Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-04-05
HELD HILL FIVE WEEKS
M EMO RIAL CoMMEMoRATEs
BRAVE ACT OF PIONEER.
Early Colorado Settler, With His Fam
lily, Held War Party of Indians at
Bay on Spot Now Known as q
Simpsons Rest"

Prominent among the rocky, mesa,
like hills that surround Denver, is a
rugged, gray point, within the out.
skirts Of the town, known as "Simp.
sons Rest" Recently there was erect.
ed on this hill monument commemo-
rating the brave fight put up at this
spot by John Simpson, one Of the ear.
liest settlers Of Colorado, against a
war party Of Utes and Cheyennes In
1855. The Indian fighter and his wife
are buried on top Of the hill. d.
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 10 and 13, were max
ing their way to small stream near
their home, they were surprised to see
a large party Of Indians riding toward
then at a terrific pace, shaking their
lance and uttering blood-thirsty cries.
At the same time they heard a cry
from the direction of the cabin, and
saw their father running toward them
with his rife in his hand.
Simpson had just returned from an
expedition. He had heard that the
Cheyennes AMI Utes had gone on the
warpath. and he had hastened home
Just in time to rescue his family. See
ing the trapper, the Indians hesitated,
for Simpsons fame as a shot had
spread throughout the frontier, and
the redskins knew that several among
them would meet death If they per
sisted in their attempt to capture the
children.
Two burros were packed with provi
sions, a keg Of water and all the am
munition the trapper possessed. Driv
ing the burros ahead of them the
memIers of the little family set ou
from the house. Simpson covered tht
Indians with his rife when they ap
preached too near, and the family wal
unmolested. The hill which appealed
to the trapper as a good place for de
tense was accessible only by a singl,
narrow, rocky path, up which on
must climb today in reaching the sum
NIT Of Simpsons Rest" The sum
NIT Of the hill is fiat, about half al
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 q
an entrance.
The Indians saw that 1t was hope
less to attempt to storm the natura
fortress. so they surrounded the hi
and began a siege in the endeavor I
"starve out" the defenders. The sieg
has no parallel in the history Of tn
: west. For five weeks the plucky PIC
> neer and his family held their fortress
, They killed their burrors when prC
visions ran low. Fortunately, ther
had been heavy rains, and depression
in the rocks at the top Of the hi
T were filled with water, giving an an
: pie supply. At the end Of the fift
week. when hope was nearly abal
doned, the Indians suddenly brought !
r their ponies and rode away with shri
O cries. A troop Of cavalry from Fol
Lyon, $50 miles distant, which ha
been sent out to render aid to any Sc
tiers who might have escaped the M
u rauding Indians. soon came In vie7
e and Simpson and his family were re
t cued