sfarson
03-11-2010, 11:12 PM
My wife joined me on a remote ride to a distant and historically significant place... the Sand Creek Massacre Site out on Colorado's high eastern plains. One makes a commitment to travel to this remote, federally designated battlefield park.
Briefly, at a peace conference three months previous, the Cheyenne Indians were granted the safety and protection from nearby Fort Lyon, in return for their agreement to cease raids on Kansas homesteads and relocate eventually to reservations in Oklahoma. Filled with a hatred for Indians, and fueled by pre-victory celebratory heavy drinking at Fort Lyon, Colonel John Chivington, with the support of territorial governor John Evans, led 800 territorial guard troops to the Sand Creek encampment 40 miles northeast of the fort, ordering a dawn attack on a cold, gray 1864 November morning. Despite the American flag and white flag of peace flapping above chief Black Kettle's teepee, the rout was on, with over 130 Cheyenne casualties, mostly women and children (Most of the warriors were out on a hunting trip assuming safety would be provided by the fort). Black Kettle escaped but his wife was seriously wounded. Repercussions would be felt for years, including revenge battles at other locations on Colorado's High Plains.
Sooooo anyway, with the preceding as background, and in case interest, an onboard video ride with the bride to a beautiful, but mesmorizingly spacious and empty protected park out on Colorado's high plains.
To the Sand Creek National Battlefield Site - Streaming Video (http://www.farson.com/video/sandcreek.wmv)
Briefly, at a peace conference three months previous, the Cheyenne Indians were granted the safety and protection from nearby Fort Lyon, in return for their agreement to cease raids on Kansas homesteads and relocate eventually to reservations in Oklahoma. Filled with a hatred for Indians, and fueled by pre-victory celebratory heavy drinking at Fort Lyon, Colonel John Chivington, with the support of territorial governor John Evans, led 800 territorial guard troops to the Sand Creek encampment 40 miles northeast of the fort, ordering a dawn attack on a cold, gray 1864 November morning. Despite the American flag and white flag of peace flapping above chief Black Kettle's teepee, the rout was on, with over 130 Cheyenne casualties, mostly women and children (Most of the warriors were out on a hunting trip assuming safety would be provided by the fort). Black Kettle escaped but his wife was seriously wounded. Repercussions would be felt for years, including revenge battles at other locations on Colorado's High Plains.
Sooooo anyway, with the preceding as background, and in case interest, an onboard video ride with the bride to a beautiful, but mesmorizingly spacious and empty protected park out on Colorado's high plains.
To the Sand Creek National Battlefield Site - Streaming Video (http://www.farson.com/video/sandcreek.wmv)