The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-26
ADAMS BRAVE DIPLOMACY.
Further Details of the Thornburgh
and Meeker Tragedies.
THE FATE OF WEIR AND HUME.
Confirmation Of the Renewed
Alarm on the Frontier.
10y TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.

RAwL1Ns, Wy. T., Oct. IS. 1879.
courier from General Merritt's camp, on White
yer. arrived here this morning bringing important
dispatches from the HERALD correspondent at the
front AS will DO found by perusng this interest
ing budget Of news. the captive and children
carried away from the agency by the Utes are
on their way eastward. being all safe and unframed
bodily privation incident to the peril and
hardship through which they passed. Gen.
sral Adams. the Peace Commissioner. has
reached General Merrit.'s camp. reporting that
children were. upon his application, cheerfully
given up by the chiefs who held them in GUS
tody. and to be sent to the camp
Of Onray. the first step toward their
return to their friends. The light thrown
upon the motive of the in the canyon and
at the White River Agency. the narrative obtained
by General Adams from the Indians. is Of an ex-
tremely thrilling nature and will give those events
some new shades of tragic coloring.
At eleven p NJ. another courier arrived with still
camp. and reports that the women and children ar
rived there the oath and have escaped all harm.
Thus ends fearful suspense.
The following are the earlier dispatches:
ANOTHER REcoSNoIssANcE.
HEADQUARrERs WHITE RIVER EXPEDITION
IN THE FIELD WHITE RIVER, Col, Oct. 23
Via RAwLlNs. Wy. r.. Oct. 25, 1872 }
Orders through the Military Division of the Mis-
souri, under date of October 49, have been recei we'd
at the headquarters of General Merritt, in the
field requiring him to confne his operations to
the vicinity ofWhte River Agency, and, as there are
no Indians in that vicinity he has gone into camp on
the south side Of White River about two miles above
the site Of the burndd agency where Meeker and his
employees were massacred. and Mrs. Meeker Miss
Josephine Meeker and Mrs. Price. with her children
were Taken captives by the Utes.
battalion of five companies of the Fifth cavalry,
under Major Sumner. has gone into the mountains
to the divide between the Grand and White rivers
about eighteen miles south from where the fight
occurred the 10th. to reconnoitre and If pos
sible. recover the body of Paul F. Humme,
late chief Of scouts. who was with Lieuten-
ant William b. Wier when the latter was
killed. and he is still missing ia supposed
to have been killed also. Lieutenant wier was
son Of Professor Robert wier, late instructor in
drawing at West Point but retired and was
brother Of John F. wier. Superintendent of
the Academy of Arts. New Haven, who
painted Forging the Shaft" He was himself
an officer OF brilliant promise and young gentle
man Of great superiority of mental and moral
qualities. His body. packed for shipment has been
dsinterred since sunset and will be sent to Rawns
tomorrow In charge OF Thomas Darlington u ser
geant of the ordnance corps. Mr.. Humme was for
merly sergeant major of the Fifth cavalry and had
wife and three children.
FIGHT 10Th.
LArER-Oct. %, 9 p. M.-James Drais, alias "Col-
orado BILL chief of scouts. who went out to-day
with battalion of cavalry in search Of Humme's
body. has just returned, and reports that when
within two miles of the place where the fight occurred
on the 10th the battalion met General Charles Adams
. peace Commissioner with Count Dolnhoh of Carl
Schurtz's recent retinue. and an escort of thirty
Indians. coming from the SOUTH and that General
Adams reports that his party Indians beyond
the divide, and that there near their camp the
bodies OF two Indians who had boon killed in the fight
the goth. The Indians returning from
tho fight said that they had killed two
men, Of whom must be Hummc, and
offered to show party of not than avo
whites where the body lies. Tho offer has been nc.
cepted, and General Adams. with detachment of
five soldiers has gone back to the Indians who are
shy OF the troops. and will not approach within
rifle shot OF large force. The command has halted
to await the -eturn of the Ave soldiers with tho
body of Humme. but it will probably arrive here
before morning accompanied by General Adams and
the scout.
cAPT1vEs
Drais also reports that the women and children
taken captive by the Indians when they burned the
agency and massacred the agent and his employees
safe; that they have suffered neither injury
nh
camp when General Adams arrived there coming
from ouray. who is poaceabe. Chief Douglass. who
was opposed to the outbreak at the agency insisted
upon the protection of the women and children.
and kept them in his charge until General Adams
arrived and sent them TO Ourays camp.
WHY WEIR AND HUMME KILLED.
LATEn.-oct. 24.-Gcneral Adams. Peace Commits
soner. arrived In camp from. the Uncompahgre
Agency during the night. coming by the way Of the
hostile camp on Grand River, which he left on the
22d. He reports that ON the 22d he met two Indian
runners from the fight on the divide between tho
White and the Grand. In which Lieutenant wier and
Scout Humme were killed. Tho Indian version of
the fight that party of ten Indians had been sta
toned In the mountains watch tho movements
of the troops tho White and that on the
10th, about noon. party OF white mon ap-
preached Them that watching the party from their
places of conceament they allowed IL to pass be-
lieving it TO be merely q hunting party from the
soldiers camp; that two Of the party Of white men
fell behind and pursued some deer at which one of
them shot, and that thereupon one OF the Indians
stepped out TO II the shot had taken Of
feet. whereupon of the white men, prob
ably Humme. shot and killed him; that
several Of the Indians having been discovered by the
man who had shot one OF them he continued to FIRE
upon them. whereupon last resort they raised
tho warwhoop. when the rest Of the party
of Indians rushed down from the mountains
and attacked the party Of SIX white in a ravne,