Legends of the Old West – BUFFALO SOLDIERS Ep. 3 | “The Meeker Incident”

Podcast by Black Barrel Media | Host: Chris Wimmer
Release Date: December 10, 2025
Episode Summary Compiled by Podcast Summarizer AI

Overview

This episode delves into the harrowing events of the Meeker Incident and the Battle of Milk Creek in 1879, a pivotal and brutal clash between the U.S. Army and the Ute tribe in Colorado. The narrative centers on the desperate siege endured by Army troops, the role played by the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry, and the remarkable bravery of Sergeant Henry Johnson. It also explores the historical context, tragic aftermath, and the complex relationships between white settlers, the U.S. government, and Native American tribes during the waning days of the American frontier.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Context and Rising Tensions

• When & Where:
  • The main confrontation occurred on September 29, 1879, near Milk Creek, close to Meeker, Colorado.
• Background:
  • The Ute people had lived in Colorado for generations, following nomadic traditions tied to buffalo hunting and horse culture.
  • By the late 1870s, U.S. government pressure mounted for the Ute to adopt farming, cut their hair, send children to boarding schools, and abandon traditional ways ([05:35]).
  • Previous near-conflicts, like the armed standoff at La Plata River in 1878, increased hostilities.

“The US Government wanted the Ute to settle on farms, cut their long hair, send their children to boarding schools, and worship the Christian God in churches. The Ute resisted, and every year the tension grew worse.” — Chris Wimmer [05:59]

2. Nathan Meeker and the Flashpoint

• Nathan Meeker:
  • Former newspaperman and utopian reformer, appointed as Indian Agent for the White River Agency ([07:17]).
  • Attempted to enforce radical changes on the Ute, leading to severe friction.
  • Cut rations and ordered plowing of horse pastures; punished resistance.
• Final Straw:
  • Physical altercation between Meeker and Ute leader’s brother-in-law (Johnson) forces Meeker to plead for military intervention due to fear for his life ([08:06]).

“Meeker believed he was leading the Ute to a better future. The Ute believed he was stripping them of their past.” — Chris Wimmer [07:57]

3. The Army’s March and Ambush at Milk Creek

• Major Thomas Thornburgh:
  • Led nearly 200 men from Fort Fred Steele to assist Meeker ([01:11], [08:38]).
  • Precautions failed; the Ute saw troop movement as a threat.
• The Ambush:
  • Ute, led by Chief Colliro, ambush Thornburgh’s column at Milk Creek ([01:11], [12:01]).
  • Thornburgh killed in the first minutes; command falls to Captain Payne.
• Desperate Defense:
  • Soldiers create a defensive circle of wagons and use dead horses as barricades ([02:43], [13:55]).
  • Endure days of siege, stifling heat, thirst, and unrelenting gunfire.

"The first volley cut through Thornburg's command with devastating force. The major fell dead in the opening minute, one of 13 soldiers who were killed almost instantly..." — Chris Wimmer [02:43]

4. The Siege: Hardship and Grit

• Conditions:
  • Trapped for over five days without adequate water, under constant fire, bodies and animals decaying ([13:55]).
• Psychological Warfare:
  • Chief Colliro’s warriors taunt the besieged soldiers, emphasizing their dire predicament ([16:14]).

“Misery, he told the warriors. This bad smell will bring many flies. Big, fat blue flies. Those flies will get even fatter on those dead horses. And when the soldiers run out of food, they can roast them.” — Chris Wimmer relaying Chief Colliro [16:14]

5. The Buffalo Soldiers Arrive

• D Troop, 9th Cavalry (“Buffalo Soldiers”):
  • Respond to the siege after a courier breaks through to Captain Francis S. Dodge ([03:48], [19:19]).
  • Ride 70 miles in 20 hours; arrive before dawn on October 2—bringing hope but unable to lift the siege alone ([17:31], [19:19]).

“The quick bursts. Loosely translated... meant 'Buffalo Soldiers'. 35 cavalrymen of D troop arrived to help the 190 men who were trapped.” — Chris Wimmer [03:48]

6. Sergeant Henry Johnson’s Heroism

• Crucial Actions:
  • Steadies men, organizes defense, and, crucially, leads a life-risking water run through hostile fire ([19:19], [23:56]).
  • His efforts save lives and become legendary.
• Medal of Honor:
  • After years of delay, Johnson receives the Medal of Honor for his valor in 1890 ([28:44]).

“It read, sergeant Henry Johnson voluntarily left fortified shelter and under heavy fire at close range. Made the rounds of the pits to instruct the guards, fought his way to the creek and back to bring water to the wounded.” — Chris Wimmer, quoting Johnson’s citation [29:37]

7. Relief and Aftermath

• Relief:
  • Colonel Wesley Merritt arrives with reinforcements (450 men); the Ute withdraw ([25:22]).
  • D Troop honored both at Fort Fred Steele and in Denver.
• Outcomes:
  • The incident leads to widespread outrage, the forced removal of the Ute from Colorado, and loss of their lands ([27:22]).
  • The site becomes memorialized; the Buffalo Soldiers’ contributions partly recognized.
• Johnson’s Fate:
  • Despite heroism, Johnson faces racial prejudice, repeated demotions, and poverty after military service ([28:44]).

“Black soldiers rarely received any form of public honor for their actions. But they did on that day.” — Chris Wimmer [26:45]

8. Legacy

• Memory:
  • Johnson buried at Arlington National Cemetery, remembered on his headstone for his Medal of Honor ([30:17]).
• Reflection:
  • The episode touches on how the sacrifices of Black soldiers were often overlooked, but their names and deeds endure.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chris Wimmer on the battle chaos:
  "The survivors circled their wagons and dragged the carcasses of horses into place near the wagons. The soldiers covered the bodies of the horses with dirt until they acted as defensive earthworks along the banks of Milk Creek." [02:43]

• Chief Colliro’s cruel mockery:
  "Misery, he told the warriors. This bad smell will bring many flies. Big, fat blue flies..." [16:14]

• On Sergeant Henry Johnson’s water run:
  "Johnson volunteered to lead a water party. At dawn, he gathered a handful of buffalo soldiers and they grabbed as many canteens as they could carry... Johnson ran last, covering the others and urging them forward. Somehow they made it." [23:56]

• On the outcome for the Ute:
  "Politicians seized on the fear. The rallying cry became, the Ute must go. Within a year, the Ute were forced to cede millions of acres and were confined to smaller reservations in Utah and southern Colorado." [27:22]

Important Timestamps & Segments

• [01:11] — March of Major Thornburgh’s command toward Milk Creek
• [02:43] — Battle and immediate aftermath; circle-the-wagons defense begins
• [05:35] — Introduction of season theme: Buffalo Soldiers
• [07:17] — Nathan Meeker’s background and controversial policy
• [12:01] — Detailed recounting of the Milk Creek ambush and attacks on the White River Agency
• [16:14] — First night of siege, decision to send couriers
• [19:19] — Arrival and contribution of Buffalo Soldiers (D Troop, 9th Cavalry)
• [23:56] — Sergeant Henry Johnson’s heroic run for water
• [25:22] — Arrival of Colonel Merritt’s relief column; Ute withdrawal
• [27:22] — National reaction and the forced dispossession of the Ute
• [28:44] — Sergeant Johnson’s post-war struggles and Medal of Honor
• [30:17] — Johnson’s final years and burial at Arlington

Tone and Language

• Narrative Style:
  • Dramatic, clear storytelling reminiscent of classic old west sagas; respectful and authentic.
• Speaker Attribution:
  • Host Chris Wimmer provides a measured, reflective voice; direct quotes from official reports and sources are integrated for historical flavor.

Conclusion

This episode masterfully recounts the tragedy and heroism woven into the Meeker Incident and the broader saga of the Buffalo Soldiers. It highlights the enduring consequences for all parties involved: the Ute, violently dispossessed; the white settlers, emboldened in conquest; and the Black cavalrymen, whose courage broke barriers but rarely repaid them in life. Chief among those celebrated is Sergeant Henry Johnson—a man whose valor helped shape a legend of the Old West, but who, like so many, met history’s silence after the guns went quiet.