Statewide Archives – Page 7 of 8

Flight of General Forsyth

In the year of 1868, General Forsyth, assisted by Lieutenant Beecher and Scouts Grover and McCall, had charge of fifty-one men in the eastern part of Colorado. They were certain of an attack and had no more than completed their preparations for a defense than young Chief Roman Nose, a perfect specimen of a savage leader, being six feet and three inches tall and sinewy and slim, and carrying himself with a daring and reckless movement, led his band of a thousand warriors just a little beyond rifle range of the soldiers. Two squads of these were placed at each … Read more

Fight with Eagle Claw

On the north side of the Platte River there was a distance of three hundred miles where there were no roads or settlements. There was plenty of good grass on the north side, owing to there being no travel, and for that reason Arthur Lewis went down the north side and camped, June 3, 1867, across from the Spring Hill ranch, twelve miles below Mr. Coburn’s ranch. Mr. Coburn tells the following story about their fight with Chief Eagle Claw: One of our cows had run away, and I went down to the Spring Hill ranch after it. I stayed … Read more

My First Trip across the Plains

By W. S. Coburn After several months in business in Omaha, Nebraska, my partner, Silas Reena, took sick with typhoid fever and died, and after closing and settling his estate, I determined to come west to Colorado. Accordingly I rigged up a four mule team and loaded with goods for Denver, accompanied by fifteen other teams. When we arrived at Fort Kearney, about two hundred miles west of Omaha, we were notified by the officers at the fort that we could proceed no further until enough emigrants and freighters came along to make a party of one hundred well armed … Read more

Depredations of Indians on Geary’s Neighbors

The Indians made a raid through the country east of the present site of Greeley, stealing horses and cattle and killing the settlers. Geary had a hundred and fifty horses stolen and a large number were taken from Kempton’s ranch at the same time. Lieutenant J. L. Brush’s brother, William Brush, his cousin, J. L. Conway, and a friend, Carlson, were putting up hay on Geary’s ranch when they were surprised by the Indians. Next day John Patterson and some of the other neighbors found their bodies lying out in the hot sun. They were so badly decomposed that a … Read more

Est Pinosa, the Mexican Desperado

While the 3rd regiment was waiting at Pueblo for orders to move on to Fort Lyons, a dispatch came to be sent to Fort Garland. Captain Cree was looking for a man to send, when Alston Shaw volunteered to go. After he had his horse saddled and was all prepared to start, Captain Cree came up to him, shook hands and said, “Good bye, Shaw.” Alston asked, “Why, what’s wrong?” “I will tell you, Al, I never expect to see you return.” “What makes you think so?” “Old Est Pinosa is up on the Sangre de Cristo range and you … Read more

Coburn’s Minor Experiences

In the fall of 1865 I took eight well armed men who were familiar with Indian fighting, with me after some timber. We went eighty miles up the Lawrence branch of the North Platte, through a very wild country and inhabited with hostile Indians. We were gone sixteen days and had only one scrap with the Indians and much to our surprise, we all arrived home safe and sound. This same fall I put up two hundred tons of hay, and all the time we were working at the hay, we were surrounded by the dangers. One day a man, … Read more

Conclusion of Stories

These few short stories were told to the writer by three pioneers who took an active part in the early settlement of Colorado. It has been their desire for several years past to make known to the public (and especially to the citizens of the state of Colorado who have reaped the benefits of the labor, hardships and endurance of the pioneers), the suffering, fear and toils that so barred the settlement in the early days. Being a Colorado girl and wanting the foundation builders of her native state to get credit for the work they did, the writer undertook … Read more

Causes of the Sand Creek Fight

In the year 1861, the Cheyennes and Arapahoes made a treaty with the settlers at Bent’s Fort. Tempting the Indians with vain promises, mystifying them with presents and deluding them into believing they would be benefited, if under the rule of the government, which, undoubtedly, they would, had they submitted to the authority and abided by the laws â€” in this way the people at Bent’s Fort succeeded in getting them to sign away their land east of the mountains. The Indians had no more than signed away their heritage, than they regretted it, and began negotiations with the other … Read more

A Buffalo Hunt

Some of the old residents will remember Jim Kimsey. He was from Southern Illinois, therefore did not know much about fighting Indians before he came to Colorado. But one thing he soon learned was that he was afraid of them. He said: “Nobody as knows ’em can help being ‘fraid of ’em; white folks are hard enough to fight, but Indians are worse, ’cause a fellow keeps thinking what they would do to ye when they gets a chance.” He was out after Indians once with Jim Pinkerton and Sam Ashcraft. He said: “I am a good shot at an … Read more

Captain Peacock’s Fight

In September, 1865, I put up improvements on my ranch and took up my residence there. About seven o’clock in the morning of the twenty-second day of October, I came down out of the hills where I had been hunting my stock. Just as I came down on the road near my place, I met Captain Peacock, who was crossing the plains with a train of forty-four wagons, hauling the government supplies. He stopped and asked me if I had seen any Indians. I said yes, while out on the hills I ran across three and in the distance I … Read more

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