| Show Frontiersman Braved Hostile Indians to to- Rescue Meeker Women Vernal's near neighboring near town of Meeker Colorado Is a quiet peaceful community nestled nest led in serene tranquility miles distance from Dinosaur land But tranquility has not always reigned there The towns town's name was blackened by the horrible Meeker Massacre September 29 29 1879 A story related to the I massacre was told to a Vernal delegation in June of 1934 and published in The Vernal Express June 16 of that year PETE DILLMAN one Of bf the two men who daringly ventured into hostile Indian territory to rescue three women captured by the Indians after their ruthless ruthless ruth ruth- less slaying of Meeker and 11 of his men narrated the story One of the women a Miss Meeker had sent a letter by Black Hawk a White River Indian Indian In In- dian dlan to Major Critchlow at the Uintah Indian Reservation begging beg ging for help as as she and her two companions Mrs Price and daughter had endured intense suffering A MR McLAIN Immediately volunteered to go to the women's rescue Mr Dolman Dillman asked permission permission per per- mission to accompany him The two with Balck Hawk as their guide set out for the camps of the White Rivers They wore no guns as they had been warned not to carry firearms as a sign of their friendship ON THE JOURNEY they were told a great deal about the habits and sign language of the White Rivers by their guide They were given much information information inform inform- which perhaps saved them from death later on at the hands of the White River Indians They journeyed down Douglas Creek until they reached the Indian encampment where an Indian met them and procured their horses They never saw the animals again THE TWO TWO MEN were taken into a tent and given food by byan byan byan an squaw Later in the evening Chief Jack a war chief of oC the White River Indians came to meet the men Mr Dillman was introduced as the Mormon from Whiterocks Whiterocks may may maybe be heap liar Mr Dillman who had taken some newspapers with him began began be be- gan to read to the Chief who understood English He lie read an account that General Merritt was determined to subdue the Indians before snow snow fell that year General Merritt was concerned concerned con con- for the safety of the squaws and children who suffered suffered suf suf- greatly during Indian I host host- I AFTER TALKING for a long longI longtime longtime time the Indians realized the I white men were friendly and the peace pipe was brought out After smoking the strong tobaccos tobaccos tob tob- of first the large peace pipe then later a smaller stronger tobacco stronger tobacco filled pipe the theair theair theair air was dense and Mr Dillman became quite ill Later in the evening some enraged Indians wanted to take the prisoners out and kill them There had been a number of Indians killed in an encounter with white men and the Redskins Redskins Red Red- skins thought to satisfy their vengeance on Dillman and Mc Me- Lain THE MEN were not molested that night but were constantly filled with dread of Indian tor ture They had learned of the intense suffering caused by hanging prisoners so their toes their toes just touched the ground or being being be be- ing thrown or dragged naked through beds of prickly pear The next day Chief Chi f Douglas head of all all all' the bands came came cameto to the prisoners' prisoners tent and held a pow wow pow wow smoking the pipe of peace and listening to the articles articles art art art- the in-the papers He lie told the white men he had come to tell them they could leave the Indian Indian In In- dian camp and return to their homes in safety without any further trouble DURING THE day a peace commissioner appeared in camp and informed the men that the white women had been returned return return- ed to their homes He told Mr Dillman that he would be lucky if he g got t out of the country alive AFTER ANOTHER wow pow the chiefs told the men they wanted to talk to General Mer Mer- ritt They decided to make a trip to the Meeker agency On the journey Chief Jack told the themen themen themen men how unjust Meeker had been to the Indians not letting them gamble and plowing up their race tracks It was the Indians' Indians feeling that Meeker wasn't understanding of the Indians Indians Indians' Indians Indians' In In- interests THE NEXT morning the group started for Meeker After some distance Captain Jack left the trail to consult a hidden picket These pickets placed at ten ten mile mile intervals could transmit messages messages mess mess- ages from one part of the country country coun count try to another with great speed almost as rapidly as telegraph messages are sent today When he r returned turned he told the two men to proceed ahead with witha a white flag He Intended to stop McLain at the next ridge but the rider got out of hearing hearing hear hear- ing and was unable to hear the calls of the chief NOW the two men did not meet again that day or through that night Mr Dillman was instructed to build a fire and cook supper f for r the Indians that night The hostility of the Indians become more evident through the evening and Mr Dillman thought his time had come However he survived the night and went on to the settlement settlement settle settle- ment the next day The Indians remained behind Mr Dillman was taken to the commanding officer at the military post He told his mission among the Indians Indians In In- and why he had come cometo cometo to the post He requested government government gov gov- aid for forthe the Indians HE INFORMED the officer that he had two Indian chiefs chiefs' who desired to talk with him but was not granted this re reo quest After spending some time at ai atthe atthe the post he left and rode away He heard shots one quite close by and when he turned recognized recognized his companion McLain McLain told of how he bad had tracked track track- ed Dillman and the Indians after losing them that first day and finally discovered that they had gone to soldier camp to talk with white men MR DILLMAN spent some sometime sometime sometime time at the post then returned via Rawlins Rawlins' and Rock Springs to Vernal He was a little wiser wiser wis wis- er in hi the ways of the White WhiteRiver WhiteRiver WhiteRiver River Indians but safe and sound with his scalp intact after rubbing shoulders for some sometime sometime sometime time with the Redskin Meeker |
