January 29th, 2010

I’ve enjoy researching and writing about Elizabeth and George Custer, but find it difficult to recount the brutal behavior of both the Native Americans and the Whites on the frontier. For example, on this day 145 years ago, outraged Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux warriors launched a series of attacks all along the valley of the South Platte River in Colorado. The Indians strike at wagon trains, state stations, and military outposts. The town Julesburg, in northeast Colorado, is burned, and its white residents scalped in retaliation for the massacre at Sand Creek. Denver is threatened. Communications and supplies through the area are halted. The incident at Sand Creek that prompted this action was a shameful. A 700-man force of Colorado Territory militia attacked and destroyed a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho encamped in southeastern Colorado Territory. They killed 133 Cheyenne and Arapaho men, women, and children. The Indians wanted revenge and they got it. It only resulted in more bloodshed however. Revenge rarely has the effect you think it will. I believe it must be wholly unsatisfying. For me Clint Eastwood’s character in The Unforgiven demonstrated that best. There’s a great scene in the movie when he and The Kid are discussing the demise of the person they were seeking to get revenge. Eastwood’s character says, “It’s a hell of a thing, ain’t it, killin’ a man. You take everything he’s got?an’ everythin’ he’s ever gonna have.” The Kidd responds through tears, “Well, I guess they had it comin.” Eastwood’s character answers, “We all got it comin, Kid.” I suppose in some way that’s true. We all got it coming. In my opinion there are some more deserving than others.