Albert H. Pfeiffer, Sr.
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In 1822 there lived a Lutheran minister and his wife who were of noble Scotch descent, in Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands. To them a son was born in October of that year. This little boy, whom they named Albert Henry Pfeiffer, was in course of time to leave the shores of his native land and go westward to take an active part in the development of the American Southwest, as a scout and explorer and a soldier in the United States Army. At the age of 22, Albert sailed to America. He came west almost immediately and joined a freighting outfit at Lt. Louis, working down into Santa Fe, New Mexico. On one of these expeditions he met Capt. Charles Deus, and the two men became close friends. Mr. Pfeiffer made many trips into Santa Fe. There he met the beautiful Spanish girl, Antonita, whom he married in 1856. She is said to have had one of the most expensive wedding dresses of the time. It was of heavy white satin, "yards and yards of it", all hand embroidered at the convent. Red roses literally covered the cloth, and the veil was of white tulle, caught here and there with white flowers. Her necklace was of Mexican filigree medallions, in the center of each one a red, green or turquoise stone, and the pendant made in the form of a golden fish with jeweled eyes, each scale a precious shell. The hair ornaments were wonderful to see. The wedding was a military affair, and it is said there was much champagne and wine, with music and dancing, all right, according, to the custom of the time. In June 1859, Pfeiffer received his appointment as Captain of Company A, Abiquiu Mounted Volunteers of the Militia of New Mexico. The year 1863 was a tragic one for Capt. Pfeiffer. He was then at Fort McRae, New Mexico. While at the hot springs near that post, Captain Pfeiffer, his wife and two servant girls, with an escort of six men of the First New Mexico volunteers were attacked by a party of Apache Indians. The Captain was bathing when the Indians made the rush upon the party, killing two men and wounding Pfeiffer in the side with an arrow. The women were taken captive and soon after were fatally wounded. Capt. Pfeiffer had just time to seize his rifle and wade across the river in pursuit of the Indians. He struck out without a stitch of clothing on, and the sun blazing hot. Knowing the Indian character, he thought the Indians would not kill his wife immediately, but would take the women to their hiding place and compel them to do menial labor; therefore, he made for the Fort to give the alarm and get reinforcements. He was followed by the Indians, who shot at him, one of the arrows entering his back with the end coming out in front. This wound troubled him for years afterward. In this condition with the arrow in his back, he ran, until he reached an enclosure of rock where he made a halt to rest and to defend himself. He remained there for several hours, with the sun burning down upon him. He was known to the Indians as an excellent marksman and when they found they could not get him out of the stronghold without losing several of their number, they gave up the siege, which gave him his opportunity to escape to the post, about nine miles away. He reached the fort more dead than alive. When the surgeon drew out the arrow from his back the sun-scorched skin surrounding the arrow wound came off with it, and for days he suffered intense agony, and lay for two months at the point of death from this experience. In the meantime, the men sent out by Major Morrison found the murdered women and men. During the years following this tragedy, Capt. Pfeiffer spent his time, when not in the service of the Army, in hunting down the warring tribes, especially Apaches and Comanches, which were the ones that participated in the Fort McRae tragedy. He would burn their tepees and capture their men when he did not kill them outright. One time he came upon a band of Comanches from Texas, and opened fire upon them. The Indians crouched down on the opposite side of their horses, placing the horses between their bodies and the bullets, but Pfeiffer was quick for the Chief and shot him in the back, killing him instantly. The chief wore a beautifully beaded coat of deerskin, which the Captain took from him. Symbols of Indian folklore are displayed on this coat; stars, moon, trees, gourds, snakes, worked in beautiful colors, and the beads are sewed on with deer sinew. Two small bullet holes in the back bear evidence of the marksmanship of Pfeiffer. The coat shows evidence of being burned. When the son, Albert Pfeiffer, Jr., late of Monte Vista, Colorado, was questioned as to how the coat came to be burned, he answered: "When I was a little chap, my father and I came in one day and it was cold, and we heated bricks to warm our feet. I wrapped my brick in that coat and came near burning it up. Capt. Pfeiffer was a life-long friend of Col. Christopher (Kit) Carson, serving in Carson's Regiment for several years. During parts of the years 1863 and 1864, Pfeiffer was with Col. Carson in what they termed the "Navajo Country." A letter from Carson to Pfeiffer dated Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 8, 1863, reads:
In 1863-64 the Navajos, who had been almost constantly at war with the whites since 1847, were attacked in an extensive campaign directed by Col. Carson. The most brilliant feat of the expedition was the passage throug the Canon de Chelly by Capt. |
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Pfeiffer and one hundred men. Other troops had attempted to go through the famous walled canyon with its prehistoric fortresses in the cliffs, but had failed. At the end of the second day, January 13, 1864, Capt. Pfeiffer and his command emerged from the canyon, having as Col. Carson reported, "accomplished an undertaking never before successful in war time." In 1865 Pfeiffer was appointed an Indian Agent. In 1866 he received his appointment to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel by Brevet, to rank as such from the 13th of March 1865; "for gallant and meritorious service against the Indians of Arizona." This was signed by President Andrew Jackson and by Secretary of War, Stanton. Pfeiffer served as an Indian Agent at Abiquiu, New Mexico, for some years, but during this time also took up his homestead on the upper Rio Grande, near Granger, in Rio Grande County, Colorado, where he spent his declining years. He was adopted into the tribe of the Utes, who always referred to him as "Tata Pfeiffer." He was called into their councils, and they had high regard for his advice and leadership. The Utes and Navajos were always at war with one another, and especially did they dispute the possession of Pagosa Springs. Col. Pfeiffer was at home at Granger when the all came for him to come to Pagosa as the Utes were on the warpath. He left home immediately, and joined the tribe into which he had been adopted some time before. The Indians were having skirmishes every few days. Sometimes one side would win and sometimes the other. Finally the leaders decided to leave the decision of ownership to the outcome of a duel between the best man of each tribe. The Navajos selected a veritable giant for their leader, and the Utes brought forward a little, short and not very strong-appearing paleface for their leader. Col. Pfeiffer offered his services to his tribe, with the understanding that he was to be allowed to name the weapons used, and the manner of fighting. He chose the bowie knife, and insisted that the combatants be stripped to the waist. Both advanced. Pfeiffer rapidly threw his knife to the hilt, killing his adversary instantly. The Navajos acknowledged defeat and the Utes regained possession of the springs until later treaties between Chief Ouray and the United States changed the order of things. This duel was fought eight and one-half miles southwest of Pagosa Springs, on the Durango road, on what is known as the Stollsteimer or Dyke Ranch. (A monument now marks the spot, as reported in the 1955 issue of the County Bulletin.) One of his expeditions in the early days of his career, Col. Pfeiffer captured an Indian boy and his sister, taking them near the Cimarron River. This was Navajo Pollock and his sister. He released the sister soon after her capture, and later did the same with Pollock, who spent the later days of his life in Alamosa. Col. Pfeiffer, in the later days of his life, became associated with Christopher Stollsteimer, Fred Meyer, Budenbrock, Morrison, and Plumeaux in the cattle business. They worked over from the San Luis Valley side of the Divide, having their largest holdings in the long-grass country of the southwestern slope, in the San Juan country, and more particularly in the Pagosa Springs region. In 1878, Col. Pfeiffer spent some months in the Pagosa region looking after the Stollsteimer and Meyer interests. It is said Stollesteimer went to Pagosa Springs to get permission from Chief Ouray and Ignacio to run their cattle on the meadows that winter. The Indian Chiefs were not at all favorable to the proposition, but as soon as they learned that "Tata Pfeiffer" was part owner of the cattle they gladly acceded to their wishes, and allowed them the free use of the pasture. Colonel Pfeiffer died April 6, 1881, at Granger, Colorado, and is buried on what is now called the Gredig Ranch, near Del Norte. In November 1931 the members of the Daughters of the American Revolution participated in the unveiling of a marker at the grave where the colorful pioneer rests. The grave is "far from the abode of man, in a beautiful spot overlooking the rippling Rio Grande wending its way through the estate which once was his, given to him for service rendered his adopted country. The peaceful possession of Pagosa Hot Springs and the headwaters of the San Juan rested with the Utes and Colonel Pfeiffer for many years. There was at one time considerable evidence pertaining to the recognition of Colonel Pfeiffer's claim to the Hot Springs, but valuable documents were burned and lost before his death, and nothing has been done in a material way to establish his claim. A monument to the memory of Colonel Albert Henry Pfeiffer and his duel to the death with a giant Navajo Indian was officially dedicated at Pagosa Springs, Colorado, on June 13, 1955. Taking part in the dedication ceremonies were three Monte Vista women, all granddaughters of Colonel Pfeiffer. There were Mrs. Lena Elliott, Mrs. J. C. Higgs, and Mrs. Jessie Morse. In addition, several great and great-great grandchildren were present for the ceremony. The several-foot high monument, a square rock structure with brass plaque, was sponsored by the Women's Civic Club of Pagosa Springs. It is located about six miles west of the town of Pagosa Springs on Highway 160. The Colonel guided many parties in this section, and was a close friend of Kit Carson. The duel, which gave the Ute Indians possession of the famous Pagosa Hot Springs, came about when the Navajo tribe and the Ute Indians arrived there at the same time to take advantage of the healthy waters. After a few brief skirmishes, the Navajos issued a challenge to the Utes to the effect that each tribe would send its best warrior forward in a fight to the death, the winner and his tribe to have permanent possession of the spring. Colonel Pfeiffer, a close friend of the Utes, had been adopted into the tribe, and he agreed to meet the Navajo champion. The fight was to the death, with no weapons but Bowie knives. In a matter of minutes the Navajo was dead. Colonel Pfeiffer received several severe wounds during the battle. See the beginning of this document as it relates the life of Elizabeth Chamberlin Pfeiffer The above was given by Md. Chester Mathias, |