Josephine Meeker
Encyclopedia
Josephine Meeker was a teacher and physician
at the White River
Indian Agency in Colorado Territory
, where her father Nathan Meeker
was the United States (US) agent
. On September 29, 1879, he and 10 of his male employees were killed in a Ute attack, in what became called the "Meeker Massacre". Josephine, her mother Arvilla Meeker, Mrs. Shadruck Price and her two children, were taken captive and held hostage by the Ute tribe
for 23 days.
Following the rescue of the hostages, Meeker recounted her experiences at a public hearing. General Charles Adams
, of the Colorado Militia that arranged the release, conducted an official investigation of the incident. Josephine Meeker's testimony provides keen insight into the experiences a white woman underwent as an Indian captive. She was the last celebrated white captive of Native Americans
. Working for some time in Washington, DC and then for Senator Henry Moore Teller
in Colorado, Meeker died young at age 25 of a pulmonary infection.
, Josephine was the youngest of the five children of Nathan Cook Meeker and Arvilla Delight Smith. She had two brothers, Ralph and George, and two sisters, Rozene and Mary. In 1870, at the age of 13, she moved with her family to the Union Colony in Greeley, Colorado
; a utopian agricultural settlement which her father had founded. Shortly after their arrival, her brother George died of tuberculosis
. In her youth she was considered "a bit of a tomboy". Riding astride rather than using the side-saddle recommended for ladies, she was said to challenge boys to horse races in the road. After high school, Meeker returned to Ohio to complete her education at Oberlin College
.
After graduation, she returned to Colorado and the White River Indian Agency, where her father had been appointed US Indian agent. Meeker wanted to improve the conditions of the Utes. In July 1878, she was described as having been intelligent, tall and slender with shoulder-length dark blonde hair. Assisting her father, she was listed on the agency rolls as a teacher and physician, earning $750 per year. Meeker established a school for the Ute children.
)
Nathan Meeker was trying to convert
the Ute to farming and Christianity
, both of which they resisted. They were dependent on horses, hunting game and nomadism. Settlers had been encroaching on Ute lands for decades and their resentment grew as the game declined. When Meeker plowed up one of the Utes' horse race tracks, he quarreled with a Ute. Meeker sent a request to Rawlins, Wyoming
asking for soldiers to guard the agency. On September 21, 1879, Major Thomas Thornburg left Fort Steele with 190 men.
On September 29, the Utes attacked the Agency and killed Nathan Meeker and 10 of his employees. They took as captives and hostages Josephine and her mother, along with Mrs. Shaduck Price and two of her children. The Utes held the captives at a remote mountain camp. After the attack on the Agency, the main force of Utes ambushed Major Thornburg and his men at Milk Creek, killing 13 men, including Thornburg and all the officers above the rank of captain; another 25 were wounded. A man got out to go for reinforcements; the survivors barricaded behind their dead animals and wagons, and held out until October 8, when help arrived.
The warrior Persune had taken Josephine as his captive, and had to fight with Douglas, another warrior who wanted her. Persune refused to give up Meeker, keeping her with him throughout her captivity. His other wives helped her begin to adapt. Persune and the Utes regarded Josephine as his wife, according to their conventions of captives. According to her later testimony, she was coerced into having sex with him in his tent in the presence of his Indian wives. To pass the time, Meeker made a dress from a blanket given her by the Utes. (The dress is on exhibit in the downtown Greeley History Museum, Colorado).
. He was a longtime friend of Chief Ouray
and the Uncompahgre Utes, who were not involved in the Meeker Massacre. Ouray's wife Chipeta
was instrumental in obtaining the release of the captives. Adams together with three of his men and some Uncompahgres went to the Utes' camp. When he met Josephine, he shook her hand and told her that he had come to take her back if she would go. The former captives were escorted to Denver where Meeker was interviewed by Dr. Avery, a female physician.
On November 4 at Greeley, General Adams conducted an official investigation into the massacre and the women's captivity. After having been sworn in, Meeker described in intimate detail her relationship with Persune in captivity. In 1880, the US Congress held an inquiry into the massacre, at which Chief Ouray, Chipeta, and General Adams testified at the hearing.
Before Adams took Meeker away from the camp, Persune promised that she would not have to perform any domestic tasks if she would stay with him as his wife. He offered her all his possessions and wept when she rejected him. He was said to continue to love her.
Meeker left Colorado shortly after her rescue and went to work in Washington, DC. There she worked for a time as a copyist for the Office of Indian Affairs. Returning to Colorado, she became a secretary for US Senator Henry Moore Teller
. She often gave lectures about the Utes and her experiences in various eastern cities.
The following inscription on her tombstone was written by her mother:
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
at the White River
White River (Utah)
The White River is a tributary of the Green River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Colorado and Utah. Flows vary from 450 ft³/s late summers in dry years to well over 12,000 ft³/s in spring....
Indian Agency in Colorado Territory
Colorado Territory
The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado....
, where her father Nathan Meeker
Nathan Meeker
Nathanial C. Meeker was a 19th-century United States journalist, homesteading entrepreneur, and Indian agent for the federal government. He is noted for his founding in 1870 of the Union Colony, a cooperative agricultural colony in present-day Greeley, Colorado...
was the United States (US) agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
. On September 29, 1879, he and 10 of his male employees were killed in a Ute attack, in what became called the "Meeker Massacre". Josephine, her mother Arvilla Meeker, Mrs. Shadruck Price and her two children, were taken captive and held hostage by the Ute tribe
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
for 23 days.
Following the rescue of the hostages, Meeker recounted her experiences at a public hearing. General Charles Adams
Charles Adams (Colorado)
Charles Adams, born Charles Schwanbeck , was a United States Army officer, US Indian agent, diplomat and businessman. In 1879 he secured the release of five hostages taken captive by the White River Utes after the Meeker Massacre, and held an official inquiry into their treatment...
, of the Colorado Militia that arranged the release, conducted an official investigation of the incident. Josephine Meeker's testimony provides keen insight into the experiences a white woman underwent as an Indian captive. She was the last celebrated white captive of Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. Working for some time in Washington, DC and then for Senator Henry Moore Teller
Henry Moore Teller
Henry Moore Teller was a U.S. politician. Secretary of the Interior between 1882 and 1885.-Biography:He served in the Senate and Cabinet for over thirty years, and was connected with the Free Silver question, beginning in 1880. During that time, he did much in and out of Congress with tongue and...
in Colorado, Meeker died young at age 25 of a pulmonary infection.
Early life and education
Born in OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Josephine was the youngest of the five children of Nathan Cook Meeker and Arvilla Delight Smith. She had two brothers, Ralph and George, and two sisters, Rozene and Mary. In 1870, at the age of 13, she moved with her family to the Union Colony in Greeley, Colorado
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
; a utopian agricultural settlement which her father had founded. Shortly after their arrival, her brother George died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. In her youth she was considered "a bit of a tomboy". Riding astride rather than using the side-saddle recommended for ladies, she was said to challenge boys to horse races in the road. After high school, Meeker returned to Ohio to complete her education at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
.
After graduation, she returned to Colorado and the White River Indian Agency, where her father had been appointed US Indian agent. Meeker wanted to improve the conditions of the Utes. In July 1878, she was described as having been intelligent, tall and slender with shoulder-length dark blonde hair. Assisting her father, she was listed on the agency rolls as a teacher and physician, earning $750 per year. Meeker established a school for the Ute children.
Ute Uprising and Meeker Massacre
(See main article: Nathan MeekerNathan Meeker
Nathanial C. Meeker was a 19th-century United States journalist, homesteading entrepreneur, and Indian agent for the federal government. He is noted for his founding in 1870 of the Union Colony, a cooperative agricultural colony in present-day Greeley, Colorado...
)
Nathan Meeker was trying to convert
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
the Ute to farming and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, both of which they resisted. They were dependent on horses, hunting game and nomadism. Settlers had been encroaching on Ute lands for decades and their resentment grew as the game declined. When Meeker plowed up one of the Utes' horse race tracks, he quarreled with a Ute. Meeker sent a request to Rawlins, Wyoming
Rawlins, Wyoming
Rawlins is a city in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,538 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County...
asking for soldiers to guard the agency. On September 21, 1879, Major Thomas Thornburg left Fort Steele with 190 men.
On September 29, the Utes attacked the Agency and killed Nathan Meeker and 10 of his employees. They took as captives and hostages Josephine and her mother, along with Mrs. Shaduck Price and two of her children. The Utes held the captives at a remote mountain camp. After the attack on the Agency, the main force of Utes ambushed Major Thornburg and his men at Milk Creek, killing 13 men, including Thornburg and all the officers above the rank of captain; another 25 were wounded. A man got out to go for reinforcements; the survivors barricaded behind their dead animals and wagons, and held out until October 8, when help arrived.
The warrior Persune had taken Josephine as his captive, and had to fight with Douglas, another warrior who wanted her. Persune refused to give up Meeker, keeping her with him throughout her captivity. His other wives helped her begin to adapt. Persune and the Utes regarded Josephine as his wife, according to their conventions of captives. According to her later testimony, she was coerced into having sex with him in his tent in the presence of his Indian wives. To pass the time, Meeker made a dress from a blanket given her by the Utes. (The dress is on exhibit in the downtown Greeley History Museum, Colorado).
Rescue
On October 21, the pioneer women and children were rescued by Charles Adams, a general of the Colorado MilitiaMilitia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. He was a longtime friend of Chief Ouray
Chief Ouray
Ouray was a Native American chief of the Uncompahgre band of the Ute tribe, then located in western Colorado...
and the Uncompahgre Utes, who were not involved in the Meeker Massacre. Ouray's wife Chipeta
Chipeta
Chipeta or White Singing Bird , was a Native American woman, and the second wife of Chief Ouray of the Uncompahgre Ute tribe. Born a Kiowa Apache, she was raised by the Utes in what is now Conejos, Colorado...
was instrumental in obtaining the release of the captives. Adams together with three of his men and some Uncompahgres went to the Utes' camp. When he met Josephine, he shook her hand and told her that he had come to take her back if she would go. The former captives were escorted to Denver where Meeker was interviewed by Dr. Avery, a female physician.
On November 4 at Greeley, General Adams conducted an official investigation into the massacre and the women's captivity. After having been sworn in, Meeker described in intimate detail her relationship with Persune in captivity. In 1880, the US Congress held an inquiry into the massacre, at which Chief Ouray, Chipeta, and General Adams testified at the hearing.
Before Adams took Meeker away from the camp, Persune promised that she would not have to perform any domestic tasks if she would stay with him as his wife. He offered her all his possessions and wept when she rejected him. He was said to continue to love her.
Meeker left Colorado shortly after her rescue and went to work in Washington, DC. There she worked for a time as a copyist for the Office of Indian Affairs. Returning to Colorado, she became a secretary for US Senator Henry Moore Teller
Henry Moore Teller
Henry Moore Teller was a U.S. politician. Secretary of the Interior between 1882 and 1885.-Biography:He served in the Senate and Cabinet for over thirty years, and was connected with the Free Silver question, beginning in 1880. During that time, he did much in and out of Congress with tongue and...
. She often gave lectures about the Utes and her experiences in various eastern cities.
Death
Meeker died on December 20, 1882 at the age of 25 of a pulmonary infection. She was buried in Linn Grove cemetery in Greeley, Colorado.The following inscription on her tombstone was written by her mother:
"Born Jany 28, 1857 Died December 20, 1882
Brave daughter who with me escaped foul
death
while captive in thy noble father slayers'
hands
A stealthier foe has filched thy sweet young
breath
while lonely here I watch life's failing sands"