The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-11

Vivid Recital of the Battle of Sand Creek,
From which No Indian Escaped
With His Life.
An old man, whose hair has been whiten-
I'D with the SHOWS of nearly eighty winters
died recently near Santa Fe. n. NJ, says
the Denver News. The man was Joe La
mon, one of the early pioneers of Colorado,
and who. enjoyed the distinction of having
killed the last Indian in the great Sand
Greek battle in southwestern Colorado IN
1854, when 400 or 500 Arapahoes and
Apaches were killed by the Colorado troops.
MANY old-timers in Colorado will recall
Lamon. just before the war he removed
from Illinois and settled down in the Ar
kansas valley. He had large family, and
they took up several claims adjacent to the
homestead. In those days but little atten-
ton was paid to farming, as cattle raising
was then very profitable.
When the band of Indians went on the
warpath they terrorized the settlers along
the Platte and Arkansas rivers for months,
and finally in the fall they began their
fiendish massacre. They would sweep
down on the settlements, murder all
the inhabitants, whose scalps dangled at
the belts of some of the red devils
when they left the scene of their butchery,
utter burning all their houses and barns.
The horrible depredations were continued
for months, and hundreds of whites were
cruelty murdered. The savages managed
to outwit the troops all through the year,
and as winter approached they became sud
denly very peaceable and started for Fort
Lyons, intending to 60 into spring quarters
near that place. Their proffers Of peace
were made for no other purpose than to Sc
cure blankets and provisions from the fort.
Before they reached their destination Col.
Chivington, who was in command OF the
of the bloodthirsty band. In twelve hours
the First and Second regiments were in the
saddle and several hundred men under
brave leader, all armed to the teeth, were
on their way to the Arkansas valley to
ayenge the wholesale slaughter OF the
country where the depredations had been
committed, and knew the course the Indi-
ans would follow on their march. In order
to intercept them he took the troops across
the divide and headed righs for that secsion
of country in which the town OF ChlvlnRton
ia now located.
The troops marched day and night, the
settlers along the trail furnishing them
with fresh horses and provisions. The willy
redskins had learned by some means that
they were being pursued, and kept scouts In
the rear on the trail in order to warn them
of the approach of the soldiers, hoping to
reach Fort Lyons before being overtaken,
and once there they would make a treaty of
peace. For once the red butchers were
caught in their own trap. Col. Chivington
made no attempt to follow the trail of the
Indians, but cut directly across the valley,
and consequently while the scouts we're
keeping sharp lookout, the troops swept
down to Sand Greek, where the Indians
were camping.
The Indians were discovered just after
nightfall on clear winter evening, and
preparations were at once made for the
battle. The Indians went through their
usual war dance, as they had murdered two
families just few days before, and the
fresh scalps of their victims hung before
the tepee Of one of the chiefs. The wretches
little dreamed that the troops were intently
watching their performance, and before an
other sun arose they would all be sent to
the happy hunting grounds. One of the
families that had been butchered was that
of Joe Lamon, and he had Joined the troops
only the day before the battle, swore he
would liver rest until the last Indian was
killed. Lamon kept his word.
The Indians could not have selected q
more propitious spot for camping, SO far as
the soldiers were concerned. Their tepees
were pitched in a basin in the bed of the
creek, and on all sides Of them were high
surrounded the camp and quietly waited.
just as dawn was breaking and the Indians
began to stir about the critical moment had
arrived. They had given no warning to the
settlers and shown no mercy, and why
should the soldiers give them the slightest
ton hundreds of muskets belched faith a
yolley of leaden missiles right into the
tepees of the Indians. The frightened saw
ages who were not killed by the first fire
endeavored to escape, but each succeeding
volley moved them down and finally all
were still. The rest is known. The braves,
their squaws and children had been killed,
and the murder of the innocent whites in
the Arkansas and Platte valleys had been
avenged with vengeance.
Now comes the story of how old Joe La
mon kept his word. In searching through
the tepees the soldiers found two young In
dian girls, who had miraculously escaped
the fusilade. They were taken in charge by
Col. Chivington, and that night he had
them placed in tent adjoining his own
for fear that some of the enraged settlers
would kill them and make the score doubly
even. As an extra precaution he placed two
of his most trusted men on guard in from
of his tent.
During the night the rear end of the tea
where the two girls were sleeping was sli
open, and in the twinkling of an eye thu
girls we're dead. A long, keen knife flashed
in the air, and all was over. The followin,
morning when Col. Chivington ordered thu
girls brought to his tent the horrible dis
covery was made that they were dead. Thei
heads had been severed from their bodies
just as Joe Lamon found his wife an,
daughter when he returned to his ruines
home after the savages had killed five mem
bers of his family. The old settler hat
kept his word, the last of the bloodthirst,
band had been wiped out. He never re
/ turned to his former home, but soon joinet
uho iryraf IN
90. He settled down near Santa Fe, wher
I 6e lived until his death.
The Verdict Unanimous.
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