Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1879-10-08
The TTta Indian Outbreak.


Another Indian revolt; another sur
prise of our soldiers; an officer and
thirteen men killed, two officers and
twenty-five men wounded and the
remainder of the command intrench-
ing themselves that they may hold out
until reinforcements arrive: 80 runs
the latest Indian news This time 1t
is the Utes, long celebrated in Indian
Bureau reports as peaceable the wild
northwestern corner of Colorado is the
scene 1t is the old story. Parties of
miners invaded the country last June,
prospecting for the precious metals ;
then some of the Indians sailed out
from the reservation, committing In
cendiary acts. Troops were called for
and the trouble subsidized for awhile.
Finally, seeing Agent Meeker plough
ing new ground around the agency
buildings at White River, the Chiefs
became obstreperous. Another call
was made for troops on the Sth of last
month, and last week three companies
of cavalry started, with a supply train
from Rawlins, on the Union Pacific
Railroad, for the White River Agency,
over hundred miles to the south
Within twenty-five miles of their des-
tination the troops were met III dlill-
cult canyon on Milk Greek by the hos
tile bands. By a cleverly combined
attack large body Of Indians got in
the rear of the troops, who were ad-
vancing to charge their first assailants.
Major Thornburg, who was in COM
mand, ordered charge upon the party
in his rear, and during this charge fell
while leading his men. Under heavy
fire they gained the shelter of the
wagon train and-are there intrenched
and waiting. A terrible cloud Of
anxiety will hang over the country
until the reinforcements now being
hurried forward with commendable
speed are heard from at Milk River.
The fate of the agent, Mr.. n. c.
Mceker, formerly of the New York
Tribune, and later editor Of the Iri-
bune at Greeley, Colorado, is left in
most painful doubt. His family was
with him. They were safe on the
29th ult., though he had been driven
from his house by one of the chiefs.
The hostiles, flushed with victory and
maddened with the sight of blood, are
between him and human help.
The agency to which these Utes
belong is the most northern of three
for the same tribe on their reservation
in Western Colorado. They number
nine hundred and have some two hum
dred warriors. 1t appears they have
had no difficulty in supplying them
selves with arms. The report for
1877 says on this point that the sale
of arms and ammunition was forbidden
on the reserve, but "they had only to
go Off the reserve to obtain all the
arms and ammunition, both loose and
fixed, which they desired" from white
traders. In the same report, in ref
erence to mining "prospectors," is
found these significant words: 81 have
thus far been successful IN sending
them away. Their numbers, however,
will increase, | am afraid, another
season, and cannot be prevented in the
future without the presence OF mill
tary force, devoted as much to the
Of the Indians as TO those of
the whites" Here, then, are the old
irritating cause.-the white map seek
ing for gold, the soldiers necessary to
keep off the whites. To the Indians
the cure seems as bad as the disease.
1t can thus be seen how these sus-
nicious creatures would regard even
an extension Of tbs agency farm as 9
fresh inroad upon their domain, al
though the reservation for the tribe, of
less than four thousand souls, covers
over eighteen thousand square miles.
They objected to the troops as much as
to the miners, and hence the advance
of the former was met with the cum
ming and ferocity of the savage who
believes he is defending the last strong
hold of his doomed rGoe. The ADVANCE
of civilization is tragedy.