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Show However, the Muache band did react to other intrusions into their land during these years. Their raids on the few settlements of the San Luis Valley, the settlement at Fort Pueblo, on the confluence of the Fountain and Arkansas rivers, and the settlements along the Red River in northern New Mexico eventually brought a reaction from Governor David Meriwether. He sent Col. Thomas T. Fauntlerov with over 500 men against the band in March, 1855. After several battles the Indians sued for peace, and a treaty was signed on September 1, 1855, in Abiquiu. Although the treaty was not ratified by Congress it did decrease the raiding of the Muaches on the northern settlements. Finally the Government's desire for stronger control prompted a policy of relocating all of the Ute people on a common reservation. It was to have headquarters in the San Juan Mountains and all the Colorado LItes were to be administered from an agency in that location. In 1863 the plans for negotiations with the LItes were formalized. As had happened in the past and was to happen many times in the future, the Government desires and the Lite desires were not compatible. The Government wanted the Utes to become farmers on land held by the Capotes. The LItes disagreed with both the Government policy and the proposed location of the reservation, and they refused to sign the treaty. The Capotes, who were present at the negotiations, refused to sign the agreement; the Muaches sent only one representative who also refused to sign, and the Weeminuches refused to send any representatives. 4 The Southern LItes were unwilling to leave their particular areas of influence to live on a common reservation with the other bands of LItes. Despite the refusal of these LItes to sign the treat), representatives of the Tabeguache band of the Northern LItes did agree to its terms. This new agreement resulted in the reduction of land claimed by the LItes as theirs in the Territorv of Colorado. Nearly one quarter of the Lite holdings, mostly land claimed by the Tabeguaches, was taken by the Government. After Senate approval the treaty was signed by President Lincoln on December 14, 1864. s Land cession was not the only provision of the treaty. Schools, churche* and agencies were to be organized b\ the Government to serve the needs of the LItes. They were not. Farming was to be encouraged by the agents, but most of the Indians refused to heed the encouragement. The boundaries of the general land reserve were to be established/' but no means of protecting these boundaries were written into the treaty. The cession of land to the Government by treaty was a new experience for these Utes, but it was soon to become more commonplace. Only four years after the 1864 treaty the Government was forced into further negotiations by miners and ranchers coming onto the Ute lands from the south and east. Those from the south were farmers pushing forth in search of lands in New Mexico. Those from the east were brought by the lure of gold in Colorado. Gold had been discovered in 1858. By 1861 towns were located at Denver, Boulder and Central City, and the area was granted territorial status. The miners' drive south and east across the Territory brought them into direct conflict with the Northern LItes of Central Colorado and the Muache and Capote bands of the Southern LItes of southern Colorado. The ranchers' push up the Rio Grande brought them into conflict with the Capote bands. Many of the LItes had not been moved to the defined reservation of the 1864 treatv, and those who were 4. Ibid., p. 95. 5. Agnes Elizabeth Spiva. " The Utes in Colorado. 1863- 1880." ( unpublished M. A. thesis, University of Colorado. 1929). pp. 20- 21. 6. Ibid., pp 23- 25 - 4- |
