Wichita eagle., 1888-11-09
THE SAND CREEK MASSACRE.

| To the Editor of the Daily Eagle.
HAPPY HOLLOW, Oct 3d. feel Just
| like the fellow who went 10 see his girl,
and the first word he said to her was:
II have few words of adjuration to be
delivered to your kind komperdunc-
ton if you have no detection" Now
while you are digestlng these few
words l will proceed with my lesson.
| had been to Illinois on a Through
and returned to Denver about June Is,
just after the Hungates were murdered.
the city was still excited; no soldiers
there, only few who had returned
from furlough. reported to Captain
Manard: he said he wanted me on provost
duty and to ride express. There We're
no government horses there; he (Man-
ard, and | went on the market and |
bought fine charger for S175 cash, had
him mustered SO could draw pay for
him by the month.
| was started with message to Fort
Lyon but found a relay at Bent's old fort
50 | stopped there. Two days later the
relay returned and | started back to
Denver with instructions to make Den
yer III fOrty-eight hours-200 miles-and
l made it. | saw Indian fires away off
at night. but nearer the first night. |
would ride about fifteen miles, then stop
and rest my horse for perhaps two hours,
not longer. There was Z house occa-
sionally where | could get some refresh
ments for myself and horse. | started
from Bent's fort at shutdown and the sec
oDd day at SHUTDOWN | rode into Denver
Then IN few days / was sent down
the Platte river for some government
mules: it was 1875 miles down the Plat.
| got the mules, and came back twenty
five miles to the mouth OF the Byjo creek
and l got my dinner at the camp. After
dinner | concluded that | would not re-
turn by the same road / went but that
would take the stage route. | went
about twenty miles that night and when
the stage came along they reported that
the Indians that afternoon had come to
the ranch and drove of all the stock.
even stage stock, but had hurt no one,
only scalped the herder. | was glad that
had come the stage route for the In
dlans had come right along the other
road to the ranch. bnt felt safe enough.
They had crossed the Plat and went
north. got to Denver all right but
got 10 see Fremonts orchard and Fort
Lupten. Fremont's orchard is nothing
more than some cottonwood trees that
are set IN rows. low and scrubby. cover
ing only few acres of ground not very
far from the Platte river; no other tim
Der near, but quite sand ridge on the
east.
Chivington found there must be
troops kept at Denver. Not long after
my trip for the government mules there
came ten men wearing the southern IN
lforms Out Were nothing but guerrillas)
INTO the South Park, fifty miles west of
Denver and robbed the passengers. cut
the stage wheels 10 pieces and took the |
harness and told the passengers not TO
send word TO Denver, but they managed
TO get word there the next day. There |
was detachment of sixty troops sent |
cut with Lieutenant Shoure IN command |
lie came TO me and asked me if / |
would ike 10 go along (Shoupe was my |
hrst Neutenant. | said yes: SO he went |
10 Captain Manari and got me releas- |
ed. and took me with him: also the mar |
shal OF the state of Colorado went along |
Wen, the second day we got on track /
or rather they got track OF us and got In i
behind Us and struck for the valley. |
The miners had got after them. had a |
fight and three guerrillas were killed and !
the captain OF the gang was wounded; |
and only three miners hurt Then they
divided up in two gangs: three of them |
got IN the dark out from Canon City in l
to the deep creek Shoupe and track
ed the men through the sand for several !
miles. No person was living near.
About mile from where the creek !
emptles into the Arkansas was family |
living and Just below were some soldiers
quartered- We told the family |
that three men called therel