Fort Pueblo Massacre facts for kids
The Fort Pueblo massacre (also known as The Tragedy at Fort Pueblo) was a surprise attack that happened on December 25, 1854. It took place at Fort Pueblo, a settlement in what is now Pueblo, Colorado. The fort was located near the Arkansas River.
More than 100 Muache Utes and Jicarilla Dindes (mostly Muache Utes) led by Chief Tierra Blanco attacked the fort. They killed 15 men, who were mostly native Mexicans, and one Canadian. They also captured one woman and two boys. The woman, Chepita Miera, was later killed. Two women and one man survived the attack. The two captured boys eventually returned home.
How It Started
The original builders of Fort Pueblo left in 1849. By 1854, the fort was home to native Mexican families from Taos, New Mexico, and one Native American woman.
In 1854, there were tensions between the Jicarilla Apache and the people living in New Mexico. William S. Messervy, a leader in New Mexico, wrote to the US Congress. He said the Jicarillas were moving around and causing problems for settlers. He suggested they should be settled in one area and learn to farm.
Later that year, after a conflict called the Battle of Cieneguilla, Messervy was in charge of Indian affairs. He believed that these groups should either be stopped or made to live in settled villages.
In October 1854, Governor David Meriwether and Kit Carson gave woolen coats to the Muache Utes at a meeting. After receiving these coats, several Muache chiefs, including Chico Velasquez, became sick with smallpox and died. Many Muache people believed these coats were purposely infected. This made them very angry.
Because of this, the Muache Utes joined forces with the Jicarilla Dindes. Even though they spoke different languages, they were old friends and often married each other. They decided to attack.
Benito Sandoval was the leader of Fort Pueblo in December 1854.
The Attack
On December 25, 1854, Chief Tierra Blanco walked into Fort Pueblo. He had visited Benito Sandoval many times before to trade goods like vegetables and goat's milk. They seemed to be friends.
Tierra Blanco challenged Benito Sandoval to a friendly shooting contest outside the fort. Benito agreed. As they were shooting, more and more Muache warriors gathered around them.
After the contest, Benito Sandoval invited Chief Tierra Blanco and his warriors inside the fort for a feast. While they were eating and drinking, Tierra Blanco gave a signal. His warriors then began to attack the people inside the fort.
Blanco's warriors killed 15 Mexican men, including Benito Sandoval. A Canadian man fought bravely but was killed a short distance away. Chepita Miera, a married Mexican woman, was captured. She was killed soon after, south of Pueblo.
Benito Sandoval's two sons, Felix and Juan Isidro Sandoval, were also captured by the Muache.
Only three people managed to escape the attack. Andrea, a Mexican wife, and Rosa, a Native American woman, hid in the bushes near the river. Rumaldo was shot in the mouth, which caused him to lose his ability to speak, but he managed to get away.
What Happened Next
In early 1855, the U.S. military began to fight against the Utes. Groups of soldiers and volunteers, sometimes led by Lieutenant Colonel Ceran St. Vrain and Kit Carson, fought battles and launched surprise attacks. In April 1855, U.S. troops made a surprise night attack on the Utes. Many Utes were killed or wounded, and six children were taken prisoner.
Fort Pueblo was left empty after the attack. It became important again a few years later during the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859.
Rumaldo, who could no longer speak, used Native American sign language for the rest of his life.
Felix Sandoval was returned to the Americans in Taos, New Mexico, in 1855 after a peace treaty was signed. This treaty was signed in September 1855.
Juan Isidro Sandoval was traded to the Navajo and then bought by a Mexican trader. His mother paid $300 in cash and goods, including a special rifle, to get him back two years after the massacre.
