The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-07-28
Major Payne's Battle with the Utes

Among the officers whose names were sent to the senate yesterday by the president for the brevets of major were Captain Dodge, now a full major. and Captain Payne, now on the retired list. This long-deferred recognition comes as tardy reward for unusually gallant services rendered in 1879. During the spring and summer of that year there were rumors of impending trouble with the Utes of the White River agency of northwestern Colorado. On their res ervation. a tract twice as big as the state of Massachusetts, indications of the presence of silver and gold were discovered. This drew to 1t prospectors and miners, whose presence was resent
 ed by the Indians. The whites were for time excluded. but their continued in- trusion made the Utes restive. Their uneasiness was not lessened by the course of the agent, well-meaning but tactless man, who finally fell vic tim to the murderous feeling he unwit- tingly had helped to arouse.
 Finally, late in September. 1879, mat ters were In such a threatening state that, it being necessary to send train of supplies to the agency, q guard of three cavalry companies accompanied it. They were Company D, Fifth cav airy, Lieutenant Paddock, command ing; Company F, Fifth cavalry, Captain Payne, commanding, and Company B, Third cavalry, Captain Lawson, com manding. Major Thornburgh, of the Fourth infantry, was in command of the whole force. The train with it's guard, numbering about one hundred and fifty in all, left Rawlins and pro- ceeded without interruption until they reached Milk river eighteen miles from the agency, at noon on Monday, Sep tember 29. Major Thornburgh had taken the precaution to send ahead a scouting party under command of Lieu tenant Cherry. He saw small party of Indians disappearing over hill half a mile in front. He advanced and dis covered an ambuscade, the Indians be- ing dismounted and posted for hum dred yards along the crest of high, | steep ridges overlooking deep ra- vine into which Thornburgh was just descending with his advance guard. | Cherry rode back and informed Thorn | burgh of his discovery. The major in- creased the lieutenant's party and sent him back to make reconnaissance, be- l lieving that the Indians, when they found they were discovered, would par | ley.' Cherry advanced to within two l o,.Ie nF Ia Tn6t ho1 n6 took off his hat and waved it to attract the attention of the Indians. Their re- ply was single shot, which wounded a
 man and killed horse. immediately followed by volley.
 The battle was begun. The Indians
 instantly concentrated in an effort to
 cut Cherry off from the rest of the com mand. Thornburgh ordered Payne to
 charge the hill with his company, and l this Payne did in gallant style, his horse being shot from under him, and 1 he being wounded. together with seve-
 ral of his men. But he drove the Indi- ans back, thus enabling the train to
 come up and the advance companies tc
 rally upon it. Thcrnburgh, after di.
 recting this charge and that Lawson
 and Cherry should cover Paynes re. treat, started back to the train, which
 was under theimmediate guard of Lieu
 tenant Paddock and his company, te get it in position for defense, and was
 killed on the way. s+ .,5-
 l Captain Payne. as. the ranking off
 cer, then took command. He rallied his
 forces onsthe train and intrenched as
 best he could. Dead horses, boxes