Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-10-09
A Bloody Battle with the Ute Indians.
MAJOR THoREBUR0 AND TEN MEN KILLED
--oTrEt OFFICERS woUNDRD--FULL
PARTICULARS oP THE AFFAIR AT

PARTICULARS oP THE AFFAIR At
MILK RIyER--ISTEHEsTIsG
DIsPATCHEs-CIvIL or.
FICIALs IN DANGER.
CHICAGO, Oct. 1.-The following de.
spatches were received at Sheridan's =
headquarters this noon:
MILK RIVER, Col, Sept 90, via RAW
LISs, Wyoming Territory.--This COM
mand, composed Of three companies Of
cavalry, was met one mile south of Milk
river by several hundred Ute Indians, who
attacked and drove us 10 our wagon train
which had been parked with great loss.
1t becomes my painful duty TO announce
the death of Major Thornburg, who fell in
harness, together with ten enlisted men
and wagon master Mckinley, with IA
painful, but not serious, wounding Of Lieu
tenant Isddock, DR.. Guness, and about
twenty men and teamsters. ! am now
corralled near water, with three fourths
of our animals killed. After Il desperate
fight since II o'clock a. NJ, We hold our
position at this hour, $50 =. NJ / shall
strengthen during the night, and We be-
lieye we can hold out until rcinforcemenp
reach US, il they are hurried through Of
flcers and men are behaving with the
greatest gallnntry. i am also slightly
wounded ia two places.
(Sgnedl PAYNE, Commander.
Gen. Cook. commanding the depart
ment Of the Platte, who is here, received
the following despatch from his assis.
tant adjutant general:
FoRT OMAHA, Neb., Sept. ~.
Gen. George Crook, Chicago
| have ordered Merritt and four com
pHnics from Eussel, two companies from
Mcpherson, all that can be spared from
Sanders and four companies lroiI DOu-
glass 10 rendezvous at once at Rawlin's.
This gives about $50 men Have ordered
two com pAn'cs from Robinson, one from
Laramie and one { ON Fetterman 20 march
at once to the railroad to meet cmergen-
cies. Giliss is ordered 10 confer with
Merritt ana forward transportation Have
you any orders
tSigned) Il. WILLIAMS, \. \. G.
The receipt OF the above melancholy
news casts gloom over military head
quarters here, where all the army oih
GERS located were quickly coneregated.
Generals Sheridan and Crook were
closetcd in consultation for some time,
but as yet have issued no orders in ad-
dition TO the above by A. a. G. vii
liamg, which meets their approval. As
sistant Adiutant General Whipple
states that there wero 500 Ute Indians
at White River agency, about fourth
of which were warriors.
General sheridan stated to a reporter
that the information contained in the
dispatches received at noon was all he
had concerning Major Thointon's fight
with the Utes. He has given the nee
essary orders to have Teinlorcements
pushed forward with the greatest eKpc.
oiit.on, and is confident they will reach
Payne in time TO save his command.
The following has been received at
the Indian bureau from Agent Stanley.
at Los Pinos, Colorado, dated October
ID:
a runner just in from the White River
Agency reports that the ageni and en-
ploycs are killed There has been a hgh.
with the troops In which the officers In
command were killed. The troops arc
surrounded, away from any water supply,
and their trains have been captured.
Mccker, the Indian Agent. and all
his employees have been killed. Large
forces have been promptly forwarded
20 the scene Of hostilitics. who will no
doubt call the hostilcs to fearful reck.
oning.
The latest advices are that reinforce.
ments have reached Capt. Payne and
found tho command safe, as will be
seen by the following from the head.
quarters Of Gen. Sheridan
CHIcAGo, October 7.--Licutenant Price,
lrom Fertilization creek writes on October
} that Payne has been able to bold the In
dians In check that he has been Joined by
Dodge's company Of the Ninth cavalry, and
that Merritt must have reached him the
next day, the 9TH instant
+. II. SHERIDAN, Lt-Gcncral.
Captain Dodge's company ia composed
Of colored troops belonging to Colonel
lIatoh's regiment, who were scouting
in the same general region at the time
of the battle and who, it was feared,
had been intercepted by hostile Indians
before news of the disaster could have
reached them. Colonel Merritt and his
force Of three hundred and fifty cavalry.
men started from Rawlins for the relief
of Captain Payne's beleagured command
on the morning Of Thursday, October
.. and General Townsend infers from
the concluding statement Of the fore
going telegram that Colonel Merritt
passed Lieutenant Prices position at
Fortifcation creek on his way southwark
some time during last Friday, on the
evening Of which the letter appears to
have been written. Fertilization creek
is considerably more than half way on
the march of one hundred and eighty
miles from Rawlins 20 the scene OF the
Milk river engagement, and the reliev.
ing columns doubtless effected june
ton with Captain Payne's force on Sat