December 24 – Happy Birthday, Kit Carson

nPostednon December 24, 2014

Mostnpeople don’t rate a page in Wikipedia.

nOfnthose actually in Wikipedia, most people only get identified by onenor two labels. (You know, like “medical doctor and scientist,” orn“astronaut,” or “teacher and author.”)

nButnKit Carson rates six labels—and they’re pretty exciting labels, atnthat:

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nHenwas a trailblazer, mountain man, Indian fighter, guide, Indian agent,nand U.S. Army officer.

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nKitnCarson was born on this date in 1809. He left home at age 16 andnbecame a mountain man and trapper. (Hey! Another label!) Starting innhis childhood home in Missouri, he explored much of the continent,nreaching California and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Washington,nD.C., to the east, and northward along the Rocky Mountains.

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nCarsonnhad a complex relationship with various native and Hispanic peoples.nWhen he was young, Carson lived among and married into the Arapahonand Cheyenne tribes, but when he was older (and as part of his dutiesnas an Army officer), Carson led armies to suppress the Navajo,nApache, Kiowa, and Comanche Indians. Carson served as an Indian Agentnto the Ute and Jicarilla Apaches. During the Civil War, he led anUnion regiment made up mostly of Hispanic volunteers, and his thirdnand last wife was Mexican.

nLast summer I was wandering aroundna cemetery in Taos, New Mexico, and I was surprised to find the gravenof Kit Carson. I wondered why he had been buried in New Mexico, andnit turns out that that last wife was from Taos – and the two werenburied together with great honors in that teeny cemetery.
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nIt’sninteresting to see that Kit Carson was quite famous during his ownntime. His explorations with John C. Fremont were not only recorded bynFremont himself, they were even published by Congress! For years,nCarson was widely respected for his heroism and gallantry—and hisnexploits were written about (and I imagine exaggerated) in thennewspapers and dime novels of the day.