Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-02
The Indian Outbrcuk.


Secretary Bell from Muskogee indian Terri
tory, stating that he would leave direct for
Washington this morning, and would be here
on Saturday. Secretary Schurz did not in his
recent trip go as far north as the scene of the
present battle. although 1t was originally his
intention to have done so.
Pest OFFICE OFFICIALS IN THE UTE COUNTRY.
The Post Office department, of which Second
Assistant Brady is the acting chief, have heard
DothIg G from General Tyner, or J. o. p. Burn
side, who went to the Ute country on deer
hunt. still Mr.. Brady does not apprehend that
from all lines of telegraph, and there Is no way
OF either getting word to or from them.
FEARS FOR MEEKER.
Nothing has been heard from Indian Agent
Meeker. and it is feared that he has been
killed by the Indians
THE "UTEs,"
who are making this attack, have large res
ervation on the western border of Colorado. In
is,s % gold ~ was a discovered thereabouts. @ and a
large portion of the reservation was taken
away from them. The tribe has usually been
friendly with the United States. They number
between 12,COO and Is, GOO, with about $500 war
riors, we'll armed and mounted.
REINFORCEMENTS EN- ROUTE.
The following dispatch was received at the
War department this afternoon:
CHICAGO, ILL Oct. 2d.-Gen. E. D. To,cnsend,
WASHINGTON, D.C.:-We have nothing new this
morning from the Department Of the Platte.
General Merritt was TO have started this morn
The six companies OF seventh infantry,
from Fort Smelling, aid other companies
from different posts will reach Rawlins TO-
morrow and will follow up Gen. Merritt. These
additional troops will make his strength, ex-
elusive of Major Thornburgs command, over
nine hundred men, and with it about eleven
ing for the west. thought this would be sui1
cient. l have notified him that l can give him
another regiment. Duplicate sent to Secretary
Of War at Keokuk, Iowa.
P. q. SHERIDAN, 1t. General.
AN OFFICIAL REPORT FROM CAPT. PAYNE,
commanding the force dated at Rawlings, Wy,
october /, says: "This command, composed of
three companies Of cavalry M was met mile nj
Indians, who attacked and drove us to the
wagon train, with great loss. 1t becomes my
painful duty to announce the death of Major
Tnornburgh, who fell in harness; the painful
but not serious wounding of Lieut.. Haddock
and DR.. Grimes. 10 enlisted men and the wagon
master, with the wounding of about 20 men
about thIee-fourths Of my enemies Killed, after
desperate fight since 12 m. We hold our po-
sition. shall strengthen during the night,
and believe we can hold out until reinforce
and men behaved with the greatest gallantry.
am also slightly wounded In two places"
The War department up to half-past two this
afternoon had received no further advlces as to
Capt. Payne and his men. 1t is not expected
lat anything further Will be heard by the de-
partment until Gen. Merritt arrives on the
i
usual tactics the indians will have fled before
he arrives at his destination. 1t is calculated
that he will reach Capt. Payne some time to-
morrow: Gen. Merritt Is cool and experienced
Indian fighter.
MAJOR THORNBURGH's CAREER.
Major Thomas T. Thornburgh, OF the 4th
regiment Of U. S. infantry, who was killed in
the engagement with the hostile Indians, was
earlier part of the war he served as private
soldier In the Union army in regiment OF
which his brother tor many years prominent
member of COngress) was colonel. In 1868 he
was admitted to the Military Academy at Weso
Point, from whence he graduated In 1857, and
was assigned to duty as I'd lieutenant in the
on the Pacific coast. April, 1870, he vas pro-
NOTED to a 1st l1eutenancy and assigned to duty
as professor OF military science IN the univer
sity OF his native state. In April, 1915, he was
the Rio Grande frontier. The duties OF
disbursing officer were distasteful to him and
he sought transfer to the active duties OF the
Inc In May ls,s ne he erected transfer with t6
first instance In the history of the army where
transfer from the pay department to the line
and vice versa had been made) He went to
duty at once with his regiment on the north
western frontier. He was an o11cer of much
army. he was known as an officer of great
bearing. He married the Oldest daughter Of
Col. Clarke, OF the pay department OF the
army-a woman OF rare WOrth-WhO Is left
with a soldiers pension-the care Of three
small children.
AGENT MEEKER's REPORT OF THE ORIGIN OF THE
TROUBLE.
On the sth Of september Agent Meeker re-
ported to the Indian bureau that few OF the
Utes had insisted on his discontinuing the
ploWing Of a certain piece of land, which they
wanted for the pasturage OF their horses. AS
1t was near the agency, and the most available
for an agency farm, and as there was abundant
parturage elsewhere for Indian herds, he con-
tinued the work, after promising to move the
tents and corrals, placed there by the Indians,
to another suitable locality, and to have the
work of removal performed by employe labor.
Moreover, he had given notice when the Indians
began their building of corrals there, that the
place would soon be required for farming. The
and fired on the plowman while he was at work.
The agent then called council (summoning a
rival chief to the agency to take part in the
samel, l,,1ad ard the I whole matter was discussed,
thepart of the Indians to have the work proceed.
ON the 18th OF September the following tele-
gram was sent to the Indian Office by Agent
Meeker: ~ have been assaulted by leading
chief, johnson, and forced out of my own house
and injured badly; but / was rescued by en-
ployes. 1t is now revealed that johnson origin
ated all the trouble stated in letter of Septem-
Der sth: His son shot at the plowman. The
opposition to plowing is widespread. Flowing
stops. Life Of self, family and employees not
safe. Want protection Immediately. Have
Pope" On receipt of the above the War de-
pa1tment was called upon for troops to be used
In arresting the ringleaders OF the opposition to
Tie the oes
were issued by that department on the 10th OF
September.
GENERAL GRANT MAKES PERSONAL ExpLA-
NATIoN.-A telegram to the N. Y. Herald from
San Francisco Oct l, says:-General Grants
speech at Stockton yesterday is the theme of