The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-10-04
ANOTHER INDIAN MASSACRE.
Major Thornburgh is Ambushed and Killed
with Is Of his Companions.

Most of the unsettled portions of Colorado
and notably the western part, are the nome
- and hunting grounds ofthe Ute Indians. They
. are described rs lazy, lousy, begging, shut
less tribe of vagabonds." Ordinarily they are
inclined to be friendly with the whites, bl
that friendship can only be maintained by ap
peasing their ncessant demands for something
d to eat. Settlers and miners who have denied
their demands or turned the bcggars away
roughly have often paid for their rashnesS by
having their houses and barns burned. An
agency and reservation were established some
years ago on White river, in Northwestern
colorado, about 125 miles south of Rawllns
station. on the L. =. X. r., to have charge OF
and keep the peace with these Indians, and a
well known "man ofpeace" named n. G. Meek
'Ier-commonly called Father Meeker-waS
Iplaccd in charge of it. Meeker was IN Greedy S
,Itiue on the editorial staff of the n. y. 7rt-
'Ibujte, and under the patronage of the philoSo-
Ipher of Chappaqua had led out the colony that
founded the town Of Greedy in Colorado. He
seems to have got along very well in the main
with his "Iazy, lousy wards, until last sum.
mcr, when their demands on him for something
TO eat were beyond his ability to meet and the
sbucks" began to be nsolent and threatening,
so much so that Father Meeker made com
plant to the Indian department and asked for
troops to protect him and his family, who, he
said, stood in danger Of being murdered. 1t
was in response to this request that Maj. Thorn
burgh, with about l25 soldiers and train of
thirty or forty wagons, after many delays, was
put en- route a week or two ago from Rawlins
station towards the White River agency. The
instructions to Father Meekcr were when the
troops arrive, you will arrest the ringleaders
and hold them till further orders" The In
dians had evidently got WIND Of the movement,
and decided on their course of action. The
Utes belonging to the White river reservation
can muster probably 500 warriors, and having
lived for years on the borders Of civilization,
and pursuing hunting as their chief occupa-
ton, are well supplied with good rifles and
ammunition. What was likely to come OF
Maj. Thorhburgh's expedition of l25 troopers
against these warriors-especlally in region
of rugged mountains and deep canyons, said
warriors beng especially trained and skilled to
fighting in ambush? Just what happened
|Thornburgh had proceeded as far as Milk
Creek, within twenty-five miles of his destIna-
ton, when the guide, Rankin, discovered signs
of hostile Indians. The command was at the
Openinga canyon through which the road led,
but Rankin decided that there if anywhere,
the Indians would be awaiting the command
in ambush and he led them by a trail over the
hills around the canyon, From the height
they saw the Indians, some 300, with war paint
on and ready tor battle. Rankin begged
ThornbHrgh to open fire on them at once, but
his commands were so peremptory MOTTO fight
until attacked that he declined, and the Indians
were allowed at their own leisure to extricate
themselves from their dangerous position and
to make the attack only after they had sur
rounded Thornburgh and had every advantage
of him. Then the ball opened. In the very
beginning of the fight ThOrnburgh was pierced
by two balls and fell dead. Every other Off
Ger of his command is wounded, and IN an hour
Lieut.. Payne alone is left IN condition to take
command. Thirteen soldiers are killed out
right and some IS wounded The wagon train
had been halted about three fourths OF mile
in the rear of the troops, and upon this they
fall back quickly forming the wagons into a
corral and further protecting themselves with
trenches And here the troops were blding in
a critical position, on the Goth ult., when Ran
KIN stole out at night and made hasty flight
of 124 miles in "a hours to Rawlins station
with the news
Lieut. Payne thinks he can hold out week
if necessary, for he is well supplied with water
and provisions though the Indians have killed
or run off most of the horses and mules. Mean.
time the utmost anxiety is felt for poor Father
Meeker and his family, whom rumor says the
Indians have massacred and Quilted the agency.
News of the disaster having been telegraph.
ed to Gen. Williams at Omaha, he finds that
though aweek before the utmost force he could
spare for Thornburgh was 1875 men, he really
has 800 soldiers in convenient distance Of Raw
Inns, and these are at once hurried forward,
Col. Merritt being placed in command and by
Oct 3D. they were ready to start to Lieut..
Payne's relief, in regard to whom, meantime,
the deepest anxiety is felt
THE GREENBACKERs.
The FREE TRADER of cOurse cheerfully