A RED INDIAN WAR.

Kumara Times, Issue 1007, 22 December 1879, Page 4

A RED INDIAN WAR.

FEARFUL ATROCITIES. The States of Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah have been thrown into a state of the utmost alarm and insecurity by a simultaneous rising of the Utes, Snakes, and Apaches, three of the most powerful and ferocious tribes of Indiana to be found within the borders of the great Republic. Numerous stations having been surprised and the residents massacred, while small parties of traders and settlers have been butchered and horribly mutilated. The ruthless savages have made it a rule to take no prisoners, women and men, and children are therefore scalped without compunction. The American papers have, of course, full accounts of the horrors and depredations committed, and we select a few salient particulars from their columns. On September 29th a detachment of troops, under Major Thornburgh, was attacked in a canyou near the Milk River, Colorado, and being out-numbered, they retreated in good order under destructive fire. The leader was killed, as well as ten enlisted men and a wagon-master, while 24 men and three officers wore wounded more or less seriously. During an intermission in the firing the redskins amused themselves by firing the grass in the vicinity of the Damping place, but the vigorous completion of a wide trench saved the troops from what would otherwise have been inevitable death. On receipt of the news General Sheridan despatched reinforcements, and they arrived not an hour too soon. The men were in the trenches, and bodies of Indians were firing rapidly upon them from the surrounding bluffs, 500 or 600 yards distant. A few days afterwards the White River Agency was surprised and captured, and the male population slaughtered. General Merritt advanced to the post on the 11th October. On hia way he found many dead bodies ; among others that of Carl Goldstein, an Israelite, who had left some time before with Government supplies for the Utes at the White River Agency. He was found in a gulch six miles on the Rawlings (Wy.) side of the Agency. He was shot twice through the shoulder, and was about two miles from his waggons. A teamster named Julius Moore, formerly from Bainbridge, Mass., who was with him, was found about one hundred yards distant, with two bullets-holes in the breast, and the body hacked and mutilated with a knife or hatchet. As the command advanced through the canyou it came to and old coal mine, and in it was found the dead body of an Agency emploee named Dresser, He had evidently been wounded and crawled into the mine to die. His coat was folded up and placed under his head for a pillow. Beside him lay a Whinchester rifle containing eight cartridges. On entering the Agency a scene of quiet desolation presented itself. All the buildings except one were burned to the ground, and not a living thing was in sight except the command. The Indians had taken everything except the flour and .decamped. The women and children were all missing, and nothing whatever could he found to indicate what had become of them. They have either been murdered and burnt, or else taken away as hostages. The dead .body of Father Meeker was found about 200 yards from hia house, lying on hia back, shot through the head. The left side of his head was crushed in with a blunt instrument, a piece of barrel stave was driven into his mouth and one of his hands and arms were horribly burned. The dead body of Mr W, H. Post, an assistant of Mr Meeker, was found between the building and river, a bullet-hole through the left ear, and one under the ear. He, as well as Father Meeker, was stripped entirely naked. Another employee named Eaton was found dead. He was stripped naked, and had a bundle of paper bags in his arms. His face was badly eaten by wolves. There was a bullet hole in his left breast. Frank Dresser, brother to the man found in the coal mine, was discovered badly burned. He was without doubt killed instantly, as a bullet had passed through his head. The bodies of Thompson, Price, Eskridge and two other employees not named were also found. In the position occupied by the Indians during Thornburgh’s battle, in the breast-work made of stone, was found the dead body of an unknown white man dressed in buckskin. He was kneeling and had his gun in position to fire. He was shot through the forehead. From this it appears that the Indians are not alone in their hellish work. The supposition is that the Indians have gone south to join the southern Utes, and the impression among the officers of Merritt’s command is that the Indiana who fought Thornburgh cumbered at least 700. The Indians are retreating southward, and it is expected that in small bands they will drop Into the various Ute agencies and thus covering themselves, it will never be known who were the warriors who opened the battle on Thornburgh, Indian reports brought in from the agency of Lea Pinos Utes state that 27 Indians were killed during the fight of the 26th of September and in the aeige, until October 6th, the date of General Merritt’s arrival.

A special to the “Arizona Daily Star” from Silver City New Mexico, says that the Indians have been committing terrible depredations in the Rio Grande Valley and south-west uf Fort Cummings. The people on the Colorado have been besieged, and appeal for aid. On a certain Sunday a volunteer company of thirty men, under Captain John C, Crouch, went from Mesilla and Las Cruces to their aid. They met one hundred Indians near the Colorado,

eighteen miles from Slocum’s Ranch, on the side of the road. After a severe fight the volunteers were compelled to fall back. They had a running fight into Slocum’s Ranch, 5 men were killed. On the receipt of the news at Mesilla two more companies of 80 men were raised under Col. Rynerson, composed of the best men in Mesilla valley. Two trains were captured on the 15th October west of Slocum’s. In one of them eleven men one women, and a child were killed. In the other all hands ecaped. Both trains were scattered, and some of the oxen were killed and others left standing in the yokes. Corpses lie along the road. The number of people known to have been killed within four or five days aggregate about forty The Indians belong to the Mescarero Apaches, who occupy Fort Stanton Reservation. The tribe numbers 3,000. The outbreak is attributed to the thieving propensities of a few of them, who have takena dvantage of the departure of the troops for the Ute wars, Large bodies of Apaches are also reported as leaving New Mexico for Texas. Arrangements have been made to intercept them. The request of the Committee of Safety of Santa Fe, New, Mexico, for rations for volunteers had been denied by General Sherman when the mail left.

A dispatch from the camp on White River, three miles north of the Agency, dated October 21at, via Rawlings the 22nd, says : Lieutenant William|R. Weir, ordnance officer, while out hunting, was killed and mutilated by Indiana some eighteen miles south of here. All the available cavalry started on their trail this morning. The soldiers of the hunting party are also missing. The settlers of Bear and Snake Rivers, who recently returned to their ranches, are indignant at the recent outrages committed by Utes, and propose organising a company of scouts immediately to clear the country north of the White River of Indians, killing every one in sight and inquiring of their intentions afterwards. It is not believed that the hostile Utes will surrender, and a winter campaign will be the result.

Under date, October 23, the Tribune has the following special from its Park City (Utah) correspondent : “ Dominick Dignou, who has just arrived from Duchesne River, report that the people at Ashley’s Pork and the Uintah Agency are in great danger from the Indians. He says the Snakes have joined the Utes and that all the warriors have left the Uintah Agency ; and also that they are well armed and have a large supply of ammunition, having bought up all there was in the neighborhood. It is supposed that they have joined the band of Indians on the White River. It is rumored that they nnraber 500 warriors. The inhabitants around Ashley’s oPrk are building a fort for their own protection. There are about 100 families, with hardly any arms or amunition. If the Indians come in that direction they will be apt to sweep everything before them.”