The Fremont County record. [volume] (Canon City, Colo.) 1877-18??, 1881-10-01
ORITuARY.

I OBITUARY.
| IL.George William Burdett was born
May 28th, 1842, in Licking county.
Ohio, from thence removing to Iowa.
OF his early life we have no record,
which must nave been one of toll and
seems to have occurred for
gaining an education, a lack of
which he constantly remarked his
children should not suffer. Leaving
Pleasan:ville, Iowa, he reached Colo
rado in July, 1860, and went at once
to the mines at Hamilton, Fairplay
and Breckenridge, where he followed
mining several seasons, and hunting
during winter. He was at one time
a companion of the somewhat noted
Il "Buck skin Jo }" for whom the famous
Buckskin town and mine was named.
His selfpossession, nerve and repu--
tation as dead shot soon brought
him into notice and for several years,
wi hen there was q particularly troub-
lesome job on hand lie was the one
selected, or most usually the one vol
unteering, to do it. Whether in the
mountains or valley he was terror
to evil doers and his indomitable
courage contributed not little to
the preservation of law and order,
and consequent public security in the
exciting early days of this state. In
1861 he, with another man, pursued
and captured, near Denver. some men
who had committed bold robbery of
many thousand dollars at Brecken-
ridge, turning them over to the
authorities there and protecting them
/ from the violence of an excited mob,
bent upon lynching ,them-no easy
task in those days. Later, in the
winter of 1852, while hunting with
; Henry Coy, well known to the old
settlers here, he came to the camp of
!. a man with a family who had started
= hunting with Mexican employe in
> the morning. Late in the day the
Mexican returned saying the other
c man was following a band of elk.
9 His movements seeming suspicious,
G Burdett and Coy took the back trail
. through the snow and in due time
), found the white man murdered,
= thrown into a ravine and covered
with brush. Returning to camp they
n found the Mexican had skipped out,
y and though in the night, they at once
e took his trail and overlook him at a
Z. Mexican settlement on the Green
r horn. They started with him back
l. TO camp intending to bring him to
Canon, but being footsore from wet
feet and long travel the Mexican mar
! aged to take the lead. As long as
~ they could they followed on, but at
= length from fear of losing him they
Is called him to stop but he, thinking
,s himself secure, started to run when
20 Burdett, at distance of between
h three and four hundred yards, shot
him dead in his tracks, where he was
left. One of our old settlers recol.
u lects sometime after seeing the skele.
II ton unmolested by the coyotes, and il
s. is said these animals will not touch
the carcass of q Mexican, SO strongly
; tinctured as it is with tobacco and
u red pepper. Upon one occasion when
70 ColorOw's band of Utes were in town
the chief himself, who could never be
II accused of being "good injun, "even
to present date, came to the shOl
where Mr.. Burdett was at work ana
! making occasion for quarrel, pre-.
sented his cooked revolver to Bur.
!. dett's head, he promptly kicked the
If old scoundfel out of the shop. and
: though surrounded by the redskins.
d they dared not make demonstration
LoOK IN at beaver Crook a horse tliie7
e who offered bribe of two thousand
e dollars at least, to be permitted to 90
: free, remarkable temptation it must
be admitted to a poor man, but which
!. Burdett rejected with scorn. We
J, might here remark that our friend
was man of strong prejudices. self
willed and obstinate. No man lives
but has faults-but he was square
}. man. If he was devoted to cause
J, or liked man you knew it at once.
/. but il the contrary prevailed it need
: ed no long apprehension to appreciate
the fact. His manly integrity, love
of justice and truth, honesty and
straightforward purpose, to the ex-
tent of his ability, could not be
doubted. La 1854 he was one OF the
foremost of party pursuing the SO.
called guerrillas, headed by Jim and
John Reynolds, making the night at
tack ON their camp, utterly surpris-
ing and scattering them and essential
ly contributing TO their final capture
which soon followed. He also ncted
as guide and scout for Capt. Kerber's
company of the First Colorado cayaI-
ry, which was stationed at this place
for some months of that year. He
was one of the most active members
in that summer of several parties on
the trail of the murderous Espinosas,
who marked with blood their devious
! way through this section, and were
finally brought TO bay on High creek.
J a few miles north OF Canon, where
one was killed and the other driven
out of the country. In all his nunier-
GUS expeditions he rarely received
even his ordinary travelling expenses,
always ready when duty demanded
but modestly making no demands
for well doing. In 1857 he was mar
ried to Miss Fanny Griffin, happy
union in all respects and by whom he
had two daughters, now nine aud
twelve years old. Latterly he has
been in the employ of the state as
guard at the penitentiary position
not admitting OF much mention but
where on several occasions he has
done Yoeman's duty. in preventing es-
cnpes of prisoners and retaking those
that through others carelessness had |
gotten away. Burdett has gone-the |
first OF our Fremont Pioneers to cross
the dark river. If he has done evil
let 1t be forgotten, but let his men,
ory be cherished and ever kcpt green
for any good he had, was or has been |
in the life called away in its prime.