New-York tribune., 1880-02-22
"THE STARVING UTES."

I
LETTER FROM WILLIAM y. BYTRs. FOUNDER OF
TIE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS "-1HE SAND
CRErK MASSACRE AND The INDIAN ATROCITIES
| WHICH PROVOKED I1--sTATTMFNTs BY IL H."
DENIrD-TuE OTHER SIDE OF THE CASE PRE-
| sTNiFD BY ONE WHO HAS A PRACTICAL KNOWT-
| IDGE or IT.
To the Editor OF the Trt0Une
| SIR In your edition of yesterday appears an
article, under the above caption which aTaiGns the
people of Colorado community of barbarons
murderers. and. finally elcyatcs them above the
present Secretary of the Interior, thereby placing
the latter gentleman in a most unenviable light if
the charges averred be truc. The sand Creek
Massacre" OF 1876 Is made the text and burthen of
the article; its application is to the present cond
ton of the White River band Of Utcs in Colorado
Quotations are given from the testimony gathered
and the report made thereon by committee Of Con-
grcss charged with sO-callcd investigation of tine
Sand Creek affair. That Investigation was made
for "a ertain selfish purpose Ii to break down
and Iun certain men. Evidence was taken upon
one side only 1t was largely false and infamously
partial. There answer for the defence.
The Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians assembled
at Sand Creek were not under the protection of
United States fort. A few of them had been en-
camp,d about Fort Lyon and drawing supplies
thercfrom. but they had gradually disappeared
and joined the main camp Oh Dry Sandy, forty
miles from the fort separated from 1t by water
less desert and entirely beyond the limit of its con-
troll or observation. Whilst of the occu-
pants were STILL no doubt. occasional Wis
itors at the fort and applicants for sup
plies and ammunition. most of the warriors
| were engaged in radng the great Platte River
road. seyent-fyc miles further north, robbing and
! burning trans stealing cattle and horses, rObbng
! and destroying the Tn ted states mails. and killing
! white people During the Summer and Fall they
! had murdered over Gity Of the citizens of Colo
| RADIO. The, had stolen and destroyed pro-
visions and mechanics, and driven away
stock worth hundreds of thousands of dol
| lars. They had interrupted the mails,
aud for thirty-two consecutive days none
were allowed 20 pass their lines When sltiaod
with murder and arson. and loaded with piunder,
they would retire to their sacred refuge on Sand
Creek to rest and refresh themselves, recruit their
wasted supplies OF ammunition from Fort Lyon
begce under the garb Of ecntle. peaceful savages
and then return to the road 10 relieve their tried
comradc, and riot again in carnage aud robbery.
These are facts; and when tie "robbors roost
wa, cleaned ont on that sad but g'oaous 9th day
oi November, 1864 they were sufficiently proven.
Scalps Of white men not yet dried letter, aud pho
togIaphs stolen from the mails bills of ladng and
invoices Of goods bales and bolts of the goods
Themselves addressed to merchants in Denver:
hall-worn clothing Of white woman and children,
and many other articles Of like character, were
found m that roetical Indian camp aud recovered
by the Colorado soldiers They were brought
to Denver, aud those the sealps
exhibited IN the theatre of that city. There was
also an Indian saddle blanket entirely fringed
around the edges with VIII - wOmen's scalps. with
the long, fair hair attached. There was IN Indian
tl,..f
skin stripped from the body Of a white woman. Is
IL any wonder that soldiers. aushod with victory
after one of the hardest campaigns ever endured by
men. should indulge of them-in unwarrauted
atrocities after finding such evidence Of 6arbari,n,
and whilst moro than forty of their comrades were
welterng in their own blood upon the field
A VENGEANCE THAT SAVED COLORADO.
If"H H." had been in Denver IN the early part
Of that SUMNER when tine bloated, fostering bodies
Of the Hungato family-fathor, mother and two
balies-were drawn through the streets naked In
m ox-wagon, cut, mutllaed and scalped-
tho work of those same red hends who
justly punished at sand Creek
il. later. II. H." had seen upright and most
estimablc business man go crazy over the new OF
his sons being tortured TO death hundred miles
down the Platte. AS | did; if" H. H." had seen one
half the Colorado homes made desolate that fatciul
season and tithe Of the tears that caused to
flow | think there would have been one little word
of excuse for the people of Colorado-more than
doubtful comparison with an inefficient and culp-
able Indian policy. Bear IN mind that colorado had
no railroads then. Her supplies reached her by only
one TOad-alOng the Iattc-ln wagons dlhWu Dy
oxen. mules or horses. That line was IN full pos
session OF the enemy. Starvation stared us
IN the face. Hardly n party went or came
wrthont some persons being killed In some in
stances whole trains were cut OF ana de-
stroyed. Sand Creek saved Colorado, and taught
the Indians the most sllutary lesson they had ever
learned. Aud now. after fftern years, and here IN
the shadow OF the Nations Capitol, with the spectre
of II. H.'s' condemnation staring me in the face,
/ am neither afraid nor ashamed 10 repeat ttG ih-
qua re then used by The Depg'r hcrs " All ac-
quilted themselves we'll. Colorado soldiers have
again covered themselves with glory"
Thu, much of history "a gone over by H. H. to
present IN true dramatic form the drpl0rab condl-
ton of the White River Utrs. 1000 III number, who
are suffering the pancs ot hunger ana ne AIS
comfort Of cola III the wlld@ oi Western Colorado.
without any kind agent TO issue rations, provide
blankets or build hreS Tor them. ~ Is
really too bad painful dlspensa'ion of Prov,
dcncc ha, deprived them of their best friend, and
they are dcsoatc and bcreayed. lie placed his ne
and its best efforts his unbouudcd enthusiasm for
their good his great Christian heart-all AT their
service. Bu. an accident beiel him, ana ne X no
more; The coroncTs jury that fat upon IN, remains
into hs mouth a log cham around ms neck, bf
which It had been dragged about like dead hog
and sundry bullet holes through ms body. lhe
presumption was that from The eject ol some one
of these accidents ho died and alas. he - no longer
to serve ont weekly rationS 10 ms mock OF genie
tcs There is no sorrow MS denth or the deg
olatiOn II wrought but there is pity oceans OF pity
for the Indians who are hungry ana cosI'
True, at the time he died thcy took
the -four. the pork, and salt ana
coh,c and sugar aud tobacco and blankets ana all
the other supplies that he would have issued To
them through all this long Winter had he lived.
With his care these would have asted until Sprllg,
AMI been sufficient for their wants but without ~
I'll lIp ia suspicious that they are Az gone ana ana
vet IT IL but Just past the middle of Winter Can
II. H." tell why this is thus 1t is also tue that
they drove away the largo herd OF cattc rom tD9
his predecessors had supplied them with beri Ion
Annr. md tie cnlHmmpiOn Mln no.