Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-10-06
INDIAN OUTBREAK.
Still No Tidings From Captain
Payne's Command.
Preparations for Vigorous Cam
paign Against the savages.
The Causes Which Led 10 the
Outbreak.

CHEYENNE, October 3. Assistant
Postmaster General Tyner and party
arrived at Laramie City this morning.
RAwLINs, October 3.-No tidings
from Captain Payne's command. The
mail from the south arrived this morn
ing, but as it was only from Dixon
contained nothing of importance.
Two companies of cavalry arrived
from the East during the night, and
LETT for the front this morning.
Six companies of the Seventh in
fantry from the department Of Dako-
ia, will arrive here some time to-mor-
row morning, and proceed to the front.
Lieutenant Borke, of General Crooks
staff, arrived at II o'clock last night,
and at 2 this morning left by private
conveyance for the front. 1t is said
that he was the bearer of important
orders to General Merritt. General
Crook will arrive here tomorrow, go
forward and assume command of the
expedition, and will personally direct
the movements of the troops. The
awful silence at the front indicates
that the worst may be expected, and
grave fears are now entertained for
the safety of Captain Payne and his
command. Troops and supplies are
being sent to the front with remarka-
Bile dispatch, Captain Gilless, quarter
master, giving the matter his personal
attention.
General Merritt's command proba-
bly, reached the camp of Lieutenant
Price, on Fertilization creek, this
morning, and is expected to arrive at
the battlefield Sunday afternoon. The
opinion of those here acquainted with
the hostile Utes is that they are now
many miles from the scene of Thorn
burg's engagement, and that the troops
will be obliged to follow them far into
the mountains, if they succeed in find
ing them at all. Should this theory
prove correct, General Crock will, in
all probability, follow the trail of the
Ute families south from the Agency
toward Blue river, and by this move
ment may succeed in drawing the
Utes out into the open country.
From the manner in which the
troops and supplies are being sent for
ward, General Crook evidently in.
tends to prosecute the campaign tC
the bitter end. The total number Of
troops now sent forward is about six
hundred. Two more companies OF
cavalry will arrive Monday, one from
Fort Fetterman and one from Fort
Robinson.
DENVER, October 3.-The South
ern Utes are mostly peaceable. The
discontented ones are supposed to be
with the band that attacked Thorn,
burgh. No trouble at the Southern
Agencies is anticipated. There are
troops enough to protect the settlers
The news from the seat Of war comes
here by way of Laramie and Chey.
enne; there were no aggressions on
the reservation of the Northern Utes
by miners. The North Park mines
are some ways from the reservation.
CHICAGO, October 3.-Lieutenant
General Sheridan has not received
any word from the seat of war since
Wednesday. General Crook, who ar
rived in Omaha to-day, telegraphed
General Sheridan that nothing was
received at headquarters there.
Crook thinks Merritt should reach
Payne's command by Saturday fore
noon. General Sheridan believes that
Payne would be able to maintain his
command against the savages with
but little loss, as he must have had
time to fortify during the night sue
ceeding the attack. Both Crook and
Thornburgh had esteemed the force
under the latter large enough to cope
with the Indians. A larger force
would have been expensive, and to
have sent more men would have called
down criticism.
The following changes are ordered :
Colonel Mckenzie, with six com
panies of the Fourth cavalry, to move
from Fort Clarke, Texas, to Fort
Hayes, Kansas, and on arrival there,
five companies to proceed to Fort
Garland, Col. Four companies Of the
Twenty-second infantry from Fort
Gibson, Indian Territory, to proceed
to Alamosa, and thence to Pagosa
Springs. Four companies of infantry
will be concentrated at Fort Dodge to
follow up, if necessary.
WASHINGTON, D. c., October g.
AT the Indian Office much anxiety is
felt for the safety of Agent Meeker
and other whites at the agency, re-
specting whom nothing has yet been
heard. In alluding to the efforts
which have been made to create an
impression that the outbreak was in a
degree owing to the failure of the
Indian Office to act upon certain re-
ports, which were forwarded by the
war department to the bureau, it was
stated that every item of information
had been promptly taken up and the
necessary steps taken 10 prevent, as
far as possible any outbreak. The
first intimation received of any trou-
BILE was on the 9Th of last July, when
Governor Pitkiu, of Colorado, tele-
graphed to the Indian commissioner
as follows:
Letter from Indian Agent Meeker
| Just received. He asks me to appeal
to the military, and says that the com
mander at Fort Steele pays no atten-
tion to his repeated requests to keeI
the Indians where they belong. he
says Chief Douglas has sent scouting
parties to recall his bands; the other
Indians belong to nobody / have nc
information whether they have started
home or not. The Utes have burned
more timber in the last four week.
than the white settlers have cut in
twenty years.
Agent Meeker had also advised the
Indian Office that the Indians had lef
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