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For other uses, see Kit Carson (disambiguation).
Kit Carson
Kit Carson

Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A frontier is a Political and Geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary, or of a different nature

Contents

Early life

Born in Madison County, Kentucky, near the city of Richmond, Carson was raised in the country near Franklin, Missouri, where his family moved in 1811 when he was about one year old. Madison County is a County located in the US state of Kentucky. Richmond is a city in and the County seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. Franklin is a city in Howard County, Missouri, United States. Carson's father, Lindsey Carson, was a farmer of Scots-Irish descent, who had fought in the Revolutionary War under General Wade Hampton. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Wade Hampton (1752 &ndash February 4, 1835) was a South Carolina soldier politician two-term U There were a total of 15 Carson children: five by Lindsey Carson's first wife, and ten by Kit's mother, Rebecca Robinson. Kit was the eleventh child in the family. [1] The Carson family settled on a tract of land owned by the sons of Daniel Boone, who had purchased the land from the Spanish prior to the Louisiana Purchase. Daniel Boone ( &ndash September 26 1820 was an American pioneer and hunter whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes For the film see Louisiana Purchase (film. The Louisiana Purchase (French Vente de la Louisiane "Louisiana Sale" The Boone and Carson families became good friends, working, socializing, and intermarrying.

Carson was eight when his father was killed by a falling tree while clearing land. Lindsey Carson's death reduced the Carson family to a desperate poverty, forcing young Kit to drop out of school to work on the family farm, as well as engage in hunting. At age 14, Kit was apprenticed to a saddlemaker (Workman's Saddleshop) in the settlement of Franklin, Missouri. Franklin was situated at the eastern end of the Santa Fe Trail, which had opened two years earlier. The Santa Fe Trail was a Historic 19th century transportation route through southwestern North America connecting Missouri with Santa Fe Many of the clientele at the saddleshop were trappers and traders, from whom Kit would hear their stirring tales of the Far West. Carson is reported to have found work in the saddle shop suffocating: he once stated "the business did not suit me, and I concluded to leave".

At sixteen, Carson secretly signed on with a large merchant caravan heading to Santa Fe; his job was to tend the horses, mules, and oxen. Santa Fe ( Navajo: Yootó is the Capital of the state of New Mexico. During the winter of 1826-1827 he stayed with Matthew Kinkead, a trapper and explorer, in Taos, New Mexico, then known as the capital of the fur trade in the Southwest. Taos (ˈtaʊs is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico. Kinkead had been a friend of Carson's father in Missouri, and he taught Carson the skills of a trapper. Carson also began learning the necessary languages and became fluent in Spanish, Navajo, Apache, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute. Navajo or Navaho ( native name: Diné bizaad) is an Athabaskan language (of Na-Dené stock spoken in the southwest United States by Southern Athabaskan (also Apachean) is a subfamily of Athabaskan languages spoken primarily in the North American Southwest (including Arizona The Cheyenne language ( Tsėhesenėstsestotse or in easier spelling Tsisinstsistots is a Native American language spoken in present-day Montana The Arapaho language (also Arapahoe is a Plains Algonquian language (an areal rather than genetic grouping spoken almost entirely by elders in Wyoming Shoshone is a Native American language spoken by the Shoshone people The Ute language (also Southern Paiute and Colorado River) of the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family is actually a Dialect [1]

The trapper years (1829-40)

See Fur trade

After gaining experience along the Santa Fe Trail and in Mexico, Carson signed on with Ewing Young and forty other fur men in the Spring of 1829; this was his first official expedition as a trapper. The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal Fur. The Santa Fe Trail was a Historic 19th century transportation route through southwestern North America connecting Missouri with Santa Fe The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The journey took the band into unexplored Apache country along the Gila River. The Gila /'hilə/ River ( O'odham [Pima]: Gila Akimel) is a Tributary of the Colorado River, 650 Miles (1044 Kilometers Ewing's group was approached and attacked by Apache Indians. It was during this encounter that Carson shot and killed one of the attacking Indians, the first time he killed a man.

At the age of 25, in the summer of 1835, Carson attended an annual mountain man rendezvous, which was held along the Green River in southwestern Wyoming. The Mountain Men is also the name of a 1980 movie starring Charlton Heston. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. He became interested in an Arapaho woman whose name, Waa-Nibe, is approximated in English as "Singing Grass"[2] Her tribe was camped nearby the rendezvous. The Arapaho (in French: Gens de Vache) tribe of Native Americans historically living on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming [3][4][5] Singing Grass is said to have been popular at the rendezvous and also to have caught the attention of a French-Canadian trapper, Joseph Chouinard. When Singing Grass chose Carson over Chouinard, the rejected suitor became belligerent. Chouinard is reported to have disrupted the camp, so that Carson could no longer tolerate the situation. Words were exchanged, and Carson and Chouinard charged each other on horses, brandishing their weapons. Carson blew off the thumb of his opponent with his pistol, while Chouinard's rifle shot barely missed, grazing Carson below his left ear and scorching his eye and hair. Carson stated that had his opponent's horse not shied as he fired, Chouinard might have finished him off, as he was a splendid shot.

Controversy regarding Chouinard's fate continues, with no certainty achieved. The duel with Chouinard is said to have made Carson famous among the mountain men but was also considered uncharacteristic of him. [6]

Carson considered his years as a trapper to be "the happiest days of my life. " Accompanied by Singing Grass, he worked with the Hudson Bay Company, as well as the renowned frontiersman Jim Bridger, trapping beaver along the Yellowstone, Powder, and Big Horn Rivers, and was found throughout what is now Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. James or Jim Bridger (March 1804 &ndash July 17 1881 was among the foremost mountain men, trappers scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western The Yellowstone River is a Tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 671 miles (1080 km long in the western United States. The Bighorn River is a Tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately 461 mi (742 km long in the western United States in the states of Wyoming The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern Carson's first child, a daughter named Adeline, was born in 1837. Singing Grass gave birth to a second daughter and developed a fever shortly after the child's birth, and died sometime between 1838-40. [3][4][5][7]

At this time, the nation was undergoing a severe depression (see Panic of 1837). The Panic of 1837 was a Panic in the United States built on a speculative fever The fur industry was undermined by changing fashion styles: a new demand for silk hats replaced the demand for beaver fur. Also, the trapping industry had devastated the beaver population; this combination of facts ended the need for trappers. Carson stated, "Beaver was getting scarce, it became necessary to try our hand at something else. "[8]

He attended the last mountain man rendezvous, held in the summer of 1840 (again at Ft. Bridger near the Green River) and moved on to Bent's Fort, finding employment as a hunter. Bent's Old Fort is an 1833 fort located in Otero County, Colorado, USA. Carson married a Cheyenne woman, Making-Out-Road,[9] in 1841 but Making-Out-Road left him only a short time later to follow her tribe's migration. [3][4][5] By 1842 he met and became engaged to the daughter of a prominent Taos family: Josefa Jaramillo. Taos (ˈtaʊs is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico. After receiving instruction from Padre Antonio José Martínez, he was baptized into the Catholic Church in 1842. Father]] Antonio José Martínez ( January 17, 1793 &ndash July 27, 1867) was a New Mexican priest educator, publisher When he was 34, he married 14-year-old Josefa, his third wife, on February 6, 1843. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common They raised eight children, the descendants of whom remain in the Arkansas Valley of Colorado. [5]

Guide with Frémont (1842-46)

Carson decided early in 1842 to return east to bring his daughter Adeline to live with relatives near Carson's former home of Franklin, for the purpose of providing her with an education. That summer he met John C. Frémont on a Missouri River steamboat in Missouri. John Charles Frémont ( January 21, 1813 July 13, 1890) was an American military officer, explorer, the A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller Frémont was preparing to lead his first expedition and was looking for a guide to take him to South Pass. South Pass (elevation) is a Mountain pass on the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Wyoming. The two men made acquaintance, and Carson offered his services, as he had spent much time in the area. The five month journey, made with 25 men, was a success, and Fremont's report was published by Congress. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses His report "touched off a wave of wagon caravans filled with hopeful emigrants" heading West.

Frémont's success in the first expedition lead to his second expedition, undertaken in the summer of 1843, which proposed to map and describe the second half of the Oregon Trail, from South Pass to the Columbia River. Pioneers traveled across the Oregon Trail, one of the main overland migration routes on the North American Continent, in wagons in order to settle new parts of the South Pass (elevation) is a Mountain pass on the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Wyoming. The Columbia River (known as Due to his proven skill as a guide in the first expedition, Carson's services were again requested. This journey took them along the Great Salt Lake into Oregon, establishing all the land in the Great Basin to be land-locked, which contributed greatly to the understanding of North American geography at the time. Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the US state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere the fourth-largest terminal Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. Their trip brought them into sight of Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, and Mount Hood. Mount Rainier is an active Stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano in Pierce County Washington, located southeast of Seattle, Washington Mount St Helens is an active Stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States Mount Hood (called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe) is a Stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc in northern

One purpose of this expedition had been to locate the Buenaventura, a major east-west river that was believed to connect the Great Lakes with the Pacific Ocean. The non-existent Buenaventura River, alternatively San Buenaventura River, Río Buenaventura, etc The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Though its existence was accepted as scientific fact at the time, it was not to be found. Frémont's second expedition established that this mystical river was a fable.

The second expedition became snowbound in the Sierra Nevadas that winter, and was in danger of mass starvation. The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U Carson's wilderness expertise pulled them through, in spite of being half-starved. Food was scarce enough that their mules "ate one another's tails and the leather of the pack saddles. "[10]

The expedition moved south into the Mojave Desert, enduring attacks by Natives, which killed one man. For the indigenous American tribe see Mohave. The Mojave Desert (moʊˈhɑːvi or /məˈhɑːvi/ ( Hayikwiir Mat'aar in Mojave Also, when the expedition had crossed into California, they had officially invaded Mexico. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The threat of military intervention by that country sent Fremont's expedition further southeast, into Nevada, at a watering hole known as Las Vegas. The party traveled on to Bent's Fort, and by August, 1844 returned to Washington, over a year after their departure. Bent's Old Fort is an 1833 fort located in Otero County, Colorado, USA. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Another Congressional report on Fremont's expedition was published. By the time of the second report in 1845, Frémont and Carson were becoming nationally famous.

Somewhere along this route, Frémont and party came across a Mexican man and a boy who were survivors of an ambush by a band of Natives, who had killed two men, staked two women to the ground and mutilated them, and stolen 30 horses. Carson and fellow mountain man Alex Godey took pity on the two survivors. They tracked the Native band for 2 days, and upon locating them, rushed into their encampment. They killed two Native Americans, scattered the rest, and returned with the horses.

"More than any other single factor or incident, [the Mojave Desert incident] from Frémont's second expedition report is where the Kit Carson legend was born…. . "[11]

On June 1, 1845 John Frémont and 55 men left St. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Louis, with Carson as guide, on the third expedition. The stated goal was to "map the source of the Arkansas River", on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. But upon reaching the Arkansas, Frémont suddenly made a hasty trail straight to California, without explanation. Arriving in the Sacramento Valley in early winter 1846, he promptly sought to stir up patriotic enthusiasm among the American settlers there. He promised that if war with Mexico started, his military force would "be there to protect them. " Frémont nearly provoked a battle with General José Castro near Monterey, which would have likely resulted in the annihilation of Frémont's group, due to the superior numbers of the Mexican troops. José Antonio Castro (b Monterey, 1808 d February 1860 was acting governor of Alta California in 1835-1836 and Commandante General of the Mexican Frémont then fled Mexican-controlled California, and went north to Oregon, finding camp at Klamath Lake. Upper Klamath Lake (sometimes called Klamath Lake) is a large shallow Freshwater Lake east of the Cascade Range in south central Oregon

On the night of May 9, 1846 Frémont received a courier, Lieutenant Archibald Gillespie, who brought him messages from President James Polk. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Frémont stayed up late reviewing these messages and neglected to post a watchman for the camp, as was customary for security measures. The neglect of this action is said to have been troubling to Carson, yet he had "apprehended no danger". [12] Later that night Carson was awakened by the sound of a thump. Jumping up, he saw his friend and fellow trapper Basil Lajeunesse sprawled in blood. He called an alarm and immediately everyone else came to: they were under attack by Native Americans estimated to be several dozen in number. By the time the assailants were beaten off, two other members of Frémonts group were dead. The one dead warrior was judged to be a Klamath Lake Native. Frémont's group fell into "an angry gloom. " Carson was beside himself, and Frémont reports he smashed away at the dead warrior's face until it was pulp. [13]

To avenge the deaths of his expedition members, Frémont chose to attack a Klamath Tribe fishing village named Dokdokwas, at the junction of the Williamson River and Klamath Lake, which took place May 10, 1846. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Accounts by scholars vary as to what happened but it is certain that the action completely destroyed the village. [14] Carson was nearly killed by a Klamath warrior later that day: his gun misfired, and the warrior drew to fire a poison arrow; but Frémont, seeing Carson's predicament, trampled the warrior with his horse. Carson stated he felt that he owed Frémont his life due to this incident.

"The tragedy of Dokdokwas is deepened by the fact that most scholars now agree that Frémont and Carson, in their blind vindictiveness, probably chose the wrong tribe to lash out against: In all likelihood the band of Indians that had killed [Frémont's three men] were from the neighboring Modocs…. The Klamaths were culturally related to the Modocs, but the two tribes were bitter enemies. "[15]

Turning south from Klamath Lake, Frémont led his expedition back down the Sacramento Valley, and slyly promoted an insurrection of American settlers, which he then took charge of once circumstances had adequately developed, known as the Bear Flag Revolt. This article covers in brief the history of California until the year 1899 for later events see History of California 1900 to present. Events escalated when a group of Mexicans murdered two American rebels. Frémont then intercepted three Mexican men on June 28, 1846, crossing the San Francisco Bay, who landed near San Quentin. Frémont ordered Carson to execute these three men in revenge for the deaths of the two Americans. [16]

Mexican American War service

See: History of California to 1899

Frémont's California Battalion next moved south to the provincial capital of Monterey, California, and met Commodore Robert Stockton there in mid-July of 1846. This article covers in brief the history of California until the year 1899 for later events see History of California 1900 to present. Robert Field Stockton ( 20 August 1795 7 October 1866) was an United States naval commodore, notable in Stockton had sailed into harbor with two American warships and taken claim to Monterey for the United States. Learning that the war with Mexico was underway, Stockton made plans to capture Los Angeles and San Diego and proceed on to Mexico City. The recorded history of the San Diego, California region goes back to the Spanish penetration of California in the 16th century He joined forces with Frémont, and made Carson a lieutenant, thus initiating Carson's military career.

Frémont's unit arrived in San Diego on one of Stockton's ships on July 29, 1846, and took over the town without resistance. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Stockton, traveling on a separate warship, claimed Santa Barbara a few days later. Santa Barbara is a city in Santa Barbara County California, United States. (See Mission Santa Barbara and Presidio of Santa Barbara). Mission Santa Barbara, also known as Santa Barbara Mission, is a Spanish Franciscan mission near present day Santa Barbara, California The El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara, also known as the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara, was a military installation in Santa Barbara California. Meeting up and joining forces in San Diego, they marched to Los Angeles and claimed this town without any challenge, and Stockton declared California to be United States territory on August 17, 1846. For the main article see Los Angeles California. The history of Los Angeles California, begins in the 18th century with a tiny Spanish settlement Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display The following day, August 18, Stephen W. Kearny rode into Santa Fe, New Mexico with his Army of the West and declared the New Mexican territory conquered. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Stephen Watts Kearny (IPA; "Kar-ney" ( August 30, 1794 October 31, 1848) was one of the foremost antebellum frontier officers

Stockton and Frémont were eager to announce the conquest of California to President Polk, and wished for Carson to carry their correspondence overland to the President. James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 Carson accepted the mission, and pledged to cross the continent within 60 days. He left Los Angeles with 15 men and 6 Delaware Indians on September 5. The shannon (later named Delaware Indians by Europeans were in the 17th century organized bands of Native American peoples with shared cultural and linguistic Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris.

Service with Kearny

Thirty one days later on October 6, Carson chanced to meet Kearny and his 300 dragoons at the deserted village of Valverde. [17] Kearny was under orders from the Polk Administration to subdue both New Mexico and California, and set up governments there. Learning that California was already conquered, he sent 200 of his men back to Santa Fe, and ordered Carson to guide him back to California so he could stabilize the situation there. Kearny sent the mail on to Washington by another courier.

For the next six weeks, Lt. Carson guided Kearny and the 100 dragoons west along the Gila River over very rugged terrain, arriving at the Colorado River on November 25. Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the On some parts of the trail mules died at a rate of almost 12 a day. By December 5, three months after leaving Los Angeles, Carson had brought Kearny's men to within 25 miles (40 km) of their destination, San Diego. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations.

A Mexican courier was captured en route to Sonora Mexico carrying letters to General Jose Castro that reported a Mexican revolt which had recaptured California from Commodore Stockton: all the coastal cities now were back under Mexican control, except for San Diego, where the Mexicans had Stockton pinned down and under siege. Kearny was himself in perilous danger, as his force was reduced both in numbers and in a state of physical exhaustion: they had to come out of the Gila River trail and confront the Mexican forces, or risk perishing in the desert.

The Battle of San Pasqual

While approaching San Diego, Kearny sent a rancher ahead to notify Commodore Stockton of his presence. The Battle of San Pasqual (also spelled San Pascual) was a military encounter that occurred during the Mexican-American War in what is now the San Pasqual The rancher, Edward Stokes, returned with 39 American troops and information that several hundred Mexican dragoons under Capt Andres Pico were camped at the Indian village of San Pasqual, lying on the route between him and Stockton. Kearny decided to raid Pico in order to capture fresh horses, and sent out a scouting party on the night of December 5-6.

The scouting party encountered a barking dog in San Pasqual, and Captain Pico's troops were aroused from their sleep. Having been detected, Kearny decided to attack, and organized his troops to advance on San Pasqual. A complex battle evolved, where twenty-one Americans were killed and many more wounded: many from the long lances of the Mexican caballeros, who also displayed expert horsemanship. By the end of the second day, December 7, the Americans were nearly out of food and water, low on ammunition and weak from the journey along the Gila River. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways They faced starvation and possible annilation by the Mexican troops who vastly outnumbered them, and Kearny ordered his men to dig in on top of a small hill.

Kearny then sent Carson and two other men to slip through the siege and get reinforcements. Carson, Edward Beale, and an Indian left on the night of December 8 for San Diego which was 25 miles (40 km) away. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Because their canteens made too much noise, they were left along the path. Because their boots also made too much noise, Carson and Beale removed these and tucked them under their belts. These they lost, and Carson and Beale traveled the distance to San Diego barefoot through desert, rock, and cactus.

By December 10, Kearny had decided all hope was gone, and planned to attempt a breakout the next morning: but that night, 200 American troops on fresh horses arrived, the Mexican army dispersed with the new show of strength. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Kearny was able to arrive in San Diego by December 12. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian This action contributed to the prompt reconquest of California by the American forces.

Civil War and Indian campaigns

Following the recapture of Los Angeles in 1846, Frémont was appointed Governor of California by Commodore Stockton. Frémont sent Carson to carry messages back to Washington City. He stopped in St. Louis and met with Senator Thomas Benton, who was a prominent supporter of the settling of the West and a proponent of Manifest Destiny, and had been prominent in getting Frémont's expedition reports published by Congress. Thomas Hart Benton nicknamed "Old Bullion" ( March 14, 1782 &ndash April 10, 1858) was a U Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. Once in Washington, Carson delivered his messages to Secretary of State James Buchanan, as well as had meetings with Secretary of War William Marcy and President James Polk. James Buchanan Jr (April 23 1791 – June 1 1868 was the fifteenth President of the United States (1857–1861 William Learned Marcy ( December 12, 1786 - July 4, 1857) was an American statesman who served as U

Having completed this mission, Carson received orders to do it all again: return to California with messages, receive further messages there, and bring those back yet again to Washington. By the end of the Frémont expeditions and these courier missions, Carson felt he wanted to settle down with Joséfa, and decided in 1849 to go into farming in Taos.

Carson's public image as an action hero had been sealed by the Frémont expedition reports of 1845. In 1849, the first of many Carson action novels appeared. The first, written by Charles Averill, bore the name Kit Carson: The Prince of the Gold Hunters. This type of western pulp fiction was known as "blood and thunders. " In Averill's novel, Carson finds a kidnapped girl and rescues her, after having vowed to her distraught parents in Boston that he would scour the American West until she was found.

This book was among the possessions Carson and Major William Grier found when they recovered the body of Mrs. Ann White in November, 1849. Mrs. White and her daughter had been taken captive by Jicarilla Apaches several weeks earlier. She had been traveling with her husband James White, a trader, to Santa Fe, when a group of Indians approached them as they camped along the Santa Fe trail. Mr. White tried to disperse the Indians with his rifle, but they attacked, killing everyone except Mrs. White, her daughter, and a servant.

Carson and Grier tracked the Indians for twelve days to their camp on the Canadian River. The Canadian River is the largest Tributary of the Arkansas River. Carson wanted an immediate attack, while Grier wanted to parlay with the Jicarillas. The disagreement in tactics caused delay, which gave the Indians time to disperse from camp and escape. In the process, Mrs. White appears to have attempted to flee and was killed by an arrow through the heart.

While picking through the belongings that the Jicarillas had left in their camp, one of Major Grier's soldiers came across a book that the White family had carried with them from Missouri: the paperback novel starring Kit Carson. This book must have been shown to him, for he was to comment on it later. This was the first time that the real Kit Carson came in contact with his own myth.

The episode of the White massacre haunted Carson's memory for many years. He once stated, "I have often thought that, as Mrs. White read the book, she prayed for my appearance, knowing that I lived nearby. " His fear was that the book had given her a false hope. He wrote later, "I have much regretted the failure to save the life of so esteemed a lady. " He was troubled by the implications and false image that developed around his celebrity status.

When the American Civil War began in April 1861, Kit Carson resigned his post as federal Indian agent for northern New Mexico and joined the New Mexico volunteer infantry which was being organized by Ceran St. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South In United States history an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U Vrain. Although New Mexico Territory officially allowed slavery, geography and economics made the institution so impractical that there were only a handful of slaves within its boundaries. The Territory of New Mexico became an Organized territory of the United States on September 9, 1850, and it existed until New Mexico As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another The territorial government and the leaders of opinion all threw their support to the Union. During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three

Overall command of Union forces in the Department of New Mexico fell to Colonel Edward R. S. Canby of the Regular Army's 19th Infantry, headquartered at Ft. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9 1817 &ndash April 11 1873 was a career United States Army officer and a Union General in the American Civil Marcy in Santa Fe. Santa Fe ( Navajo: Yootó is the Capital of the state of New Mexico. Carson, with the rank of Colonel of Volunteers, commanded the third of five columns in Canby's force. Carson's command was divided into two battalions each made up of four companies of the First New Mexico Volunteers, in all some 500 men.

Early in 1862, Confederate forces in Texas under General Henry Hopkins Sibley undertook an invasion of New Mexico Territory. The War Department was established by the Confederate Congress in an act on February 21, 1861. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Henry Hopkins Sibley ( May 25 1816 &ndash August 23 1886) was a Brigadier general during the American Civil War, fighting The goal of this expedition was to conquer the rich Colorado gold fields and redirect this valuable resource from the North to the South.

Advancing up the Rio Grande, Sibley's command clashed with Canby's Union force at Valverde on February 21, 1862. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday The day-long Battle of Valverde ended when the Confederates captured a Union battery of six guns and forced the rest of Canby's troops back across the river with losses of 68 killed and 160 wounded. The Battle of Valverde ( February 20 – February 21, 1862) fought in and around the town of Valverde in the New Mexico Territory Colonel Carson's column spent the morning on the west side of the river out of the action, but at 1 p. m. , Canby ordered them to cross, and Carson's battalions fought until ordered to retreat. Carson lost one man killed and one wounded.

Colonel Canby had little or no confidence in the hastily recruited, untrained New Mexico volunteers, "who would not obey orders or obeyed them too late to be of any service. " In his battle report, however, he did commend Carson, among other volunteer officers, for his "zeal and energy. "

After the battle at Valverde, Colonel Canby and most of the regular troops were ordered to the eastern front, but Carson and his New Mexico Volunteers were fully occupied by "Indian troubles. "

Prelude to Navajo campaign

Contact between the Navajo and the U. Navajo (sometimes spelled Navaho) or Diné, (means The People in Navajo) refers or relates to the Navajo people, currently S. Army was prompted by a Navajo raid on Socorro, New Mexico near the end of September, 1846. "Socorro" redirects here For other uses see Socorro (disambiguation. General Kearny, passing nearby on his way to California after his recent conquest of Santa Fe, learned of the raid and sent a note to Col. William Doniphan, his second in command in Santa Fe. Alexander William Doniphan ( July 9, 1808 &ndash August 8, 1887) was a noted 19th century American politician and soldier He asked Doniphan to send a regiment of soldiers into Navajo country and secure a peace treaty with them.

A detachment of 30 men made contact with the Navajo and spoke to the Navajo Chief Narbona in mid-October, about the same time that Carson met Gen. Narbona (1766– August 31, 1849) was a Navajo chief He was killed in a confrontation with U Kearny on the trail to California. A second meeting with Chief Narbona and Col. Doniphan occurred several weeks later. Doniphan informed the Navajo that all their land now belonged to the United States, and the Navajo and New Mexicans were now the "children of the United States. " In spite of this, the Navajo signed a treaty, known as the Bear Spring treaty, on Nov. 21, 1846. The treaty forbade the Navajo to raid or make war on the New Mexicans, but allowed the New Mexicans the privilege of making war on the Navajo if they saw fit. [18][19]

Despite the treaty, raiding continued in New Mexico by the Navajo, as well as the Jicarilla Apache, Mescalero Apache, Ute, Comanche, and Kiowa. On August 16, 1849 the U. S. Army began an expedition into the heart of Navajo country on an organized reconnaissance for the purpose of impressing the Navajo with the might of the U. S. military, and to map the terrain for further operations and to plan forts. The expedition was led by Col. John Washington, the military governor of New Mexico at the time. The expedition included nearly a thousand infantry (U. S. and New Mexican volunteers), hundreds of horses and mules, a supply train, 55 Pueblo Indian scouts, and four artillery guns.

On August 29-30, 1849, Washington's expedition was in need of water, and began pillaging Navajo cornfields. It became clear the Navajo intended to resist further pillaging, with mounted warriors darting back and forth around Washington's troops. It is further documented that Washington's reasoning was that the pillaging of Navajo crops was justified because the Navajo would have to reimburse the U. S. government for the cost of the expedition.

In this setting, Washington was still able to communicate to the Navajo that in spite of the hostile situation, they and the whites could "still be friends if the Navajo came with their chiefs the next day and signed a treaty. " This is in fact exactly what the Navajo did.

The next day Chief Narbona came once again to "talk peace," along with several other headmen. An accord was reached on nearly every matter. When a New Mexican thought he saw his stolen horse and the Navajo protested its return, a scuffle broke out. (The Navajo position was that the horse had passed through several owners by this time, and now rightfully belonged to its Navajo owner). Col. Washington sided with the New Mexican. Since the Navajo owner now took his horse and fled the scene, Washington told the New Mexican to go pick out any Navajo horse he wanted. The rest of the Navajo present figured out what has happening, and turned and fled. At this, Col. Washington ordered his soldiers to fire.

Seven Navajo were killed in the volleys; the rest ran and could not be caught. One of the dying was Chief Narbona, who was scalped as he lay dying by a New Mexican souvenir hunter. This massacre prompted the warlike Navajo leaders such as Manuelito to gain influence over those who were advocates of peace. Manuelito (1818–1893 was one of the principal war chiefs of the Navajo people before during and after the Long Walk Period

Carson's Navajo campaign

Raiding by Amerindians had been rather constant up through 1862, and New Mexicans were becoming more outspoken in their demand that something be done. Col. Canby devised a plan for the removal of the Navajo to a distant reservation and sent his plans to his superiors in Washington D. C. But that year, Canby was promoted to general and recalled back east for other duties. His replacement as commander of the Federal District of New Mexico was Brigadier General James H. Carleton.

Carleton believed that the Navajo conflict was the reason for New Mexico's "depressing backwardness. " He naturally turned to Kit Carson to help him fulfill his plans of upgrading New Mexico and his own career: Carson was nationally known and had helped boost the careers of a series of military commanders who had employed him.

Carleton saw a way to harness the anxieties that had been stirred up [in New Mexico] by the Confederate invasion and the still-hovering fear that the Texans might return. If the territory was already on a war footing, the whole society alert and inflamed, then why not direct all this ramped up energy toward something useful? Carleton immediately declared a state of martial law, with curfews and mandatory passports for travel, and then brought all his newly streamlined authority to bear on cleaning up the Navajo mess. With a focus that bordered on obsession, he was determined finally to make good on Kearny's old promise that the United States would "correct all this. "[20]

Furthermore, Carleton believed there was gold in the Navajo's country, and felt they should be driven out in order to allow the development of this possibility. [21] The immediate prelude to Carleton's Navajo campaign was to force the Mescalero Apache to Bosque Redondo. Carleton ordered Carson to kill all the men of that tribe, and say that he (Carson) had been sent to "punish them for their treachery and crimes. "

Carson was appalled by this brutal attitude and refused to obey it. He accepted the surrender of more than a hundred Mescalero warriors who sought refuge with him. Nonetheless, he completed his campaign in a month.

When Carson learned that Carleton intended for him to pursue the Navajo he sent Carleton a letter of resignation dated February 3, 1863. Carleton refused to accept this and used the force of his personality to maintain Carson's cooperation. In language that was similar to his description of the Mescalero Apache, Carleton ordered Carson to lead an expedition against the Navajo, and to say to them, "You have deceived us too often, and robbed and murdered our people too long, to trust you again at large in your own country. This war shall be pursued against you if it takes years, now that we have begun, until you cease to exist or move. There can be no other talk on the subject. "

Under Carleton's direction, Carson instituted a scorched earth policy, burning Navajo fields, orchards and homes, and confiscating or killing their livestock. A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method (possibly more often referred to as a tactic but this is not entirely correct as there is a difference between He was aided by other Indian tribes with long-standing enmity toward the Navajos, chiefly the Utes. Carson was pleased with the work the Utes did for him, but they went home early in the campaign when told they could not confiscate Navajo booty.

Carson also had difficulty with his New Mexico volunteers. Troopers deserted and officers resigned. Carson urged Carleton to accept two resignations he was forwarding, "as I do not wish to have any officer in my command who is not contented or willing to put up with as much inconvenience and privations for the success of the expedition as I undergo myself. "

There were no pitched battles and only a few skirmishes in the Navajo campaign. Carson rounded up and took prisoner every Navajo he could find. In January 1864, Carson sent a company into Canyon de Chelly to attack the last Navajo stronghold under the leadership of Manuelito. Canyon de Chelly National Monument was established April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service and is located in northeastern Arizona The Navajo were forced to surrender because of the destruction of their livestock and food supplies. In the spring of 1864, 8,000 Navajo men, women and children were forced to march or ride in wagons 300 miles (480 km) to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Fort Sumner was a military fort in De Baca County in southeastern New Mexico charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero Apache Navajos call this "The Long Walk." Although Carson had ridden home before the march began, he was held responsible by the Navaho for breaking his word that those who surrendered would not be harmed. The Long Walk of the Navajo, also called the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo, was a journey many Navajos made in 1863 to and from a reservation in southeastern As many as 300 died along the way, and many more during the next four years of imprisonment. In 1868, after signing a treaty with the U. S. government, remaining Navajos were allowed to return to a reduced area of their homeland, where the Navajo Reservation exists today. Thousands of other Navajo who had been living in the wilderness returned to the Navajo homeland centered around Canyon de Chelly.

Southern Plains campaign

In November 1864, Carson was sent by General Carleton to deal with the Natives in western Texas. Carson and his troopers met a combined force of Kiowa, Comanche, and Cheyenne numbering over 1,500 at the ruins of Adobe Walls. The Kiowa (ˈkaɪoʊwə are a nation of American Indians who migrated from what is now Canada to their present location in Southwestern Oklahoma. The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose range (the Comancheria) consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado Cheyenne are a Native American nation of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taa'e (more commonly In what is known as the Battle of Adobe Walls, the Native force led by Dohäsan made several assaults on Carson's forces which were supported by two mountain howitzers. The First Battle of Adobe Walls, was one of the largest ever battles between U Dohäsan (born c late 1780s to early 1790s &ndash died 1866 was a prominent Native American. A howitzer is a type of Artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles Carson inflicted heavy losses on the attacking warriors before burning the Indians' camp and lodges and returning to Fort Bascom.

A few days later, Colonel John M. Chivington led U. John Milton Chivington ( January 27, 1821 &ndash October 4, 1892) was a 19th century United States Army officer noted for his S. troops in a massacre at Sand Creek. The Sand Creek Massacre (also known as the Chivington massacre or the Battle of Sand Creek or the Massacre of Cheyenne Indians) was an incident in Chivington boasted that he had surpassed Carson and would soon be known as the great Indian killer. Carson was outraged at the massacre and openly denounced Chivington's actions.

The Southern Plains campaign led the Comanches to sign the Little Rock Treaty of 1865. In October 1865, General Carleton recommended that Carson be awarded the brevet rank of brigadier-general, "for gallantry in the battle of Valverde, and for distinguished conduct and gallantry in the wars against the Mescalero Apaches and against the Navajo Indians of New Mexico. Mescalero (or Mescalero Apache) is a Native American tribe of Southern Athabaskan heritage currently living on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation "

Colorado

When the Civil War ended, and with the Indian campaigns successfully concluded, Carson left the army and took up ranching, finally settling in Boggsville, Colorado (near the current Las Animas on the Purgatory River). The City of Las Animas is a Statutory City that is the County seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Bent County, Colorado

Carson died at age 58 from an aortic aneurysm in the surgeon's quarters in Fort Lyon, Colorado, located east of Las Animas. An aneurysm (or aneurism) is a localized blood-filled dilation (balloon-like bulge of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall Fort Lyon (also known as Fort Wise) existed on the Colorado eastern plains until 1867, when a new fort was erected near the present-day town of He is buried in Taos, New Mexico, alongside his wife, Josefa ("Josephine"), who died a month earlier of complications following child birth. His headstone inscription reads: "Kit Carson / Died May 23 1868 / Aged 59 Years. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne "[22] His last words were "Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili. "

Reputation

Many of the early images and recollections of Carson by his peers and early writers portray him in a positive light. Albert Richardson, who knew him personally in the 1850s, wrote that Kit Carson was "a gentleman by instinct, upright, pure, and simple-hearted, beloved alike by Indians, Mexicans, and Americans". [23]

Oscar Lipps also presented a positive image of Carson: "The name of Kit Carson is to this day held in reverence by all the old members of the Navajo tribe. They say he knew how to be just and considerate as well as how to fight the Indians". [24]

Carson's contributions to western history have been reexamined by historians, journalists and Native American activists since the 1960s. In 1968, Carson biographer Harvey L. Carter stated:

In respect to his actual exploits and his actual character, however, Carson was not overrated. If history has to single out one person from among the Mountain Men to receive the admiration of later generations, Carson is the best choice. He had far more of the good qualities and fewer of the bad qualities than anyone else in that varied lot of individuals. [25]

Some journalists and authors during the last 25 years present a less benign view of Carson. Virginia Hopkins stated that "Kit Carson was directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Indians". [26] Her viewpoint is contrasted with that of Tom Dunlay, who wrote in 2000 that Carson was directly responsible for less than fifty Indian deaths and that, as Carson was not there at the time, Indian deaths on the Long Walk or at Ft. Sumner were the responsibility of the U.S. Army and General James Carleton. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. [27]

Ed Quillen, publisher of Colorado Central magazine and columnist for The Denver Post, wrote that "Carson. . . betrayed [the Navajo], starved them by destroying their farms and livestock in Canyon de Chelly and then brutally marched them to the Bosque Redondo concentration camp". Canyon de Chelly National Monument was established April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service and is located in northeastern Arizona Fort Sumner was a military fort in De Baca County in southeastern New Mexico charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero Apache [28] In 1970, Lawrence Kelly noted that Carleton had warned 18 Navajo chiefs that all Navajo peoples "must come in and go to the Bosque Redondo where they would be fed and protected until the war was over. That unless they were willing to do this they would be considered hostile". [29] Quillen's contention that Bosque Redondo was a concentration camp has been challenged. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial For instance, several men went off the reservation and stole 1,000 horses from the Comanche Indians to the east. The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose range (the Comancheria) consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado [30] In addition, there was a hospital and a school, services not available at a 'concentration camp' in the modern sense of the word, particularly since World War II.

On January 19, 2006, Marley Shebala, senior news reporter and photographer for Navajo Times, quoted the Fort Defiance Chapter of the Navajo Nation as saying, "Carson ordered his soldiers to shoot any Navajo, including women and children, on sight. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. " Carson did not order his soldiers to do that. This view of Carson's actions may be from General James Carleton’s orders to Carson on October 12, 1862, concerning the Mescalero Apaches: "All Indian men of that tribe are to be killed whenever and wherever you can find them: the women and children will not be harmed, but you will take them prisoners and feed them at Ft. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday Stanton until you receive other instructions". [31] Carson refused to obey that order then, and again with the Navajo in 1863.

Hampton Sides stated[32] that Carson felt the Native Americans needed reservations as a way of physically separating and shielding them from white hostility and white culture. He believed most of the Indian troubles in the West were caused by "aggressions on the part of whites. " He is said to have viewed the raids on white settlements as driven by desperation, "committed from absolute necessity when in a starving condition. " Native American hunting grounds were disappearing as waves of white settlers filled the region.

Popular culture

The legend of Kit Carson began before he died, and has continued to grow through the years through dime novels, poems, movies, television, and comic books. This article is about US novels For the British versions see Story papers and Penny Dreadfuls. These fictional tales tend to portray Carson as a heroic figure slaughtering two bears and a dozen Indians before breakfast, and when mixed with a few real historic events, the result is that Kit Carson becomes larger than life.

Novels

There are at least 25 titles that have been recorded, from Kit Carson, Prince of the Gold Hunters (1849) through Kit Carson, King of Scouts (1923).

There is also a children's novel, Adaline Falling Star (2000), by Mary Pope Osborne. It tells the story of Kit Carson and his times through the eyes of his daughter from his first marriage.

Kit Carson also appears in historical fiction novel Flashman and the Redskins by George MacDonald Fraser, where he helps guide Flashman and his party across the west to California. Flashman and the Redskins is a 1982 Novel by George MacDonald Fraser. George MacDonald Fraser, OBE (2 April 1925 &ndash 2 January 2008 was a British Author of both Historical novels and Non-fiction books

A character by the Name of Kit Carson also appears in the Time Scout novels by Robert Asprin. Robert Lynn Asprin ( June 28, 1946 – May 22, 2008) was an American Science fiction and fantasy author best known While not identical in origin or time period to the original, the character bears several similarities, most notably the scouting profession.

Films

There were four silent films made with Kit Carson as the "star" from 1903 to 1928. Hollywood produced 3 talking films: Fighting with Kit Carson, a serial (1933), revised as a single movie: The Return of Kit Carson (1947); Overland with Kit Carson (1939); and Kit Carson (1940), starring Jon Hall in the title role. Fighting with Kit Carson ( 1933) is a Mascot Pictures movie serial. Jon Hall ( February 23, 1915 &ndash December 13, 1979) was an American Film Actor. The Adventures of Kit Carson was a TV series (1951-1955); Disney released Kit Carson and the Mountain Men in 1977, Dream West was a TV 1986 docudrama that includes Kit Carson and John C. Fremont as characters, and the History Channel produced "Carson and Cody, the Hunter Heroes" in 2003. Several other motion pictures include Kit Carson as a minor character.

Television

A successful western series,The Adventures of Kit Carson, starring veteran actor Bill Williams ran on syndicated television from 1951-1955. Bill Williams may refer to Bill Williams (actor, American film actor Bill Williams (game designer, game designer and programmer for Atari A total of 104 half-hour episodes were filmed over 4 seasons. Some of these are now available on DVD.

Comics

In 1931 Kit Carson was the subject of J. Carrol Mansfield's daily comic strip High Lights of History and these strips were reprinted as a Big Little Book, Kit Carson(1933). Avon began a series of Kit Carson comic book that lasted 9 issues (1950-1955). Classics Illustrated No 112, titled The Adventures of Kit Carson (1953), is based on John C. Abbott's 1873 book, and Blazing the Trails West, another Classics Illustrated publication, includes a chapter on Kit Carson. Classics Illustrated is a comic book series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as Moby Dick, Hamlet, and The Six Gun Heroes had two Kit Carson titles (1957 & 1958) and there was a Kit Carson No. 10 in 1963. Boy's Life includes a continuing strip story "Old Timere Tales of Kit Carson" from Mar. 1951 to May, 1953. There was a 1970 Walt Disney Comics Digest that included Kit Carson, and Carson strips are in several issues of Frontier Fighters and Indian Fighter. Walt Disney Comics Digest was one of three Digest size comics published by Gold Key Comics in the early 1970s In England, there was a Kit Carson comic that lasted at least 350 issues (1950s), and 7 Kit Carson Annuals (1954-1960)

Kit Carson is included in a number of 20th century novels and pulp magazine stories: Comanche Chaser by Dane Coolidge, On Sweet Water Trail by Sabra Conner, On to Oregon by H. W. Morrow, The Pioneers by C. R. Cooper, The Long Trail by J. Allan Dunn and Peltry by H. D. H. Smith.

In Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop, Kit Carson's multifaceted legend is explored, first as compassionate friend to the Indians, later as "misguided" soldier. Death Comes for the Archbishop is a 1927 Novel by Willa Cather.

In the Italian comic Tex Willer, Kit Carson appears as Tex's sidekick. Tex Willer is a Italian comics series featuring the character of the same name created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini

Museum and honors

Carson's grave
Carson's grave

A partial list of places named after Carson:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ T. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Kit Carson Pass, named after the famed explorer Kit Carson, (el The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U Carson Sink is a large Playa, approximately 300 sq mi (780 km² in area in the Lahontan Valley of northwestern Nevada. The California Trail was a major overland Emigrant route across the Western United States from Missouri to California in the middle 19th The historic Town of Kit Carson is a Statutory Town in Cheyenne County, Colorado, United States. Kit Carson County is the 18th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Escondido ( "eskun-DEE-doe") is a city located in northern San Diego County California just north of the city of San Diego. Kit Carson Mountain, or Kit Carson Peak Oregon Route 39 is an Oregon State highway that runs between the city of Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon and the California border between Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Fort Carson is a United States Army installation located immediately south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, and 30 The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, Spokane County is a County located in the state of Washington. Richmond is a city in and the County seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. This is a list of people who were General officers in the American Civil War. Dunlay Kit Carson and the Indians, p. 26-7; H. Sides Blood and Thunder, p. 8.
  2. ^ H. Sides, Blood and Thunder, p. 30.
  3. ^ a b c Whitlock, Douglas. Kit Carson's wives & kids. Retrieved on 2007-11-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats
  4. ^ a b c The Life & Times of: Kit Carson. Kids-n-Cowboys. Retrieved on 2007-11-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats
  5. ^ a b c d Chinn, Stephen. Kit CARSON Family History. Retrieved on 2007-11-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats
  6. ^ One version has it that Chouinard did survive; one that Carson killed him with a second shot; and a third that Chouinard may have died of an infection caused by his wounds. M. Simmons, P. 7-17; T. Dunlay 69-73; H. Sides, p. 29-31.
  7. ^ A Carson family history website gives the year of the death of Singing Grass as 1838. H. Sides gives the year as 1839, and Dunlay gives the year as sometime between 1839-40, and possibly occuring at Bents Fort.
  8. ^ Sides, H. , Blood and Thunder, p. 33
  9. ^ After Carson, Making Our Road married three other times. Twice to Indians and the third to Charles Rath, with whom she had a daughter. Her daughter told interviewers that the name "Making Out Road" in Cheyenne meant "laying down the law", a phrase much in keeping with her stern personality. M. Simmons, Kit Carson and His Three Wives, p. 35-6
  10. ^ http://www.answers.com/topic/kit-carson
  11. ^ Sides, Blood and Thunder, pp. 61-4
  12. ^ This account is described in Dunlay p. 115, and Sides p. 78.
  13. ^ Fremont, Memoirs, p. 492.
  14. ^ H. Sides reports the massacre included women and children. Dunlay reports that Carson said "I directed their houses to be set on fire" and "We gave them something to remember. . . the women and children we did not interfere with. " (Dunlay, p. 117)
  15. ^ Sides, Blood and Thunder, p. 87
  16. ^ Two of the men, Ramon and Francisco de Haro, were sons of the mayor of Sonoma. They were traveling with their uncle, Jose de los Berreyesa. Carson at first asked Fremont if he should take the men prisoner. Frémont's plan was otherwise: "I have no use for prisoners, do your duty," was the response. When Carson hesitated Fremont yelled, "Mr. Carson, your duty," to which Carson then complied.
  17. ^ Valverde had once been an important Spanish village, but was deserted by the Spaniards due to frequent Navajo and Apache raids. Located about 150 miles (240 km) south of Santa Fe, on the Rio Grande River, it was to be the later site of Carson's battle against the Confederate Texas forces in February, 1862.
  18. ^ Locke, R. , The Book of the Navajo, pp. 204-212
  19. ^ Blood and Thunder, pp. 152-54
  20. ^ H. Sides, Blood and Thunder, p. 325-6.
  21. ^ H. Sides, p. 329-31.
  22. ^ The gravestone reads "59 years"; this would seem to be an error, however. Carson's date of birth was December 24, 1809. Calculating forward from this will give his age as 58.
  23. ^ Richardson, p. 261
  24. ^ Lipps, p. 59
  25. ^ Carter, p. 210
  26. ^ Hopkins, p. 40
  27. ^ Dunlay, chapter 8
  28. ^ Denver Post, April 27, 1993
  29. ^ Kelly, p. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) 20-21
  30. ^ The Navajo Treaty, p. 14.
  31. ^ Kelly, p. 11
  32. ^ Blood and Thunder, p. 334

References

External links

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