The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-04-17
UTE INDIANS.
And Now, to the Number OF
Twenty-Five Thousand. They
are to be Driven to
New Mexico.
will They Kick Agains. the Movement

Gen. Sheridan, obedient to the order
Of the President, has directed General
Pope, commanding the Department of
the Missouri, to cause the Ute Indians
to be removed from the state of Colo
RADIO to the Territory of New Mexico,
and to use what troops may be neces-
sary to effect the transfer. The Gov
eminent authorities have determined
upon this disposition of the tribe as
the wisest step that can be taken I'M
der the circumstances. The question
Of removal has been under considera-
tion for several months past.
The Ute tribe numbers $4,000 men,
mi and children, divided into a
dozen or fifteen bands. Two or three
bands have wandered out of Colorado
into the adjacent territories. Old
Ouray, the big buck of the tribe, has a
band of his own, of eight or ten thou
sand Indians. This branch of the
tribe is located in the southwestern
part of Colorado, at the edge Of the
San Juan country. The bands under
"Colarow" and 'Old Washington"
have a sort of habitation on White
river, just west of the Middle Park.
The balance of the tribe have no par
ticular abiding place, but roam around
the settlements on begging expeditions.
They are a lousy, thriftless, treacher-
Gus people, with hardly enough energy
to be warlike. Twenty years ago they
were a match for any tribe on the
plains, and it is traditional hal they
were victOrs in many u fight with
the bloodthirsty Sioux and the impetus
Comanches, but the younger generation
is more given to begging and stealing
than to fighting and scalping. There
is no telling, however, what they might
do if crowded too much.
Their reservation in Southern Colo
RADIO was cut down a few years ago
Formerly it embraced all the rich min
ing section known as San Juan. The
whites were crowding in there by hun
dreds, and the feeling between them
and the Indians grew to be very bitter,
and finally became intolerant on the
part of the Utes. They were prevailed
upon to %relinquish a portion of the res
ervation-the part embracing the prin-
cipal mineral discoveries. Ever since
then their attitude towards the miners
has been menacing.
1t is regarded in military circles as
extremely doubtful if the tribe will
submit to a removal without more or
less resistance. 1t is even feared
that there will be open rebellion, in
which event there would be need for a
good-sized army. The Utes, though
inclined, ordinarily, to peaeefulness,
might, if the original devil in them was
once turned loose, make it extremely
uncomfortable for the settlers and the
soldiery on the frontier. They are
crack shots, and are supplied with the
best firearms and plenty of ammuni-
ton. The fears of resistance are
strengthened by the fact that Old Ouray
is known to have been melting the
Navajoes to rebellion against the min
ers of the San Juan region, and the
tribes may form an alliance to resist
the execution of the order of removal.
The President will set apart a reser-
walton for the tribe in Camas valley.
The particular tract of country selected
for their occupancy is pictured as Il
lanscape of surprising beauty. 1t is
well watered, supports a luxuriant
growth of grass, and especially adapted
to pastoral pursuits. Once located
there, the Utes are to b5 supplied with
cows, sheep and other animals, and in
structed in the business of stock
raising.
An order has also gone out for the
transfer of about three hundred Apache
Indians from Warm Springs, Arizona,
to Fort Stanton, New Mexico. These
Indians are a tough set of fellows.