Mini Biographies of Scots and Scots Descendants

(1809-1868) Grandson of Scottish immigrants who passed through Northern Ireland. Commonly called Kit, and American hunter and scout, born in Madison Co., Ky. When only a year old he was taken by his parents to the Missouri frontier, where in 1824-26 he was apprenticed to a saddler. He ran away at 15 to join a Santa Fe hunting party and in the following years accompanied other expeditions, learning much of the geography of the West. As guide to General Fremont on his exploring expeditions of 1842, 1843-44, and 1845-46, he became nationally famous. Carson fought in a number of battles in the Mexican War and in 1854-61 gave valuable service as Indian agent at Taos, N. M. In the Civil War he was brevetted brigadier general for "important services in New Mexico, Arizona, and the Indian Territory." In 1836, he married an Arapahoe Indian. His knowledge of Indian culture and language was legendary but he remained illiterate. He died in Fort Lyon, Colorado.