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FINDING SAND CREEK - NOT

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Contributed by: Dave Hughes on 11/18/2007

Well, 'Jerry' Greene's 1 hour presentation of 'Finding Sand Creek' at the Pioneer's Museum yesterday was a disappointment. Greene is, of course, a retired National Park Service Researcher who did work to locate the 1864 Sand Creek battle site in southeastern Colorado in the 90s.

It drew a full house - at least 150 (the full old 'Courtroom capacity?).

The main problems were technical. Nobody really checked the microphone/sound system ahead of time, so neither the woman who made announcements and introduced him could be heard, nor for the first 5 minutes Greene could be heard half way back in the auditorium. Finally she comes back with a properly powered (battery) mike which then worked.

Irritating as hell for an institution, the city owned Pioneer's Museum, which gets $800,000 local tax dollars a year and has 12 full time employees, knowing this would be a large crowd of largely older people who had to make reservations. But they were 'technical' enough to ask everybody to turn off their cell phones.

So I didn't get the introductory remarks which sets the stage. Then he right off apologized for not having 'Power Point'. He had a plain 1950s era slide projector projecting from half way back in the room to a standard sized screen (thus without a strong light, which also was washed out badly until the woman lowered the overhead lighting later) And then he displayed only dim black and white map slides where nobody could read any of the words on the screens. And Greene couldn't hold his laser still when he pointed at the maps.

So I don't think I, or anyone else, got more than 25% of the map based points he was making, even after we could hear him well. It wasn't until I bought his 'Finding Sand Creek' book and took it home last night did I actually see the maps clearly and try to remember what he said.

The ONLY two points he made that I saw and could relate to was his lavish praise of Lt Bonsall's 1868 map and its showing the 'extent' of the battle, and that he briefly showed where the NPS 'cut off' its area study, below where his measle-sheet showed where the sand pits area was where the Indians hid out.

And of course, both on the slides and in the book maps, there are almost NO markings or outline of 'context' of the camp and battle areas with today's Park Service land, or facility locations, or Dawson land, or roadways. He would occasionally point to the today's 'marker' near the bottom of all his slides.

Very poor presentation technologies for a guy trying to peddle his books as well as convince everyone how right the NPS and his and Scott's 'findings' were.

Our incidental programs at our History Center are better presented for audiences up to 100 than his was or the Pioneer's Museum supported.

His 50 minute remarks were "Massacre" every other word, starting with the color picture of the Lindneux painting - false to even what his text shows (and it's the cover of his book) and all the other terms that indicted "the untrained and undisciplined troops of the 3d Cavalry" and their 'indiscriminate' firing. And of course repeats of all the dramatic 'proofs' that the Indians there were peaceful, Black Kettle raised the American and White Flags.

So while the remarks were to establish 'where' the battle - oops Massacre - took place and over what extent of land - it was always interspersed with the 'traditional' putting of blame on Chivington, the 3d Cavalry and as loaded phrases as he could muster.

Only one side to the story - all the US Military 3d Cav, Chivington, were the bad guys, and all the Indians were innocent good guys.

He says by 2PM 150 Cheyenne and Arapahoe lay dead' Never mentions US casualties at all. (25 killed and 51 wounded - 76 casualties)

Shows photos of the 'archeological' teams finding 'hundreds of artifacts' which establish the site as far as he is concerned. Never mentions (as his book does in places but largely in passing) the Bowen's very extensive artifacts or locations - (over 3,000) though with no bibliographic (the '42 page' report which Bowen says he gave them) or source credit).

Or the name Howbert. But plenty of references to the oral statements from current Cheyenne and Arapahoe. (The front row was 'reserved' for a number of people, some of whom were obviously Indians.

And no hint of any lingering 'uncertainty' of either the location or extent of the 'massacre.'

He entertained questions at the end and said he would hang around as well as sign books. Only two questions were asked before it broke up. I think the session did not stimulate discussion because the presentation was so relatively dull, and the wooden seats were hard. I didn't hear the first one, but the second one, from a 'Bill Virden' in the back of the room was a bit loaded asking whether research might be 'slanted.' Later Virden gave me his address. Says he is an Historian, from Denver. Wanted a copy of our newsletter.

There were quite a few who came down from Denver to see the program. Several people saw me holding a copy of the OCCHS Article which I was going to give Greene and started up a conversation with me. So I went to the table after most all the crowd was gone, and bought two copies ($16) of the Finding Sand Creek book, approached Greene and asked him to autograph one for the 'Old Colorado City Historical Society' (which I am giving to their library) and as he was writing I said I was from OCCHS some members of which do not agree with his findings. He looked up and showing familiarity with what it was said "You have been influenced by the wrong people" I said, well I am impressed with Greg Michno's work ((Battle at Sand Creek) He said "I know Greg, he is a friend of mine." But he didn't want to get into a substantive discussion.

So I handed him a copy of our Newsletter with the headline "CONTROVERSY IN COLORADO" and the picture of Bowen on the front. Then I said "Why do you display that colorful but historically wrong painting on your book and in your presentation?" He mumbled something about that I should take that up with Scott (his co author). John Chatfield, who was with us on the Sand Creek Tour, ambled up and said a few words showing he wanted to know why Greene's study ignored Bowens.

I did not press the point. It was clear he didn't want to discuss things with anyone knowledgable, or who were skeptical of the certitudes he displayed about knowing where Sand Creek 'Massacre' started, or the 'extent' of the battle. I wanted to first read the book and see its evidence, maps clearly, before engaging him later.

How about us (OCCHS) inviting him to a 'debate' with Bowen and Michno in front of the History Society? That would be a gasser. And I can assure you the graphical displays and sound system would be supurb, and illuminating.)

Several people who knew me there said they would like to visit Sand Creek. Told em to email us. When we get 10 we can go again. So, if you don't have that book (only 230 pages), you can drop in the center and read it in the Library, or borrow mine after I am done with it.

The beat goes on over Sand Creek.

But I remain very unimpressed with the Pioneer's Museum.

Which is why we have the Old Colorado City Historical Society and our own History Center and Museum on the Westside.

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Dave Hughes

Colorado Springs , CO

Dave Hughes has posted 91 stories and 89 comments since joining on 3/1/2007. Dave Hughes 's average story rating is 4.9.

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