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
"We received a letter from Bent wishing us to make
peace. We held a council in regard to it. All come
to the conclusion to make peace with you, providing
you make peace with the Kiowas, Comanches, Arapahoes,
Apaches, and Sioux. We are going to send a messenger
to the Kiowas and to the other nations about our
going to make peace with you. We heard that you have
some [prisoners] in Denver. We have seven prisoners
of yours which we are willing to give up, providing
you give up yours. There are three war parties out
yet, and two of Arapahoes. They have been out some
time, and expected in soon. When we held this council
there were few Arapahoes and Sioux present.
"We want true news from you in return. This is a
letter.
"BLACK KETTLE and the other Chiefs."
Compare the above extract from the report of the committee
with this published letter of Black Kettle, and the admission
of the Indians in the council at Denver.
The committee say the prisoners proposed to be delivered up
were _purchased of other Indians_. Black Kettle, in his letter,
says: "We have seven prisoners of yours, which we are willing
to give up, providing you give up yours." They say nothing
about prisoners whom they had _purchased_. On the other hand,
in the council held in Denver, Black Kettle said:
"Major Wynkoop was kind enough to receive the letter and visited
them in camp, to whom they delivered four white prisoners,
one other (Mrs. Snyder) having killed herself; that there
are two women and one child yet in their camp whom they will
deliver up as soon as they can get them in; Laura Roper, 16
or 17 years; Ambrose Asher, 7 or 8 years; Daniel Marble, 7
or 8 years; Isabel Ubanks, 4 or 5 years. The prisoners still
with them [are] Mrs. Ubanks and babe, and a Mrs. Norton who
was taken on the Platte. Mrs. Snyder is the name of the woman
who hung herself. The boys were taken between Fort Kearney
and the Blue."
Again: They did not deny having captured the prisoners, when
I told them that having the prisoners in their possession was
evidence of their having committed the depredations when they
were taken. But White Antelope said: "We (the Cheyennes) took
two prisoners west of Kearney, and destroyed the trains." Had
they _purchased_ the prisoners, they would not have been slow
to make it known in this council.
The committee say the chiefs went to Denver to confer with
the authorities about _keeping the peace_. Black Kettle says:
"All come to the conclusion to _make peace_ with you providing
you will _make peace_ with the Kiowas, Comanches, Arapahoes,
Apaches, and Sioux."
Again the committee say:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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