Literature 4

C.

Kit Carson was ,”a hero to the Indians” according to General Sherman. 

Kit (Christopher) Carson

             Kit Carson (Dec. 24, 1809-May 23, 1868) was the 9th of 14 children.  He grew up in Madison County, Kentucky until his father died(1818).  He was only 9 when his father died and after the need to work prevented him from ever getting an education.  Later, he ran away to Santa Fe and went north to get a job as a cook, errands boy, and harness repairer. 

             Soon he became a fur trapper and married Grass Singing, an Arapaho girl.  Later, they had a daughter named Adaline, and a son named Robert.   In 1841, Robert fell into a pot of boiling soap and his mother got a fever.  They both died, so Kit took up a job as a hunter and met an Indian named Making-out-road, but months later she divorced him.  Then, he and Adaline moved to Missouri where she was put in school.  Just after he met up with John C. Fremont.  There he joined John on three expeditions as his guide and stayed with him through the Bear Flag War in California.  On his 2nd expedition, he met Josefa Jaramillothen and they had seven children together. 

             In 1854, Kit was appointed an Indian agent, and when he was away Josefa adopted a son who would’ve been killed if it wasn’t for her.  When he got back, all was well until his accident.  After, Kit resigned as an agent and took up a job as a colonel.  He snuck Indians into other states and was in the main war.  Kit and his family moved around until his horse accident caused him a lot of pain and forced him to resign.  When they were traveling, Josefa became pregnant, but Kit still had chest pain.  He forced himself to move east, in hope of finding a doctor to help him.  But the doctors there said that he was incurable and would die soon. 

             He hurried back to Josefa.  She had her child and named her Josefita(Josephine).  Ten days later Josefa died from childbirth complications.  Kit made his will and on May 23, 1868 at 4:25, he uttered his last words quote," Adios, compadre. Adios!” and died with blood gushing up his throat.