The White River Ute War Colorado, 1879

The last war cry of the Utes of Colorado



The conflict between the White River Ute Indians of Colorado and the United States Army was the last Indian conflict in the region. In 1879, the Utes were already living on a reservation managed by Indian agent Nathan Meeker. He was dedicated to converting the tribe to both Christianity and an agrarian lifestyle. Inevitably, he provoked outrage among his charges when he pursued his policy to the extent of ploughing the paddock the Utes used for horse grazing. Foreseeing trouble, Meeker called in the army for support, a contingent of which arrived under the command, and arguably heavy and impetuous hand, of Major Thomas Thornburgh. Despite promising the Utes he would not escalate matters by military force and would keep soldiers off the reservation, Thornburgh ordered the opposite and was immediately discovered by a watchful and suspicious Ute force. This prompted open hostilities, resulting in the Battle of Milk Creek. Tactically outmanoeuvred, Thornburgh's command was held under siege and suffered significant casualties including the death of its commanding officer. The Utes then rose against their overseers on the reservation, slaughtered several men, including Meeker and took three women and two children into captivity. The survivors of Thornburgh's command were by now in a poor condition, pinned down in pits behind insubstantial barricades and surrounded by their dead animals. Annihilation would have been certain but for the timely arrival of relief in the form of the 'Buffalo Soldiers' from Fort Lewis. Hostilities progressed in the usual manner for the western frontier, once American forces became aware of the situation and applied the resources required for a definitive solution the Utes were defeated. This, irrespective of the merits of their case, was disastrous for the future of the tribe and their displacement from their traditional lands became an inevitability.

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