The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-03
THE INDI ANS.
Terrible Battle Between Hostile
Utes and u. S. Troops.
Major Thornburgh and Sixteen OF His
Command Killed.

Command Killed.
RAwLINs, Wy. T., Oct. 2.-The following
particulars are obtained from the courier who
brought dispatches from Capt. Payne, after
the fight. Thornburg's expedition against the
hostile Ute Indians, when within seventy miles
of the agency halted for the night on the Goth
inst, and the Major sent Graftan Lowry, one
of his scouts, to the agency to communicate
with Agent Meeker and to see how matters
stood He found the utmost excitement and
confusion prevailing. The Indians sent all the
old men, women and children south toward
Blue river. The warriors were decorated and
painted in the usual war style. They were
about to murder Meeker but Lowry prevailed
on them not to commit the deed Meeker told
Lowry that he attempted to leave the agency
with his family, but '; 5 prevented by the In
dians; that the indians signified their readi-
ness for war, and seemed anxious for the ap-
proach of the troops. They then made another
move to kill Meeker and fire the buildings, but
were second time prevailed on to desist. Lowry
now attempted to return to the command but
was informed that he must remain; but after
| giving them a number of assurances of his
peaceable mission he was allowed to depart
but was accompanied by about thirty war; iors,
| who rode with him number of miles and
then left him. Lowry arrived at the command,
then near Milk creek, on the evening of the
28th and gave Major Thornburg the above in
| formation Next morning, Sept 20, the COM
|
kin, who is well acquainted with the country
About 8 o'clock in the forenoon Rankin dis
covered fresh Indian signs, and having arrived
at canyon through which the road passed,
| and which would afford an excellent opportun-
ity for ambush, he led the command around
| over the hill by an old trail well known to
| him. By this movement he saved the lives of
| the command, for on arriving on top of the
| hill he discovered Indians in ambush ON eth
7 er side of the canyon through which the road
| passed. Major Thornburgh formed his men in
| line and awaited the coming attack. He was
repeatedly urged to fire on the Indians, but
| persistently refused, saying his orders would
| not justify an attack. Two Indians now rode
up to within a hundred yards, dismounted and
with savage yells fired, shooting Capt. Payne
through the the arm. AT this signal the In
dams gavo war whoop and the battle COM
| menced and Thornburgh now found that he
was surrounded. He ordered a charge, which
| he calamity led in person, and succeeded in
cutting his way out, and when within about
fifty yards of his wagons he fell dead with two
bullets through his brain. Capt. Paine now
took command, and the battle was carried on
until o'clock p. M, the troops using the wag-
/ ons and animals as breastworks. The Indians
| fell back short distance and went into camp.
During the engagement Lowery was killed.
| The casualties are about as follows: Major
| Thornburgh, Lowry and thirteen enlisted men,
| Wagon Master McKinstry and one teamster
were killed; Capt Payne. Capt. Lamson Sur
geon Grimes, Lieuts Paddock and Wolf, and
body was not recovered. When Rankin left
| with the despatch Capt. Payne had fortified
| his position, land thought ne could possibly hold
it until the arrival of reinforcements, in case
they were sent promptly. About 100 head of
mules and horses were killed by the Indians.
| Gen. Merritt will arrive tonight and leave
Immediately with good force.
| OMAHA, Neb, Oct. 2.-As wrong inference
may be drawn respecting the management of
the campaign against the Ute Indians, the
| following explanation is given: The Utes are
| to the mountain Indians what the Cheyennes
are to the willy plain Indians. They are feared
by all other tribes, who can ill combat with
them. The country which they inhabit is
very rugged and the mountains heavily tim
bered just the place for ambuscades. Old
Indian fighters unite in saying that the Utes
are hard fighters and very ferocious. Best at
planning ambuscades, they are at the same
time treacherous to the greatest degree; and
though Major Thornburgh expected they
would remain peaceable, it is reported that he
was nevertheless most vigilant and cautious.
There is nothing to lead to the inference that
he was otherwise than brave and intrepid, yet
was caution itself and never impetuous. His
early training in the service, amid scenes
calculated to school him to become cautious
leader and good judge i'll such matters, have
fitted him for just this sort of work. AS pay
master and traveller he has been in varied
scenes tending to nerve him and keep him
well balanced, winning for himself high repu-
tation as a scout and Indian fighter therefore
the only inference that can be drawn is that
Thornburgh did not blunder, but fell into one
of the most carefully laid ambuscades and
could not extricate the brave fellows he had
with him.
Major Thornburghs body as first mentioned
has not been recovered, but lies in front of his
command, and cannot be procured. Major
Thornburgh was very powerful man, fully
six feet two inches in height, active and mus
cular, magnificent shot and a daring horse
man. He leaves wife and two children, who
are at Fort Steele, whittier her father-in-law,
Major Clark, iourneyed this morning.
Cause Of the Attack
W,snr,saro,S, Oct Upon inquiry -at tho
Indian bureau to-day as to the probable cause
of the recent Indian fight at Milk creek, it was
ascertained that the Eruption of miners upon
the Ute reservation in June aroused much ill
feeling among the White river Utes in the
vicinity, and while portion of that tribe, as
was their custom, were roaming off the reserve,
they committed number of incendary acts.
On the Sth of September, Agent Meeker re-
ported that few U ties had insisted on his dis |
continuing the blowing of a certain piece of
land which they wanted for the pasturage of
their ponies. AS it was near the agency, and
most available for an agency farm, and as
there was abundant pasturage elsewhere for
the Indian herds, he continued the work, after
promising to remove the tents and corrals
placed there by the Indians to another suitable
locality, and to have the work of removal per-
formed by employed labor. Moreover, he had
3
building of corrals there that the place would
soon be required for farming. The Indians
persisted, and fred on a plowman, when the
agent called a council (summonlng rival
chief to the agency to take part in the same),
and the whole matter was discussed and re-
suited finally in reluctant consent on the
part of the Indians to have the work proceed. |
On being notified of the above, the War De-
partment forwarded troops to be used in arrest
ing the ringleaders of the opposition to the
agent, and the necessary orders were issued by
that department on the 10th of October. The
following telegram, received to-day, explains
itself:
WHITE RIVER AGENCY Col,
Sept 90, 1879
E. d. Hoyt, Commissioner of Indian Afairs:
Major Thornburgh, fourth infantry, leaves
his command, fifty miles distant, and comes
to-day with men, The Indians propose to |
fight if the troops advance. A talk will ta
had tomorrow. Captain Dodge, ninth cavalry,
is at Steamboat Springs, with orders to break
up the Indian stores and keep the Indians on
reservations. Sales of ammunition and guns
have been brisk for ten days past. The store
nearest here sent back 900 rounds and thr-
teen guns. When Captain Dodge commences
to enforce the law there will be no living here |
without troops. Have sent for him. to confer. |
N. c. MEEKER, Agent.
Further Details of the Fight
RAwLINs, Wy, Oct. 2.-Further accounts of |
the battle at Mill Creek give the following |
particulars: The advance of Thornburgh's |
command encountered the Indians at Mill |
Creek Canyon, % miles from White river, the |
Ute reservation, The Indians opened fire, and |
the advance fell back to the main body, only a |
short distance in the rear. The command |
formed i'll line Of battle, and body of Indians, |
numbering go, made a desperate attack. |
While the attention of the command was thus |
attracted to the front, another body of Indians |
threw themselves in the rear OF the command |
and between them and the supply train, COM |
posed Of % wagons. To save the train Major |
Thornburgh charged the Indians in his rear,
and the command saved the wagon train |
from destruction. In the charge Major |
Thornburgh, while CALAMITY urging his |
men forward, received a shot, instantly killing |
him. Alter reaching the train the men imme- |
diately commenced intrenching themselves, |
under very heavy fire from the Indians. The |
mules and horses, being nearly all killed,
were utilized in the intrenchments. The fire |
of the Indians was kept up with deadly effect |
until eight in the evening, when the Indians |
drew off short distance. 1t is feared that |
the Utes have formed an alliance with the |
Arrapahoes and Snakes, and that q general |
Indian war will result. The fight with the
Utes is regarded as the opening Of the most |
important Indian campaign since the Rosebud |
expedition, in which Custer was killed.