Kit Carson

Kit Carson
Carson on a visit to Washington, DC, in early 1868
Born	(1809-12-24)December 24, 1809 Richmond, Kentucky
Died	May 23, 1868(1868-05-23) (aged 58) Fort Lyon, Colorado
Resting place	Kit Carson Cemetery Taos, New Mexico
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Mountain man, frontiersman, guide, Indian agent, US Army officer
Known for	Opening the American West to European settlement Carson City, Nevada namesake
Spouses	Waanibe Making-Out-Road Josefa Jaramillo
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	Union Army
Rank	Brevet Brigadier General
Commands held	1st New Mexico Volunteer Cavalry Regiment
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War Battle of San Pasqual Jicarilla War Battle of Ojo Caliente Canyon American Civil War Battle of Valverde Navajo Wars Battle of Canyon de Chelly Plains Indian Wars First Battle of Adobe Walls
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Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson, (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman, a career that involved four chief occupations: mountain man, guide, Indian agent, and officer in the US Army. He helped to open the American West to settlement. In his day, he was a celebrity known far and wide in the United States. In modern America, he is still remembered as a folk hero, but he has been criticized for killing Native Americans.

Carson began his adult life in 1829 as a mountain man, who trapped beaver about ten years for the fur trade. During those years, Carson became an "Injun killer" — he was forced to kill many Native Americans to protect himself from attacks, robbery, and murder. Carson became known as one of the greatest of "Injun killers" through novels, newspaper accounts, and other media. When the fur trade died out in the 1840s, Carson looked for other work.

In 1842, US Army Officer John Charles Frémont hired Carson to guide him on three separate expeditions into the West. All three expeditions involved mapping and describing remote and uncharted areas of the West. The expeditions were hugely successful. Frémont's reports to the government made Carson a frontier hero and were read by many Americans. Carson became a celebrity throughout the country. His adventures were turned into stories that were published in paper-covered books, called dime novels. The cheap popular books made him more famous than ever.

In 1853, Carson became an Indian agent in northern New Mexico. His job was to keep the Utes and the Apaches at peace. He saw to it that they were treated with honesty and fairness and that they got the food and clothing that they needed. In 1861, the American Civil War broke out. Carson resigned his position as Indian agent, and joined the Union Army. As a lieutenant, he led the New Mexico Volunteer Infantry. His forces fought Confederates at Valverde, New Mexico. The Confederates won the battle, but were later defeated. Most of Carson's time in the army was passed training recruits.

Carson served in several wars and battles with the tribes In the Southwest. He rounded up and moved Apaches and Navajos from their homelands to government lands called reservations. Carson was promoted to the rank of colonel. Late in life, he was promoted to brigadier general and given command of Fort Garland in Colorado. After about two years. Carson left the military because of illness. He died in 1868 at Fort Lyon, Colorado. He is buried in Taos, New Mexico, next to his third and last wife, Josefa Jaramillo.