The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-05-20
HELD HILL FIVE WEEKS
NJ z NJ o RIAL COMMEMORATIVE
BRAVE ACT OF PIONEER.
Early Colorado Settler, With His Fam
lily, Held War Party of Indians at
Bay on Spot Now Known as
Simpsons Rest"

Prominent among the rocky, mesa
like hills that surround Denver, is
rugged, gray point within the out
skirts Of the town, known as "Simp-
sons Rest" Recently there was erect
cd on this hill monument commemo-
rating the brave fight put up at this
spot by John Simpson, one OF the ear
Hest settlers of Colorado, against a
war party of Utes and Cheyennes In
1865. The Indian fighter and his wife
are buried on top OF the hill
The Utes and Cheyennes made the
foothills and the plains adjoining the
Rockies their hunting ground, but
they rarely gave trouble to settlers.
Consequently. one May morning In
1855, when Simpsons children, Bob
and Nora, aged Is and 10, were max
ing their way to small stream near
their home, they were surprised to see
a large party OF Indians riding toward
them at terrific pace. shaking their
I lances aud uttering blood.thirsty cries.
AT the same time they heard cry
from the direction of the cabin, and
saw their father running toward them
with hts rifle In his hand.
Simpson had Just returned from an
expedition He had heard that the
Cheyennes and Utes had gone on the
warpath. and he had fastened home
Just In time to rescue his family See
ing the trapper. .he Indians hesitated,
for simpsons fame as shot had
| spread throughout the frontier, and
the redskins knew that several among
, them would meet death II they per
sisted in their attempt to capture the
children.
Two burros were packed with provi'
sions. a key of water and all the am
: munitiou the trapper possessed, Driv
ing the burros ahead OF them the
+ members Of the little family set Out
from the house Simpson covered the
Indians with his rifle when they ap
preached too near, and the family was
unmolested. The hill which appealed
to the trapper as good place for de
] Tense was accessible only by single
narrow, rocky path, up which one
must climb today in reaching the sum
NIT OF Simpsons Rest" The sum
nit OF the hill is fat. about half ar
5 acre in extent and surrounded by {
high rocky wall 1t would be impos
sible to storm such natural fortress
except by over.powering the defender'
at the narrow defile which served a.
an entrance
= The Indians saw that It was hope
r less to attempt to storm the naturs
fortress, so they surrounded the hill
and began siege in the endeavor Il
"starve out" the defenders The sieg
has no parallel in the history Of tn
west For Ave weeks the plucky pic
a neer and his family held their fortress
= They killed their burrors when pro
= visions ran low Fortunately Their
;. had been heavy rains, and depression
n In the rocks at the top OF the hill
were filled with water, giving an am
pie supply At the end OF the Att
week. when hope was nearly aban
" doned, the Indians suddenly brought Il
e their ponies and rode away with shril
: cries. A troop OF cavalry from For
p Lyon, $50 miles distant, which ha
l. been sent out to render aid to any sci
tiers who might have escaped the ma
rauding Indians, soon came in view
and Simpson and his family were REF
" cued.