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Show 78 Further, the attrition of Black Hawk's forces must have been increasingly heavy- Finally, the unflagging pursuit of Black Hawk paid off, for the elated superintendent reports: I have sent at many different times Indian runners to Black Hawk, asking him to meet me with a view of established peace, but I have never been able to meet him until a few days since. On the 12th instant I received a telegram from Agent Rhodes, advising me that he was upon the Uinta reservation. I at once set out to meet him, and returned yeaterday, after a very satisfactory interview. Black Hawk was alone, his band being in the southern portion of the Territory. He has pledged himself to immediately return to his band, stop all depredations, and meet me with all the Indians heretofore hostile upon the Uinta reservation. He says that himself and his Indians are tired of fighting, and desirous of a permanent peace. I believe him to be entirely sincere , and am confident no further trouble will be had with him or his band.!2 The effectiveness of the defenders was evident; Head continues: His depredations since my last report have been inconsiderable, being confined to petty stealing raids. Several times, however, when cattle have been stolen from the settlers, they have pursued him and conflicts have occurred, in which, in all, 10 or 12 whites and probably an equal number of Indians have been killed.13 The central issue of the poverty of the Indians remained. Combined with the shock attendant upon their losses in the war, their new and barren and largely unprepared location meant that there were to be years of meagre life. It is a tribute to F. H. Head that he understood the situation well enough to stress the point in his re- 12RCIA, 1867, p. 178. 13Ibid. , pp. 178-179. |