Part 10

[50] Present name the same—Mud or Muddy creek, nearly halfway between Prowers, Bent Co., and Caddoa creek. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 443.

[51] A statement which serves to fix camp with perfect precision. The two mounds said are both between one and two miles due W. of Caddoa, and just the distance said W. of Caddoa creek. These isolated elevations appear in due form on the U. S. Geological Survey map of Colorado, Lamar sheet, near lower left-hand corner. The railroad cuts between the river and these bluffs, but the wagon road rises over them, back of their tops. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 443.

[52] Two special elevations across the river, directly in line from camp, are respectively 3975 and 4200 feet high, and their summits just about 5 m. apart.

[53] Present Rule creek, quite at the distance said from the twin bluffs at camp.

[54] Las Cumbres Españolas—the celebrated Spanish Peaks. This is the place where, on the 15th of Nov., 1806, Pike’s party gave “three cheers to the Mexican mountains.” His map bears the legend: “Here the Mountains are first seen.” It is a curious fact, now forgotten by most persons, that the Spanish Peaks were called and supposed to be Pike’s Peak for some time—during the years that Pike’s Peak was called James’ Peak. Thus, Thomas J. Farnham, writing of 1839 in his Travels, New York, 1843, p. 41, says: “Pike’s peak in the _south_west, and James’ peak in the northwest, at sunset showed their hoary heads above the clouds that hung around them.” Again, _ibid._, p. 42: “Sixty miles east of these mountains [in Colorado and New Mexico], and 50 _south_ of the Arkansas, stands, isolated on the plain, Pike’s peak, and the lesser ones that cluster around it”—here also thus distinguishing it from James’ Peak, north of the Arkansaw. As I have said in my edition of Pike, p. 457, where I discuss the first application of Pike’s name to the peak which now bears it, the date has never been exactly ascertained; and here in Farnham we have the Spanish Peaks called by Pike’s name so late as 1839. I suppose it will be difficult, if not impossible, to trace the proper appellation of Pike’s Peak back of Frémont’s expedition of 1843-44. At the time I penned my note on the subject I did not know that the misapplication of Pike’s name to the Spanish Peaks had ever been current, and my reference to the verbal use of the term in the 30’s may have had no other foundation. Pike’s Peak having been first surmounted by Dr. Edwin James and his men, at 4 p. m., July 14, 1820, was formally named James’ Peak in Long, ii, 1823, p. 45, from Long’s MS. notes of July 15, 1820.

[55] Fowler’s supposition is correct—this is Pike’s “1st Fork” of the Arkansaw, Spanish Rio Purgatorio and Rio de las Animas Perdidas, French Rivière Purgatoire, English Purgatory river, often corrupted into Picket-wire, and also known as Las Animas river. It enters the Arkansaw from the S. in long. 103° 10´ W., midway between Fort Lyon (across the main stream) and the town of Las Animas, Bent Co. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 445.

Fowler names Purgatory river “White Bair crick” on June 6, 1822, beyond, from the tragic incident now about to be narrated.

[56] Grizzly bear, _Ursus horribilis_. Lewis Dawson may not have been the first American citizen to die and be buried in present Colorado, but I have found no such fact of earlier date.

[57] The first of these is Pike’s Peak; the second and third are the two Spanish Peaks. Besides the names of these latter which I have noted on p. 40, they have also been known as Las Dos Hermanas—The Two Sisters; and when I was in that country I sometimes heard the French names Les Tetons and Les Mamelles. The Ute Indian name, Wahtoyah, meaning Twins, is taken by Lewis H. Garrard as the major title of his book, otherwise The Taos Trail, etc., Cincinnati, 1850—a boyish piece of work, but the readable work of a very bright boy, who has much to say from personal observation of Taos, whither Fowler is bound. He is well worth looking up in the present connection.

[58] Vicinity of Robinson, about on the boundary between Bent and Otero counties, and near the site of Bent’s fort, which was a noted place for many years. See Pike, ed. of 1895, pp. 446, 447, and to authorities there cited for description add Farnham, Travels, 1843, chap. iv, beginning p. 34. Fort William was an alternative name of the same establishment—so called after one of the Canadian-French Bent brothers, who were William, George, Robert, and Charles. In 1826 three of them, with Ceran St. Vrain, built a rude stockade on the N. bank of the Arkansaw _above_ Pueblo—perhaps halfway up to Cañon City. In 1828 they moved down below Pueblo, and began the erection of the permanent structure called Fort William, which was long better known as Bent’s “old” Fort. It existed till 1852, when Col. Wm. Bent destroyed it with fire and gunpowder. He immediately selected a new site lower down the Arkansaw, on the same (N.) side, in the well-known locality of the Big Timbers, where he erected Bent’s “new” fort in 1853, and used it as a trading-post till 1859, when it was leased to the Government; Col. Bent moving to a point just above Purgatory river for the winter of 1859-60. Next spring Bent’s place became Fort Wise, so named for the Governor of Virginia, but in 1861 this name was changed to Fort Lyon, in honor of Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed at the battle of Wilson’s creek, Mo., Aug. 10, 1861. In the spring of 1866 the river undermined this post, and it was moved to a point 20 m. lower down, though the old post continued to be used as a stage station by Barlow, Sanderson and Co.

[59] Adobe and Horse creeks. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 446.

[60] At or near La Junta, seat of Otero Co., where the Arkansaw bends a little S. of lat. 38° N. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 447.

[61] Present Crooked creek, a little above La Junta. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 447.

[62] Timpas creek, about midway between La Junta and Rocky Ford, Otero Co. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 448.

[63] In the wide low bottom some 4 or 5 m. below Catlin, Otero Co., and about twice that distance short of the Apishapa river. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 448.

[64] Apishapa river, now crossed by the railroad 4½ m. above the station Catlin, already named. Camp said to be 5 m. above this river. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 448.

[65] This Indian camp, of which we shall hear more, appears from the indications given to have been on the N. side of the Arkansaw, a little over the border of Otero Co., about half way between Fowler’s last camp and Nepesta, Pueblo Co.

[66] Ietans—Comanches.

[67] James Monroe, then President of the United States.

[68] San Antonio, Tex.

[69] Pueblo de Taos, N. M.

[70] Major S. H. Long, whose expedition came down the Arkansaw and Canadian rivers in 1820. The “Predesent” above said is of course President Monroe.

[71] To a position 2 or 3 m. beyond Nepesta, and about 5 m. short of Huerfano river.

[72] The Huerfano or Orphan river, falling into the Arkansaw as said, opposite the station Booneville on the railroad. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 448, for this river, which is his “2nd Fork.” Among the mangled names found in print are Rio Walfano of Farnham, Travels, 1843, p. 41; and, most curious of all, Wharf creek of Long’s Exped., ii, 1823, p. 59, where the innocent reader is informed that the Rio Huerfano “is called by the Spaniards Wharf creek, probably from the circumstance of its washing perpendicular precipices of moderate height”!

[73] From camp at a point given on the 25th as 3 m. above the Huerfano, to-day’s 5 m. would take Fowler about 3 m. short of St. Charles river. He passes opposite the mouth of Chico creek, as duly noted on the 27th. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 451.

[74] At this point in the MS. the handwriting changes, Fowler’s giving way to that of Colonel Glenn, who writes in a firm and clear hand. The reader will also notice the difference in the spelling and syntax of what now follows, to the middle of the account of Dec. 31.

[75] At this point Fowler resumes his own pen, but Colonel Glenn’s story continues, apparently by dictation to Fowler, to the end of the entry for Jan. 1, 1822.

[76] Santa Fé, N. M.—End of Colonel Glenn’s story, in Fowler’s handwriting.

[77] Fontaine qui Bouille of the French, Boiling Spring river or creek, present Fountain river or creek, site of the city of Pueblo. This river is Fontaine-qui-bouit in Frémont, Fontequebouir in Farnham, Rio Almagre of the Spanish, and forms one of the Grand Forks of Pike. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 452, etc.

We must pause here to consider Fowler as the first settler, or at least squatter, on the site of the future Pueblo, Col., the honor of founding which is claimed by, and commonly conceded to, James P. Beckwourth, whose mendacity was as illimitable as the plains over which he roamed while he was the great chief of the Crows, and whose credit for the same was as high as the mountains in which his adopted nation lurked. It is true that Pike built at Pueblo a sort of stockade for the defense of his party, but this was merely a log pen or breastwork which his men occupied Nov. 24-29, 1806, while he went on a side trip to his peak. The structure was such as could be thrown up over night, and all trace of it speedily disappeared. But Fowler built a habitable house and horse-corral, which he occupied about a month, while his party were trapping, hunting, and herding their stock in the vicinity, awaiting the appointed time to take up the Taos Trail which Col. Glenn had already followed to Santa Fé. The site of Pueblo does not appear to have been reoccupied in any way that can be called settling, for 20 years after Fowler. Then the redoubtable Jim appears upon the scene: see Leland’s ed. of Bonner’s Life of Beckwourth, 1892, p. 383. “We reached the Arkansaw about the first of October, 1842, where I erected a trading-post, and opened a successful business. In a very short time I was joined by from fifteen to twenty free trappers, with their families. We all united our labors, and constructed an adobe fort sixty yards square. By the following spring we had grown into quite a little settlement, and we gave it the name of Pueblo.” In so saying, this boundless liar tells the truth—whether by accident or design is immaterial to the substantial accuracy of what he says. We also read further in Inman, p. 252: “The old Pueblo fort, as nearly as can be determined now, was built as early as 1840, or not later than 1842, and, as one authority asserts, by George Simpson and his associates, Barclay and Doyle. Beckwourth claims to have been the original projector of the fort, and to have given the general plan and its name, in which I am inclined to believe he is correct; perhaps Barclay, Doyle, and Simpson were connected with him, as he states that there were other trappers, though he mentions no names. It was a square fort of adobe, with circular bastions at the corners, no part of the walls being more than eight feet high. Around the inside of the plaza, or corral, were half a dozen small rooms inhabited by as many Indian traders and mountain-men.” According to Fitzpatrick, in 1847 the settlement contained about 150 men and 60 or more women, the former mostly Missourians, French-Canadians, and Mexicans, whose wives were squaws of various Indian tribes, together with some American Mormon women. On this subject see also Pike, ed. of 1895, pp. 453, 454, where an adobe fort is noted.

[78] Compare “‘tabba bone!’ which in the Shoshonee language means white man,” Lewis and Clark, ed. of 1893, p. 480.

[79] From Pueblo, Col., to a point on the Rio San Carlos or St. Charles river, the creek above said, which is struck a little above the confluence of the Greenhorn branch. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 451. The San Carlos is Pike’s “3d Fork” of the Arkansaw.

[80] Approximately up the Greenhorn to a point near lat. 38° N. The sources of the Greenhorn are several, flowing from the mountain of the same name (Spanish Cuerno Verde), 12,230 or 12,341 feet high, near the southern end of the Wet Mountain range.

At this date Fowler duplicates the day of the week, which throws him out till Feb. 9, when he corrects himself. But there is no break in days of the month.

[81] One of the sources of the Greenhorn.

[82] Apache creek, a branch of Rio Huerfano, arising with sources of the Greenhorn from the mountain of the latter name, and flowing eastward.

[83] Fowler’s distances seem to me short, considering how soon he is to make the Sangre de Cristo Pass for which he is heading, and I cannot locate this camp exactly. But his approximate position is easily made out. He is about to round the southern end of the Wet Mountain range, marked by Badito Cone, where the Rio Huerfano flows out to the plains; he will cross this river and enter upon the Sangre de Cristo range between the Sheep mts. and the Veta mts. His position is not far from lat. 37° 45´; place called St. Mary’s in the vicinity. Fowler has come all along at an increasing distance W. of the D. and R. G. R. R., his route being the old “Taos Trail” which the Mexicans followed in passing from the Rio Grande in the vicinity of Taos to the Arkansaw at or near present Pueblo, Col.

[84] Of the Huerfano river, which, if followed up W., would take him into Huerfano Park, between the Wet Mountain range and the Sangre de Cristo range.

[85] Making the Sangre de Cristo Pass, from the watershed of the Huerfano to that of the Rio Grande del Norte. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 492. It may be difficult or impossible to find the record of any earlier passage of these mountains by an American party, or indeed any previous itinerary of the whole Taos Trail.

[86] Sangre de Cristo creek, tributary to Trinchera creek, a branch of the Rio Grande. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 494.

[87] Besides the distance above given for making the pass to-day. Camp on Sangre de Cristo creek, which flows past Fort Garland into Trinchera creek, in the San Luis valley. That branch of the D. and R. G. R. R. which goes through the Veta pass follows down the creek on which Fowler is camped.

[88] Trinchera creek. Fowler seems to have left Sangre de Cristo creek at a point about 4 m. E. of Fort Garland.

[89] A portion of the San Luis valley, through which the Rio Grande flows for a great distance. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 492.

[90] Rio Culebra, next tributary of the Rio Grande from the E. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 494.

[91] The San Luis hills, on each side of the Rio Grande near the Rio Culebra.

[92] Rio Costilla, next tributary of the Rio Grande from the E. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 494. On reaching lat. 37° N. Fowler passes from Colorado into New Mexico. The principal landmark is Ute peak, isolated in the plain, a little south of the boundary and of Rio Costilla, on the E. bank of the Rio Grande, alt. about 10,000 feet.

[93] Apparently Colorado creek, another tributary of the Rio Grande from the E.

[94] San Cristobal—or the next village below, Los Montes. The “deet guters” of the text are the arroyos which Fowler intended to call deep gutters.

[95] See Lewis and Clark, ed. of 1893, p. 215, for a similar name of ardent spirits, apparently the same word as _ratafia_. What Fowler procured was aguardiente de Taos, a fiery fluid distilled at San Fernandez from native wheat, and soon too well known as “Taos lightning.”

[96] Baptiste Roy, the interpreter, who had gone on to Santa Fé with Col. Glenn.

[97] San Fernandez de Taos, the Mexican village about 2 m. from the Indian Pueblo de Taos. Gregg states that the first white settler was a Spaniard named Pando, _ca._ 1745. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 598.

[98] Pueblo de Taos, the ancient seat of the Pueblo Indians of Taos, consisting then as now of two casas grandes—great adobe buildings with the streamlet between them. Readers who would like a little local color here will find it well laid on in chaps. xiii-xviii of Garrard’s Wah-to-yah. The youthful author witnessed the executions which followed the battle of Taos in 1847.

[99] Pueblo creek, the northern one of two main forks of Taos creek.

[100] Square brackets in the original MS.

[101] Square brackets in the original MS.

[102] Cieneguilla—to be distinguished from a place of the same name S. W. of Santa Fé.

[103] On Feb. 12, at the mouth of Taos creek.

[104] See back, date of Feb. 8: 14 m. from the mouth of Taos creek would bring him about to Los Montes, but not to San Cristobal.

[105] Fowler has come by his count 48 m. from the mouth of Taos creek, N. along the right or W. bank of the Rio Grande, which runs in a cañon the whole of this way. This distance is about right to take him past the several special elevations between which and the river he passes, known as Cerros Taoses, San Cristobal, Montoso, Chifle, and Olla; when he reaches the low ground of which he speaks, there are a crossing of the river, cattle ranch, etc. See Pike, ed. of 1895, pp. 597, 598.

[106] That is, from the mouth of Taos creek to present camp—and this is about right for the vicinity of Ute peak, on the E. side of the Rio Grande, 4 m. S. of the boundary of Colorado (lat. 37° N.).

[107] Neither this course nor this distance would bring Fowler to the Rio Conejos from any point on the Rio Grande to which the previous mileages appear to have advanced him. The distance is 15 m. on an air line due N. along the meridian of 105° 45´ from Myer’s or Colona’s ferry to the mouth of the Rio Conejos; hence we infer that Fowler has come up the Rio Grande further than his previous mileages would indicate. But there is no doubt, from his description in the above interesting passage, that he is on the Rio Conejos; and 2 m. up it would be 3 m. below Pike’s stockade of 1807, as he says. See Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 495 and following, and p. 595.

[108] Passing La Jara and Alamosa creeks between 4 and 6 m. from the Rio Conejos. One of these, probably La Jara, is called Willow creek on April 28, p. 135.

[109] The San Juan range of mountains, bounding the San Luis valley on the W., whence the Rio Grande issues into that valley in the vicinity of the place called Del Norte.

[110] Fowler has fetched up against the San Juan range somewhere about the foot of Pintada peak, whence creeks called Piedra Pintada, San Francisco, and others, flow E. and N. into the Rio Grande. The above “large rock” is Hanging Rock on p. 126.

[111] In the vicinity of La Loma del Norte, Rio Grande Co.

[112] Perhaps Wolf creek, making down from Del Norte peak, or another in that vicinity.

[113] This fixes the position of the party exactly. This is the South Fork of the Rio Grande, above which the main stream comes S. E. from Wagon Wheel Gap, for about 12 m. to the forks. Fowler’s compass points are here far out; the Rio Grande is flowing about E. from the forks to the plains; and the courses of the two forks _from_ their confluence upward are, respectively, about S. W. and N. W.

[114] Up the North Fork or main Rio Grande, in Wagon Wheel Gap, to a point about 2 m. below the mouth of Hot Spring creek, presently mentioned in the text.

[115] About W. from Fowler’s present position, and much further off than the Spaniards told him.

[116] Santa Maria lake, about in the position indicated, if we make the required correction of compass points. This lake is 2 or 3 m. N. E. of San Juan City, a place on the Rio Grande in Antelope park, at the mouth of Clear creek. The road from the Rio Grande N. W. to Lake fork of Gunnison river skirts Santa Maria lake, and strikes the Lake fork at San Cristobal lake.

[117] Text obscure, but intelligible if read as above amended. The trip was from the creek on which the party had trapped through a gap to the Rio Grande at a point whence the Spanish road led from the river down the west side of the San Luis valley to the Rio Conejos.

[118] Trinchera creek, whose Sangre de Cristo branch the party descended Feb. 4 and 5. See p. 101.

[119] Vicinity of Fort Garland, Costilla Co., Col.

[120] See back, date of Mar. 14, p. 126.

[121] At p. 502 of the ed. of 1895; see also my notes at pp. 495, 496, for this Ojo Caliente at the foot of the hill opposite Pike’s stockade on the Rio Conejos. For the above named Willow (La Jara) creek, see back, p. 132 and p. 115, Apr. 13 and Feb. 20.

[122] Rio Culebra, which Fowler first passed Feb. 5, on his way to Taos: see that date, p. 101. “Snake river” translates the Spanish name, and the “Snake Hill” of the text is that one of the San Luis hills which is near this river, on the E. side of the Rio Grande.

[123] New name, probably of some man who has joined the party. See June 1, p. 142, where James and McKnight’s party join.

[124] The party start for home by a different route from that on which they came to Taos. Crossing the mountains eastward by the Taos Pass, they leave the watershed of the Rio Grande for that of the Arkansaw, and fetch out of the mountains on certain headwaters of the Canadian, as noted beyond.

In Gregg’s Comm. of the Pra., i, 1844, p. 19 and p. 67 (quoted in Pike, ed. of 1895, p. 437), it is stated that a party of about a dozen men, including two named Beard and Chambers, reached Santa Fé in 1812, and returned to the U. S. in 1822. In Inman’s Santa Fé Trail, p. 41, it is made eight years after James Pursley’s trip that “Messrs. _McKnight_, Beard, and Chambers, with about a dozen comrades, started with a supply of goods across the unknown plains, and by good luck arrived safely at Santa Fé,” where their troubles began; their wares were confiscated, and most of them were incarcerated at Chihuahua “for almost a decade.” Inman agrees with Gregg that Beard and Chambers reached St. Louis in 1822, and notes that “McKnight was murdered south of the Arkansas by the Comanches in the winter of 1822,” meaning of 1822-23. This McKnight is obviously the man whom Fowler names.

[125] Ferdinand creek; up this to its forks at foot of Taos Pass.

[126] Thus making the Taos Pass, 8450 feet in altitude, and crossing to the watershed of the Arkansaw; but still far from being out of the mountains.

[127] Cieneguilla creek, running N. down Moreno valley to join Moreno creek, from the N., on which is Elizabethtown. The confluence of these two creeks, at the foot of Little Baldy peak, forms Cimarron creek, a tributary of the Canadian river. Moreno valley separates the Taos range from the Cimarron range, which latter Fowler is now crossing.

[128] About E., over the Cimarron range, passing by Black Peak, 10,900 feet high, to camp in the plains on a tributary of Cimarron creek, a branch of the Canadian (not to be confounded with that vastly larger stream, the Cimarron _river_, which is a branch of the Arkansaw itself). Cimarron creek, after issuing from the mountains, and having been joined by Ponil creek on one side and Rayado creek on the other, falls into the Canadian river; on it are the towns of Cimarron and Springer, Colfax Co., N. M.

[129] Cimarron creek, as already said.

[130] Vermejo creek, next considerable branch of the Canadian from the W. above Cimarron creek. It falls into the Canadian between stations Dover and Dorsey of the A., T. and S. F. R. R.

[131] The Canadian river itself, which Fowler appears to have struck somewhere about the mouth of Tenaja creek, from the E. This is in the vicinity of Maxwell’s station, a noted place in the old days of staging, which I well remember, having arrived there at 5 p. m. of Friday, June 10, 1864.

[132] Position uncertain—see next note.