When the Third
regiment arrived at Fort Lyons, all the soldiers were inspected and those
not fit for service were left behind.
A boy in Captain Johnston's
company was left out because he was too young, not yet eighteen. In
appearance he seemed older, being over six feet tall but very thin. He had
a fair babyish face framed with curly golden hair that was unusually long
and tangled. He seemed to be anxious to take part in the raid against the
Indians and when told that he must remain at the fort he was greatly
disappointed.
Lieutenant Gilson went to Captain Johnston,
''Captain, what am I to do with that boy, he is over there crying and
begging to go with us." The Captain studied a few moments before
answering, "Well, I guess we might as well let him go; get him the poorest
horse out of the cabby yard and that old weather beaten Mexican saddle
there on the fence and an old halter while I find a gun for him."
The Lieutenant did as bidden and the Captain found an old infantry gun
that shot a full ounce ball and had a four inch cartridge. These officers
supposed the boy would return to the fort before they had gone very far
and they were fixing up to have some sport with him.
As the
command marched away, a poor little pony, loaded with the yellow haired
boy and the infantry gun, was wearily dragging along behind the cavalry.
When the pony appeared fagged out the boy would walk.
When the
command arrived at Sand Creek and the soldiers were ordered to dismount,
they had forgotten about the boy, so after the fight commenced in the
creek, they were greatly surprised to see a little white and poor Indian
pony with a Mexican saddle on and dragging a halter leave the other horses
and follow the Indians to the sand pits, where it stood about thirty
minutes before any of the shots exchanged hit it. The soldiers wondered
where the rider was but naturally supposed that he had been killed at the
start.
When the fight was raging the hardest, an object was seen
to creep cautiously to the edge on the bank just opposite the soldiers and
directly over the Indians. The object would hesitate a moment, then
suddenly a loud report similar to a cannon would boom out and a dense
smoke would rise up from the south side of the creek. The instant the
report was heard, an Indian could be seen to fall. The other Indians would
turn and fire into the dense smoke. When the smoke cleared away there was
nothing in sight where the object had been.
Every few minutes this
was repeated and every time the shots took effect. Finally one of the
soldiers was sent around to investigate and see who was there. Nearing the
scene of the singlehanded artillery, he called out, "You had better leave
the place, the soldiers might accidentally overshoot." The yellow haired
boy just aimed his old infantry gun down over the bank and went on
bombarding the sand pits below and yelled back to the soldier, "O, I guess
not," in his usual slow and drawling way.
The old gun was so heavy
and the boy so light that at every shot it would kick the boy backwards,
thus causing the arrows aimed at him from below to miss their mark.
Upon leaving the battle ground, the yellow haired boy and two
companions were brought suddenly face to face with a huge Indian, who rose
up out of the grass a few feet ahead of them and pointed his gun at the
yellow haired boy; there was no time for the boy to aim and fire, so quick
as a flash the infantry gun flew through the air and landed on the Indian,
knocking him flat. The boy walked on into camp the most unconcerned one in
the regiment.
In dragging the Indians out of the pit on the
following morning, twenty-seven were found with an enormous hole torn
clear through them that only an infantry gun could make.
When
Colonel Chivington was told of the boy's bravery and success, he ordered
that the best horse and outfit taken from the Indians be given to him and
the Colonel presented the yellow haired boy with Black Kettle's outfit.
The last the regiment ever saw of the single handed artillery it
was going with the Mexicans and horses back to Fort Lyons, but it never
got there, nor could any trace be found of it. Shaw, who had taken quite a
fancy to the boy, offered a reward for any knowledge of him. The yellow
haired boy disappeared just as mysteriously as he appeared on the scene.
Some thought the Mexicans had killed him but the majority believed he went
back to his home in Kansas. From what few remarks he made, he left the
impression that some of his people had been killed by the Indians and he
joined the volunteers to get a better chance for revenge, and
accomplishing his purpose, he was ready to return to what relatives and
friends he had left back in his old home.
Some of the Pioneers of Colorado
Source: True History of some of the Pioneers of Colorado, by Miss
Luella Shaw, Press of Carson Harper Co, Denver, Colorado, 1909 |
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