OCR Text |
Show 148 the people emerged."16 The jointly signed "Sub-report" states: Preparatory to our movement we had a consultation with Sapavanaro, the head chief of the Uncompahgres, and many of their headmen, in which it was arranged that Sapavanaro and four of their chiefs and headmen should accompany us. In this council the Indians made many attempts to have the agreement by which they disposed of their reservation reconsidered and so modified as to enable them to remain and occupy the Uncompahgre Valley. They were especially vehement in their demands to be permitted to remain about the ranch of their late Chief Ouray, and to have the agency moved to that point-a distance of about ten miles from its location at that time. They were informed that they had accepted and signed the agreement; that the commission had no authority to modify or change it; that we could not consider any questions of that character, and that when their lands were selected they must go as contemplated in the agreement.I? Perhaps it would have been more difficult for the commissioners to speak so confidently had they not had a detachment of the Army present. At any rate, when the situation was made known the leaders of the Utes were under an obligation to salvage what they could. Sapavanaro, who had replaced the recently deceased Ouray, agreed to go and take Guero and three others with him. The report chronicles: On the 10th day of June we left Los Pinos Agency, accompanied by a military escort, in command of Captain Smith, of the Fourth Cavalry. Report of the Ute Commission, 1881, p. 8. 17Ibid., p. 326. |