Sand Creek Massacre A large number of the Cheyenne were camped took William Bent’s son Charles Bent captive. on Sand Creek near Fort Lyon, in southeastern Julia Bent, and her suitor Edmund Guerrier, Colorado Territory. Winter was approaching, and escaped in the bitter cold, as did George Bent the tribe thought they were at peace with the U.S., who was wounded. Chivington’s genocidal and in fact they were there for purposes of coming crusade rained slaughter and atrocities on the to peaceful agreements. William Bent’s children Cheyenne. The numbers of dead fluctuate wildly, Charles, Julia, and George Bent, along with Edmund but land somewhere in the neighborhood of 230. “Ed” Guerrier were part of the encampment. And two-thirds of them were women, children, Col. John Chivington learned of the and the elderly. Cheyenne encampment. He left armed guards at For many years after, the massacre created Bent’s Fort to keep William Bent and others from serious issues and was the catalyst for future leaving the fort. At gunpoint, Chivington forced battles and wars between the U.S. Army and William Bent’s son Robert Bent to lead him to native groups. Sand Creek where his own people, including his As well, Sand Creek remains a part of siblings, were camped. Harvey Pratt’s heritage. He tells that his great- With his approximately 700 Colorado grandparents Julia Bent and Ed Guerrier were volunteers of the First and Third Cavalry courting when the ambush occurred. They regiments, Chivington thundered over a hill at eventually relocated to Oklahoma. sunup on November 29, 1864. When a Cheyenne And the trauma of the event remained in woman spotted the ambush, she sounded the Harvey’s family. He describes that “My aunt, alarm, and Black Kettle raised both the American Laura Birdwoman, would tell us, ‘When you guys and white flags. Soldiers fired on Guerrier and a go to bed, put your shoes by the bed because you trader who walked toward them, although neither might have to get up and run.’ As I got older that’s were harmed. Chivington’s unprovoked attack on when I realized that’s what they did. They had to the Cheyenne was bloody and horrific. The soldiers get up in the middle of the night and run.” Anna Guerrier Pratt Shadlow was an award- The French-Cheyenne scout and interpreter Edmund winning cultural teacher and story teller. Guerrier married William Bent's daughter Julia. Edmund and Photo courtesy Harvey Pratt. Julia survived the Sand Creek Massacre. Geary, Oklahoma, is named after Edmund.