Were White Scalps Found in Black Kettle’s Village at Sand Creek?

By Mike Bowen, co-author, We Found the Lost Sand Creek Site

One part of the Sand Creek story that has been suppressed is that soldiers found white scalps in the Indian tipis in Black Kettle’s village. It is well documented by multiple eyewitnesses that white scalps were found. 

None of us were at Sand Creek or even alive when the event took place. We can only get credible information from those who were there, and we only use primary source material including soldier testimonies and firsthand accounts from books or newspapers written by soldiers for our Sand Creek research.  

Soldiers provided detailed descriptions of the white scalps, not vague generalities about hearing about them supposedly being found. They provided these descriptions during sworn testimony in the hearings in early 1865, following the November 29, 1864 Sand Creek event. 

A soldier that spoke of finding white scalps was Arthur Gibson. His great-grandson became acquainted with Chuck Bowen. 

“It became more of a tradition than practicality that we burned cottonwood in our fireplace that I cut on Sand Creek. We were not only providing additional heat for our home, but the smell of the smoke was reminiscent of a time long ago. 

We decided it was time to clean the chimney, and found only one listing, B & M Chimney Sweep, seventy miles west. Bob explained he usually doesn’t go as far as Lamar, it’s just too costly. He said he did have a job only thirty-six miles from us, so if we didn’t mind waiting, he could do both jobs that day.  

Bob Spaid arrived wearing the traditional outfit of a chimney sweep—a top hat and a black coat with long tails. 

“I like your 1860s attire—reminds me of the era of the Sand Creek battle in 1864. Have you heard of it?” I said.  

“Not only have I heard of it, my great-grandfather, Arthur Gibson, was a soldier,” Bob said.  

“Sheri and I recently discovered the lost Sand Creek site on my parents’ ranch.” (We Found the Lost Sand Creek Site). 

We both recognized this divine appointment. It would be a while before the chimney would get cleaned—there was a lot to learn about his great-grandfather.

He took scalps of white women, children, and men from Black Kettle’s village. When he moved back to Nebraska, he stored them in a safe in the back of his store—he sold books, stationery, and newspapers. 

Bob owned the pistol and holster his great-grandfather Arthur carried to Sand Creek—I took him to see where he fought.

Bob’s Sand Creek account is only one generation removed from an eyewitness. The NPS (National Park Service) Sand Creek story is based on oral histories that’s been passed around for 150 years” (We Found the Lost Sand Creek Site, pages 134-136, 138, 139). 

Bob told Chuck the Sand Creek story he learned from his grandmother, Nettie, who raised him. And it was a story she learned firsthand from her father, Arthur, a soldier at Sand Creek. 

Other soldiers spoke about finding white scalps during sworn testimony. One Sand Creek soldier, Stephen Decatur, Company C, Colorado 3rd Cavalry, had firsthand experience with Indians, as he lived among them for nearly seven years. 

“As I was going out to get some…lodge-poles for wood, I saw some of the men opening bundles. I saw them take …a number of white persons’ scalps–men’s, women’s…I saw one scalp of a white woman in particular that I want to describe to you. It had been taken entirely off the head; the head had been skinned, taking all the hair; the scalp had been tanned to preserve it; the hair was auburn and hung in ringlets…very long. There were two holes in the scalp in front, for the purpose of tying it on their heads when they appeared in the scalp dance,” Decatur testified (Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 1865, Thirty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, Congress Of The United States, In The House Of Representatives, January 10, 1865). 

“How do you know the scalps you saw were those of white men, women, and children,” the Commission asked Decatur. 

“By the color and fineness of their hair; I never saw an Indian with auburn hair in my life,” Decatur said (Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 1865, Thirty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, Congress Of The United States, In The House Of Representatives, January 10, 1865). 

Further testimony for Decatur included: 

“Question. How do you know the wearing apparel you saw in Black Kettle’s camp was that of white women and children?

Answer. I know the habits and customs of the Indians, especially the wild Indians of the plains, well enough to know their prejudices against the wearing apparel of the whites. I know that they had no person among them well skilled enough to make the dresses I saw there.

Question. Were not the tanned scalps you speak of as being auburn of a dull rusty color, very coarse in texture, and formerly of a dark color, but faded by age?

Answer. No” (Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 1865, Thirty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, Congress Of The United States, In The House Of Representatives, January 10, 1865).

The hearings were led by Lt. Col. Sam Tappan, known as Colonel Chivington’s enemy. His commission would ask questions that would attempt to derail the testimony of Chivington’s witnesses.

There is a sampling of the hearings after chapter 14 in our book. 

None of the members of the Commission were present at Sand Creek. This was clearly an attempt to create the narrative that white scalps were not found at Sand Creek but instead were the scalps of old Indians that faded in color. The members of the Commission had also not seen any of the scalps. It was a narrative they created without any physical evidence. 

We get most of our information about the Cheyenne from George Bent. He was half Cheyenne and lived among them as a Dog Soldier (warrior). Over 40 years after Sand Creek, while he was working as an Indian agent, historians wrote letters to him asking about his Cheyenne life and time at Sand Creek. He wrote in great detail about scalp dances and the wagon train raids he went on where the Dog Soldiers would often scalp their white enemies. Read about George in chapter four of our book, We Found the Lost Sand Creek. 

Bent admits in a letter to historian George Hyde to Indians taking the scalps off their white enemies in the summer of 1864, months before Sand Creek. 

“I was in one of the largest villages on Solomon River of Cheyennes, Siouxs and Arapahoes in summer of 1864. I had just returned from my father’s ranch on Purgatoire River that summer. As I rode by each village I seen scalp dances in centre of these villages. War parties came in from all directions, bringing in lots of plunder. Cheyennes and Siouxs made raids on South Platte down to Little Blue River. I seen all kinds of stuff…Arapahoes made raids towards Denver” (Bent to Hyde, 3-19-1906). 

Another soldier that testified was the first assistant surgeon for the Colorado 3rd Cavalry, Dr. Caleb S. Birdsal.  

“Did you see any white scalps at Sand creek? If yes, please state the particulars in regard to them,” the Commission asked. 

“I think it was about three or four o’clock p. m., November 29, the day of the battle, I was in the lodge dressing the wounded; some man came to the opening of the lodge and hallooed to me to look at five or six scalps he had in his hand. I should judge, from a casual look, that they were the scalps of white persons,” Dr. Caleb S. Birdsal said (Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 1865, Thirty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, Congress Of The United States, In The House Of Representatives, January 10, 1865). 

Further testimony for Birdsal included: 

“Question. What reason have you for saying the scalps you saw in the lodge were those of white persons?

Answer. I judge by the color of the hair.

Question. What was the color of those you saw in the lodge?

Answer. I think there were some white, some sandy brown. I don’t think there were any that were very black.

Question. Did not these scalps present the appearance of having faded and changed from their original color by age?

Answer. I think not. My impression is that one or two of them were not more than ten days off of the head.

Question. From what indications do you determine the time not to have been over ten days?

Answer. The skin and flesh attached to the hair appeared to be yet quite moist.

Question. Did you examine these scalps closely?

Answer. Yes; my attention was called to that by others, to decide whether they were fresh or not” (Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 1865, Thirty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, Congress Of The United States, In The House Of Representatives, January 10, 1865). 

Testimony for Thaddeus Bell: 

“I was at the battle of Sand creek, fought November 29, 1864.

Question. Did you see any white scalps in the Indian village at Sand creek? If yes, please describe them particularly.

Answer. I saw a good many white scalps there. The number, I have not any idea how many. There were some that looked old, as if they might have been taken a considerable time; others not so long, and one that was quite fresh, not over from five to eight days old at furthest. I did not notice them particularly enough at the time to give a more minute description. The fresh scalp was from a red haired man” (Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 1865, Thirty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, Congress Of The United States, In The House Of Representatives, January 10, 1865). 

Not only do the soldiers testify to seeing white scalps, some of the scalps were still fresh, less than a week old. 

Some soldier testimony is difficult to verify or trust. Naman Snyder, Company D, First Colorado Cavalry, was called to testify against Chivington. He was asked who he saw engaged scalping Indians. “The boys in the third regiment; also the boys in the first regiment,” Snyder said. 

“Can you name any person that you saw scalping Indians,” the Commission asked. “I can name no one person,” Snyder said under oath. He was also asked if anyone spoke to him in relation to what he would testify. 

“There has been only one person, as I can recollect…”

Question. Did not some person talk to you this morning about what you testify to, &c., before this commission?

Answer. Not about anything but what I stated before.

Question. Did not Lieutenant Colonel Tappan talk to you about what you could testify before this commission?

Answer. No” (Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 1865, Thirty-Eighth Congress, Second Session, Congress Of The United States, In The House Of Representatives, January 10, 1865). 

He gave a vague answer, saying, “the boys in the third,” and, “the boys in the first” for those he claimed scalped Indians. If he saw this happen, it doesn’t add up he didn’t learn their names. He doesn’t even provide any context on how many soldiers it was, just, “the boys.” It was also asked of him if he was coached beforehand on what he could or couldn’t say under oath. Referring to people that casually would infer he knew them, but, in fact, he didn’t know them. He didn’t know any of their names. The fact he didn’t know a single name makes it look like the information was fabricated. 

We only use primary source material for our Sand Creek research. The running battle account from soldiers, including Irving Howbert, is corroborated by over 4,000 battle and village artifacts. The massacre claim comes mostly from oral history and has never been verified by any physical evidence.  

It’s also important to know how to sift through soldier testimony to be able to determine what is valid. The claims about scalping Indians is front and center, based on vague accounts. And the information about soldiers finding white scalps is detailed, and the accounts have been withheld from the public. It’s truth that gets silenced and suppressed. 

When information is suppressed, it generally means that information is legitimate and true. Soldiers finding white scalps at Sand Creek has been minimized. That information is not favorable to the massacre story that claims it was a defenseless and peaceful village. White scalps found would be the undeniable proof that Colorado Territory Governor Evans’ pleas for help were warranted and that the village was filled with violent warriors—it is proof it was not a peaceful camp. 

It is possible that a few soldiers did scalp dead Indians at Sand Creek, but we do not know for sure. The accounts are incredibly vague, and the lack of ability to name a single soldier scalping dead Indians takes credibility away from those claims. 

Our Sand Creek site discovery and research has also been suppressed and lied about. Learn the truth in our book, We Found the Lost Sand Creek Site. 

Truth matters. Truth wins. 

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