Kit Carson: The Life of an American Border Man (review)

Few western figures are as well-known as Kit Carson. This small-of-stature, illiterate man was a trapper, mountain man, Indian fighter, army officer, Indian agent, and family man. His travels took him many places, including the American Southwest, Plains, Rockies, and west coast region. Stories of Carson's travels were popularized during the nineteenth century, particularly in the form of dime novels and a dictated autobiography published in 1858. Many twentieth-century works, including standard biographies such as Kit Carson: A Pattern for Heroes by Thelma S. Guild and Harvey L. Carter (University of Nebraska Press, 1984), have also been published. However, Kit Carson: The Life of an American Border Man, by David Remley, offers an engaging new biography that takes a fresh look at answering a basic question: Who was Kit Carson? Remley begins to answer this question by stating Carson was "a man of his culture and a product of his times" (xxvii).

Remley seems determined to impart a sense of reality to Carson's early romanticized reputation as an almost superhuman hero. In this respect, the author succeeds in providing a balanced biography of this border man who was sometimes a hero, but always a human. This is accomplished by highlighting Carson's bravery, and his personal and family struggles. Remley also successfully disputes the later revisionist treatment of Carson as an Indian killer. For example, when Remley writes about Carson killing a "California Indian" for being a horse thief, he convincingly explains that the killing was "by the rules of border justice" and "was not a racial matter" (81).

Carson was many things, including a rough frontiersman, loving husband, shrewd fighter, man of uncompromising morals, and man of duty. These characteristics were defined by his life as a border man. By interweaving each of these characteristics into the book, the reader discovers that, although an uneducated border man, Carson was not a simpleton. His good reputation was also not above reproach. Remley makes it clear that Carson should be held responsible for his actions, including those that might tarnish his reputation. For example, some writers suggest that Carson was not responsible when he oversaw the killing of three unarmed "Californios" during the opening acts of the U.S.-Mexico War in California. They argue that he had no choice but to follow an earlier order given to him by his commander, John C. Frémont, to take no prisoners. However, Remley is not distracted by Carson's hero reputation and dismisses the argument that Carson was simply following orders as a justification for the brutal murder of the three unarmed men. The author emphasizes that Carson had a choice, stating "Both Carson and Frémont must bear responsibility for the bloody affair" (160).

An award-winning author of books and articles on the history of the American West, Remley is well-qualified to write a biography of Carson. This is a well-researched and exceptionally organized work, and one that convincingly shows how Carson's Scots-Irish heritage helped make him a quintessential border man. Not only has Remley done a superb job in researching Carson's life, the author uses his expertise as professor of American literature at the University of New Mexico to make this a delightful book and a joy to read. The accompanying well-written bibliographical essay should also not be overlooked by anyone wanting to learn more about Carson. Kit Carson: The Life of an American Border Man is an important contribution to the study of Kit Carson and history of the American West.