Family Heirlooms

While encamped in the Western History Department the other day I ran across an old article in the Colorado Magazine about Hal Sayr (or Sayre) written by his son Robert. As you might imagine, it's a sympathetic account of Sayre's oddysey as a Colorado pioneer, miner and volunteer Indian fighter. Among many other interesting items (for instance, that Sayre and his partner Parmalee [Parmelee?] founded LaPorte, near Fort Collins) is the revelation by the author that "we still have a scalp taken by Major Sayre in this battle [Sand Creek]."

This confirms the testimony taken by the Tappan commission from a soldier who claimed to see Major Sayre dismount to carve a scalp on the afternoon of November 29, 1864. Many others were doing the same thing, but Sayre as First Major was one of the top ranking officers in the field. The testimony was presented as evidence of a breakdown in the command structure, or complete lack of one in the first place.

I wonder about that conversation, if there was one.

Son, I want you to have this. I've been saving it for you.

Ah thanks, dad. Uh ... Wow.

Maybe someday, you know, you can pass it on to your son.

That's great dad.

[shiver]

The multi-generational Curse Potential on that is off the charts.

Hal Sayre lived to old age in a mansion at 815 Logan.