The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-10-17
THE COLORADO INDIAN WAR.
The Attack on Major Thornburgh's Cor
mand.


The Attack on Major Thornburgh's Com
mand.
The Denver Tribune of the I'd inst,
gives the follow ing account of the fight
ing at Milk Cree K: il
After the report had gone out that
one of the attaches of the White River
agency, while ploughing near the
agency, had been shot at by ambushcd
Indians, at request of Agent Meeker
and others, the War, department al
Washington ordered Gen. Sheridan TO
send troops for the protection of the
agency. rHiH'' 70 lI
THE COMMAND. .N.+
Major r. II. Thornburgh, command
ing officer of the Fourth United States
Infantry. and for the past year in COM
mand at Fort Steele, on the Union Pa
cific railroad in Wyoming, was placed
in charge of the expedition, which con-
sisted of two companies, ID and + of the
Fifth Cavalry, Company Il of the Third
Cavalry, and Company E of the Fourth
Infantry, the officers included in his
command being Captains Payne and
Dawson Of the Fifth. Cavalry, Lieuten-
ant Paddock of the Third Cavalry, and
Lieutenants Price and Wooley of the
Fourth Infantry, with DIR. Grimes ac.
companying the command as surgeon
and a supply train of thirty-tbree
wagons. The command lett this point
the 14th ult.
When the command reached the place
known as old Fortification Camp. Com
pany f of the Fourth Infantry with
Lieutenant Price in command, was left
to- afford protection to passing supply
trains and to act as aeserve in case OF
need.
Major Thornburgh turned his force
towards the Indian countra in earnest,
with the balance of his command con-
sisting of the three cavalry companies
numbering about 100 men. Nothing
was seen or heard from the Indians un-
til the force reached Bear river, about
agency, when ten Indians made theil
appearance. They professod great
friendliness for the whites and would
betray none of the secrets of their tribe
They declared that they were merely
out on hunt. At Williams Fork, q
small tributary of Bear river, the same
ten Indians again quite suddenly reap
peared. They again renewed theil
protestations of friendship, while they
carefully eyed the proportions of the
command. They made proposition tc
the commander that he take an escort
of five soldiers and accompany them tC
the agency. A halt was called and Ma.
jor Thornburgh summoned his staff to Q
consultation. They came to the conclu
sion that il was not wise 10 accept this
proflcr on the part of the Indians, as il
might lead TO another Modoc trap, and
to Thornburgh's becoming another
Candy. His scout, Mr.. Joseph Rankin
was especially strong in opposition tc
the request of the Indians. Major
Thornburgh then concluded to marcl
his column within hailing distance Of
the agency, where he would accept the
proposition OF the Indians.
THE ATTACK.
The command had reached the point
where the road crosses Milk Creek
another tributary OF the Bear, inside
the reservation and i'm the limits ot
Summit county, Colorado, about TWEEN.
ty-five miles north of the agency, when
they were attacked by the hostiles
numbering, it is believed, between two
hundred and fifty and three hundred
warriors. These had been lying in am.
bush. But the command, under the
guidance of Rankin, left the road just
above where the Indians were in am.
bush, and thus avoided another event
which would have been in all respects
equal to the Custer massacre.
The command took trail after leav.
ing the road and Unexpectedly met the
foe.
Major Thornburgh at once threw hi,
command into position, and the Indians
came up in line OF battle to within about
three hundred yards and halted, put
ting bold face on the matter anC
showing decided determination tc
fight.
THoRNBURGH's ORDERS.
Major Thornburgh's orders were no
10 make the first fire on the Indians
but to await an attack from them. AT
ter the two lines had thus faced eacl
other for about ten minutes, Mr.. Ran
kin, the scout, who is an old Indial
fighter, seeing the danger in which thu
command was placed, hurried direct tl
Major Thornburgh's side and requested
him Ia open fire on the enemy, sayin.
at the same time that it as their onl,
hope.
TRUE TO ORDERS.
Major Thornburgh replied:
"My God! dare not; my orders ar,
positive, and if violate them and SUR
vive, IL court martial and ignominou
dismissal may follow. | feel as thougl
myself and men were to be murdered.
BY this time the Indians had flanket
the soldiers and, giving the war whoop
opened fire.
The wagon train was corralled abou
three-fourths Oft mile in the rear of tn,
command and tie Indians got be.weci
the wagon train and the command
The cavalry was dismounted and fight
ing on foot and slowly retrcating.
| A BRAVE DASH.
Major Thornburgh seeing the DANCE
which threatened his command from ia,
position OF the Indians, at once mounte,
about twenty men, and mt the head o
them made charge on the savagcs be
tween the command and the train.
Major Thornburgh and thirteen mel
were killed. The rest OF the comman,
succeeded in reaching the corralle,
train which was by this time surround
ed by Indians. The command thel
made breastworks of wagons and hel,
their position until night, when the In
dians withdrew.
In the engagement there were four
teen killed and thirty-iour wounded
Every officer in the command was sho
with the exception of Lieutenant Cher
ry, of the Fifih cavalry, and he is Il
command of the beleaguered troops.
The Indians killed from one hundre,
and fifty to two hundred head of mule
belonging To the government.
I An evening newspaper of San Fran
cisco gives glimpse of the state of th
mining stock market west OF the Rock
mountains. Six of its columns ar
filled with closcly-prinied lists c
eharae I'm various MINING cOmnanias n