The Indians of the Pike's Peak Region: Including an Account of the Battle of Sand Creek, and of Occurrences in El Paso County, Colorado, during the War with the Cheyennes and Arapahoes, in 1864 and 1868Howbert, Irving
History
The Indians of the Pike's Peak Region: Including an Account of the Battle of Sand Creek, and of Occurrences in El Paso County, Colorado, during the War with the Cheyennes and Arapahoes, in 1864 and 1868
Howbert, Irving
El Paso County, Colo. -- History; Indians of North America -- Colorado; Sand Creek Massacre, Colo., 1864
Events of a similar character were of almost daily occurrence while the
Indians remained in this region. Every animal on a distant hill became
an Indian horseman to the excited imagination of the ranchman or cowboy,
and without further investigation he rushed off to town to give the
alarm. No lone man on horseback allowed another horseman to approach
him without preparing for defense, and every object at a distance that
was not clearly distinguishable was viewed with alarm.
For two weeks following the raid upon the present town-site of Colorado
Springs, the Indians had virtual possession of the northern and eastern
portions of the county. During this time they raided Gill's ranch, east
of Jimmy's Camp, and ran off his herd of horses, taking them out of the
corral near his house in the night, although the horses were being guarded
by armed men. It appears that the Indians stole up to the corral on the
opposite side from where the guards were posted, made an opening in it,
let the horses out, and were off with them before the men realized what
was going on.
About the same time, the Indians killed a demented man named Jonathan
Lincoln, at the Lincoln ranch in Spring Valley on Cherry Creek, just
north of the El Paso County line. Lincoln and a Mexican were out in the
harvest-field binding oats when they saw the Indians approaching. The
Mexican saved himself by flight, but Lincoln folded his arms and calmly
awaited the coming of the savages. Without hesitation they killed him,
took his scalp, and departed again into the recesses of the adjacent
pinery. They also killed John Choteau, on east Cherry Creek, John Grief
and Jonathan Tallman on east Bijou, and raided the John Russell ranch
at the head of East Cherry Creek, from which place they ran off sixteen
horses.
About this time, a small band of Indians, while prowling around near
the town of Monument, threatened the house of David McShane at a time
when all the men were away, Mrs. McShane and some neighboring women and
children being the only occupants. Having the true pioneer spirit, the
women, under the leadership of Mrs. McShane, put up such a strong show of
defense that the savages abandoned the attack in short order, apparently
glad to get away unharmed. Soon after, they burned Henry Walker's house,
which stood about a mile east of the present Husted station on the Denver
and Rio Grande Railroad.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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