The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-25
MASSACRE AT SAND CREEK.
RESULT OF A GOLD FEVER IN COZ
ORkDO IN 1883.

when the Civil War Occurred Indians wero
Told That Sen Davis was the mtg Medicine
Man and PiiiaEe BeEnn-Men. women. ana
Children sncrlnced-A Pale Fnco saunw.
From the chicago Record.
DENVER, Col. July 1.-the discovery Of
gold on Cherry Creek In 1853 brought about It's
logical result, and two years later Denver occu.
pied the ground with a population Of 1000.
When the civil war broke out there was a sharp
but brief contest between tho people from the
North and the South, resulting in favor OF the
North. Several expeditions woro sont out
from Texas TO recover tho territory, with Its
inexhaustible mines. A number Of battles
took place, but by the time a report could reach
Washington they were both out of date and
obscurod by the smoke of the greater conflict.
Tho plains bctweensthe' river and the noun.
tains wcrc covered with Indians, who had been
held In tolerablc subsection. The Utes were n
powerful mountain tribe, secure In their own
natural fortress, and were friendly to the
whites. for the reason that their presence made
1t possible for them to go out and hunt buffalo
with some degree of safety. The Indians Of tho
plains did not want the whites to become tho
allies Of their mountain enemies, hence the
reason for the good behavior.
With tho civil war q new factor entered. The
plains Indians were assured by the representa-
~ vs. sNe az tAht t"S shSNhS a"'ht
in Washington was no longer able to punish
them. and that Jefferson Davis was the big
medicine man. The Indians began their work
of pillage and destruction, though claiming to
be peaceable. They became holder with sue
cess. and swept tho plains In every direction.
1t required as much time to cross from the Mis-
souri, River to Denver, with the OK teams. as 1t
now docs to circumnavigate half the globe.
The feet-movirg savagcs would destroy the
small parties and make 1t dangerous for the
stragglers Of the largo trains. Finding no
troops sent against them as formerly to pun
ish them for crimes committed, they became
firmly convinced that the great father at Wash.
ington had lost his medicine. In 1864 matters
in Colorado were becoming desperate. Families
were scalpcd at the very doors Of Denver, and
the mutilated bodies were taken into the city
for burial. The destruction Of the trains was 80
great that starvation stared the people in the
face before spring. Grant was tightening the
coils for a final struggle with the Confedcracy,
and the Government could extend no aid.
Such was the condition Of things when Gov.
Evans called for mounted volunteers for spe-
cial serrice under Col. J. NJ. Chivington. The
orders we-e blank, though the object was well
understood. 1t was given out, however, that
the Confcderates were preparing for another
attack on Colorado from Texas, and the force
was to operate against the invasion.
Col. Chivington stood 6 feet 40 inches,
weighed $50 pounds, and was possessed OF
strength and endurance In proportion. Like
Gov. Evans, the Colonel was Il Methodist, and
u sort. OF an unordained preacher. In those
camps. who, among other amusements, delighted
in breaking up religious meetings: The evening
lions, when they would shoot out the candies
candles being the only mode Of obtaining light.
Quoted due tpf by chl Rfnef 1f0E When sP he s s lIaSSItln Eai HSni
to the front and disincnmhercd himself of n belt
and pistols, fenking the bible with a big six
shooter on each side, the silence was broken by
nothing save the ainens OF the brethren.
It was late in November when the C9lonsl's
miles distant. where 1t wac known that "a large
body of Ar4 4Re with ,S a few Ghcyennes' were
lead any spy into the belief that it was to Texas
that they were bound. But a few miles out
they halted within ten or a dozeG miles of the
It. was the coolest November night ever known
in that part OF the Territory, but they dare not
saddle and silently but swiftly swept down on
the savagcs, who had covered Colorado, Kan
emiCrants. 1t was nearly sunrise when the OK
petition sighted the Indian camp. whose deni-
Coloradoans then swept through and over them
them IN under ,Msir , the feet sbd Of f1 hOrse G IN o sha ~ the bril-
Two Face and Charles Bent were in COM
mand OF the sa,yagcs; The ono was called Twc
mother Il Cheyenne; Bent was n half breed.
with the evils Of both races and the virtues OF
neither. Two Face escaped, but Bent fought
his last battle; Fresh sealp:, including those o.
women and children. were found in the camp;
also other evidences of atrocities too horrible
No prisoners were taken and few escaped. The
fight did not las, long, but more than 800 In.
In the preceding August the Eubnnks family
Of eleven persons were maSsacrcd on tho Blue
River. Mrs. EuhaEks was handsome. not quite
so years old. nnd Two Face made nor his squaw.
She was held for a year. when Two Face was
to the house % Prof. O.. i. WigIinS. now living
in Denver. Virgins was II scout who. with Kit
Carson, found tho path that Fremont had lost
in the early ~iortics and saved the expedition
Mr.; Virgins once told the Rrcor& CORE;
spOndcnt that tho testimony OF Mrs. Eubanks
Two Face. was nj sand Creek. For some time
ties were Frequently arriving, bringing iro.
phics of their horrible work. and their fires
They knew that a body Of men was being
raised IN Denver. but supposed it was TO fight the
TeXns rangers, and when they moved i was
with such celebrity that the Indians did moi
know Of it.
With characteristic cunning, Two Face had
When the attack was made Mrs. Eubanks had
no chance to escape or 10 make herself known
Afterward Mrs, Eubanks was furnished trans
The battle Of Sand Creek put an end to The
dcprSdnti"nS. put hr9rSGi down Mr% h1 a%lors SiS
or eight months Inter sam T"ppan, Indian
agent for the ArapahOcs.. arrived in Denver
md was loud in his wrath, He declared thai
the Arapaliocs were peaceful. and that they
never had been guilty of the crimes laid. Z
their charge. lie also announced that he would
the remnant OF the Arapahocs for torture.
Tappan lived nj the l!roadwGll House. on thu
corner OF Ihrimcr and sixteenth streets. where
the Tabor block stands. One night a party
OF vigorous men carrying II rope visited tn,
hotel. by some means Tappan got wind of j
and went ont through the scuttlc, on the roof
, Skinned down the watcrSpoui, and making hi
way through OuthOuscs and ba X alleys
, reached the outskirts Of the city. In III,
, morning tho outgoing stage found n frightcne,
! and snivcring indian agent who wanted to ge
trusted for the fare 10 the river; II Tappal