Kit Carson
A Gallery
With this new series on Kit Carson, I thought I’d send out a newsletter showing some photos of the people we’ll be discussing. I’m sure you all know what Kit Carson looked like, but just in case, here’s the earliest known photo depicting Kit.
You’ll notice he looked pretty different here compared to his final days. We all change in old age, but Carson was pretty ill during his last known photo, hence the gaunt, sunken-cheek look seen below.
Carson would spend a good amount of time in Blackfeet country. Here’s a George Catlin painting of Blackfeet warrior, Eagle Ribs (Peh-tó-pe-kiss). Eagle Ribs is the same ole boy who put a couple of arrows in Jim Bridger’s back. There’s a very good chance that he and Carson were actively trying to kill one another during the mid-1830s.
No photos exist of Carson’s first wife, Singing Grass. However, just for fun, I thought you might be interested in another Arapaho woman. This is Pretty Nose. Legend has it that Pretty Nose took part in the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Here’s Carson’s third wife, Josefa.
By all accounts, Josefa was a class act through and through. Sadly, she would die far too young.
Below are photos of John C. Fremont, one of which features Carson. The third photo is of Fremont’s wife, Jessie. She would chaperon Carson when he arrived in D.C. and ensure he wasn’t too overwhelmed by high society.
Later in the series, we’ll discuss the Bear Flag Revolt. Here’s the actual flag that would one day become the modern flag of California. Notice the “bear,” which the local Hispanics mistook for a pig! Rumor has it the original flag was made from women’s undergarments!
Here’s a photo of Archibald Gillespie, the Marine who brought secret dispatches from Washington, D.C., to Fremont.
We’ll discuss this in part 3 of the series, but Gillespie would also take part in the battle of San Pasqual alongside Kit Carson. Gillespie would take a lance through a lung but survive. Speaking of San Pasqual, here’s the leader of the opposition, Andres Pico, alongside an artist rendering of his Californio Lancers in action.
If you haven’t heard it, I released part 1 of the series on Kit Carson yesterday. Here’s a link to Spotify, but it’s also available wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Podcast Addict, Audible, and more! Go to your preferred podcast app, search for The Wild West Extravaganza, and you’ll find it!
All of these photos depict Carson’s life prior to his involvement with the Navajo and Mescalero Apache. I may send a second edition showing pics from that era in a few weeks.
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