POPE Headquarters Dept. of the Missouri
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Sept. 13, 1879
Colonel: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of a copy of letter from the acting Secretary of the Interior, in relation to the depredations and other bad conduct of the Ute Indians belonging to the White River Agency in Colorado, with the endorsements thereon, and I respectfully submit the following report of the facts concerning that agency.
The letter of Indian Agent Meeker has been copied and retained, and will be acted on so far as it requires action and the means at my command admit.
I had a conversation with Mr. Meeker in Colorado last month, on the subject of these Indians, and I only regret that he did not in the present communication relate all the facts concerning that band of Utes and their agency and conduct which he told me.
Such a relation as he made to me would of necessity have an important bearing in determining the measure which ought to be promptly adopted in their case.
The White River band of Utes is in no sense different from the other bands of that nation. They are worthless, idle vagabonds, who are no more likely to earn a living where they are by manual; labor than by teaching metaphysics. They declined to join the southern bands last year in their treaty with the commission for a removal to a new and consolidated agency on the waters of the Chama and Mavajo Rivers. Their agency is very remote from any railroad or any military post in either the department of the Platte or the Missouri. They do no good for themselves or any one else at their present agency, and should be required to go to the new agency with the other bands of Utes.
The government herd of cattle which is referred to is simply the herds of cattle for the supply of the Indians themselves. If they predate only on their own cattle, I do not know that there is much to complain of. To establish a military post at that remote place, for the mere purpose of preventing this band of Indians from consuming their beef in less time than they ought to do it according to the table of issues determined by the Indian department, would be an exceedingly costly way of saving money or property, and probably would accomplish nothing, unless the troops were required to furnish sentries and herders for the cattle in question. A removal of the herd every 10 days would hardly be more expensive.
As to the depredations of these Indians away from their reservations, I have only to say that no Utes in Colorado that I know of are kept on their reservations, except when they choose to stay there. Indians in number form every band in the State are perpetually roaming about, annoying lawful settlers and burning forests, besides killing cattle at Middle Park and elsewhere.
I have been compelled to keep a cavalry company every summer scouting in such well known places of public resort as the South and Middle Parks, as a sort of police against these wandering Indians.
For these and kindred reasons, I have for several years urged the consolidation of all these bands of Utes into one reservation and agency to be located on the Chama and Navajo rivers, and the establishment of a strong military post north of and in their immediate vicinity. We have the appropriation and are ready to build the post as soon as the Indians are moved or ready to move.
The agreement with the Indians which was made last year (but which the White River band did not then accede to) was made in this view. It has not yet been ratified by the Senate, as I understand, but there is no doubt the arrangement referred to should be carried out at the earliest practicable moment.
It is a great injury to the Indians, to the people of Colorado, and to the government, every day, that things are permitted to run on as they have been and are now.
I have treated it quite fully in my annual report, which will be forwarded in a few days, and need not enlarge upon it here.
The nearest post, by far, to this White River Agency is Fort Fred Steele, on the Union Pacific Railroad.
I have received letters from several of the settlers in that region who have been molested by individuals of the White River band, and who have taken out warrants against the individual Indians and placed them in the hands of the sheriff for that country to issue. They ask me for troops to serve as a posse for the sheriff, which, under the law, I am unable to furnish.
I will direct Captain Dodge’s company, Ninth Cavalry, now scouting in the Middle Park, to proceed to the agency at White River to see if he can settle matters there for the present, and to carry out the requests of the Indian Agent.
It is not practicable to keep either men or horses there this winter, even were it wise to do so, and these Indians should be required, early in the spring, to remove to the new reservation.
The outlaws and renegades to whom the Indian agent refers are, I presume, Utes, largely if not wholly, and theory are no more “Renegades” than any other Indians of the tribe.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
JNO Pope,
Brevet Major-General, U.S.A.,
Commanding,
Col. W.D. WHIPPLE,
Assistant Adjutant- General, Chicago, Illinois