Charles Bent
The basics
Quick facts
A.K.A.
Charlie Bent, Charley Bent, Pee-ki-ree, White Hat
Birth:
1845
Family:
Mother:
Owl Woman
Father:
William Bent
The details
Biography
Charles Bent (November 11, 1799 – January 19, 1847) was appointed as the first civilian Governor of the newly acquired New Mexico Territory by military Governor Stephen Watts Kearny in September 1846.
Charles Bent had been working as a fur trader in the region since 1828, with his younger brother, William and later partner Ceran St. Vrain. Though his office was in Santa Fe, Bent maintained his residence and a trading post in Taos, New Mexico Territory, in present-day New Mexico. On January 19, 1847, Charles Bent was scalped and killed by Pueblo warriors, during the Taos Revolt.