American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-11-08

Ouray, his wife, and Gen. Adams. To then
we owe our escape.
JOSEPHINE MEEKER.
THE UTE OUTBREAK.
Return of Gen. Adams, Special Agent,
From the Hostile Camp-The White Riv-
er Captives Surrendered.
Especial to the Chicago Times.l
GEN MERRITr's CAMP, WHITE RIv-
Err, Colo, Oct. 81, via RAwLINs, Wy, Oct.
| 25.-Gen. Merritt yesterday detached Maj.
| Sumner with five companies of the 9th Cav
airy to make further search for Paul
| Humme, the man of the Ordnance Depart
| ment supposed to have been killed with
| Lieut.. Weir, near Grand River, on Oct. 30.
The battalion reached the place where Weir
fell, when Drais, the scout, discovered In
dams ahead: Maj. Sumner Immediately
threw out skirmishers, but was astonished
at seeing two white flags displayed on tepee
poles. Two horsemen dashed out of the In
dian line, and on approaching were found to
be Gen. Charles Adams of the United States
Postal Service and Count DOrnhoff, First
Secretary of the German Legation, accom-
panied by body guard Of some 30 Ute In
dams. The latter very prudently kept out
| Of the way of the soldiers. Gen. Adams,
acting peace commissioner for the In
terror Department, stated that he had come
through both Ouray's camp ut the Southern
Agency and the hostile main camp on Grand,
near Roam River. Maj. sumner inquired
relative to the fate of Paul Humme, and the
Indians were asked the particulars of the af-
fair in which he and Lieut.. Weir lost their
lives. They said that scouting party of 10
warriors had come out from the hostile camp
to watch Gen. Merritt's movements, but
with orders not to fight. They were en-
camped near where Hall's party lunched,
when they saw Weir and Humme go after
the deer. One Of their men happened to be
on foot, aiming at deer which Humme shot
before he discovered the Indians. Immedi-
ately after he observed the warrior on foot
making for his horse, and fired at and killed
him. Then the surviving Indians opened
fire and killed Lieut.. Weir, who approached
over the ravine on horseback, thinking to
have q shot at the deer. He fell from his
horse and never moved afterward. Humme,
whose horse stampeded, retreated on foot to-
ward the hills, the party firing as he went.
He received a shot through the right eye, but
still kept on walking and firing. He received
another shot clean through the head, and
died. He was killed about 1000 yards south
west from where Weir was found. Then the
Indians turned loose on Hall and fought him
till night, losing one man killed in the affair
with him. The body of Humme was found,
as directed, and buried. He used to be Sec
ond steward for Potter Palmer, and was q
very intrepid but somewhat rash soldier.
Maj. Sumner buried him with military hon.
Ors.
The Times correspondent interviewed
Gen. Adams, and obtained from him the fol-
lowing important statement: He left Ouray's
camp, at the Southern Agency, on Oct. 10,
reaching the hostile camp on the night of the
Goth. lie was well received by the chiefs,
although he found much mourning in the
lodge because 81 of their brave warriors
were killed in the hot encounter with Thorn
burgh's command, on Sept. 20. There was
no mistake about the number. Gen. Adams
said the Utes acknowledged that Thorn
burgh's men fought heroically, but said that
undoubtedly the Major provoked the fight,
being DESTROYS Of whipping the Indians any
how, as he said in council. Meeker and his
male employees were killed day or two
after the Thornburgh fight, probably on Oct.
!. The chiefs said the agent had threatened
them with chains and handouts when the
soldiers came. This is why they placed the
chain around Meeker's corpse. They also
complained that Meeker refused to give them
the supplies at the Agency unless they titled
the land. There were plenty Of supplies,
them. The women were taken
prisoners, with the children, and neither
were harmed in any way. Gen. Adams
found them with the squaws in the smaller
Indian camp, and had them sent, under es-
cort Of one OF Ouray's chiefs and other In
dams, to Lake City, Colo, which point they
will have reached in few days. Gen.
Adams further says the Utes are DESTROYS Of
peace, and claim that Meeker and Thorn
burgh brought on the war. Having lost, in
Guiding Halls fight, thirty-nine of their best
men, they considered things about even, and
are willing to shake hands. They wished to
make tnc SURRENDER OF the women anu GILL
dren a condition of peace, but Gen. Adams
was peremptOry in declining the proposition,
and they delivered them up unframed with
out further conditions. After the proposal
that the ringleaders OF the recent outbreak
should be given up the chiefs unanimously
refused, saying the outbreak was not pre-
meditated, and that all were implicated. So
the matter of peace or war now stands. Gen.
Adams says the hostiles are encamped in
country utterly impregnable, and that four
times the force at present here could not re-
duce them. Their main camp is about %
miles south of this point. Gen. Merritt will
Immediately telegraph for instructions.
back with the Indians to the Southern Asen-
CIV. Every thing is in state of incertitude.
In further conversation with Gen. Adams
the Times correspondent learned that the
Indians at first intended to kill Meeker only.
Miss Meeker was i'm the well-hOuse when a
brother of Chief johnson made rush to
capture her. Dresser, one of the white en-
be endangered, fired and killed the Indian.
Dresser was shot dead on the instant. The
other white men rushed for the buildings
and opened with rifles on the Utes, wound
ing several. The Indians then fired the
buildings and shot the men one by one as
they rushed out. Two Indians were killed
i'm the affair. The exact number killed by
Thornburgh's men was %, as they wheeled
and fired during the retreat to the wagons.
PAYNE killed seven from his intrenchments,
Merritt's infantry and cavalry killed five
during the skirmish of the morning of the
rescue This, with two killed at the Agency
and two in Hal's affair, makes total Of SO,
or a balance Of six in favor of the whites, who,
between soldiers and citizens, have had SO
men killed up to the present. Gen. Adams
saws that Plateau Creek, which has seven
branches, running through one of the most
difficult countries in the world, will be the
stronghold of the Utes in case the war is
prosecuted. Douglas, of all the chiefs, is
the only one who wishes to return to the
Agency. The others all profess desire for
peace, but do not care about coming back to
White River. cute Jack" commanded
against ThOrnburgh, but claims 90 have had
only 100 men. This is presumably lie, in
vented to glorify himself.
Gen. Adams, in conversation with Gen.
Merritt, stated that the Indians, if attacked
now, would raid the settlements of Northern
Colorado; at least so they have expressed
themselves. 1t is just as well for the people
of that section to be warned of this. The
Indians also say that Capt. Dodge's COM
pany was watched by strong party, but
they did not know of ThOrnburgh's fight I'M
til after Dodge joined Payne in the entrench
ments. Gen. Adams says the Indians are
not very well armed, but have plenty of am
munitiOn.
HARD times in Russia, but not for the
Gar. The new yacht, Clyde built, will
cost, exclusive of furnishing and decora-