOCK. || || KIT CARSON, || || FROM || || MAJOR CARLETON.|+----------------+
This prophecy was not guesswork. On the contrary,it was a matter of calculation, made on the same principlewhich any experienced workman would adopt, in referenceto some undertaking that was within the range of hiscalling. A few years later, an officer, who hadbeen an eye-witness of this incident, had the opportunityof trying Kit Carson a second time on the same business,but Kit was not mistaken. The Indians were overtakenwithin five minutes from the time he had foretoldthey would be.
Major Carleton, having performed all that lay in hispower, commenced his homeward-bound march. Whileen route he traveled by the head waters ofthe Canadian River and its tributaries, and passedover bold and lofty mountains, and through a picturesquecountry. Finally he reached Taos. His commandwas in a very good condition, considering the hardshipsto which it had been exposed.
Although we say, in common parlance, that this commandreturned in good condition, yet it must not be presumedby this assertion that they came back making a fineappearance, like that presented by soldiers on a parade.When out on these campaigns, the comfort of the menis considered to be of more importance than eitherpomp or show; hence, those military trappings whichare not particularly essential, are left behind, whilethere is just enough uniformity of dress remaining,to make them recognizable as soldiers. But littleluggage can be transported on these trips, hence,the soldiers are obliged to limit their wants to actualnecessity, which seldom amounts to more than the clothesthey have on. When about starting out, the soldiersbear the appearance of being ready for hard work; which,after finishing, they are glad to return, even ifthey present themselves at their quarters in rags.It is wonderful what a change in personal appearancea few weeks can make by traveling in the mountains.The person thus exposed partially conforms to thehabits of the wild Indians, both in appearance and
mode of life. Such toilet articles as mirrorsand razors, with their paraphernalia, are dispensedwith, personal beauty being a thing the most to bedespised. In lieu thereof, robust health showsitself in the cheek, the eye, and the whole economyof the man. The blood courses through his veinsas pure as the water in the mountain streams abouthim. By this training, the mind becomes clearand well balanced, and the whole system reaches acondition which far surpasses the finest constructedmachinery. This happy state of the body doesnot, however, communicate itself to the fantasticalappearance of the soldiers as they come marching along.Were they to enter a town belonging to a civilizedcommunity, when arrayed in this mountain costume,they would be at once judged as a band of desperadoes.On arriving at his home, Kit Carson resumed the dutiesof his office as Indian Agent, which occupied histime during the remainder of the year. Soon after,another expedition was organized and sent out againstthe Apaches, but it returned unsuccessful.
We have used this word “organizing,” whenspeaking of the fitting out of various expeditionsagainst the Indians, and it seems proper that herewe should give the reader an idea of what kind of preparationis necessary to put one of these commands in propertrim. The company, or companies, of soldierswill be first detailed for the arduous duties of thefield to castigate the Indians. This matter iseasy to accomplish; but the next thing to be thoughtof is to take care of these troops, which is not quiteso puerile a task. The quartermaster estimatesfrom the number of the soldiers how many mules willbe required to transport their luggage, equipmentsand provisions. This having been determined upon,he collects the animals and has them provided withpack-saddles. The task of shoeing the horses andmules is also no easy matter, for they cannot go untilafter they have been properly shod. A certainweight of freight is assigned to each pack mule, anda suitable number of men are employed to take careof, load and unload these animals when in camp.When on the march, these men perform duty as drivers,and otherwise look after their charge. Notwithstandingtheir proverbial obstinacy, these pack mules quicklylearn the labor which they have to perform. Afterfinishing their usual day’s work, they oftenexhibit impatience to be relieved of their burdens.In the morning they are correspondingly reluctant aboutbeing loaded, and by their hostile demonstrations,they plainly show their unwillingness to engage infurther labor. Especially is this true, when,by careless management, their backs have become injured;or when, from the steadiness of pressure from the “deadweight” of their cargoes, the same result hasbeen brought about. The Mexicans understand theart of packing animals to perfection, hence they arepreferred before other men to serve in this capacity.It is often a laughable scene to witness a mule who
is used to the business, having his load strappedon and otherwise arranged in proper place. Thepacker, with the lashing rope in hand, and with hisfoot braced against the side of the animal, by theassistance of a kind of pulley arrangement in thesaddle gearing, uses his utmost endeavors to makethings as firm as possible. Every effort whichhe thus put forth, is strenuously and obstinatelyresisted by a trick which we will call a strainingprocess that is resorted to by the mule. The animalseems to know when his pack is securely and properlyadjusted; for, if it is not, he is ready to dump iton the first opportunity occurring. When themules are loaded, they start out in a drove, but areallowed to select their own path, provided they followon after the command. It generally happens thatone of them is more ambitious than his companions.This one taking the lead, the others resign to himtheir right to the place, and are content to keep hiscompany at a respectful distance in the rear.One of the duties of the Commissary Department infitting out such expeditions is, to provide a sufficientquantity of rations for the men, such as beef, bacon,beans, sugar and coffee. These form the reliablesubsistence of the soldiers while absent from theirposts or the settlements. The estimate is judgedof by the number of days which the expedition willrequire to be absent, in order to perform a certainamount of work. From this result is calculatedthe weight and number of the rations required, always,when practicable, allowing a small surplus. Inthis respect old and experienced soldiers are farsuperior to volunteers. The former will allowof no waste. They are accustomed to be methodicin their modes of life, while the volunteer is usuallyignorant of such teaching; hence, he is wanting inmaking little things go a great way. While outon one of these campaigns, it is often practicableto a certain extent, provided the undertaking is nota hotly contested chase, to drive along beef cattle,which can be killed and used at discretion. Bacon,however, is the soldier’s sheet anchor; and,the variety of forms in which he can cook and preparefor eating this article, while in the field, wouldastonish even a French chef de cuisine.It very frequently happens, however, that in an Indiancountry, he is not allowed to exercise his talent,for, making large fires might have the effect of apprisingthe enemy of the near approach of danger. In sucha case he is obliged to make his coffee in a tin cup,over a very small fire, the fuel of which consistsof a handful of dry twigs, which are carefully andcautiously replenished as the first supply is consumed.This coffee, together with the remains of his lastfrugal meal, serves to stay his appetite for the timebeing, nolens volens. The organizationis said to be complete and fit for service when thesoldiers are judiciously provided with arms, ammunition,and riding horses. When the party consists ofmounted men, they also are provided with such otherarticles as are deemed necessary, which are included,usually, under the heading of an outfit for the especialbusiness in which the soldier is to engage.In the latter part of the summer, Kit Carson departedfrom the agency, on a visit to the band of Utahs,one of the tribes who were placed under his specialcharge. Although, usually, he went to their countryseveral times in a year, yet, more frequently, theseIndians came to him in order that they might enjoythe hospitality of his house, and receive from himpresents of tobacco and other little commodities whichhe was always sure to give them—articleswhich he generally had to pay for himself. Invisiting them at their home on this particular occasion,Kit Carson had the double object in view of notifyingthem of the moon when they must meet the superintendentof the Indian affairs of the territory at Abiquiu,a town adjacent to their hunting-grounds, and onewhich they often frequented, and also, to inform himselfof the schemes which they had on foot and their actualwants, so that he could report to the proper authoritiesthe necessary articles of which they stood most inneed. To define the actual wants and requirementsof Indians, is a subject which has puzzled many aperson who has endeavored thoroughly to investigatetheir character, and who has understood their modeof life. If the question was left to themselves,it would be readily settled; for, they desire to possesseverything which in the least pleases their activefancy; and, so extensive are their demands in thisrespect, that they know no limit, provided their owninclinations are consulted. By some, it is supposedthat the presents of blankets and trinkets which theyannually receive from government, are more than sufficientrewards for depriving them of parts of their country.Others there are who charitably add to these things,presents of weapons and ammunition, arguing that thusthey can kill their game, and gain their own subsistencewithout resorting to plunder; but alas! this latterargument is not found, in the majority of instances,to be the peaceful manner in which they employ thesegifts. Very often the weapons which they havebut recently received, are turned upon their donorswith a view of destroying them. The reasoningof the Indian in regard to these presents is perhapsright and just, yet it is by no means pleasing tothe exposed frontiersman. The Indian argues thatthese gifts are but rights which he is forced to receivein lieu of his hunting grounds, with which he is veryloath to part, no matter what be the terms or considerationoffered. The inference which he draws is, thathe can use these presents as he pleases. Money,in the hands of wild Indians, is almost worthlessto them, and paying it for their lands by way of annuity,is extreme folly. Some of them in time, as theyhave become half civilized, begin to appreciate thevalue of money. Such only, should be allowedto receive or accept it. They sometimes desireit by way of ornament. Then by the usual meansof exchanging property, they know how, easily, toobtain it. Every tribe has its own peculiaritiesin respect to its wants, and the best judge of theseis the agent, who should be first chosen for his honor,integrity and skill, and then allowed a large discretionin his decisions.
The distance to be traveled over while on this dutywas in the vicinity of two hundred and fifty miles,and was performed, like all of Kit’s previousjourneys, on horseback. Indeed, there are butfew men living or dead, who have ridden in the saddleover as much territory as the man we write of.On his way to the Utah village, Kit accidentally fellin with the Apaches; but as he was constantly on thelook out, and therefore first in making the discovery,he lost no time in effecting his escape from them,by changing his course. He thus was able to passaround them in perfect safety. Kit Carson metwith no difficulty in finding the Utahs, among whomhe spent two days investigating their affairs.Just before parting with them, he left directionsfor them to be at the council at the time appointed,which was in the new moon of October.Notwithstanding his path was beset with the same perilsthat existed on his outward journey, yet by carefultraveling he surmounted them all, and arrived at hishome safe and sound. Little or nothing worthnoting transpired until the time arrived for him toset out for Abiquiu, where all parties soon assembledin grand council and proceeded to business. Speecheswere made by the superintendent, by Kit Carson, andalso by the head chiefs. After these interestingproceedings were gone through with, the annuities,to which the band were entitled according to theirtreaty, were presented to them, which they receivedwith outward signs of friendship, though the knowingones who were on the ground could see, lurking beneaththat stoic appearance which a savage usually assumeswhen facing his white brother, that the red men werenot entirely satisfied with past events. However,every means had been employed to pacify the band,who, on first coming into the council, had succeededin showing that they had been greatly outraged andinjured, and that they had sufficient cause for resentment.The following circ*mstances will show the truth ofthis.
Just previous to the holding of this council, oneof the warriors who was much esteemed by his tribe,had been waylaid and murdered by a small party ofMexicans. The only excuse offered by the latterfor committing this bloody deed was, that they wishedto deprive the warrior of an old coat, which, by somemeans, had come into his possession.
The killing of a human being to deprive him of a garmentwhich was almost worthless, is perfectly characteristicof the depravity exhibited by the lower classes ofMexicans. It is a singular fact that these peoplelove to steal trifling articles, or, sums of money.We remember two instances where this trait is singularlyillustrated. An American, on one occasion, lefton a table, in his log house, a large sum of moneyin gold. He sent a Mexican into this room to bringhim something which he wanted, but the man returnedsaying he could not find it. The American nowwent himself to look for the article, and, while in
the house, recounted his money and found one of thesmallest coins missing. He at once called thethief and charged him with the crime. The Mexicanknew this American to be very resolute; when, therefore,he heard him threaten him with severe and summarypunishment if he did not, at once, produce the money,he knew there was no escape, and accordingly drewfrom its hiding-place, on his person, the missingcoin and restored it to its owner. The American,being used to such every-day occurrences, passed bythe affair without further notice. In the otherinstance an American was traveling and had occasionto stop at a Mexican’s house during the night.On going to pay his bill for his lodging in the morning,he noticed that two pieces of his money had been abstractedwhile he was sleeping. These coins had been takenone from either end of his purse. This was whatdrew his attention to the fact of his having been robbed.The host was informed of what had happened and atonce proceeded to restore the missing money.He called his son to him, a boy twenty years of age,and after threatening a good deal, he made the ladtake his choice between owning the theft or submittingto the risk of being discovered by a search of hisperson for the missing coins. This had the desiredeffect, and at once the stolen property was returnedto its rightful owner.Both of these facts are simple, and perhaps, uninteresting;but they serve to exhibit a characteristic of thelower classes of Mexicans. Doubtless, such paltrythieving is the result of a want of animal courage,easily discernible by the close observer of the Mexicanrace. Of course there are many exceptions tothis statement.
The white men interested in the council had theirhands full in their endeavors to smooth over thisaffair, for the Indians were much dissatisfied withsuch treatment. At first they demanded that reparationshould be made them by their agents giving them a certainnumber of horses. The Superintendent explainedto them that he had not the power to do this, buthe assured them that the murderers should be arrestedand dealt with according to law. The Indians willinglyreceived this promise, but seemed to feel, as finallywas the fact, that they were doomed to be disappointedas far as the punishment was concerned. It afterwardshappened that only one of the murderers was apprehended,and in a very short time after he was locked up asa prisoner, he succeeded in making his escape andwas never retaken. This was all that was everdone by those in authority to render the justice thathad been agreed upon and which was richly due to theIndians. After quitting the council, and whileon their way back to their hunting-ground, the smallpox broke out among the red men, and carried off,in its ravages, the leading men of this band of MuacheUtahs. On the first appearance of this trouble,the Indians held a council among themselves, and decidedthat the Superintendent was the cause of the pestilencethat had visited them. They, also, decided thathe had collected them together in order thus to injurethem, and to further his designs he had presented,to each of their distinguished warriors, a blanket-coat.They found that nearly every Indian who had acceptedand worn this article, had died.
It so happened that the writer, several years afterthese events occurred, visited the camp where thispestilence reigned in its full vigor. The siteof this camp was very beautiful. Perhaps it wasthis, aided by other circ*mstances, which caused thered men to select it as a refuge for their sick.The place is located on the west side of the Valleyof San Luis, and is about midway between its upperand lower extremes. Two mountain streams haveso joined as to form a peninsula of tableland whichis well shaded by cotton-wood trees. This ground,when the writer saw it, was literally strewn with thebleached bones of the Indian victims who had diedfrom the scourge. As we lifted up one skull andanother, the thought struck us that, perhaps, we mighthave touched the bones which once belonged to the famouschief, Chico Velasques, of whom we have before spoken,as it was here that he died. Had we done so knowingly,on account of that man’s many cruel deeds, athrill of horror must have run through our veins.The funeral rites of the dead among the Indians wereclearly exemplified here.
Whatever may be these rites observed among the Indianson the west side of the Rocky Mountains, I am satisfiedthat most of the tribes of Indians on the east sideof this same range, use but few, if any, imposingceremonies in committing the body to the dust.It is very difficult to find the bones of an Indianon the plains, and therefore I believe, and hereinI am assisted by the observations of experienced men,that these Indians burn their dead bodies when theycan do so, or completely hide them in the mountainsby covering them with rocks, so that it is impossibleto find them. Such a course would also servethe purpose of preventing the wolves from digging themup. The high-colored novels, referred to heretofore,which have, during the past few years, had for theirtheme the Indian race, love to dwell on the imposingand affecting spectacle of an Indian burial. Whenstripped of fancy, the truth is, that beyond the lamentingof a few hysterical squaws and the crackling of theflames of the funeral pile, there is little else donethat is noticeable.
But to return to results of the council. TheIndians naturally enough, argued and persuaded themselvesthat these presents were intended as poisonous destroyers,and that they had been steeped in contagion for thatend. It wanted but the happening of this affair,or a similar one, to destroy the small amount of confidencewhich the superintendent had hitherto enjoyed withthese savages. While they were secretly preparingfor war, they anxiously inquired of the traders whocame among them, what was transpiring in regard tothe Mexican prisoners who had wantonly murdered theirbrave. On each separate occasion they were answeredwith intelligence that did not in the least satisfythem. They, therefore, renewed their energiesin order soon to be ready to take the redress in theirown hands. Kit Carson apprehended difficulty,
even at the council; but, after it broke up, he wasearly apprised of the trouble which was brewing; and,to prevent any outbreak, he brought all his Indianexperience to bear upon the task. In him theysaid that they knew they had a true friend; but, theirnation had received too many wrongs to allow any moreto be thrust upon them without showing to the worldthat they were worthy of the names which their fathershad given to them.CHAPTER XVII.
The Commencement of a formidable IndianWar—High-handed Measures on the Partof the Indians—The Governor of New Mexicoraises five hundred Mexican Volunteers and places themunder the Command of Colonel St. Vrain—ColonelFauntleroy placed in Command of all the Forces—KitCarson is chosen as Chief Guide—TheCampaign commenced—The Trail found—TheIndians are met and the first Fight and its Consequences—AnExcitement in Camp—The Indians againovertaken—The return to Fort Massachusetts—IntenseCold Weather experienced—The SecondCampaign—Colonel Fauntleroy surprises theMain Camp of the Enemy—The War andScalp Dance broken up—Terrible Slaughterof the Indians—The Great Amount of Plundertaken and destroyed—Another small Partyof Indians surprised and routed—St.Vrain equally fortunate in his Campaign—TheIndians sue for Peace—The Council heldand Treaties signed—Kit Carson opposesthe making of them—The poor ProtectionIndian Treaties usually afford to Settlers—KitCarson’s House at Taos and his Indian Friends—HisAttachment for his Family put to the test—Cowardiceof a Mexican—Kit Carson’s Friendsas they look upon him—His influence overIndians—General remarks—Conclusion.
The Muache band of Utahs, under their renowned ChiefBlanco, after trading for all the powder and leadwhich they required, joined the Apaches and commencedthe war in earnest. They waylaid and murderedtravelers on the roads, attacked towns, killed andmade prisoners the people who inhabited them, andbecame so formidable that for a length of time everythingwas at their mercy. They lost no opportunity inshowing their power and in possessing themselves ofthe finest herds of horses, mules, cattle and sheepwithin their reach.
This Chief Blanco is a man who stands in his moccasinsabout five feet nine inches. He is rather thicksetbut, to use an Indian phrase, he is straight as anarrow. The chief attraction about this Indianis his head, which is finely developed. His lustrousblack eye is filled with animation and shows an activebrain, which, unfortunately, is turned to bad account.His forehead is lofty, yet it is symmetrically chiselled,and every feature about his face is as regular as ifit had been carved for sculptured perfection.Blanco is a man who, in any sphere of life, wouldhave become most certainly distinguished; and, underthe influence of education, he might have risen evento greatness. In his present unreclaimed state,he shows to a disadvantage.
It is within my province fully to attest to the earnestness,the savageness and the brutality with which theseIndians commenced this contest. I was then stationedin their country and came very near being one of theirfirst victims. The circ*mstances of this narrowescape happened as follows. For a considerablelength of time the post to which I was then attached,was kept in a constant state of excitement by receivingauthentic accounts, daily, of murders and robberiescommitted by the Indians. While these events weretranspiring, the officers and soldiers were anxiousto take the field in order that they might punishthe perpetrators of the crimes; but, as the forceof the Indians was, numerically speaking, very strong,therefore it required, in order to insure success,a well organized command to match them and checkmatetheir plans at once. It required time and muchlabor for the officers in charge of the military districtto arrange and complete their plans. Every manwho left our post ran the risk of losing his life;for, the enemy kept an eye on the road which led awayfrom it to the principal towns of New Mexico, as oftenthere was rich booty, for them to obtain, passing overit. Notwithstanding this critical state of affairs,express duty had to be performed, and it requiredbrave men for the task. There were present, however,those who stood ready to volunteer to execute all expressorders. Before proceeding with our own case, wewill illustrate these critical times. It wasnecessary to dispatch an expressman to Fort Union.This post, from Fort Massachusetts, was one hundredand fifty miles distant. The ever faithful Mexican,Armador Sanchez, was then attached to Fort Massachusettsas a hunter and interpreter. On account of extensiveexperience with the habits and customs of the hostileIndians, Armador was selected to perform this dangerousmission. In his usually quiet manner, this noblehunter soon prepared himself for the undertaking.By using every precaution, he reached his point ofdestination in safety. Having finished up hisbusiness, he instantly began his homeward-bound journey.While on the rough trail which leads from Fort Unionto Taos, he came near being surprised and capturedby the enemy, under the following circ*mstances.Armador had selected the night as the safest timeto travel; and, as it was quite dark, in order topick out his way and prevent his growing sleepy byriding, he traveled on foot and led his animal.He had made good progress on his journey when suddenlyhis hunter-trained ear detected a noise on ahead ofhim which sounded like the rolling of stones down theside of the hills, over which the trail ran.He stopped and listened more attentively. Thistime he was certain that he was not deceived, andthought that he could hear voices singing Indian warsongs. This was convincing proof to him thatdanger was near at hand; therefore he turned off fromthe trail and led his animal as high up the steep
hill as he could, where, fortunately, he found sufficientunder-brush, aided by the darkness of the night, toconceal himself from view. Hardly had he takenup this position when the noises suddenly became verydistinct. The Indians, while following the trail,had made a turn round a bluff and were almost beneathhim. Now the hunter felt his situation to bemost precarious, for, should his mule bray, as theseanimals are apt to do when others are approaching,his own life would have to pay the forfeit; but, toprevent this, Armador held the mule’s nostrilsfirmly with his hands and otherwise drew off the animal’sattention by various gentle manipulations bestowedupon him. He saw the outlines of the Indiansas they passed along in single file beneath him andestimated them to be at least twenty strong. Hadthese savages known that a victim was so close by,they would have made short work of him; but, beforethey could have killed him, it is safe to affirm thatArmador Sanchez would have had a companion with whomto draw in his last breath. Fortunately affairstook a better turn and the expressman finished hisjourney without further trouble.To return to my own case—I was obligedto visit Taos. As an escort, I was allowed onefaithful and brave soldier. We traveled togetherover the first half of our journey, and as we hadconsidered, far the most dangerous part, in perfectsafety. At the Mexican town of Costillo, afterour day’s ride, we rested for the night.Our fears of meeting Indians were now almost dispelled;but still, we took the precaution to question theMexicans of the town in regard to their knowledge oftheir whereabouts. In reply we were invariablyanswered that no fresh signs had been discovered andthat intercourse was both safe and free for the remainderof our route. By the first appearance of daylighton the following morning we were up and preparing forour journey, and but a little time elapsed beforewe were leisurely traveling along on the main road.We had left the town but a few miles behind us whenthe morning sun began to make its appearance in allhis splendor. The country through which we werejourneying was prairie land, and was bounded on eitherside by lofty and picturesque mountains, and the distanceof the one range from the other was considerable, butyet could fully be taken in by the eye almost at asingle view. As we rode along, we were amusingourselves admiring the beauty of the morning, andespecially directed our attention to the rising ofthe sun. All at once, just as we had reacheda high plateau of land, the soldier made the discoveryof a flock of sheep at a great distance off on theprairie. They appeared to be moving under rathersuspicious circ*mstances. We reined up our horses,for the purpose of obtaining a better observation.What puzzled us, was the dim figures of, apparently,mounted men, who were moving at great speed from onepoint of the band of sheep to another, as if hurryingthem along. After taking a searching look, wecame to the conclusion that the horsem*n which wesaw were hostile Indians, as we had not been accustomedto see Mexican herders mounted and acting so strangely.
The herders, near the towns in New Mexico, are usuallysmall boys, who are under the surveillance of oneor two men stationed near by. When the Apachesand Utahs steal these herds they always take the youngherders along in order to look after the property intheir mountain retreats. They rarely mortallyinjure these boys, for they say that it is againsttheir own interest to do so; but instead, they preferto save their lives, so that they may be useful inguarding other flocks which, perchance, may fall intotheir hands. Most of these youthful prisonersin time make their escape; and, after a series of hardships,return safe to their homes. Many Mexicans cangive such adventures of their early experience, butscarcely one of them can recall a single kind actshown them by their captors save the mere sparing oftheir lives.
As we were viewing the herd, we thought that we noticedthe figures of the horsem*n throwing themselves fromone side to the other of their horses, as if verybusily employed in frightening the sheep. We nowheld a council, and decided that our best policy wasto quit the main road, as it was crooked, and makea straight march across the prairies for the townof Red River, which was located about twenty milesin our advance. It was our opinion, which afterwardsproved to be correct, that, if the Indians were stealingthe stock belonging to the town of Costillo, theywere also engaged in attacking the place itself.For, while a strong party were engaged in drawingoff the attention of the people, another would bedriving off the cattle, sheep, etc. To return,therefore, would be almost certain death; so, at afull gallop we commenced our direct course. Asthe sage bushes were thick and high and the groundmuch broken by various kind of holes, we soon foundthat we had our hands full in managing our horses.We had hardly started afresh before our eyes wereattracted to one side of us; and in the directionof the Rio del Norte, which runs through the valley,saw, what we at first considered to be, antelope; butwhich, afterwards, proved to be Indians in pursuitof us. As we watched closely these supposed antelope;we remarked that they kept in Indian file, and thatthe course they were on would diagonally interceptour own point of the compass. We began now tosuspect that the white appearance assumed by theseobjects was owing to the strong sunlight which dazzledour eyesight, and struck on the dressed side of buffalorobes, and that in these robes were concealed humanbeings who had formed the determination to have ourscalps.
During the cold weather, most of the Indians who dwellin the country adjacent to the Rocky Mountains, andespecially those living on the eastern side of them,wear buffalo robes with the fur next to their bodies.These robes serve the double purpose of shirts or coats,and a covering by night. The wearers make themfast around the waist, and, in the heat of the day,they are allowed to fold over and hang down; but,as the cool air of the evening comes on, they are wrappedaround the head and body, something after the Spanishfashion of wearing a cloak. The Indians, frequently,for the purpose of decoying their enemies into battle,go out on the prairies, and by turning the fur sideof these robes out, and covering their persons, havingpreviously assumed a half bent position, imitate theSimon Pure buffalo while in the act of grazing.In order to keep up the ruse, they move about witha rocking motion. When taken for the buffalo,which frequently happens, they are enabled to gainan advantage in approaching a party or village whichthey wish to attack. The Cheyenne Indians arevery partial to loose sack-coats which are made outof white blankets. To these coats a hood is attached,which is thrown over the head at the wearer’spleasure. In addition to this, during the winterseason, they also resort to the buffalo robe.The squaws of the various tribes of Indians on theplains are well versed in the art of tanning and dressingbuffalo hides. They frequently ornament them withbeads, porcupine quills and rude paintings. Intimes long since gone by, these robes could be purchased,or rather traded for, at good bargains; but, the unlimitedand increasing demand for them has greatly enhancedtheir value. Now days they bring standard prices.
Being satisfied that the Indians were in pursuit ofus, we carefully guided our horses, at the same timeusing our spurs freely and keeping them at their maximumspeed. As the Indians drew nearer, we could seedistinctly that they were urging on their animals.Our safety, therefore, depended entirely on outridingthem. The race became most exciting, and demandedthe greatest caution, for we well knew, that one misstepmade by either of our horses, would prove fatal tothe rider. We had decided, on commencing therace, that neither of us should fire a shot exceptas a last resort, and that we should do it only onthe principle of man for man. While putting ourhorses to their speed, our weapons were held in ourhands and kept ready for instant service. Themost dangerous point was that at which the two trailswould inevitably intersect. To gain this placein advance of our savage enemies, all our hopes nowcentered. For twelve miles we dashed along, laboringunder a state of suspense not to be easily forgotten.When, at last, we arrived at the desired point, wewere only about two hundred yards in the advance ofour savage pursuers; still, we felt that our lives,for the time being, were saved, and accordingly breathed
a prayer to the Almighty in thanks for our deliverancethus far. The pace now became tremendous; andhere our grain-fed horses proved to be too much (andtheir powers of endurance were fully put to the test),for the grass-fed ponies of the Indians. Aftera short run, the savages saw that the advantage belongedto us, consequently soon after they halted. We,however, kept steadily, but with slackened speed,on our course, fearing that some accident might changethe happy turn of affairs in their favor. On findingthemselves thwarted in their designs, the Indiansfired two or three shots at us, but even these finalcompliments did not, to use nautical phraseology,make us “heave to.” We reached thesettlement of the Red River in good season, and concludedthat we had traveled the distance in about as briefa space of time as it ever had been accomplished eitherbefore or since our adventure. Our horses wereso used up by this race that we were obliged to exchangethem for fresh ones, on which we finished our journeywithout further annoyance. The Indians, in thisincursion stole five thousand sheep, besides otherproperty from the Costillo, and killed two men whowere traveling behind us and on the same road.When the bodies of these men were discovered, one ofthem had a mouthful of bullets, which he had evidentlyput there in order that he might drop them into hisrifle as he should require them, and not be obligedto be delayed in taking them from his ammunition pouch;but, evidently, before he could have used more thanone from this supply, he was shot dead.It cannot be denied but that this outbreak on thepart of the Indians, and its subsequent outrages,was the result of mismanagement; and, it is but justiceto the reputation of Kit Carson to assert, that itwas no fault of his that affairs had terminated sodisastrously. He had used every means which humanskill could devise to allay the anger of the Indians.Had his superiors in power acted with the same discretionand judgment, in all probability the Utahs might havebeen kept at peace. It is wonderfully strangethat our Government will persist in placing at thehead of Indian affairs men who are not practicallyacquainted with Indian habits, which can only be learnedby a long life passed upon the frontiers. Ifit was a matter where dollars and cents alone wereto be estimated, it might be different; but wherevaluable lives are legitimately exposed, it seems tous morally wrong to give the control of tribes ofwild men to politicians, who are liable to make allkinds of mistakes, and in whom the Indians will notrepose the least confidence. It is because suchappointments are made that, in a great measure, thetroubles with these border Indians arise; and manyis the section of country in western America, whereapparently the reward for taking a white man’sscalp is a blazing red or a sky blue blanket, whichis paid under the plea of keeping the peace.This, too, when efficient means and decided measuresare the only hopes of a lasting peace.
[Illustration: FORT MASSACHUSETTS, NEW MEXICO,IN 1855.]
While engaged in our travels through the far West,we remember to have met with an Indian agent who was,both in years and experience, but a mere boy.To him had been intrusted the affairs of a large tribe,notorious in the country where they reside, as beinggreat thieves. These Indians had so little respectfor their agent, that they would openly boast of thecrimes which they had committed, in his very presence.Not only this, but, on horses stolen from the neighboringsettlers, they would ride by him, thus defying hispower. The settlers were loud in their complaintsagainst the Government for thus neglecting to protectthem, and sending them a block of wood for a king.The young man of whom we speak, bore an exemplary character,but it was plainly and painfully apparent, that hewas, in no way whatever, fitted for the office heheld, and which he had attained through the influenceof powerful political friends. This is but afair example by which many of the so-called Indianagents may be rated, who are the actual managers ofIndian affairs on our frontiers.
The Utahs and the Apaches, having now openly combined,met with such success in their endeavors to attackthe whites, that, during the course of a few months,they overran almost the entire northern part of theterritory of New Mexico. They utterly defied thepower of the American Government; and, whenever theopportunity offered, boasted to the Mexicans “thatthey no longer stood in fear of the white man.”The subsequent cruel and barbarous crimes of whichthey were guilty, clearly demonstrated that they hadbecome greatly elated by their success. It soonbecame apparent that, unless checked, they would exterminatethe population and burn or otherwise destroy theirsettlements.
At this time, it was only by running great risk, thatthe whites could leave their towns and go to the neighboringmountains, for the purpose of obtaining even a littlefirewood. Working parties were daily surprisedand murdered; women and children were carried intobondage, and reserved for a worse fate, and all kindsof business were receiving a check, which was becomingruinous to the country. It was even greatly feared,that the boldness of the savages would carry themso far as to make them attack Fort Massachusetts.To give them a warm reception, should they dare undertakethat enterprise, the post was strengthened, by cuttingdown and removing everything which might, in the least,tend to aid the Indians, and give them a cover whichthey so much like when fighting; all the trees andbrush about the post were cut away. Breastworkswere thrown up on the block-house attached to thefort, so that the soldiers could be well protectedin case of emergency. In these, sentinels wereposted, and the strength of the guard doubled andgreater vigilance exacted. Haystacks were removedto a safe place, for fear they would be fired by the
enemy. The sentinels were ordered to cry outevery half hour of the night while on their posts,and no man was allowed to approach after the shadesof night came on, without giving the countersign.It proved to be well that these precautions were taken;for, on the neighboring mountains, Indian watch-fireswere seen nightly; and, on several mornings, Indianmoccasin tracks were discovered in close proximityto the fort, showing thereby that the enemy was watchingand waiting for a favorable opportunity to strikea sudden and overwhelming blow upon the garrison within.The savages, no doubt, were deterred from making abold attack by the prompt precautionary measures whichhad been taken by the commander to anticipate theirplans. The wagons belonging to the fort weresent out after wood under a strong escort, and thegovernment herd of beef-cattle, horses and mules, werewell protected by the soldiery. On one occasion,through a false alarm of Indians, the whole commandof the post, which numbered less than one hundredmen, was put in great and sudden commotion. Thecause will appear in connection with the followingcirc*mstances. The party in charge of the herdhad espied a large cavalcade of men and animals approachingthem. At the long distance they were off, thestrangers resembled Indians. The commander ofthe party, immediately sent an expressman to the fortto apprise its occupants of the fact. The drumsimmediately sounded the rally, which caused the mento rush for their arms. They quickly fell intotheir ranks, and the order was given to march.Headed by a gallant lieutenant, they dashed out ofthe fort on a fast run, in order to reach and savetheir property from being captured by the enemy.The soldiers were elated at the prospect of havinga brush with the Indians, and, on an open plain, givingthem battle, where, notwithstanding the great numberswhich would certainly be arrayed against them, theyfelt that they could soundly chastise them. Onreaching the herd, the soldiers scattered, and weresoon prepared to commence the skirmish; but, lo! whenthe strangers drew near enough to be discernible,they were recognized as a large party of Mexicans,under the command of an American. These peoplehad been absent several months on a trading voyageamong the Cheyennes and Arrapahoes, and for the purposeof returning home in safety, they had formed themselvesinto one body. Their dress was similar to thatof the Indians, and therefore at the great distanceat which they were first discovered, it is not strangethat such a mistake had been made, especially duringthese dangerous times. The reason of the suddenstationing of the soldiers about the herd, the traderseasily surmised; hence, on drawing near, they beganto cry out that they were friends. No set ofmen were ever more disappointed than were these soldiersat this unexpected termination of the affair.Matters eventually arrived at such a crisis that theGovernor of the Territory, by and with the adviceof the commanding general, felt obliged to issue aproclamation calling upon the people to volunteerfor the purpose of defending their lives and property.
The inhabitants of New Mexico promptly responded tothis call, by flocking to the places designated forthem to organize. Out of the great number whopresented themselves and offered their services, therewere selected men sufficient to fill six companies,each of which, when fully organized, contained eightymounted men. They had the power of electing theirown officers, by and with the advice and consent ofthe Governor. These volunteers furnished themselveswith riding horses. The pay which they were toreceive amounted to about thirty dollars per month,which was considered very liberal, inasmuch as theywere provided, in most cases, with arms. Rationswere issued out to them the same as to the regulararmy. The willingness which the Mexicans exhibitedon this occasion to volunteer, does them great credit,and clearly proves the fact that they do not alwayslack in courage, but that they are prompt to defendtheir homes when properly disciplined and aided withthe means necessary to do so.
It is the opinion of many of the most prominent citizensof the Territory of New Mexico, that, if the chastisem*ntof the Indians, when it was required, was left tothe people themselves, the general government onlysupplying them with money and arms, that peace betweenthe two parties would, in a short time, be firmly establishedon a sure and permanent footing.
In giving currency to such opinions, we risk them,with the knowledge that the previous experiments madeon this policy, which have proved unsuccessful inthe various older territories belonging to the UnitedStates, will be brought to bear as potent argumentsagainst such a course by a large and powerful opposition.But such facts of Indian history are exceptions.Indian history clearly demonstrates the proposition,that well-organized volunteers, under able leaders,have accomplished more in warfare against the savagesthan regular troops, taking into consideration thatthe same length of time, which each have been engagedin actual service, has given them equal experience.The cause of this is plain. These two distinctforces are composed, entirely, of different material.The one is made up of frontiersmen who thoroughlyunderstand the effective use of the rifle, and a lifein an Indian country, while the regular soldiers havebeen, for many years back, chiefly foreigners who,as has been heretofore stated, have to be taught thesethings; and, as it very often happens, they have neverseen one of their enemy until sent out in quest ofthe savages.
As matters usually stand, the Indians are almost theactual, although not the nominal, masters of the country.In short, they commit excesses whenever it suits them,paying no regard to treaties. This has been theirhabit from time immemorial, and it is found to be adifficult task to break them from it. Their minorcrimes are allowed to accumulate, and when, at last,they are actuated by increasing success and consequent
boldness, to commit some great and overt act, it isnoticed and expeditions are sent out against them.These, usually, fail to punish the really guilty parties,but instead, they recover a small share of the propertystolen, and with it the thirst for revenge must besatiated. The officers and soldiers do theirutmost to accomplish something more, and readily meethardships and privations in every shape in order toaccomplish the desired end; but, their time is toolimited rightly and efficiently to perform the work;for the campaign must be ended, when in reality ithas but just commenced. The reason exists inthe fact that, those high in authority are liableto be called to an account for spending a dollar toomuch in a good cause. Perhaps this state of affairshas been brought about by the immense expenses whichhave attended many of the Indian wars in which theUnited States government has been engaged, when mismanagementand paltry results have characterized the acts ofwhole campaigns. This charge cannot, however,reach to the military department in which New Mexicois included, for the leading officers who have, fromtime to time, been stationed there, have invariablyexhibited an unusual amount of discretion and soundjudgment, and have set examples of military science,promptitude and skill which it might be well for othersto follow.Under the existing causes for difficulty and peculiarityof circ*mstances, it is sometimes hazardous to assumethe responsibility of punishing the hostile Indiansas they deserve.
By punishing the Indians we do not wish to impressthe reader with the idea that they must be collectedand butchered, like animals, in order to bring themto terms. Milder means serve the same purpose;but, when they dig up the hatchet, battles must befought in which they ought to be so closely drivenas to cause them to see that it is perfect rashnessto attack the whites. One victory gained by savagesover white men so exhilarates their pride that theyforget the past and believe themselves invincible.In these fights, valuable lives are sacrificed, butthey are necessary sacrifices for the common good.When one tribe is severely chastised, the surroundingIndians hear of it, and, becoming alarmed, for a timethey behave themselves with propriety. This happystate of things will continue until some weak moveon the part of government officials counteracts thisgood influence, when, misconstruing kind acts forfear, the red men at once dig up the tomahawk andboldly march upon the war path, to spill innocentblood. Such results often follow when the poweris taken from the experienced military commanders,and vested in the hands of (often the fact) inexperiencedsuperintendents. These men pompously invite theIndians to grand councils, where unmeaning speechesare manufactured to suit the occasion. Usuallywhen thus summoned, the wily savages are delightedto go into council, for, as a rejoinder to the manyconcessions which are easily obtained from them, andwhich they are always ready to make after assuminga little coquetry, they receive presents which thesuperintendent informs them are merely tokens of thehigh appreciation with which they are regarded by theirGreat Father at Washington.
It is the opinion of Kit Carson “that the Territoryof New Mexico will continue to remain in its presentimpoverished state during the time that the mountainIndians are allowed to run at large. The onlytrue remedy” (he says) “for this greatevil is to compel the savages to form settlementsby themselves. Then and there assist and teachthem to cultivate the soil. In time they willbe able to gain a maintenance independent of the GeneralGovernment; and, to a certain extent, they will becomeresponsible for their acts.”
The people who form the chief population of the territoryhave so often been deprived of their property thatit is not strange that they have become poverty-strickenand indolent. It is enough to strike down theenterprise of any nation to have been so long badlygoverned, and then, without any resources in the wayof arms and ammunition, to be compelled to beat backhostile Indians. Under the provisions of thegovernment of the United States, they are improving,but yet, even now, they have not the protection whichthey require, and should receive. In their territoryit takes a daring man to venture his small capitalin raising stock. To be sure, claims are allowedthem by Congress for the losses by Indian depredations,but these usually fall into the hands of speculators,and in reality, assist the people to a very triflingextent. It can be said, to their credit, thatMexicans bear reverses of fortune with a nonchalanceseldom seen among any other race. Although generallypoor they are as happy and joyous as it is possiblefor human beings to be.
The organization of the Mexican volunteers was madecomplete by the governor of the Territory, who selectedas their leader, Mr. Ceran St. Vrain of Taos.This gentleman, although he had much important businesswhich called his attention elsewhere, immediately expressedhis willingness to accept the responsible positionwhich, without solicitation, had been conferred uponhim. The commission received by St. Vrain gavehim the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Without delayhe set about the difficult and important work thatlay before him, bringing to bear upon the details,that sound judgment, gentlemanly bearing and readyzeal, which have long characterized the man. Hehad the good fortune to secure the services of LieutenantCreigg of the regular army, whom he appointed oneof his aids-de-camp. Having completed his staffand other arrangements to place his force upon a militarybasis, he was ready to take the field.
The appointment of St. Vrain as commander of the Volunteers,was hailed with delight throughout the territory.His great experience in the mountains, his knowledgeof the Indian mode of warfare, and the respect whichthe people he was called to command invariably paidhim, seemed to convince every thinking mind that somethingmore than usual was to be accomplished. Theyfelt that the wrongs of their country would now becertainly redressed. The sequel will prove thatthe people were not doomed to disappointment.
Early in the month of February, 1855, Col. T.T.Fauntleroy of the First Regiment of United StatesDragoons arrived in Taos from Fort Union, New Mexico.
Fort Union is the first post met with on enteringthe Territory of New Mexico from the east. Itlies on the Santa Fe road usually traveled by partieswhen crossing the plains, and is about one hundredmiles distant from the capital. The site of thisfort, at the first view, is bold and picturesque,as it is located near the west side of a broad valley,which is continuous with the open prairies. Thehouses composing the fort are built mostly of logs;and, as there are quite a number of them, the posthas the appearance of a small settlement. Thesoil about is sandy, and the place being exposed, itsuffers when the high winds spring up. This fortis usually garrisoned by several companies of soldiers.
As it has such free access to the mail communicationwith the States, it is, comparatively speaking, quitea desirable fort for an officer to be stationed at.The difficulty of procuring fuel for the fort, andalso other necessary articles, is the great objectionto the present location, but its importance more thancounterbalances these; therefore, the post will probablybe kept up either where it is, or in the immediatevicinity, for many years to come. Colonel Fauntleroyhad received orders from the Department General toproceed to the town of Taos and take command of theentire expedition. The little force had beenmade as powerful as the resources of the country wouldpermit. The Mexican Volunteers, soon after theirenrollment, purchased woolen shirts and felt hats,the color of which, in each company, was similar;this fact, with a little drilling, gave them quitea military appearance. Never were men prouderof the position they now held than the volunteersunder consideration; and a more daring and expert bandof horsem*n has been seldom collected. So pleasedwere they at being recognized as soldiers, that theycould not, when afterwards marching through theirown towns, resist the temptation of jocosely tauntingtheir countrymen whom they chanced to meet, for beingobliged to till the ground. We have before saidthat these men were mounted. At first sight itwould appear as though they would soon be on foot,for their horses appeared to be in a sad plight forso severe a campaign as that which lay before them.As has often occurred before, looks are frequentlydeceptive. In this instance, it was found to bethe case; for, no sooner did these hardy ponies reachthe mountains than their wonderful powers of endurancebegan to be exemplified. When the noble dragoonhorses began to droop from hunger and overwork, theselittle fellows were fresh and strong as the day theystarted. The reason of this was that the Mexicanhorses were well versed in taking care of themselves,and when the snow fell and prevented their havingfree access to the dry grass beneath, they were notin the least disconcerted; for, with the aid of theirfore feet, they readily pawed the snow away and thusobtained full rations; but, their more enlightenedrivals did not fully understand this science, and,owing to a want of proper nourishment, their strengthwould fail gradually until finally they broke down.
The only real inconvenience under which the poniesseemed to labor, arose from tender feet, for, therocky trails in the mountains rapidly wore away, andbroke off their hoofs. This continued, so thatat last, reaching the matrix of these horny growths,their feet became very sensitive. Many of theMexicans had taken the precaution to guard againstthis, before leaving the towns and military posts whichlay on their route. They had obtained horse-shoes,with which they shod the ponies. We rememberseeing a large party of them thus engaged as blacksmiths.It was at night; while some held burning torches, otherswere busy with hammers, stones and hatchets in applyingall sorts and sizes of horse and mule shoes, withwhich they were content, provided they approachedthe diameters of the hoofs to which they were to benailed. Strange to say, this rough work answeredthe purpose, and but few, if any, of the animals soshod, went lame. After the command had got underfull headway, if any of these ponies became so tenderin their feet as to be able to travel only with greatdifficulty, their riders resorted to other expedientsfor relieving them. When practicable, they obtainedthe fresh hides of the beef cattle as they were killed,and, binding the material around the injured feet,and making it fast about the fetlocks, they allowedit to dry on. In the morning, thus protected,the horse could journey on. It is customary regularlyto shoe these ponies only on the fore feet, as theweight of the animal’s head and neck, togetherwith that of the rider, comes harder on these hoofsand causes them, when traveling over sharp rocks,to wear away quickly. It seldom happens that thehind feet become tender. The Indians cannot understandthe policy of this, and one of them philosophizingon the subject, while visiting the blacksmith’sshop attached to a military post, made the remark inSpanish, after apparently having been for some littletime engaged in a deep study, “that it was notright.” Said he, “The horse, withhis eyes, can see where to put his fore feet when travelingover bad places, but he cannot do this with thosebehind; therefore, you white men ought to put themoccasins there.” The Mexicans had so muchconfidence in the powers of endurance of their ponieswhile out on this campaign, that they hesitated notto run them on races, whenever circ*mstances and thesite of the camp would permit such pastime. Theonly training required for these trials of speed, consistedin the rider foregoing the pleasure of riding fora day or two, in order to allow his horse to recruit.As their walking did not in the least interfere withthe order of the march, they of course were permittedto race as they pleased, for their services on themarch are just as valuable on foot.
Col. Fauntleroy’s command, when completed,consisted of four companies of Mexican volunteers,two companies of dragoons, one company of artillerywho were performing duty as a rifle corps, and onecompany of spies. The two remaining companiesof volunteers were dispatched to exposed towns onthe remote frontiers in order to protect them.The artillery company was the only one on foot; butthe soldiers who then composed it were known fromactual experiment to be more than a match for thehorses in traveling when the party should reach andpenetrate the mountains. Col. Fauntleroyengaged the services of Kit Carson as his chief guide,and, having arranged all of his plans necessary fora vigorous campaign, he set out upon its execution.
The command proceeded at first one hundred miles duenorth to Fort Massachusetts, which was to be theirdepot. Without delay they left this post andproceeded, encountering snow-storms and severe coldweather. The mercury of the thermometer, for mostof the time, ranged several degrees below zero.They marched to the Rio Grande del Norte, and thence,on up this river to where it makes its exit througha deep canon from the mountains. It was, as willbe remembered by the reader, on the head-waters ofthis last-mentioned stream, that Col. Fremont,while engaged in his last great exploring expedition,met with severe reverses, in which several of hismen lost their lives from exposure, hunger, etc.,while he, and the remainder of his party, barely escapedthe same fate.
While passing over this point of his journey, Col.Fauntleroy sent out as an advance party the companyof spies. Their duty was to seek for fresh Indiantrails. On reaching the mouth of the canon ofthis river, the main portion of the soldiers haltedfor a short time while their trailers penetrated themountains in search of the much desired Indian signs.During this resting spell, an incident occurred which,for an hour or two, created some little stir and excitementamong part of the men present. A large Newfoundlanddog belonging to an officer had, accidentally, beenallowed to follow the soldiers. By his pranksand his good disposition he had become a general favoriteamong them. While attempting to drink, this animallost his foot-hold on the ice and slipped into theswift current of the river, which was partially frozenover. The dog at once attempted to extricate himself,but with all his efforts he could do no more thanstem the flood, making no progress against it.His situation was very precarious, for, should hisstrength begin to give out, he was certain to be carriedunder the ice and lost. The sympathies of themen were soon well awakened in his behalf, and manyplans were devised to rescue him, but they all provedabortive until, at last, a Mexican approached him witha lasso, and after making several vain attempts, succeededfinally in encircling the dog’s head with theslip noose. On tightening the rope he found thathe had the animal firm, and soon dragged him from hisperilous position.
The spies were not long in discovering a trail madeby the Indians, to which they led the main portionof the command. This trail had been so frequentlyused of late by the Indians in driving stolen bandsof sheep and cattle over it, that it was now a well-troddenroad and therefore there was no difficulty in keepingon it at all hours of the day and night.
Being accustomed to perform his duty carefully, and,at the same time, to use dispatch, the Colonel, inthe course of a few days, led his party to the entranceof the Saquachi Pass, which is the great natural openingin the mountains that bound, on the west, the valleyof San Luis. As they approached the mouth ofthe pass, the men were traveling close under the hills,therefore, on coming to it, and in order to followit up, it was necessary to turn off almost at a rightangle. The spies, as was usual when the commandwas on the march, were considerably in the advance.They had hardly entered the pass and had just reachedthe summit of a knoll which lay in their path, andwhich had hitherto prevented their seeing up the valley,when, all at once, the long looked for Indians werepresented to their view. They were but a shortdistance off, and as if surprised at thus so suddenlydiscovering each other, both parties halted. Duringthis state of suspense, the white men noticed thatthe Indians were arrayed in their war costume, showingthat they were bound on another plundering expedition.Everything went to show that the visit which the whitemen were making to their mountain haunts was unexpectedby the red men.
The Indians quickly recovered from their astonishmentand began to form in line of battle by spreading themselvesout across the valley. They were evidently emboldenedby the small force with which, apparently, they hadto contend, and felt certain that a victory wouldbe both easy and sure. Having taken their position,Blanco, their chief, was easily recognized by thered woolen shirt which he wore. He was busy,riding along in front of his warriors, occasionallystopping to give some command. As they were nearenough so to do, the Indians opened a warfare of smalltalk, in the Spanish language. They charged theiradversaries with being afraid to advance, or to usetheir expressive words, the Americans were as cowardlyas squaws. To these taunts no reply was made;but to keep up the decoy, the few soldiers who wereexposed to view, remained stationary, while word waspassed to the rear of what was transpiring in theadvance. Thus several minutes passed by; butthey were not thrown away. During this time,most of the dragoons and volunteers were relievingthemselves of such extra luggage as overcoats, blankets,etc.; saddle girths were tightened and weaponsput in order for immediate use. The Indians werefinely mounted, and about two hundred and fifty strong;and, as their wild career had gone so long unchecked,their bravery was aroused to its highest pitch.
All things being in readiness, the bugles soundedthe command to charge, when away dashed the gallantsoldiers, eager for the affray, and each trying tobe foremost in the fight. As they came boundingover the knoll before spoken of, the Indians beganto see the delusion under which they had been laboring,and at once turned to fly, but not in time to escape,for the soldiers were soon among them and with theirrevolvers and small arms were fast thinning theirranks and sending many a brave to his final home.A running fight ensued, which was continued up thevalley for about eight miles, when a majority of theIndians gained the mountains and made good their escape.The chase was a splendid affair to behold, and manyfeats of horsemanship were performed that would bedifficult to excel. Among the foremost in thisskirmish was, as the reader might readily imagine,Kit Carson. The pursuit was continued far intothe mountains and was only given over when night cameon. The soldiers then retired to their reserve-guard,who had established a camp on a small stream whichruns through the centre of the pass, where their packanimals and stores could be easily guarded. Duringthis exciting fight, several of the soldiers wereslightly wounded. With this exception, the commandcame out of the skirmish unharmed. On the sideof the Indians, affairs in this respect were quitedifferent. Their blood had well sprinkled thebattle-ground, and several of their swarthy formswere stretched out at full length, sleeping that sleepthat knows no wakening, except it be at the finaljudgment day. Had it not been that most of theIndians, as is usually the case with them when in action,were tied on their horses, this number would have beenaugmented. The bloody trails that were afterwardsfound in the mountains, went to prove that many ofthe wounds given to the escaped Indians were mortal,and, while their horses were carrying them from thedanger, they themselves were sinking from furioushemorrhage. Early in the pursuit, a fine warriorwas thrown from his horse. As he had been crippledby a ball, he could not recover himself and make off.For some time he lay alone and neglected, but whenthe rear guard came along they noticed that he wasplaying a game by pretending to be dead; but he hadclosed his eyes too firmly for a man in that condition,and this fact attracted the notice of the passers-by.A Mexican raised his rifle and fired at the brave;but the bullet only served to cause another fleshwound. This so irritated the would-be dead, savage,that, seizing his lance which lay by his side, heattempted to reach and kill his adversary with it;but, others coming up, he was soon dispatched.While this running fight was in progress, the authormet with an adventure which came near costing himhis life. It was my duty to follow the chargingsoldiers in order to be near at hand to render professionalservices to the wounded, should there be any.I was mounted on a mule, and when the dragoon horsesstarted off, he became frightened and unmanageable.I soon found that this mule lacked the speed of theformer animals, hence he was in a short time left farbehind, but not until he had fallen and thrown me intoa thrifty bed of prickly pears, the thorns of whichdid not, in the least, save me from being hurt.On regaining my feet, I found that my injuries werebut slight, and that I still retained my bridle rein,therefore I quickly regained my seat in the saddleand started on again, remembering the old proverb,which says, “All is fair in war.”While riding on, I was joined by a soldier whose horsehad broken down in the charge. As we now advancedtogether, our route led us by some large sand hills,behind which several Indians had sought refuge, whenhotly pursued. Seeing that they had been overlookedduring the excitement of the moment, they remainedquiet until we came along, when they made a dash atus and commenced firing their arrows in fine-style.We returned their volleys with our revolvers, but,whether we produced any result further than preventingtheir coming too near, it is difficult to say.Several of their arrows came in close proximity toour bodies, and one struck, the soldier’s horsein the neck and wounded a main artery, which bled,for a time, furiously. As danger was thick aboutthem, the Indians soon left us to effect their ownescape; when, we halted and attended to the woundedhorse, whose life we were so fortunate as to save,by putting a ligature about the bleeding vessel.
The night succeeding the day on which this fight occurred,with a single exception, passed by quietly. Asoldier, who lay near the centre of the camp, hadretired to rest, perhaps impressed with the beliefthat he and his comrades would be attacked by the Indiansbefore morning; this train of thought had led him intodreams of war, and while reveling in them, he imaginedthat danger was at hand. Suddenly starting up,and seizing his rifle, he fired at random. Hisbullet came near striking a Mexican sentinel who wason duty, and who was making his rounds. The sentinelwas very naturally startled by this unaccountablenoise in the camp, and supposing that the Indianshad, unobserved, crept within the lines, he returnedthe compliment by discharging his piece in the directionof the supposed danger. The report of these firearmshad the effect of arousing the entire command.The men were quickly on their feet and ready for activeservice. In the confusion which ensued, severalmore rifles were fired, but fortunately no harm wasdone, and as soon as the cause of the trouble wasexplained, quietness and order was promptly established.
At the break of day, on the next morning, the soldierswere up and preparing for their march. The Indianshad, on this morning, made fires, and even presentedthemselves to view on the mountains, but they werefew in number, and it was well known that this wasonly a ruse to allure the white men to the wrong trail,while their families should have time to escape inthe contrary direction; hence, but little notice wastaken of these demonstrations.
Col. Fauntleroy here determined to relieve himselfof all drawbacks which should in the least tend toprevent his now giving full chase to the Indians.Accordingly, he left his baggage and provision trainunder escort of the foot company and quartermastermen, the whole being placed under the command of LieutenantLloyd Beall, of the Second Regiment U.S. Artillery,with instructions to meet him at an appointed rendezvousin the Wet Mountain Valley. It required but ashort search by his guide, Kit Carson, and his spies,to put him on the right trail taken by the main portionof the enemy. When it was found, the pursuitwas resumed and kept up vigorously. Late andearly, the soldiers followed on this trail, and althoughthe Indians purposely led them over the worst conceivableroutes, yet they gained nothing substantial by it.On one occasion, when the men were pushing on as fastas possible, their advance guard surprised three Indians,one of them a woman, while they were leisurely wateringtheir ponies. These Indians attempted to fly,and succeeded in making a good run for about fourmiles, but, at the end of that distance, two of themwere overtaken. A Mexican, who was mounted ona very swift horse, was the first to come up withthe savages. He fired and brought the woman tothe ground. Quickly dismounting, he made a trophyof her scalp. The other Indian, being arrestedby a slight wound, was made a prisoner. On questioninghim, it was found that they all belonged to one family.The man who had made his escape, was the husband ofthe woman who was killed, while the prisoner was herbrother. These Indians had heard nothing of therecent fight in the Saquachi Pass, and, hadthe soldiers dropped down from the heavens, they couldnot have been more surprised at thus unceremoniouslymeeting them. It was very much regretted by thosepresent that this Indian woman had lost her life;but, as she was dressed in the disguise of a man, hersex could not be recognized. There are many ofour readers who will perhaps censure this Mexicanfor his barbarous action of scalping a human being,but it must be remembered that the education of hispeople is different from our own. The takingof Indian scalps for a long time has been authorizedby the Mexican Government, as a means of lesseningtheir savage enemies, and handsome premiums have beenoffered as an inducement to obtain them. In thecase of this Mexican, there were extenuating circ*mstanceswhich, if they did not warrant such a cruel act, yet
they rendered him somewhat excusable. He had recentlylost a near and dear relative by the hands of thesesame Indians, and the appearance of this mangled bodywas still fresh in his memory, making him to thirstfor revenge. It must not be supposed for a momentthat the commanding officer of this expedition hadsanctioned such a mode of procedure, for, he had noknowledge of the matter until after it had been ended.It was not within his province to preach humanity toa people who had been so greatly outraged by savages.He came to punish and not to intercede for wild menwho had long been a terror to the surrounding country,and upon whom, in order to reconcile them, every kindact had been expended in vain.It may possibly be asked whether or no a man, whohas simply lost his scalp, can recover. In replywe can safely say that without any other wound, andunder favorable circ*mstances, with good care the suffererstands a chance of being restored to health. Therewas a man who formerly was living and working at histrade as a blacksmith in Santa Fe, who, in a fightwith the Camanches while crossing the plains, waswounded by a lance and then scalped. After a longperiod of suffering this person entirely recovered,although the cicatrix of the wound was ever afterwardsa source of annoyance to him, compelling him continuallyto wear a skull-cap made of oiled silk. The sizeof the scalp, as usually taken off by the Indians,varies. Sometimes they remove only the back coveringof the head. At other times they cut off thewhole, running down even with the margin of the ear.When a man has died in a manner which the Indiansstyle as “brave”—that is, desperatelyfighting for his life, and never for once showing fear,they take two scalps, one from either side of the head.The object of this is, to have scalp dances for each,as they consider such a man as deserving the fateof two ordinary men. These scalps are often stretched,dried, decorated and frequently kept for years as trophies.The more scalps a warrior takes, the greater favoritehe becomes with his tribe; and finally, having obtaineda given number, he is considered eligible to fillthe office of War Chief, provided he has other qualifications,such as the power of quickly conceiving the rightplan on which to act in case of emergency. Whena party of Indians in the Rocky Mountains have beenon a war trail, met the enemy and vanquished them,they appoint a brave who is honored as being the scalp-bearer.This warrior carries a long pole, to which, at suitabledistances from each other, the scalps are attached.When the party returns to, and enters their own village,this brave is the observed of all observers.Eagerly, by the old men, women, and children, thesebloody trophies are counted, for each of them offersan occasion for rejoicing, to be at separate intervalsof time. They are, then, each synonymous withthe phrase, a fete day, and the scalp-bearer is looked
upon with the same jealous eye which greets the color-bearerof an army after having been engaged in some greatbattle which has proved successful to his standard.An Indian will not remove, as a general thing, a scalpwhich contains grey hairs. This he considers tobe a business fit only for women. The scalp whichis to cause a general jubilee, on an appointed evening,is attached to the top of a long pole, planted inthe earth at a suitable place. The warriors whohave been instrumental in tearing it from the headof its owner, form a circle around the pole, outsideof which are arranged the spectators. By theaid of one drum-stick, the person who has been detailedfor this duty, keeps up a beating motion on a sortof kettle-drum, the noise of which serves the purposeof marking time. The voices of the dancers makethe music. At first the song is a mere hummingsound, but after a time, it grows gradually louder,until the participants in the dance, being excitedto the highest attainable pitch with interest in theceremonies, it becomes terribly hideous. Almostnaked, with tomahawk and hunting-knife in hand, thewarriors imitate the process of dispatching and tearingoff the scalps of their victims. So excited dothe dancing savages sometimes become while revelingin these fantastical scenes, that they frequentlyare aroused to a pitch which borders on frenzy.The spectators of these sights get so deeply interestedthat it is not an extraordinary matter for them toappear as if almost deranged. Their excitementbreaks out into exclamations of encouragement andapplause, until at last they can control themselvesno longer, and, on their own account, commence makingbodily demonstrations of joy by jumping about.The scalp dance may last an entire night, or until,worn down with fatigue, the actors are willing toforego their pleasure and seek rest. The Mexicanson the frontiers have fallen into this Indian custom,and they can go into the spirit of the scalp dancewith a relish which fully equals that exhibited bytheir savage neighbors. This is not true as ageneral rule; but, very many of their people reallyenjoy these ceremonies.[Illustration: INDIAN WAR DANCE.]
Colonel Fauntleroy and his men traveled at such arapid pace, that, in the course of a very few days,they succeeded in once more overtaking the main villagebelonging to the enemy. The Indians took refugein a steep and rocky mountain. A skirmishingfight immediately commenced, which lasted severalhours. During this engagement, a large numberof the savage warriors were killed, their band completelyrouted, and the inhabitants of the whole village madeto scatter in every direction in order to save theirlives. At first the braves attempted to make astand, but they were driven from rock to rock, untilthey broke their ranks and fled. It was aboutthe time of this crisis, and when they were most needed,that the dragoon horses began to break down and die.
The word village has many times appeared in our pages,and as it may prove ambiguous to a few of our readersand render them liable to confound its meaning withthat of a fixed town, we will here stop and explainits signification when applied to Indians. AnIndian village, as understood in border parlance,comprises the lodges, the women, children, old men,and such movable property as Indians may chance topossess. They are usually found in some safe retreatwhere the old men, women and children stay while thewarriors are engaged following the hunt or war path.The word has become more generalized since it wasfirst given to stationary camps of the savages, andmay now include any band of Indians traveling withtheir families and property. The village is thehome of the red man, where those persons and thingswhich he most cherishes, he tries to keep intact andsacred from the spoiler’s hand. It is alsowhere the Indian allows his love, friendship and allthe better feelings of his nature to exhibit themselves.It is where in early youth he has listened to the legendsof his tribe, and where he is taught those lessonsand forced to endure those trials which are to preparehis heart in seeking out revenge. It is the placewhere, as he approaches the age of manhood, he takesthose steps which are to make for him the reputationof a daring hunter and brave warrior. Here hefirst learns to shoot his arrows with precision, andto handle the lance with dexterity. His boyishfeats in horsemanship, which he daily performs in thevillage, would be witnessed with astonishment by skillfulriders. It is here that he runs to welcome hisfather when he returns either from the chase or thewar path; and, while he listens to the marvellousadventures which his sire has encountered, he secretlywishes himself a man, so that he can emulate his greatness.In fact, the same feelings exist between parent andchild with the Indian race, as with those who boastof being more civilized. Youth and the vigor ofmanhood, are the golden days with the savage.To be doomed to old age, is considered by him to bea punishment. When he is no longer able to huntand seek out his enemy, he loses his desire to live.His life is then considered an incumbrance to thecamp. The old and infirm, therefore, are oftenwillingly deserted, that they may the more quicklydie. The village is always under the surveillanceof men who are past the middle age, and who no longercan act out the stirring deeds of the warrior.Their experience renders them capable of giving goodadvice, and attending to the less active affairs ofthe nation. They hold the power of restrainingthe rashness and indiscretion of the younger men,therefore they are selected to watch over the propertyof the tribe, while the strong warriors are seekingto provide the dependent portion of the band withfood, or to revenge their real or imaginary wrongs.Order and good fellowship is made to prevail in these
villages, somewhat similar to the habits found incivilized communities, for the passions and evil propensitiesof all men are found to be alike, no matter what differencesof education or color exist. We find that theIndian tribes have their wise men, whose voices areheard and heeded on all occasions. When thesevillages are located, or, to use soldier phrase; whenthe Indians go into camp, care is taken that eachlodge shall be placed where it will not interferewith the common good. The internal economy ofthese habitations is arranged on a social system which,in many respects, is commendable. When one personis poor, generally speaking, the whole tribe is foundto be so. The herds of horses and mules belongingto the tribe, are turned loose in one body as if theywere the property of one man. If game existsin plenty and danger is not apprehended, happinessholds complete sway within these Indian homes.The proverbial caution of the red man rarely allowshim to be surprised; therefore, even in times of peace,he keeps his fleetest horse tied at the door of hislodge, so that he may make haste and collect his property,and be away before his enemy can harm him. Thesefavorite animals are fed by hand. Before trustinghis body in sleep, some warrior, in whom the triberepose the utmost confidence, must ascend a neighboringeminence, if there chance to be one, and examine thecountry in search of dangers. Parties are alwayskept out as spies, and, at the least appearance ofsuspicious signs, they become easily aroused and vigilant,and if danger really exists, word is immediately sentto their village to be ready to move. This isa homely but literal interpretation of the term Indianvillage.The reader has seen that the dragoon horses gave outbefore the fatigues of the march, while the Mexicanponies performed their tasks so admirably and easily.
This was a painful subject to contemplate and onewhich no man who loves the noble horse could wishto witness the second time. The dragoon horses,reduced to skeletons from starvation while retainingall their natural spirit, with tottering limbs, faithfullytried to perform the labor which their riders, seemingly,asked of them. Long before the arrival of thetime when they could no longer support a burden, thesoldiers had humanely relieved them from this workand were assisting them, by all the means in theirpower, to reach a haven of safety, where food, soessential in restoring their sinking powers of life,existed in abundance. As their little remainingstrength was leaving them, they would exhibit thefact by staggering. Finally, breaking down intheir hinder legs, they would sink to the ground, butnot until they had made the effort to drag themselvesalong with their fore feet. To relieve them fromtheir agonies and prevent their falling into the handsof the Indians, one by one, they were shot.
When these horses broke down and began to die off,it was decided to be best to return to Fort Massachusettsin order to recruit and also to allow the Indiansan opportunity to concentrate their forces, when anothereffective blow could be struck against them. Onhis return, Colonel Fauntleroy met, at the designatedplace, Lieutenant Beall, who had managed the affairsintrusted to him very much to his credit. Havingonce more consolidated his command, Colonel Fauntleroyretired to Fort Massachusetts, which he made, fora time, his head-quarters.
Kit Carson, the guide of this expedition, when afterwardsspeaking of it, says, “During the time our forceswere in the field they were exposed to the most intensecold weather I ever remember experiencing. Wewere overtaken by several severe snow-storms whichcame near completely using us up.”
For the success that had so far attended the laborsof this body of soldiers, the greatest amount of praiseis due to their leader, who set a noble example tohis men. During those hours when hardships andtrials came thickest upon the command, all eyes wereturned to the commander, and, as the result proved,with no lack of confidence. Kit Carson’sservices were found to be invaluable. His longexperience and untiring energy proved to be one ofthe best anchors of the goodly ship. We shouldnot omit to state, in regard to the severity of thecold, that it was early in the morning, just beforethe break of day, that the cold was invariably foundto be the most intense. During this time, itis the greatest wonder that the Mexicans did not perish,for but few of them had more than one blanket as acovering by night, and the remainder were but verylittle better provided for. When wood was plenty,and they were allowed so to do, they made large firesand laid down near to them to attempt sleep.After about one hour thus spent, they were routedout by being nearly frozen. Getting into closecontact with the fires, they would thaw out and thenwere ready to make another endeavor to repeat thesleeping operation. In this manner they managedto live through each night, and on the following daythey were, apparently, none the worse for wear.A person judging these men as he oftentimes sees themduring the summer season, basking in the sunlighton the sunny side of their houses in New Mexico, wouldnot, for an instant, suppose that they could undergosuch hardships; and yet, they can do so, as the aboveexample sufficiently proves, without allowing onemurmur of complaint to escape their lips. Withthe regulars, who were amply supplied with blanketsand buffalo robes, it would appear that they couldhave obtained sound sleep. But this too provedto be almost an impossibility. The heat of theman’s body, during the early and warmer partof the night, served to melt the icy covering of themother earth just under him. When the cold increased,this was again frozen, rendering the portion of thebody nearest to the ground almost benumbed. Byfrequently reversing the posture a little, some relieffrom suffering was obtained, but not sufficient toreach a degree which could be called comfortable, or,in the least, be claimed as desirable. Everymember of this expedition can truthfully assert thatthey have experienced a foretaste of what the firstsymptoms of freezing to death must be.
Finally, the command reached Fort Massachusetts, where,in ease and plenty, the half starved, half frozen,half used-up men soon forgot all their troubles andprivations. A few weeks spent at the fort, actedlike a magic charm in recruiting the men and the remaininganimals, when they were once more in a fit condition,and, again eager to go on the war path, anxiouslydesiring to surpass the splendid deeds of their firsttramp.
At the permanent camp, which was made near Fort Massachusetts,the Mexican Volunteers, especially, enjoyed themselveshugely. From privations of various kinds, towhich they had shown themselves to be well trained,and which consequently affected them but little, theywere suddenly placed in a state of comparative comfortand even luxury rarely realized at their own homes.They had not much else to do beyond guarding theiranimals and attending to such other minor duties aswere required by camp duties. Had not their hardyponies required the rest that was now being giventhem, these troops would have been kept in more activeservice; but, as this could not be, they were alloweda respite, which they themselves turned into pleasure.Foot races and various athletic games were concoctedand played by them, making the time pass merrily by.Their discipline and respect for their officers hadreached a degree seldom, if ever, attained by volunteersoldiers, and which, in many respects, could be imitatedwith advantage by regular troops.
But the time soon arrived for the march to be resumed.
At a council held among the chief officers, it wasdecided that the best and surest course to be followedwould be to divide the forces and send them out inquest of the Indians, as if they were separate commands.Thus it might happen that being caught between thetwo, as they were running from danger they would rushinto it and receive chastisem*nt sufficient to answerall purposes. Acting on this plan, Colonel St.Vrain, with most of the Volunteers, was ordered toproceed in one direction, while Colonel Fauntleroy,with the main division, started in another; whileon his route, Colonel Fauntleroy traveled close inunder the mountains, and kept his men as much concealedas possible, making most of his marches by night.He traveled through the Valley of San Luis up to itshead.
The Valley of San Luis is about one hundred milesin length. Its greatest width is fifty miles.On either side, it is bounded by snow-capped mountains.The scenery of the valley is very prepossessing, beingsure to enchant the eye throughout its entire length.In the south, the valley is continuous with prairieland, which extends down as far as the settlementof Rio Colorado. It is well watered by mountainstreams and bears the appearance of being an excellentfarming district; but, the probability is, that itsclimate is too cold for raising crops, and that itstrue value will be found chiefly to consist in usingit for grazing purposes. From time to time, theIndians have reported that it contains gold mines,but there are no authentic proofs that this is a fact.
At one time, the Indians succeeded in making the Mexicansconverts to the belief in the existence of these mines,as they showed them specimens of gold which they affirmedto have been taken from them. It was agreed that,for this valuable information, presents, such as blankets,horses, and guns, should be made to those Indians whohad openly proclaimed the good news, provided theycould conduct the Mexicans to them. A party wasformed and started to explore the valley, but, asnothing was afterwards heard of their success, and,as many of them, to all external appearances, wereas poor as ever when they returned, it is presumedthat they were duped by the Indians. The bottomland of the Rio Grande which skirts the southern borderof the valley of San Luis, is, judging from the luxurianthay crops which it produces, year by year, quite agood farming section; and, no doubt, ere long, theMexicans will there establish a new settlement andthus practically demonstrate the use to which thisbeautiful valley can be put.
While passing up the valley of San Luis, Colonel Fauntleroycame to the Punchi Pass. This pass is the mainopening through the mountains which bound the valleyof San Luis on the north. The pass itself isless than half a mile wide, but yet, it presents someof the grandest scenery human eyes ever beheld.The mountains, on either side, are not so lofty astheir compeers close by, but they are rugged and picturesque.Through the pass runs a bold stream, which, at aboutmidway (and at this time) was obstructed by a beaverdam, that was so scientifically constructed as immediatelyto attract the attention of the entire party.Near to this dam, there is a very large hot spring,which is located close under the base of one of themountain sides, and which, under the favorable circ*mstanceof a fine day, lends enchantment to the view.The Punchi Pass is but a few miles long and leadsinto a beautiful little valley, called by the Mexicansafter the same name which is given to the pass.
On arriving at the Punchi Pass, Col. Fauntleroyproceeded on through it to the head-waters of theArkansas river, where, fortunately, a fresh trailmade by the Indians was found. This trail wasfollowed with such assiduity and prudence that thecamp of some spies belonging to the enemy, and whichwas in their rear, was passed by the Americans onenight without their presence being noticed. Earlythe ensuing morning (before the break of day), themain village of the Indians was discovered. Itsoccupants were enjoying a war and scalp dance, andtheir voices, as engaged in the song which usuallyaccompanies such festivities, could be heard for adistance of at least a mile. Unconscious of danger,they were having a merry time. One can imagine,better than can be described, the scene that followedwhen three hundred loaded rifles poured their contentsinto this crowd. Suffice it to say, that amongthose who survived this terrible retribution, thegreatest consternation prevailed; but, as a dernierresort, they began to fly, when they were hotly pursuedby the soldiers. Before quitting their late camp,some of the savages had managed to get their own rifles,and with them to fire several shots which did someexecution, as two soldiers were killed and two wounded.
Thus it will be seen that the main village of theseApaches and Utahs fell into the hands of the Americans.It proved to be rich in plunder, for it containedall their stock of dried buffalo meat, besides otherprovisions. Also several cart-loads of robes,saddles, weapons, ropes, skins, blankets, trinketsand camp equipage. Most of this property wascollected and destroyed by fire, being of little useto the command, whose means of conveyance was limitedto their own actual wants. The number of Indianskilled in this surprise has been variously estimated,as has been also the number of the red men on the groundwhen the carnage commenced; but all agree that thiswas the severest blow these savages had ever received.
Among the many other objects of curiosity found bythe victors, was a “Medicine lodge,” whichhad, from appearance, but recently been in full blast.It was highly (and to Indian eyes it must have beenvery artistically) decorated, and contained all theemblems and symbols of witchcraft. If sicknesswas to be frightened away, or even coaxed to dethroneitself from the afflicted, there was sufficient inthis temple of the Indian gods, seemingly, to haveanswered either purpose. Some potentate of themagnitude of a great chief had, evidently, but a fewhours since, been its occupant; for, in his hurry todesert the premises, on hearing the music of the whiteman’s rifle, he had forgotten his beautifulhead-dress of feathers, and other articles pertainingto his wardrobe, which designated to the captors hishigh rank. Perhaps, and the surmise may not befar out of the way, this chief was suffering froma gun-shot wound inflicted in a recent fight by hispale-faced enemy, and having received one of theirmost dangerous potions of lead, he was not anxiousfor another, and therefore made his escape with theactivity of a well man.
In this expedition, a company of artillery,[11] whohave before been described, doing duty as infantry,performed a feat that will compare well with anythingof the same kind on record. These men, under thecommand of Lieutenant Beall, who shared all the privationsof his soldiers, marched on foot through a mixtureof mud and snow, nearly ankle deep, over an unevencountry, from the Mosco Pass in the Valley of SanLuis, to the head-waters of the Arkansas River, a distancewhich is computed at eighty-five miles, in thirty-sixhours, including all their stoppages. This companyhad been long celebrated as being expert marksmen,therefore, their services were much needed when theIndian village was discovered. Although nearlybroken down with fatigue, yet as soon as the electrifyingnews of the enemy being so near at hand reached them,it seemed to inspire them with new vigor. Theydashed ahead, and gallantly led the van in this assaultwhich terminated so favorably to the side of the Americans.
[Footnote 11: D Company, 2d Regiment U. S. Artillery.]
Colonel Fauntleroy was not satisfied with the victoryalready obtained; but, after having accomplished allthat was possible for him in this quarter, and havingscattered the Indians to the four winds, he determinedto make forced marches in order to surprise anotherband of them who were supposed to be located in adistant mountain haunt well known to his guide.His object in thus hurrying away from the scenes ofhis late triumph, was to reach and surprise the Indiansbefore their friends had time to travel to and apprisethem of their defeat. In this manoeuvre he wasalso successful. He came upon this second bandalso before they were aware of their danger. Theywere routed, and after severe loss were followed farinto the mountains. At this camp, Blanco, thecelebrated Apache chief, was driven to such closequarters that he evidently began to feel that the safetyof his whole tribe stood in jeopardy. He madehis appearance on a high point of rocks and askedthe white men who occupied the plain beneath for aparley, which was granted him. He said, in theSpanish language, that he and his Indians wished tomake peace; that they were tired of fighting.In reply, he was informed that the terms he demandedwould be listened to on his coming into the soldiers’camp. He was going on to say that he was afraidto trust himself there, when a bullet was sent whizzingby his head, which caused him to decamp in all haste.It was ascertained, afterwards, that a Mexican, whohad great antipathy to this chief, had, unknown tothe rest of the party, crept secretly up into therocks. When he had reached a place where Blancowas within the range of his rifle, he fired; but,as the reader has inferred, he missed an accurateaim.
At this latter camp or village, and near the closeof this same day, another incident happened whichwill long be remembered by those who witnessed it.Two Indians who probably had been absent to some distantsection of the country, having no knowledge of thematters which had lately been transpiring, were seenapproaching. Gradually, they drew near to a cotton-woodgrove of trees in which the soldiers were resting,thinking no doubt, that they were there about to meettheir friends. A mountaineer by the name of Stewart,who commanded the Spy company, and another man, oneof the Mexican Volunteers, immediately on seeing theIndians, sprang upon the backs of their horses whichchanced to be near by, and started out to attack them.Not until these Indians saw the men advancing, werethey made aware of their danger; when instantly theyturned around their animals, and put them on a keenrun for the nearest mountain. They were pursuedand the race hotly contested for at least two miles;but, the Indians succeeded in making their escape,although shots were fired at them, and returned bythe Indians. In doing so, one of them was obligedto dismount and leave his horse behind him, whichfell into the hands of his pursuers.
At the time that the chief Blanco was endeavoringto gain a parley, a stirring scene was being enactedat the soldiers’ camp, which was several milesdistant. Most of the soldiers had left it andwere then out engaged in the business of scouringthe country. In the camp there were all the packanimals, provisions, luggage etc., of the command.To guard this property there were only about fiftymen left, who, anticipating no danger, were employingthemselves in cooking and otherwise providing forthe wants of their absent friends against their return.The herd of mules was scattered about, and grazingunder the charge of a few herders. Suddenly aband of about one hundred warriors, were discoveredcoming down the little valley where the camp was located.The alarm was given, when each man seizing his rifle,rushed to place himself in the line of sentinels whichwere forming around the property. The mules werequickly driven together in a compact body into thecentre of the camp. Hardly had this movementbeen performed, before the red men came galloping by.Seeing the smallness of the force opposed to them,they made two or three attempts at an attack on theweakest points of the lines. They were aboutto succeed, when a shout went up from the Americans,who descried relief in the shape of the foot companywhich, having been left behind for one night in orderto make easy marches and thus partially rest themselves,was now approaching. The Indians saw the nearapproach of this powerful reinforcement, and usingthat discretion which is often the better part ofvalor, they started off and were soon lost sight of.Had not this reinforcement providentially thus arrived,the Indians would have certainly captured the packmules belonging to the soldiers, and got away withthem. Never was succor hailed with more delight,than on this occasion; for, had the red men succeededin this endeavor, the benefits of this whole campaignwould have been greatly frustrated.
Colonel Fauntleroy, after thoroughly scouring theadjacent country in the hope of meeting with partiesof straggling Indians, but, as the result proved,without success, returned to Fort Massachusetts, wherehe had the satisfaction of learning that Colonel St.Vrain, in his expedition, had caught other bands ofthese same Indians, and most severely chastised them.
The Fort Massachusetts here referred to has recentlybeen abandoned and another one has been built, distantabout six miles from the original site. The nameis retained for the new defences, which are locatedon the river Trinchera. The present location ispicturesque, and beautiful in the extreme.
In one of his fights, Col. St. Vrain had overtakenthe red men on the prairies, where a running battleensued, in which the volunteers killed many of theenemy, and made several prisoners. During thisskirmish, the Indians tried the ruse of setting fireto the prairie grass, and, as the wind was blowingin the direction from which their foes were coming,they hoped thereby to impede their progress, and thusgive themselves time to escape; but the volunteersboldly rode through the flames, and successfully continuedthe chase.
The time for which the New Mexican volunteers hadenlisted, was fast drawing to a close; but, as thehostile Utahs and Apaches were scattered to the fourwinds, it was thought best not to send out again aregularly appointed force to act against them.Instead, while awaiting the effect of their late tellingblows, it was decided to be judicious to keep out,in different directions, small scouting parties, whocould better follow the trails of the small partiesof fugitive Indians with some prospect of success.It was now the season for the richly laden caravansto arrive on the borders of the territory, and perchancethey might fall in with bands of the hostile savagesof sufficient strength to cause them trouble; or, itmight be, the Indians would combine in sufficientstrength, being driven by pressing want, to capturesome one of these trains, and thus obtain the materialfor renewing the contest. In view of these apprehensions,it was decided that the regular troops should go outon the plains, where they could be on hand ready toafford protection in case of need. Major Blake,in command of the dragoons, started out and faithfullyperformed this mission. After this duty was fullyaccomplished, he visited the mountains to the northeastof Fort Massachusetts, and then returned to Taos viathe fort and the intervening Mexican towns.
While intimating the dangers which may befall trainson their journey across the plains, especially intime of Indian war, it may be well to narrate a fataladventure which once happened to a mail party whiletraveling this route. Not many miles from FortUnion, and on the plains, there is a clump of hillsknown as the “Wagon Mound,” so calledfrom their resemblance to one of those peculiar wagonswhich are used to transport valuable freight acrossthe country. It being dangerous times, a partyof ten picked men had been sent out to insure thesafe transit of the mail. Everything went wellwith the little band of travelers, and their prospectswere becoming bright for making a safe journey, when,suddenly, a large band of hostile Apaches and Utahshove in sight. The mail party, on making thisdiscovery, immediately halted and prepared for a fight.The Indians very soon granted to them this favor.At first, the attack was sharply maintained, but,at last, fortune favored the whites, for the timebeing, and they succeeded in repulsing their foes,who retreated out of sight. The mail party, beingthus freed from the unpleasant society of the Indians,at once hitched up their teams and proceeded on theirroute. It was afterwards learned that the Apachesmade the first attack, but, they were countenancedby the Utahs, who remained close by. On the returnof the unsuccessful war party of Apaches to the Utahs,the latter at once commenced charging them with cowardice,and boasted that they could have done better.The true state of the case was, that the Utahs wereusing the Apaches as tools by which to gain plunder,
crying “go dog,” while they themselveswere keeping out of harm’s way. The angerof the Apaches was fully aroused at these derisiveimputations. Under the new impulse, they saidto the Utahs, if you will help, we will return andshow you whether we are afraid to meet these pale-faces.Another attack having been decided upon, the Indiansset out and overtook the mail party once more nearto this “Wagon Mound.” It was snowingfast at the time, therefore, the white men were comfortablytraveling in their vehicles and had their guns protectedwith suitable coverings to prevent their being injured,for they anticipated no further danger. The curtainsof the mail wagons were all fastened down, and therewas no look-out kept, for it was considered sufficientto prepare for the furies of the storm. The Indiansaccordingly approached unperceived and made such adesperate attack that all the white men were quicklykilled. Not one, if the boasts of the Indianscan be believed, had time to get out from his seat.Several days elapsed and no tidings were heard of theexpected mail party; therefore, a body of men startedout in quest of the missing men and found them sleepingthe last sleep which knows no awakening. Thebodies of the dead were decently interred; and, sincethat day, the “Wagon Mound” is pointedout to the traveler accompanied with a historicalaccount of this awful tragedy.During the campaign under consideration, several Indianchildren were captured. These were generallyunder the age of ten years. They could not standthe kindly-planned treatment which they received whilein bondage, for many of them died from over-eating,after having so long been accustomed to Indian frugality.One of the women prisoners taken, openly declared,and there is no reason why she should not be believed,that many of the younger children belonging to hertribe had been strangled by their parents and friendsin order to prevent their becoming an inconvenience,and thus prevent their being able to prosecute thewar, thereby showing that their hatred of the whiteman was deeply rooted, and that their anger had beenaroused to its highest degree. On the publishingof peace, those Indian children who still lived, werecollected, and, through the Indian agents, restoredto their relatives and friends. The good effectwhich the moral of this campaign had on the surroundingIndian nations cannot be denied. They soon becameloud in proclaiming their friendships for the Americans.Taking advantage of the now crippled condition of theUtahs and Apaches, their enemies the Arrapahoes andCheyennes were ready to pounce upon them at a moment’swarning. The opportunity did not, however, presentit*elf until long after peace had been establishedwith the white men, when the Utahs and Apaches hadbeen able to recover from their losses and collectagain.
War party after war party of Cheyennes and Arrapahoesentered the country of their old enemies the Apachesand Utahs, but returned unable to find them.Yellow Bear, a head war chief of the Arrapahoes, didnot accompany his braves on these expeditions, andhe would not believe that they could not find eitherthe Apaches or Utahs; therefore, to show his peoplethat there was one warrior living of the olden stamp,he started, accompanied only by his youngest squaw,to meet and fight them. A severe snow-storm compelledthis noble chieftain to come into Fort Massachusetts.While he was there the commanding officer of the postendeavored to dissuade him from his rash undertaking.In reply the chief said:
“Captain, my young men are no longer warriors.They have become squaws. I sent them to seekour nation’s enemies. They went, discoveredtheir fires and counted their lodges, but were afraidto attack them. I am now on my way to find theUtah village, where I intend, either to smoke thepipe of peace, or offer fight to any three of theirchiefs. If they kill me otherwise than fairly,perhaps it will stir up once more the fire in thebreast of the warriors of the Arrapahoe nation.”
This speech was delivered with so much pathos, andyet with such an oratorical air, that the interpreterwas enabled to catch and translate every word of it.Yellow Bear was now informed of the recent campaignagainst the Utahs and Apaches, but the news made nochange in his determination. The advice was wordsthrown away, as he was found conversant with the wholeproceedings of the campaign. We have broughtin this incident to show how surrounding tribes aredirectly affected and personally interested in theresults of all military transactions with hostileIndians. As we have taken up for a theme the storyof this brave and really noble Indian, it may proveinteresting to some of our readers if we completethe picture. Yellow Bear has always been thefirm friend of Kit Carson both by word and action.He is the finest specimen of an Indian that the writerever laid eyes on. He stands in his moccasinsover six feet; is straight and symmetrically proportioned.The head, however, is the main attraction of thisIndian. Never was a statesman possessed of a better.We once heard him address a large council of his warriors,and, although we could not understand one word hesaid, yet our attention was fixed on the man, forwe never saw either before or since such majestic gestures,mixed with equal grace, in any speaker. It wasa master-piece of acting, and from the “humphs,”or grunts, ejacul*ted by his auditors, we were inclinedto think that the speech was impressive. Thereis one great point about this chief which those whoare familiar with the Indian race, as they now exist,cannot but admire. He has never been known tobeg; rather than do this, we believe, he would actuallystarve. We will finish this description of YellowBear by adding that he finally listened to the adviceof the then commanding officer of Fort Massachusetts,and returned to his own nation.
On the final arrival at Taos of the troops engagedin this brilliant Indian campaign against the Utahsand Apaches, they received orders to disband.Those whose calling was arms, returned to their respectivemilitary posts, while the New Mexicans scattered toseek their homes, where they were received and justlytreated as heroes. Before the forces were dispersed,the Pueblo Indians, who had been employed in the spycompanies, gave, with the aid of their friends, bymoonlight, a grand war-dance entertainment in theplaza of the town. It proved a fine display ofthis time-honored Indian custom.
The combined efforts of the two commanders, ColonelFauntleroy and Lieutenant-Colonel St. Vrain, aidedby their followers, among whom Kit Carson played amost conspicuous and important part, had the effectto compel the Indians to send a delegate to SantaFe, commissioned to sue for peace. Peace wasfinally granted, which formed a most happy and pleasingtermination to this brilliant Indian campaign.
It proved afterwards that a great mistake was madein hastily allowing these Indians to evade the punishmentthey so richly deserved, and which was being so summarilyinflicted, by entertaining so soon conciliatory measures.At the council that was subsequently held, it wasfound that only a part of the Apaches were presentto sanction the proceedings, and that the remainderwere still in the mountains and were either hostileor undecided what course they would pursue. KitCarson, their agent, was at the meeting, and earnestlyopposed the policy of making a treaty so long as anyportion of the two nations were insubordinate, asit offered a loop hole for those present to creepout whenever they were so inclined. He said, “thatnow was the time, if ever, when they might, at a smalladditional expense, and with the prospect of savingmany valuable lives, show these Indians that theywere dealing with a powerful government.”His voice and experience were overruled by the otherofficials present and the treaty was made. Itstipulated that the Indians should receive certainsums annually in case they would settle down and commencefarming, and that they should be allowed to selecttheir own locality within certain prescribed limits.The making of such offers to tribes of savages halfsubdued is absurd. The wisdom of this assertionhas since been clearly shown, for hardly one articlecontained in the treaty there made has been carriedout. The actions of those Apaches present atthe council were trifling in the extreme, notwithstandingwhich, they were presented with some cattle.These they objected to receiving on the ground thatthey were not fat enough to suit their fastidioustastes. They insolently addressed the Governmentofficials in the following strain: “Ifyou do not give us better, we will again take theroad where we can have our choice.”
The fact was that these half-starved rascals saw thatthe white men were anxious to make peace, and hencethey assumed a haughty air in order to drive a goodbargain.
The great results which should have been brought aboutby the teachings of Colonels Fauntleroy and St. Vrain,by this weak diplomacy, were more or less frustrated.These gentlemen, however, had won great renown.They had the savages driven to such extremes thatone more expedition, led by them in person, would havesubdued all their obstinacy and made them over anxiousfor peace. The Indians had been seven times caught,and, on every one of the occasions, they had beengreatly worsted. They had lost at least five hundredhorses, all their camp equipage, ammunition, provisions,and most of their arms, and were indeed almost atthe mercy of the whites. Under these circ*mstancesthey should have been shown true magnanimity and greatness,by forcing them into that course which was and is fortheir own welfare as well as the welfare of the country,and against which, they themselves so blindly contend.Say to an Indian, that ere many years have passedby the buffalo will all be destroyed, and he willanswer you “that the ‘Great Spirit’rains them down in the mountains for his red children.”This is a fair example of the manner in which mostof them listen to the voice of reason. It requirespractical and active demonstrations by means of riflesand other weapons to teach, them that they will notbe permitted to plunder and murder at pleasure.The wrong of this conduct they are as well aware ofas their white brethren. It is by rifle argumentsthat their treaties become worth the value of thepaper upon which they are written.
It is a well known fact that people who live in Indiancountries prefer to have the red men at war, ratherthan bound to peace by such slender ties as they areusually called upon to take upon themselves.In the former case, the settler knows what to expectand is always prepared for the worst so far as itlies in his power; but, in the latter position, heis continually exposed to the caprices of a race whoare in many respects as changeable as the very airthey breathe.
In the old Mexican town of Don Fernandez de Taos,as we have before said, resides at the present timeKit Carson. A stranger entering this town, andespecially at a little distance from it, is remindedof a number of brick-kilns just previous to beingburnt, and all huddled together without any regardbeing paid to symmetry. In order to reach thePlaza, which is the main feature of attraction belongingto the town, the traveler is obliged to follow thecrooks and turns of several unattractive streets.The home of Kit Carson faces on the west side of thispublic square. It is a building only one storyin height; but, as it extends over a considerablespace of ground, it makes up in part this defect,and within, it is surpassed by but few other housesin the country for the degree of comfort which is furnishesto its occupants. On most any fair day, aroundthe doors of this house may be seen many Indians ofvarious tribes who are either waiting for their companionswithin, or else for the opportunity to present itselfso that they themselves can enter.
Business or no business to transact with Kit Carson,they cannot come to town without visiting “FatherKit,” and having a smoke and talk with him.Kit Carson enjoys himself in their society, for hisheart and hand have long since taught them that, irrespectiveof the office which he holds towards them, he is theirtrue friend and benefactor. Never is his patienceexhausted by their lengthy visits. He listensto their narrations of grievances which they lay freelybefore him for his counsel, even in matters exclusivelypersonal. Being familiar with all those thingswhich will, in the least, touch their feelings andmake them interested, he finds no difficulty in enteringinto the spirit of their affairs in a manner thatexactly suits their tastes. This causes themto look upon him in the same light as they would uponsome brave and experienced chief of their own race.
Kit Carson takes every opportunity to warn the Indiansagainst the use of intoxicating drinks, and showsthem by his own example, that “fire water”is a dangerous luxury which man does not require andin which he should not indulge. Notwithstandinghis best efforts, now and then they get under itsinfluence. On becoming sober, they are so ashamedof their conduct that they often keep clear of theiragent until they think he has forgotten the occurrence.Kit Carson, to a certain extent, treats Indians asa wise father does his own children; hence, he haswon their respect as well as confidence, which facthas given him more influence over them, than any otherman in the country where he lives. When Kit Carsonenters the various villages of the Indians under hissupervision, he is invariably received with the mostmarked attention. Having selected the warriorwhose guest he intends to be, he accompanies him tohis lodge, which is known during his stay as the “soldiers’lodge.” He gives himself no concern abouthis horse, saddle, bridle rifle or any minor thing.The brave whom he has thus honoured, considers thathe has assumed the responsibility of a “soldier,”and so styles himself. This making of a “soldier”is no every day business with the Indians. Itis only when they are visited by some great personagefor whom they have the greatest respect, that thisceremony is gone through with. When thus favored,the “soldier,” at once, becomes the swornfriend of the white man who occupies his lodge, andwill fight and die for him even against his own brethren.
It is the opinion of Kit Carson, that Indians shouldnot be allowed to come, when it pleases them, intothe settlements. Every visit which they thusmake is detrimental to them in many ways. He thinksthat the time thus spent could be better employedin hunting or otherwise providing for the wants oftheir families. In the towns of the frontiersthey do nothing but beg and learn the vices of thewhite man, which, added to their own, make them asdangerous and wicked as men can be. In lieu thereof,
he advises that mission and agency houses should beestablished in their midst, when supplies should befurnished to them in a time of need. As mattersstand now, the Indians, during a severe winter, orfrom some unforeseen accident, are liable to becomesuddenly destitute. They are then compelled eitherto starve or to make inroads upon the property of thesettlers on the frontiers. Besides his Indianfriends, Kit Carson is surrounded by a host of Mexicansand Americans, to whom he has greatly endeared himself.To his children Kit Carson is a kind and indulgentfather, and to best illustrate his self-sacrificingattachment for them, it is only necessary to relateone striking incident of its proof. A few yearssince, he was returning to Taos from Rayado, whitherhe had been on a visit in company with his wife, twochildren, and two servants (a Mexican man and woman).The party had completed the first half of their journey,and were jogging along over a tract of prairie landthat was of considerable extent, when suddenly, KitCarson discovered, far off, a band of about fortyIndians. Being so exposed, he at once concludedthat he also had been seen, for while he was looking,he thought he could see the speed of their ridinganimals increase. The glaring rays of the sunimpeded his view, so that he could not discern atsuch a distance, either from their dress or appearance,to what tribe they belonged. He was in a sectionof country that was frequently visited by the maraudingCamanches, and, as their signs had been recently seenin the neighborhood, he made up his mind that it wasa band of this tribe that he now saw. No timewas to be lost; so, dismounting from the very fleethorse he was riding, he placed in his saddle his wifeand eldest child. To the first named he gavedirections “to follow on the trail that led toTaos, and let the bridle reins be a little slack,so that the horse would know what was expected ofhim, when he would travel at the top of his speed.He said that he intended to ride towards the Indiansand engage them at first in a parley, and then ifnecessary offer them a single-handed combat.At any rate, before they could manage to kill him,she would have sufficient time to lessen her danger.As to the remainder of the party he added, there wasno alternative but for them to take their chancesfor life or death.” Bidding his wife andboy good bye, with one heart-rending look, he turnedto face his apparent doom. As Kit approachedthe Indians, they began to call out his name.As soon as he heard this, he aroused himself fromthe agonizing frame of mind he had been laboring underafter parting with all that was so dear to him, andas he had thought, for the last time. To his joy,Kit quickly recognized before him, the familiar facesof some of his Indian friends. They had come,as they afterwards informed him, to see him and hishelpless charge safely lodged in their home, for theyhad become aware that he was exposed to great danger.While the friends were talking, some of the Indiansbegan to laugh, which caused Carson to turn his headand look in the direction they were gazing. Tohis astonishment and disgust, he saw (the truth wastoo evident to be mistaken) that the cowardly Mexicanman had, on his leaving, pulled off from her horseMrs. Carson and her child, and having mounted theanimal himself, was making good his escape. TheIndians wished to keep up the ruse, pursue, Attemptto overtake and punish the poltroon; but Kit Carsonwas too thankful that matters had gone so well; therefore,he said that he felt that he could excuse such dastardlyconduct, and requested the Indians to let it passunnoticed. It is hardly necessary to add thatwith his faithful body-guard who had come to watchover him from feelings of earnest respect, gratitudeand affectionate regard, the agent accomplished theremainder of his journey in perfect safety.Several years have elapsed, as the reader can easilyestimate, since Kit Carson met, while traveling homefrom one of his expeditions, the Mormon delegate toCongress who had first informed him of his appointmentas Indian agent. During this length of time KitCarson has retained this office and rendered satisfactoryservice. The tract of country over which theIndians roam who are especially connected with hisagency, is about equal in its area, to any one of thelarger States in the American Confederacy. TheIndians who are under his jurisdiction, are largeand powerful bands of the Apaches and Utahs; but,as we have said before, neighboring tribes freely seekhis counsel, aid and protectorate power as they mayrequire it, and they all, from habit, consider thatthey have a claim on his services. To best illustratethis, we have but to cite one instance of which athousand similar exist. Two Indian women weretaken prisoners by the red men of the plains froma band of savages not under the immediate controlof Kit Carson, who inhabited a section of New Mexico.These squaws, while captives, were subjected to theseverest labor and the most brutal punishment whichIndian ingenuity could invent. For one year theysubmitted without exhibiting any outward symptoms bywhich their condition could be known; but, at theend of that time, they resolved to escape, even ifthey were killed in the attempt. Watching a favorableopportunity, they started, and fortunately, so welllaid their plans, that, for some time, they were notmissed. On their prolonged absence being noticed,a party who were well mounted commenced the pursuit,no doubt believing that, to recapture the runawayswould be an easy task. The squaws however eludedthese horsem*n, and, on foot, made their way to KitCarson’s house at Taos. By him they werehospitably received, entertained and amply providedfor. They had traveled on foot for hundreds ofmiles, and, while en route, had lived on roots andsuch other food as fell in their way. In theirreduced condition, it required kindness, proper diet
and rest to resuscitate them. In the comfortablehouse to which they had come, these things were athand, and were freely given, without hoping for therewards which man can give. The pursuers of theseunfortunate Indian women followed on their trail,which, with native instinct, the squaws had made asindistinct as possible, until they found themselvesat a Mexican settlement, within the boundaries of NewMexico. Here they were informed that their latecaptives were safe under the protection of Kit Carson.This name acted like magic in settling their futuremode of proceedings. They needed nothing moreto bid them face about and retrace their steps totheir own homes. The squaws, in the householdof Kit Carson, rapidly recruited, and when the timecame for them to be sent to their own tribe, theywent away rejoicing at their good fortune; first inmaking their escape, and second, because they hadbeen so humanely treated by a man whose name they hadoften heard, but never before seen. As we havesaid before and with truth, this is but one exampleout of thousands which have passed by unheralded sinceKit Carson first commenced his official career as Indianagent.The duties of an agent are not by Kit Carson confinedto the mere letter of the law. His is a heartthat could not be happy were he not daily doing someequitable and humane act to ameliorate the conditionof the Indian race. The strict duties of an Indianagent require that he should receive and disbursecertain sums of money in purchasing such minor articlesas the tribes over which he is placed may require.He has to give monthly and quarterly reports to theGeneral Government and the superintendent of the Territoryhe is in, of the condition, crimes, practices, habits,intentions, health, and such other things as pertainto the economy of his charge. How seldom is thisknowledge properly attained and how often are thesethings intrusted to clerks while the principal receivesthe emoluments of his office! Of the detailswhich make the Indian happy or miserable, he, too frequently,knows but little about, except from routine. Theagent, if he be a fit man, and the Indian is by nomeans slow in forming his estimate of the person hehas to deal with, is received into the confidence ofthe tribes, when, after sufficient trial, he has beenproved worthy of their esteem and friendship.When once he has gained a foothold in the affectionsof the savages, his task assumes the condition of pleasurerather than severe labor; but, if he is ignorant ofthe minute workings of his business, he is generallyimposed upon and always disliked to such a degreethat no honorable man would retain such a positionlonger than to find out his unpopularity and the causesof it. The Indian agent, to perform his dutieswell, must be continually at his agency house, oramong the Indians, in order that he may personallyattend to their wants and protect them from the mercenaryvisits and contact of outside intruders, who are continuallywatching their opportunity, like hungry wolves, toprey upon and cheat them in every shape and form.In fine, he is to assist the superintendent in managingthe entire Indian family. .
The business of Indian agent, which he strictly andconscientiously attends to, keeps Kit Carson employedduring the most of his time; yet, as often as onceeach year, he manages affairs so that he can spenda few weeks in the exciting scenes of the chase.On these excursions, which are eagerly looked forwardto by his friends, he is accompanied by the crackshots of the country, including his Indian and Mexicanfriends. On horseback and on open prairies, KitCarson is indisputably the greatest hunter in America,if indeed he is not the greatest hunter now living.He has killed, in the brief space of three consecutivehours, with his rifle, twenty-two antelope, at a timewhen the game was so scarce, that other men who followedthe business of hunting under pay, and were no ordinaryshots, thought themselves doing well to bring downsix of the same animals. It gives the greatestsatisfaction to the people of New Mexico that Kit Carsonis, from time to time, reinstalled in his office ofIndian agent, notwithstanding the other great changesthat have been and are continually making in theirpolitics. His fitness for the position whichhe holds cannot be doubted, when the good already accomplishedby his efforts is considered. No one would beso loath to part with his services as the Indiansthemselves. His influence reaches far beyondhis own tribes, and is felt by the Cheyennes, Arrapahoes,and Kiowas, who are fast becoming very chary aboutvisiting, with hostile intentions, the settlementsof northern New Mexico.
Kit Carson is still in the full vigor of his manhood,and is capable of undergoing almost any amount ofprivation and hardship; therefore we infer that tothe country he has adopted; he will be spared manyyears to come, as one of its most valuable citizens.And when the time arrives for his final exit fromthis stage of life, he will bequeath to his familyand friends a spotless character and an enviable reputation.
FINIS.
* * * * *
RECENTLY ISSUED,
BY W.R.C. CLARK & CO.,
348 BROADWAY,
APPLETON’S BUILDING.
GEORGE MELVILLE,
AN AMERICAN NOVEL.
One handsome 12mo. volume, nearly 400 pages.Price $1.00
CONTENTS.
I. George Melville and Thomas F. Griswold determinethat “Old Sassy” had better look out.
II. Horses versus Thorn-Apple Tree Limbs.
III. “Wait for the Wagon.”
IV. The Boyhood Days of George Melville.
V. The Excursion Party for Niagara—AstorHouse—James Mordaunt—The
Plot.
VI. Aurora—Cayuga Lake—ThePic-nic.
VII. Clara Edgemonte’s Mistake.
VIII. Melville’s and Griswold’s Tour—Atrue Hand and firm Seat always come in Play.
IX. Sunset at Niagara—James Mordaunt’sDeclaration.
X. The Morning Walk—An Old Friend in Duplicate.
XI. Hon. B.F. Mortimer—H.B.Edgemonte, Esq.,—James Mordaunt,
Esq.—Frederick Mortimer—ThomasF. Griswold—George Melville—Mrs.
Mortimer—Mrs. Edgemonte—BellMortimer—Clara Edgemonte—The
Breakfast Party.
XII. Bob Shank—The Fire—TheCave.
XIII. Bell hates the Rain, but finally has noObjection to it—Miss
Blackwood’s Party.
XIV. Various Things material both to the Storyand the Reader—The
Catfish Railroad Scheme.
XV. Ahead—Back again.
XVI. Who is Uncle Sam—Syracuse—Camillus—Junction—Auburn—ANew
York Lawyer obtains a Case (a hard one).
XVII. The Dinner Party at Aurora—TheTelegram—Mrs. Tryon’s Glance.
XVIII. Broadway, New York—James Mordaunt,Esq., at his Office in Wall street—Is hea Married Man?
XIX. Rev. John Furnace—The Funeral—TheLawsuit—The Catfish Railroad
Stock at a Premium.
XX. Arrival of the Liverpool Steamer—NewYork Firemen—Griswold’s
Heroism—The Catfish Railroad Stock falling—Trouble.
XXI. Short but Interesting.
XXII. A Sail on Cayuga Lake before Breakfast—Thermometerthirty
Degrees below Zero—Two Miles a Minute undera fair Wind—Bell
Mortimer takes an Observation—The Surprisenot a Surprise—The
Race Home—The Ice-Boat too much for theHorses—The Runaway—The
Rescue,—Love told without Words—Deathcheated, of his Prey.
XXIII. Plans for the Future.
XXIV. Commencement Day at Hamilton College—WilliamHastings—How a
Clerk in New York City may obtain a Partnership.
XXV. A Friend in Need.
XXVI. New York City Corporation Counsel—AllMarriage Notices not
Agreeable.
XXVII. Sarah E. Graham’s call at Mordaunt’sLaw Office—A Cool
Scene—James Mordaunt in trouble.
XXVIII. George Melville under a Cloud.
XXIX. The Metropolis of America never sleeps—Scenein Twenty-Third street late at Night.
XXX. An Arrest—A Promise made, anda Promise given.
XXXI. A Station on the N.Y. Central Railroad—Car
Manufactory—Reception of a Convict at theAuburn State Prison—The
Model Prison of the United States.
XXXII. More about the Prison.
XXXIII. James Mordaunt, Esq., triumphs.
XXXIV. Mr. M——l, Chief of theNew York Police, puts his Private Seal upon a Coffinin Greenwood Cemetery.
XXXV. A Council of War.
XXXVI. A Smash-up in Broadway, N.Y.—TheNew York Hospital—The New
York Press—Sarah E. Graham a Lunatic.
XXXVII. Bell and Charger.
XXXVIII. An Ante-Breakfast Ride—TheHomestead of an American
Statesman.
XXXIX. Fort-Hill Cemetery—“Whois there to Mourn for Logan?”—Howto carry on a Correspondence with a Convict—DistantView of the Auburn State Prison—Bell Mortimerin her Sanctum.
XL. A Change in the progress of Events foreshadowed—Exerciseof
Wits—The Statesman proves too much forthe Lawyer.
XLI. An Alumnus of Hamilton College, nolensvolens, becomes a
Skillful Mechanic.
XLII. A Ray of Hope.
XLIII. Woman’s Rights—The StateLunatic Asylum at Utica, Oneida
County, N.Y.
XLIV. The Arrest—Interview with theGovernor of the Empire State.
XLV. A Mountain in Massachusetts—TheHome of an ex-President of the
United States.
XLVI. Another Telegram—Early risingsometimes proves very agreeable.
XLVII. Bell Mortimer makes the Acquaintance ofSarah E. Graham.
XLVIII. The Homestead of an American Mechanic—AProposition.
XLIX. Trial of the Action “Wilcox againstMordaunt”—Thomas F. Griswold, Esquire,addresses the Jury—The Utica Asylum again—Oneof the Biters bitten.
L. Death of a New York City Policeman—ATrial, Sentence, and
Execution—Ought Governors hold the PardoningPower?
LI. The Island Martha’s Vineyard.
LII. Sunday-school in Prison—The Chaplainand his Convict
Congregation—A Convict who had well earnedhis position reflects—Two
Deaths.
LIII. A Wedding—Wedding Tour—Conclusion.
NOTICES OF THE PRESS.
From the Boston Traveller.
“The language is chaste and dignified, and variesto suit the different circ*mstances. A high-tonedintegrity, clear common sense, and a true representationof life in its real and sound aspects, characterizethe work.”
“One of the best novels of the day.”
From the New York Leader.
“A work of much power, possessing vastly moreof that reality, which makes the real charm of a romance,than anything which has preceded it this season.”
From the Cincinnati Commercial.
“A well written volume, spicy with interest,and quite above the every day average of the floodof works of fiction.”
From the Chambersburg (Pa.) Independent.
“We submit the work to the perusal of our readers,as one replete with interest and instruction.”
From the Ladies’ Visitor.
“‘GEORGE MELVILLE,’ coming justnow, will be even more certain of a warm receptionthan if he only swelled the crowd of claimants forthe popular favor.”
From the Albany (N.Y.) Knickerbocker.
“The style is dashing, and the scenes and incidentsin the highest degree interesting. We commend‘GEORGE MELVILLE’ to our readers.”
From the Morristown (N.J.) Banner.
“The main features have evidently been actualoccurrences, and are skillfully worked together bya talented writer, who, with an eye to its good moralinfluence has made a book which is at once pleasing,interesting and exciting.”
From the Constitution (Middletown, Ct.)
“A book of great interest and spirit, and onethat brings out, in a strong light, some peculiartraits of American character.”
From the Critic.
“An unusually well-written and interesting book.”
From the Boston Saturday Evening Gazette.
“There is a deal of promise in a new novel justout called ’GEORGE MELVILLE.’ Itis a dashing, clever, well-written story; its characterstalk with animation and plenty of animal spirit, and’the plot converges to an issue’ accordingto the most approved rules. It has the AmericanStamp, and imitates no transatlantic author—amerit worth noticing.”
From the New York Sunday Times.
“Its style is graphic, careless, romping andfanciful, and it is really captivating.”
From the Albany Evening Journal.
“The style is lively; the dialogues frequentand effective; the graver scenes well drawn and thebook wholly what it purports to be—an AmericanNovel, characteristically descriptive of American Life.”
From the New York Sunday Mercury.
“A book that will repay the reader for the timespent in its perusal. A pleasant companion forSaratoga, or the sea-shore.”
From the Educational Herald.
“Its descriptions and pictures are very graphic.”
The following notice from the Toledo Blade,is so just and true that we copy it entire:
“We had almost said, after reading this story,’The good old days of Cooper have come again.’It is really refreshing, in the midst of so much literarypretension, to meet with something of real merit.
“The conception of the plot is admirable—thecharacters finely portrayed—the scenerytrue to nature and the interest maintained throughout.Its life-like pictures, as well as the style of itsauthor must commend it to every one who feels anyinterest in the revival of a genuine, home-bred Americanliterature. When such tales as this reflectingon our own manners, scenery, morals and laws can beproduced, there is little reason that our fiction-writersshould be superseded by foreigners. A tale ofequal merit with this, so neatly told, so entirelyAmerican, has not of late been issued from the press.
“The scenery of Central New York—asail on the placid waters of Cayuga Lake in summer,and across the ice which covers it in winter—thepicturesque views around Auburn and the grand sublimityof Niagara, are alike portrayed in vivid characters.
“Character is as well delineated as scenery.Dark and light shades—gay and corrupt life—vanity,vice and virtue, all perform their appropriate parts,in making up a goodly number of men and women, whoonce fairly introduced, carry themselves very naturallythrough plot and counter plot, to the close of a storywhich aptly illustrates the elements composing Americansociety, in its various phases. There are manysuch victims as Melville, and many such true heartedgirls as Bell Mortimer.
“We do not pretend that the writer has attainedperfection. The book has faults—butthese may be overcome by a writer of so much realability, and we hope his pen will not be allowed toremain idle.
“GEORGE MELVILLE is a pleasant story—writtenin a chaste style with a good moral, and we cheerfullycommend it to our readers.”
*** Copies sent by mail to any part of the UnitedStates, pre-paid, upon receipt of price.
* * * * *
A BEAUTIFUL GIFT BOOK.
SHELLS
FROM THE
SEA-SHORE OF LIFE,
GATHERED BY
PEARLY SHELLEY.
* * * * *
This work comprises the lighter and more sketchy productionsof one of the most original and distinguished writersin the country. The “Shells” aresymbolical of the various lights and shades of Life—scatteredover its surface or lying deep beneath its ocean.They embody a series of writings which may be called
THE PARABLES OF THE WORLD!
Every one of the series contains a moral which theChristian as well as the man of the world may bringhome to his observation or experience. They soundthe depths of the heart in the womanly as well asin the manly breast.
Some of these brilliant sketches symbolized in Shells,were originally published in many of the first-classnewspaper and periodical press; while others, again,have been republished extensively throughout the country.They are now “gathered” emphatically notonly from the “Sea-Shore of Life,” bythe Author, but from the mass of journals throughwhich they have been scattered broadcast far and wide.
The “Shells” are published in a stylewhich makes them, in their typographical and externaldress, equal to their intellectual and moral interest,and renders them one of the most beautiful and appropriatepresents that can be selected for the holidays.
One vol., 12mo., with twenty-one originalillustrations, cloth, $0 75Cloth, full gilt, 1 25
W.R.C. CLARK & CO., PUBLISHERS,
348 BROADWAY, NEW YORK.
(Appletons’ Building.)
* * * * *
ALSO, LATELY ISSUED, THE FOLLOWING
NEW MUSIC.
SISTER SPIRIT, STAY NOT HERE—SONG.
Price Fifty Cents.
WORDS AND MUSIC BY C. HATCH SMITH.
From the New York Day Book.
“There is a tenderness and a pathos, both inthe words and the music, so admirably adapted to eachother, that it cannot fail to please all who may hearit.”
* * * * *
HO! THE DEEP—SONG.
BY ALLEN N. LEET, JR.
Price Twenty-five Cents.
A very inspiriting song, well adapted to the piano.The novelty of the melody has already made it verypopular.
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SPIRIT OF THE ISLAND HOME—SONG.
Price Twenty-Five Cents.
WORDS AND MUSIC BY C. HATCH SMITH.
A new and very beautiful song. Its tones bringthe murmur of the waves to our ears. The imitationof the motion of the sea is admirable.
Either of the above pieces will be sent by mail, post-paid,upon receipt of the price, or all of them on receiptof 75 cents.
W.R.C. CLARK & CO., PUBLISHERS,
No. 348 Broadway, New York.
