Arizona silver belt., 1890-04-26
The Bent Family.

following account of William Bent and his children. William Bent was a brother of Charles Bent, whom Gener- al Kearney appointed provisional gov expor of New Mexico, at the time of the conquest, by the United States, of the province of Mexico "Old man Bent never became intimately ac- auainted with, as he died only a few montts after first saw him although l had been on the plains for long pe- ! nod before 1 happened to meet the proprietor of the fort on the Upper ] Arkansas, whose name the new dila- | i5ltsated old adobe structure still bears.
 He and John Smith were the only two of all the great number of promi- nent frontiersmen who marrled squaws. The others were welded to either American, French or Spanish women, and their families were emi- nently respectable.
 Uncle John Smith made no effort to educate his children-they were sav- ages from their birth and remained so. One, a son, was killed by the troops in the "Chiyington massacre" on Sand Creek, Colorado, which was source of grief from winch the old trapper never fully recoved.
 Bent was determined that his son and daughter, Charles and Julia, should have the best education money could obtain-he was sadly deficient himself-so he sent them to St. Louis when mere children, surrounding them with all the culture and refinement of civilization, never permitting them to return to theIr home at 'Bent's Old Fort and the savage conditions un- der which they were born until they had attained their majority.
 They spoke no language but Eng fish, and their Indian mother died while they were absent at school. The father continued to occupy the old place, but the children did not join hlm until 1865, when both were full grown.
 Some one has said, an eastern "peace policy" individual probably, Civilization has very marked effects upon an Indian. If he once learns to speak English he will soon forget all his native cunning and pride of race.
 Let us see how It happened with Charley and Julia Bent.
 She, from cholce, marrled a wild Cheyenne, adopted the dress and methods of that tribe, worked as other squaws were compelled to work, soon reaching the level of dirt and degra- dation from winch her mother had been rescued when her father married her out of the old buffalo skin lodge.
 Charley, as an old army friend once described him when his character was belng discussed around the campfire, "alled the native cunning of the h. dian and pride of race with the ac- quired abilities of the Caucasian"
 He had no sooner "set foot on his native heath than he found enough | restless and ambitious young bucks willing to place themselves under his leadership. These were known as "dog soldiers, sort of semi military organization, composed of the most | daring, bloodthirsty young men of | tie tribe. Sometimes 'squaw men white men married to squaws and llv- ing with the Indians attached them selves to the band.
 At the head of this desperate com mand, never numbering more than a hundred at any time, Charley Bent plundered ranches, attacked freight caravans, the overland mail coaches, and stole, burned, tortured and butch cred regardless of sex or age. lie filled completely the picture Motley, the historian. presents of the famous Duke of Ava, "his vices were colossal and he possessed no virtues"
 He dled natural death from chole- "a, and, as an army friend of mine re- marked when he heard of the fact, "the disease was never better employed"