Christopher Carson was born in Madison county, December 24, 1809,
and, while he was still an infant, his father removed to Central
Missouri, which at that day was known as Upper Louisiana. It was
an immense wilderness, sparsely settled and abounding with wild
animals and treacherous Indians. The father of Carson, like most of
the early pioneers, divided his time between cultivating the land
and hunting the game in the forests. His house was made strong
and was pierced with loopholes, so as to serve him in his defence
against the red men that were likely to attack him and his family
at any hour of the day or night. In such a school was trained the
wonderful scout, hunter and guide.

No advantages in the way of a common school education were within
reach of the youth situated as was Kit Carson. It is to be believed,
however, that under the tutelage of his father and mother, he
picked up a fair knowledge of the rudimentary branches, for his
attainments in that respect were above the majority of those with
whom he was associated in after life.

While a mere stripling, Kit became known as one of the most skilful
rifle shots in that section of Missouri which produced some of the
finest marksmen in the world. It was inevitable that he should form
a passion for the woods, in which, like the great Boone, he would
have been happy to wander for days and weeks at a time.

When fifteen years old, he was apprenticed to a saddler, where he
stayed two years. At the end of that time, however, the confinement
had become so irksome that he could stand it no longer. He left
the shop and joined a company of traders, preparing to start for