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click here to see the Colorado Getaways program. Scroll down to "Sand Creek Tours" then click "see video clip" ( cbs4denver.com )
In the late 1980's and early 1990's many individuals, archaeologists, and college groups searched the traditional site (the Dawson Bend) in an effort to document the village and battle areas. To their surprise only a handful of artifacts of the 1860's were found. In 1993 Chuck & Sheri heard rumors that perhaps the site had been mismarked. They began their search for the lost Sand Creek site in 1995 and discovered it in 1997 and documented their discovery in October of 1998. They have since documented thousands of artifacts from the Indian camps and the running battle up Sand Creek. Finding Sand Creek took several years and was lots of hard work.
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The Battle at Sand Creek
Today, Sand Creek is a peaceful quiet place where an eagle may be seen soaring overhead or the deer quietly grazing. However, on the morning of November 29th, 1864 this quiet landscape was interrupted by the thundering boom of 12 pounder Mountain Howitzers. Rifles, pistols, and muskets fired until the air was filled with smoke. Frightened Indians fled up the dry creek bed as soldiers led by John Chivington hotly pursued them up the creek. According to George Bent the Indians fought bravely through the late afternoon. This was the beginning of what would become Colorado's most hotly debated historical event.
By the next year what had happened at Sand Creek had been condemned in the East as a massacre and thus was called The Sand Creek Massacre, while many in Colorado Territory believed that it was a justifiable battle and so they referred to it as the Battle at Sand Creek. Some say as many as 120-150 of the 500 Cheyenne and Arapaho camped on Sand Creek were killed. Approximately 350 escaped. There were 10 soldiers killed on the battle ground and 75 casualties in all.
Their tour will take you to where much of it happened. The family ranch begins within two miles of the traditional site and includes most of the battle area and much of Chief Black Kettle's village.
"We'll tell our story; how we studied primary accounts, metal detected and eventually discovered the Lost Sand Creek Massacre or the Sand Creek Battle Site. We'll show you some of our artifacts that number in the thousands. We will talk about the 12-pounder Mountain Howitzer cannons and you will see actual fragments of the shells along with the Bormann fuse.
We'll show you what we believe was the George Bent camp and also where we believe Black Kettle was camped and tell you of eye witness accounts that clearly describe the terrain on our land. George Bent described his camp as the one furthest upstream and having sand hills on the west side of the creek. Part of the Cheyenne camp, the Arapahoe camp with Chief Left Hand and the Chivington military camp we believe was a short distance downstream from our family ranch.
We will discuss the accounts of George Bent and a soldier, Irving Howbert, who also recorded physical descriptions of the land that were very helpful in finding the lost site," said historian Sheri Bowen and archaeologist Chuck Bowen.
Chief Historian Emeritus Ed Bearss of the National Park Service, one of the most respected Civil War historians wrote a note to Chuck and Sheri saying that they are his friends, historians and archaeologists. What a wonderful honor. He is pictured in the upper left.
Click 'email me' to schedule your date or if you have more questions. We will look forward to a very interesting time.
Chuck and Sheri Bowen
( www.sandcreektours.com )
( www.sandcreektours.com )
