(Colonel) John Milton Chivington - Denver, CO, USA - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

"John Milton Chivington (January 27, 1821 – October 4, 1894) was an American army officer, chiefly remembered for his brutal massacre of Cheyenne people at Sand Creek.

A former Methodist pastor, Chivington served as a colonel in the United States Volunteers during the Colorado War and the New Mexico Campaigns of the American Civil War. After the Battle of Glorieta Pass in March 1862, tactically a Southern victory, his unit destroyed the enemy’s supply train, resulting in permanent Confederate withdrawal from New Mexico. This was, however, attributed largely to luck, and Chivington was felt to have missed opportunities to influence the course of the battle itself.

In November 1864, as commander of the District of Colorado, Chivington led a militia force to Sand Creek, north of Fort Lyon, where they massacred about 100 unarmed Cheyenne and Arapaho, mostly women and children, who believed they were under Union protection. Although local politicians held conflicting views about tribal rights, Chivington seems to have been driven mostly by his own passionate desire to kill Indians. The particular brutality of the attack, with drunken soldiers taking body-parts as trophies, shocked the nation, and Congress gave up plans for a general war against the Indians of the West." (from (visit link) )

Also see the Sand Creek Massacre at (visit link) (visit link) and (visit link) .

Description: Chivington, who had great political aspirations, led the slaughter of peaceful Cheyenne Indians at Sand Creek in Colorado. It was soon discovered the 'battle' was really a massacre of old men, women and children and turned public opinion from the ongoing slaughter of American Indians to more of mild tolerance and forced integration into white society. Chivington resigned his military rank to escape punishment, but the horrific acts committed against indigenous peoples effectively ended the 'Indian Wars' and changed US policy towards American Indians. Date of birth: 01/27/1821 Date of death: 10/04/1894 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Dawn to dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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