9/29/1879

On This Day: In 1879 the Battle of Milk Creek took place between 150 cavalrymen under Major Thomas T. Thornburgh and some 300 Ute warriors led by Colorow, Chief Nicaagat, and Chief Quinkent just outside present-day Meeker, Colorado. Indian agent Nathan C. Meeker, head of the White River Ute Agency, had pushed hard to assimilate the Utes, forcing the tribe to relocate to an area better suited for agriculture and away from traditional hunting grounds. When the Utes learned of Major Thornburgh and the troop’s approach, they resolved to head off the incursion. The Utes successfully held off the troops for several days until reinforcements arrived, at which point the Utes escaped to the south. Over the course of the battle, 23 Utes were killed.