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Show Mountain Men and Fur Trappers 19 Amarilla Grant extended from that town into southern Colorado. Although never heavily populated by Europeans, these grants by the Spanish and Mexican governments began the erosion of the land base of the Utes and led to continuous friction.11 Between 1851 and 1853, towns were founded in the San Luis Valley (San Luis, San Pedro, and San Acacia) by former Mexican citizens.12 As usual with the influx of settlers, livestock was introduced and the supply of game animals began to diminish or to move to more inaccessible places in the mountains. Also it was much easier for the Utes to raid for livestock than to hunt game in those higher altitudes, Bad blood increased between the Utes and the settlers and the usual pattern of raid followed by punitive expedition was established in southern Colorado. To safeguard the settlers and to keep the Utes from raiding, the United States government established Fort Massachusetts on Ute Creek near the base of Mt. Blanca. (Six years later that military post was moved six miles south and renamed Fort Garland.)13 The Utes did not like either the military post in the midst of their territory or the presence of the settlers, whose farming and ranching began to drive out the game upon which the Utes depended for part of their food supply. Their resentment flared in the Ute War of 1854-55. On Christmas day of 1854, the Utes attacked Fort Pueblo on the Arkansas River and killed all of the inhabitants.14 Then they began attacking the settlements in the San Luis Valley. Several settlers were killed and their livestock driven away. Fort Massachusetts was severely threatened. General Garland at Santa Fe was notified and he quickly organized six companies of mounted volunteers from New Mexico plus some units of regular troops and sent them to Fort Massachusetts to put down the Ute revolt. Col. Thomas T. Fauntleroy was placed in command and Kit Carson accompanied the expedition as head scout. The leader of the Utes was Chief Tierra Blanca who was easily recognized because of the red shirt which he wore. The United States troops made their first contact with the Utes near the present town of Salida, in the Saguache Valley, in the middle of March, 1855. The Utes, recognizing the superior fire power of the United States troops, 11 Cummins, "Social and Economic History," pp. 186-87; LeRoy R. Hafen, "Mexican Land Grants in Colorado," Colorado Magazine, IV, No. 3 (1927), 81-93. 12 Cummins, "Social and Economic History," p. 187; Rockwell, The Utes, p. 65. 13 Cummins, "Social and Economic History," p. 187. 14 Lloyd, "The Uncompaghre Utes," p. 7. |