On September 29, 1879, after instigating hostilities with the local Ute Indians, Indian Agent Nathan Meeker and nine of his employees were massacred at their Agent Headquarters located a short distance west of Meeker, Colorado.  When the reinforcements, which Meeker had requested prior to his death, approached down a brush-lined canyon on the north end of the reservation they were ambushed by the Ute Indians.

The entire incident was started by Meeker's heavy-handed and undiplomatic approach to changing the Ute Indian's way of life.  The White River Agency was founded a few years before Meeker took command.  The Agency was founded to resettle several bands of Utes onto the Reservation.  Once Meeker took over, he very forcefully tried to make the Utes farm, raise stock, remain on the reservation, and send their children to white schools.  This did not set well with the Utes and they revolted.  After a minor altercation with a Ute sub-chief in which Meeker was slighted, he called for troops from Wyoming.

Before the troops arrived, the Utes attacked the Indian Agent Headquarters killing Meeker and nine of his men.  They also took his wife, daughter, and another girl hostage.  The held the women for 23 days.

Reinforcement troops from Steele, Wyoming, led by Major Thomas Thornburgh were ambushed by Ute Indians as they approached the north end of the Reservation down a brush-lined canyon about 18 miles northeast of Meeker.  The troops formed a circle of wagons for protection during the ambush.  They were able to hold off the attack from September 29th till October 5th.  They were able to send out a messenger to call for more help.  Eventually, 35 black cavalrymen from Fort Lewis, Colorado were able to break through the Indian lines to reinforce the embattled troops.  Another contingent of 350 men led by Colonel Wesley Merritt arrived from Fort Russell, Wyoming to end the battle.  The hostile Indians were rounded up and punished.  The Ute Tribes were later relocated to another reservation in Utah.  In all, the Army suffered 43 wounded and 13 men killed, inculding Major Thornburgh.  The Ute Indians also suffered many wounded and dead soldiers.

The memorial is located on private land off a gravel County Road in Moffat County, Colorado.  The valley has changed little since 1879 and to look down upon the valley and imagine the terrible situation the Army Troops found themselves for those 7 days is chilling.  The ride to the battlefield site is a really nice graded gravel road and for any Old West history buff is well worth the effort.