shewman

Updated: May 11, 2025

Harrington, seeing that Uncle Kit was determined in the matter, said no more. Carson went out to where his saddle-horse was feeding, caught him and took a half-hitch around his nose with the riatta, jumped on him without any saddle, and by this time Shewman was on his horse also, with his rifle in hand.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

Shewman lived until Uncle Kit got to him, then he acknowledged that it was all his own fault, and that it was good enough for him.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

It happened that while he was in his rage, Uncle Kit, Jake Harrington and I, knowing nothing of Shewman's mad fit, started out to look after our horses and had to pass near their camp. Just as we were passing by their cabin, Shewman said: "There goes the d d white-faced American now. Look at him, he looks just like a coward, and he is a d d cowardly cur, just like all the rest of the Americans."

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

Among the party was a big fellow by the name of Shewman, that seemed to think himself a very bad man; he did not appear to have any love or respect for any American trapper, which was the case with the general run of those French Canadians who were in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company. This man Shewman seemed to have a great antipathy toward Kit Carson.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

Up to this time I had not said a word to Uncle Kit, but as I came up I asked him if he was not going to get his gun. "No," said he, "this is all the gun I want;" and he took out his pistol and rode away a few rods, so that Jake Harrington and I would not be in range of the bullets from Shewman's gun, and stopped to wait for Shewman to give the word.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

This Uncle Kit agreed to, saying: "There is my horse, I will be ready in three minutes. Get ready as soon as you please; as you seem to want to fight, I will accommodate you." I had been with Uncle Kit now since 1847, and this was the first time I had ever seen him in any serious trouble, and I was surprised at the cool and unexcited manner in which he talked to Shewman.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

When within thirty yards, Shewman fired, and at the crack of his gun, Jake Harrington clapped his hands and shouted: "Good! good! Uncle Kit is safe." We could not see any sign of his being hit, and when a few yards nearer each other, Uncle Kit fired, and Shewman fell to the ground mortally wounded, the bullet passing through his body just above the heart.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

The third day we arrived at the place spoken of, this man Shewman got pretty well ginned up and started out to look for Uncle Kit, saying that he had heard a great deal of Kit Carson and of his fighting proclivities, and that he would lick him on sight.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

I had been with Kit Carson long enough to know better than to say anything to him, but Jake Harrington followed him out to where his horse was, and started in to try to talk him out of the notion by telling him that Shewman was drinking. He turned to Harrington and said: "Jake, I thought you were an American, and would fight for the name."

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

He was apparently as cool as though he was just in the act of starting out buffalo hunting. There was a smile on his countenance when he was talking to Shewman about the fight that was to take place, in which one of them was to lose his life.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West