Raid on Godfrey Ranch

The Raid on Godfrey Ranch occurred from January 15-16, 1865 in which a large war band of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors attacked a ranch owned by Holon Godfrey. The raid was part of the numerous raids conducted by the Cheyennes during the Colorado War as retaliation to the Sand Creek massacre in November 29, 1864. After attacking the American Ranch in which a white family and some workers were massacred a day before, the Cheyennes then set their sights on Godfrey's ranch nearby. Unfortunately, Godfrey and his family, as well as his cowboys, employees and some travelers, fortified the ranch, and held out the Indian attack till morning. Godfrey's last stand was successful and the war party retreated.

Background
The attack was one of many conflicts between white settlers and various Indians group in Colorado. Tension soon arose when both parties started arming themselves, and the Indians, led by the Dog Soldiers band, started raiding military outposts and settlements throughout the territory. A militia consisting of white volunteers attacked a Cheyenne village in a raid that killed 200 Indians, including women and children. The Indians then retaliated by further increasing their raids, focusing much of it on the Colorado ranching business. Ranches, farms and cattle drives were soon raided upon in just a span of a month. The raids weren't just a retaliation in nature, they were also important for the Indians to gather resources and highly sought after horses to fund their war.

Holon Godfrey heard of the Indian's warpath. After a raid in American Ranch occurred in January 14, Godfrey quickly took action to fortify his ranch so as to not suffer the same fate. He surrounded the place with 6-foot tall adobe walls and fireports, as well as well-placed shooting spots and bucket brigades in case of fire. Together with his wife, cowboys and other people seeking refuge, they readied themselves to stand their ground.

Battle
In January 15, a band of 130 Lakota and Cheyenne warriors came upon the Godfrey Ranch. Riding on horseback and encircling the ranch, the Indians tried to punch through the fortified ranch. Godfrey's fort held on and they started shooting back at the Indians. The women inside loaded the guns, even melting lead bars to make bullets out of, and the ranch hands themselves fired from well-stationed gun ports.

Soon, the Indians broke into the corral and stole their horses, but Godfrey told his men to leave it alone as their priority was keeping everyone inside alive. The Indians then started setting fire to the grass surrounding the ranch, but the men managed to put it out. As Godfrey was bringing buckets of water, a warrior suddenly attacked him by the front. But Godfrey managed to shoot and killed him before continuing their defense. The Indians then fired flaming arrows to burn the ranch right away but even those were also put out.

One of the ranch hands, a man named Perkins, volunteered to get help from outside. He was able to sneak out during the night and get a telegraph message through to Denver. He managed to contact the military, though only four soldiers accompanied him to the ranch. By morning, the Indians finally gave up and left the ranch.

Aftermath
Godfrey's last stand was a success, and over 17 Indians were killed during their defense. The Indians nicknamed him "Old Wicked" and Godfrey himself christened his ranch as Fort Wicked. His story was published in the New York Tribune and today a historical marker stands near Merino to commemorate the event.