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James A. Burns sEp ii1-936
lc.;00 words
CAPTAIN SMITH H. SIMPSON
A Pioneer from, New York
From the sidewalks of New York to the Gila monster's den
From the falls of Minnehaha to the Lakes of Ponchartrain,
He fought the savage Indian
In the hills and on the plain.
To parphrase the old Church hymn and the marching
song of the leather -necked U.S. Marines, ouch has been the
range of adventure of one New York boy who finally settled
in Taos helped Kit Carson fit Indians in western New
Mexico and Arizona, and helped the Territory of New Mexico
and the village of Taos to struggle through the strenuous
and sometiLe nain7u1 period of transition from the old
Spanish rule and the misrule of the Mexican nc;public, to
the more settled conditions of the twentieth century,
when the three racc6, Indians, Spanisli-Americ%n and
"Anglosn, with their bld leaders and their old prejudices
and grudges both buried in the sunbaked adobe soil of
New I,dexico, can now live in peace and amity, hardly to be
ruffled by the bienbbal rantings of some small calibre
politicians at election times.
One of the men who contributed to the growth of a
more friendly feeling between the two dominant races by
his uncompromising patriotism and personal probity was
Captain S. H. Simpson
#2
Captain Smith H. Simpson, a native of .New York City Who
found his way to Taos and New Mexico long before the artists
and the sight-seeing tourists ever heard of the place.
8dath H. Simpson was born in New York City, May 8, 1836,
the son of Chorles Henry Simpson, a commission merchant of
New York City. His paternal grandfather was a Revolutionary
soldier and crossed the Delaware with Washington and took
part in the Battle of Trenton. This grandfather afterwards
married a !Tiss Ij. A, Williams and settled in York City,
where later theLT both died and were buried in one of the
city cemeteries.
Youno!2,7,ith lost both parents through an e4delilic of
cholera in 1649 when he was only thirteen yers of age. In
this same year he'was ap,2renticed by relhtives to 'Tames
H. Chilton, a m5nufacturing chemist of New York city, in
whose employnent he remained for a yehr or two.
Just at this time came the raports of the discovery
of in Clifornia, that faraway and almost unknown land
acquired from Mexico a few short years before.
No doubt the city bred boy, working and plLying about
the streets of New York and seeing men and sailing ships
leaving the docks of the East River for a long ardOus trip
around the Horn to the new El Dorado, was fired Iith the
same spirit of adventure that prompted his ancesters to
leave England and brave the perils of the Atlantic to seek
Captain S. H. Simpson
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their fortunes in the American Colonies.
Leaving New York City, his first venturing during
1140ars or his young manhood, took him to Philikdelphia,
Baltimore and Washington. He worked at various employ-
ments to pay expenses and finally reached New Orleans,
khere he obtained employment with the Quarter -master's
Department of the Navy.
He remained there until 1852, where his travels in
the line of duty took him from New Orleans to Fort Snelling,
Minnesota, to :ontana and down the Missouri and finally
to Santa Fe.
While in t. Louis he met Upton D. Tendruac, Chief
Clerk for Major Saniuel Dusenberry, Chief cuarter-master for
the Army in New .exico. Tendruac employed young Simpson
as second clerk, an6 they came to Santa Fe, whore Smith H.
worked from -,otember, 18531 until October, 18b. This
seems to h:.ve been the deciding event in the career of
young Simpson.
Leaving the sri s! for a while, he came to TROS shortly
before the -4ar, and tried to settle down to the
more uneventful life of a farmer and merchant. But except
for short absences wnile in Government work, practically
all the rest of his life was spent in New Mexico and after
the Civil War, he made Taos his home until the time of his
death.
Captain Si H. Simpson
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In 1855 the Ute War in northwestern New Mexico and
southeastern Utah broke out and drew Simpson into aetive
service. In the spring of that year he enlisted as a
Commissary Sergeant and served until July, when the trouble
was over and he was discharged.
Returning to the c:uarter-master's Department of the
Army, he was plced on special duty and ran a government
exuress for the army and delivered suprlies to army posts
all over the eastern slope of the Rockies from ontana to
New lexico. He continued in this service for over two years
until September, 1857. Daring the winter of 1857-58 he took
a vacation and syent abOUt six months in lexico City.
Relitming to the States in the spring of 1858, he made
a trip back to his old home in New York. City to visit re-
latives an then into an old army comrade, A.W. Reynolds
who persuaded HL to ,,ke a trip to ?ort Gasiling, Ainiesota,
outside of c,t. Taul.
He aeain re-enteret. the service and for awhile was in
command of a Istliot currying supplies to Ft. Leavenworth,
Kansas, now the site of the Federal peniZkintiary.
Beturhinc to Santa Fe, he served s second clerk under
Captain '1m. Van lAiblein until the fall of 1859 but remained
in Santa Fe until the sp7ring of 1860.
Just when 3inpson first saw Taos is not known, though
he evidently had visited the town in the course of his
Captain S. H. Simpson
military duties. Deeiding to leave the army and settle
down, he moved to Taos in the opring of 1860, bought some
land south of town and engagmd in farming and stock«iraising
until the spring of 1863.
He seemed fated to get no rest. Just as he was ,fair
settled as a peaceful farmer at Taos and was thinking or
getting married and building a home, he was again called;
from the plow, like the Cincinnatus of old, to command trOopti
in his country's wars.
Prompted no doubt by the withdnuwal of Federal troops
from New Mexico and Arizona, to take part in the civil war
in the Southern States further east, the Navajoes and Apaches
'44A) wttea,a) tArem_.
in western New Lexico mega Simpson mutt called back into active
service,"filia time e! a Captain of scouts and Spies) Xaving
under his command loyal Indians and veteran ex -soldiers.
He served in this eapacity from 1863 to 1866. His
campaigns brought him in contact with the famous Kit Carson
and carried him all4over the southwestern part of the state
and dawn the Gila River to the White River and San Carlos
reservations and to the vicinity of PhO4hix.
The Civil War being finally ended nd the volunteer
yroops beihg replaced by regulars of the U.S. Army, the
Indians finally gave up their raids for a time at least,
and 00*in Simpson and his troop were finally ordered
back to Albuquerque, where they were mustered out in
aptaia B. H. Simpsoa
Siaietiabltro 10611. Captain 8impsom had bawl vo2Mdet at
Various times during the three years of fighting Indians
but not seriously incapacitated tVishts wounds.
He again returned to Tees, hoping that his army days
were over and that could mow return to the peaceful life
of a farmer. He did so, and engaged in farming until 1872
when iTe_plflux of new peopla and money from the East pee-
sented5;;Ortunities and he went into the lay% Inanities*,
buying and selling lend in the Spanish grants in the Taos
Valley.
Captain Simpson first became acquainted with Kit
Carson in the early'50's on one of his trips to Taos on
army business for the Quarter -master's Department and these
two stmo's men, though of contrasting temperaments, soon
became strong friends and served together in various,
campaigns against the hostile Indians between 1856 and
1862.
The friendship was reneged after Simpson's return to
Taos in 1866, and beeame so strong, that when Carson lay
on his death bed at It. Lyon, Colorado, almost his last
words were "Tell Simpson and Botts (Carson's cherk) that
want to be buried at Taos." His trust was not misplaoed
and in 1869, about a year after Carson's death, Captain
Simpson, through his Masonic: and G.A.R. affiliations, we
instrumental in having Carson's remains brought by ox -team
Captain S. H. Simpson
07
from It. Lyon, himself going to La Veta and guiding the,
caravan the remainder of the way to Taos, Carson was
finally and permanently buried in the cemetery in Taos
now named for him.
A year or two later, Captain Simpson was inetrumental
in getting Carleten Post NO. 3, G.A.R. of Santa Fe, to
erect a nonument over Carson's grave and construct a
fence around the lot.
Captain Simpson continued in the farming and lend
business untillabout 1900 when he geedate+ay retired. Later
he devoted his time to his patriotic activities* He
erected n flag pole in the center of the Plaza of Taos
and for years personally attended to the duty of raising
and lowering the flag each morning and evening. He was
active in promoting the observance of aeaorial Day and
often lectured to the school children on patriotic subjects.
After returning from his Indian campaigns in 1866,
and finally hanging up his sword for good and all, Captain
Simpson mrried !Ise Josefita Valdez, daughter of a pro-
minent apanish-American family and built the house later
oecuaied by one of his daughters, n -s. Ben. C. Randall.
His wife died in 1907. Six children were born of this
marriage, however, to carry on the traditions.
Anna —Mrs. Anna Cloutier, now married to Epemenio
Martinez and now living at Wagon Mound.
Captain S. H. Simpson
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Henry --Of Wagon Mound, New Mexico.
Stefania--(or Stoll) Mrs. Ben G. Randall, now living
at Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Maggie --Mrs. Albert Guidorf. Living in Taos.
Samuel --Glove, Arizona.
He lived long enough to hold several of his grand
children on his knees and there ere now several of his
great grand children living in Taos, and Las Vegas, New
Mexico and Los Angeles, California.
La Rek)sta de Taos (Taos Review), at the time of his
death, wrote a very eulogistic article on the career of
Cptein Simpson and testified to the esteem in Yrich he
was held by both Anglo and Spanish7American people of Taos.
From old timers in Taos who knewin his liter years, be-
tween 1900 and 1916, he is described as a man of medium
height, and stocky He wore a mustache and imperial
and his gray hair rather long after the fashion of Civil
War times. In appearance he was a typical Civil War
veteran. Not much is related of humorous incidents in
his career. He was abrupt in his manner and brusque,
sometimes violent and profane in his speech and very
positive in his opinions. The few people remaining who
knew him in his earlier and more active days testify to
his rugged manliness and innate kindness of heart end
ascribe any roughness in his manners or speech to his
Captain S. H. Simpson
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long years spent in bossing bull -whackers and freight
teamsters in his old army days.
Captain Simpson died April 3, 1916, being just a
month less than eighty years of age. His funeral was held
three days later and conducted by Bent Lodge, No. 1,
A.F. A.M. of Taos and CarlOtou Post No. 3, G.A.R. of
Santa Fe and by common consent all the store closed and
the whole town turned out for the funeral. He is buried
in Kit Carson Cemetery near his old friend and comrde of
Indian fiehting days.
3. URC CF IT-17crii!:.LTICT\I
Factual at to 1895 compiled from Illurtr-ted History
of Now "..,1exi co LoWis Publishing Company-- Oh icaco 1895.
Report of his funeral, navies of children, from r,r,--
Rilvtsta de Ttos, A7drU 7, 1915.
rersonul chteteristics front conversati3ns Trith
H. E. Anderson, (Tohn Ti. ,Dann, Mri(Jxe Gonzales s.nd. others.
The writer nas been hampered in the collection of
information about this cubject 'by the lack of coo.peretion
on the part of the family of the Calitzs,in. This accounts
for the 6ci.d.'city of information Ls to his .personal
characteristics few wilich I have had to rely on outsiders.
;Tames. A. Burns