Native Wars with the US Army - Utes Pine Ridge 1890-1891

Reproduction of a sketch of the Meeker tragedy at the White River Ute Indian Agency, September 29th 1879, Rio Blanco County, Colorado, shows soldiers surveying the destruction from the fire and battle between Native American Utes and Nathan Meeker, his employees. Identification reads: "(A) piles of ashes, (F) the Agency Farm, (G) graves of the Agent and employés where they fell, (J) house of Sub-Chief Johnson, (M) grave of Indian Agent Meeker, (P) grave of Post, the Clerk and Postmaster." Gravestones read: "N. C. Meeker, Agt. White River, Utes, Killed By Them, Sept. 29 or 30," and "W. H. Post, Clerk Agt. Killed By Utes, Sept. 29, 30, 31, 1879." Title and lettered identification typed below photographic reproduction of an etching of a sketch by Lieutenant C. A. H. McCauley, Third U. S. Cavalry.  Original printed in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper on December 6, 1879, p. 245.

Utes, September 1879-November 1880. The Indian agent, N. C. Meeker, at White River Agency (Colorado) became involved in a dispute with Northern Utes in September 1879 & requested assistance from the Army. In response, Maj. T. T. Thornburgh's column of some 200 men (parts of the 5th Cavalry & 4th Infantry) moved out from Fort Steele (Wyoming). On 29 September this force was attacked & besieged in Red Canyon by 300 to 400 warriors. Thornburgh's command was finally relieved by elements of the 9th Cavalry that arrived on 2 October & of the 5th Cavalry under Col. Wesley Merritt who arrived on 5 October, but in the meantime Meeker & most of his staff had been massacred. Before the Utes were pacified in November 1880, several thousand troops, including elements of the 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, & 14th Infantry had taken the field. In 1906 the Utes of this area left their reservation & roamed through Wyoming, terrorizing the countryside, until they were forced back on their reservation by elements of the 6th & 10th Cavalry.