Alfred B. Meacham
Encyclopedia
Alfred Benjamin Meacham was an American Methodist minister, reformer, author and historian
, who served as the US Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon
(1869–1872). He became a proponent of American Indian interests in the Northwest, including Northern California. Appointed in 1873 as chairman of the Modoc Peace Commission, he was severely wounded during a surprise attack on April 11 by warriors, but saved from death by Toby Riddle
(Winema), a Modoc interpreter,
Meacham continued to work for justice for American Indians. He wrote a lecture-play about the War, and made a national tour with Modoc and Klamath
representatives in 1874-1875. He helped represent American Indian tribes to Washington officials, and testified about relocation issues to Congress. In 1880 he served on the Ute Commission. Meacham published two books about the Modoc War; the reformer Wendell Phillips
wrote the introduction to the first book, and Meacham dedicated the second and titled it for Winema Riddle.
, where his parents Anderson Meacham and Lucinda Wasson had moved from North Carolina
because of their objection to slavery
. When he was still a child, the family moved further west to Iowa
, where he came to know people of the Sauk and Fox
tribes. In 1844, he worked with others hired to assist with their removal 100 miles to the west, and saw their grief. He realized they would never voluntarily have left "the graves of their fathers." In Indiana and Iowa, he was educated in the common schools.
, on October 28, 1852. She had also been born in Indiana. He had returned from California to marry her, and then they traveled together back to the West Coast by way of New Orleans and the Isthmus of Panama
. They had three children together: Clara B., b. 1855, who married Dr. J. N. Prather of Iowa; George F., b. 1856, who married Lucia M. Mills of Seattle, Washington
, where he moved as an adult; and Nellie Francis, b. 1859, who married Charley Troup (died of TB
) and later Colonel J. W. Redington of Walla Walla.
for a time. In 1863 they went to Washington Territory and settled near Walla Walla
in the Blue Mountains. It was in present-day northeast Oregon near the future Umatilla Indian Reservation
in present-day Meacham
. He worked at mining and farming.
Meacham became a prominent figure in Oregon politics and its delegation supported him for Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon in 1866. At the time, Andrew Johnson was president, and his administration learned that Meacham did not support him, so his nomination was not accepted.
He supported Ulysses S. Grant
in the presidential election of 1868. Under Grant's Peace Policy (also called the Quaker Policy) to appoint clergy rather than military to administer US Indian affairs, Meacham was appointed in 1869 as US Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon
. He was instrumental in trying to bring peace to the Klamath Reservation, where the Modoc had been relocated. They complained of harassment by their traditional enemies, the Klamath.
A Modoc band left the reservation to return to Northern California and their traditional territory. Meacham recognized their problems with the Klamath and recommended to the Commission of Indian Affairs (CIA) that a aub-agency be set up for them at the southern border at Yainax. The Department of Interior never acted on his recommendation, and the problems increased.
Many settlers continued to complain about the Modoc, who did more raiding during the winter because the US government did not keep them fully supplied. In early 1872, during the crisis, Indian Affairs replaced Meacham with T.B. Odeneal as US Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon. He "knew almost nothing of the background of the situation and had never met Jack or the Modocs" but was charged with "getting the Modocs to leave Lost River." In turn, Odeneal appointed a new US Indian agent, who was also unfamiliar with the parties and conditions. They turned to military solutions, trying to force the Modoc back to Oregon, and the Modoc War
started in 1872.
In the spring of 1873, Meacham was drawn back into the conflict when he was appointed by the as chairman of the Modoc Peace Commission to try to end the Modoc War. The government believed his knowledge of Captain Jack would be useful, but Meacham refused to participate unless assured that Odeneal would not be on the commission. He was distressed that the issues with the Modoc had resulted in war. Although severely injured in 1873 when Modoc warriors attacked the peace commissioners, Meacham recovered and continued to work to improve conditions for the Modoc and other American Indians. He was saved from being killed by Winema (Toby) Riddle
, a bilingual Modoc woman who served as a US interpreter. She yelled that soldiers were coming and interrupted the warriors, who fled.
. In 1875, the delegation addressed Alfred Henry Love's Universal Peace Union in Philadelphia and a meeting of Peter Cooper
's U.S. Indian Commission in New York City
.
In 1879, Meacham brought Chief Joseph
and other Nez Perce to Washington, D. C., to speak to government officials. During the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes
, Meacham served on the 1880 Ute Commission with George W. Manypenny, a former Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and the railroad executive Otto Mears
to plan and oversee the relocation of the Colorado Ute
tribe, led by Chief Ouray
, to a new reservation in Utah.
In addition to public speaking, Meacham reported on Native American issues by publishing a journal called Council Fire, with Thomas A. Bland, in 1878. He wrote two books dealing with the Modoc War: Wigwam and Warpath; or, The Royal Chief in Chains, a history of the War, was published in 1875 with an introduction by Wendell Phillips
. The former abolitionist wrote,
Meacham published Wi-ne-ma
(The Woman-Chief) and Her Peoplein 1876 and dedicated to it to Toby Riddle, who had saved his life.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, who served as the US Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
(1869–1872). He became a proponent of American Indian interests in the Northwest, including Northern California. Appointed in 1873 as chairman of the Modoc Peace Commission, he was severely wounded during a surprise attack on April 11 by warriors, but saved from death by Toby Riddle
Toby Riddle
Toby "Winema" Riddle was a Modoc woman who served as an interpreter in negotiations between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army during the Modoc War . She warned the peace commission of a possible Modoc attack, and she saved the life of the chairman Alfred B...
(Winema), a Modoc interpreter,
Meacham continued to work for justice for American Indians. He wrote a lecture-play about the War, and made a national tour with Modoc and Klamath
Klamath
]The Klamath are a Native American tribe of the Plateau culture area in Southern Oregon.-Pre-contact:Prior to the arrival of European explorers, the Klamath people lived in the area around the Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath, Williamson, and Sprague rivers...
representatives in 1874-1875. He helped represent American Indian tribes to Washington officials, and testified about relocation issues to Congress. In 1880 he served on the Ute Commission. Meacham published two books about the Modoc War; the reformer Wendell Phillips
Wendell Phillips
Wendell Phillips was an American abolitionist, advocate for Native Americans, and orator. He was an exceptional orator and agitator, advocate and lawyer, writer and debater.-Education:...
wrote the introduction to the first book, and Meacham dedicated the second and titled it for Winema Riddle.
Early life and education
Meacham was born in IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, where his parents Anderson Meacham and Lucinda Wasson had moved from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
because of their objection to slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. When he was still a child, the family moved further west to Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, where he came to know people of the Sauk and Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
tribes. In 1844, he worked with others hired to assist with their removal 100 miles to the west, and saw their grief. He realized they would never voluntarily have left "the graves of their fathers." In Indiana and Iowa, he was educated in the common schools.
Marriage and family
He married Orpha Caroline Ferrae (1827–1888) in Brighton, IowaBrighton, Iowa
Brighton is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 687 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Brighton is located at ....
, on October 28, 1852. She had also been born in Indiana. He had returned from California to marry her, and then they traveled together back to the West Coast by way of New Orleans and the Isthmus of Panama
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
. They had three children together: Clara B., b. 1855, who married Dr. J. N. Prather of Iowa; George F., b. 1856, who married Lucia M. Mills of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, where he moved as an adult; and Nellie Francis, b. 1859, who married Charley Troup (died of TB
TB
-Music:*Tenor and bass, a score for male chorus*The Beatles, the English rock band, the most lauded and successful group in the history of modern music**The Beatles , the tenth album by the above band, also known as the White Album...
) and later Colonel J. W. Redington of Walla Walla.
Career
As a young man, Meacham went to California in 1850 trying to explore the gold rush. After his marriage, he and Orpha returned to California, where they lived in Solano CountySolano County, California
Solano County is a county located in Bay-Delta region of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. The county's population was reported by the U.S. Census to be 413,344 in 2010...
for a time. In 1863 they went to Washington Territory and settled near Walla Walla
Walla Walla
Walla Walla can refer to:*Walla Walla people, a Native American tribe after which the county and city of Walla Walla, Washington, are named-Places:Washington state, United States*Walla Walla River, the river along which the Walla Walla tribe lived...
in the Blue Mountains. It was in present-day northeast Oregon near the future Umatilla Indian Reservation
Umatilla Indian Reservation
The Umatilla Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in eastern Oregon in the United States, mostly located in Umatilla County, with a very small part extending south into Union County...
in present-day Meacham
Meacham, Oregon
Meacham is an unincorporated community in Umatilla County, Oregon. It is located on the old alignment of U.S. Route 30 off Interstate 84, in the Umatilla National Forest, near Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area and the route of the Oregon Trail...
. He worked at mining and farming.
Meacham became a prominent figure in Oregon politics and its delegation supported him for Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon in 1866. At the time, Andrew Johnson was president, and his administration learned that Meacham did not support him, so his nomination was not accepted.
He supported Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
in the presidential election of 1868. Under Grant's Peace Policy (also called the Quaker Policy) to appoint clergy rather than military to administer US Indian affairs, Meacham was appointed in 1869 as US Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon
Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs
The Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs was an official position of the U.S. state of Oregon, and previously of the Oregon Territory, that existed from 1848–1873.-Background:...
. He was instrumental in trying to bring peace to the Klamath Reservation, where the Modoc had been relocated. They complained of harassment by their traditional enemies, the Klamath.
A Modoc band left the reservation to return to Northern California and their traditional territory. Meacham recognized their problems with the Klamath and recommended to the Commission of Indian Affairs (CIA) that a aub-agency be set up for them at the southern border at Yainax. The Department of Interior never acted on his recommendation, and the problems increased.
Many settlers continued to complain about the Modoc, who did more raiding during the winter because the US government did not keep them fully supplied. In early 1872, during the crisis, Indian Affairs replaced Meacham with T.B. Odeneal as US Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon. He "knew almost nothing of the background of the situation and had never met Jack or the Modocs" but was charged with "getting the Modocs to leave Lost River." In turn, Odeneal appointed a new US Indian agent, who was also unfamiliar with the parties and conditions. They turned to military solutions, trying to force the Modoc back to Oregon, and the Modoc War
Modoc War
The Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872–1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon...
started in 1872.
In the spring of 1873, Meacham was drawn back into the conflict when he was appointed by the as chairman of the Modoc Peace Commission to try to end the Modoc War. The government believed his knowledge of Captain Jack would be useful, but Meacham refused to participate unless assured that Odeneal would not be on the commission. He was distressed that the issues with the Modoc had resulted in war. Although severely injured in 1873 when Modoc warriors attacked the peace commissioners, Meacham recovered and continued to work to improve conditions for the Modoc and other American Indians. He was saved from being killed by Winema (Toby) Riddle
Toby Riddle
Toby "Winema" Riddle was a Modoc woman who served as an interpreter in negotiations between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army during the Modoc War . She warned the peace commission of a possible Modoc attack, and she saved the life of the chairman Alfred B...
, a bilingual Modoc woman who served as a US interpreter. She yelled that soldiers were coming and interrupted the warriors, who fled.
Working for Indian justice
Meacham wrote a lecture-play, "The Tragedy of the Lava Beds", and arranged a national speaking tour for Winema and Frank Riddle (who took their son Charka with them), as well as other Modoc and Klamath tribal representatives. He wanted to inform Americans about the issues related to the Modoc War and Indian relocation in general. In 1874, Meacham and the delegation spoke before a group organized by the social activist and reformer Wendell PhillipsWendell Phillips
Wendell Phillips was an American abolitionist, advocate for Native Americans, and orator. He was an exceptional orator and agitator, advocate and lawyer, writer and debater.-Education:...
. In 1875, the delegation addressed Alfred Henry Love's Universal Peace Union in Philadelphia and a meeting of Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and candidate for President of the United States...
's U.S. Indian Commission in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In 1879, Meacham brought Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, popularly known as Chief Joseph, or Young Joseph was the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Nez Perce to a reservation in Idaho...
and other Nez Perce to Washington, D. C., to speak to government officials. During the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
, Meacham served on the 1880 Ute Commission with George W. Manypenny, a former Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and the railroad executive Otto Mears
Otto Mears
Otto Mears was a famous Colorado railroad builder and entrepreneur who played a major role in the early development of southwestern Colorado....
to plan and oversee the relocation of the Colorado Ute
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...
tribe, led by Chief Ouray
Ouray
Ouray may refer to:* Chief Ouray, of the Ute Native American tribe* Ouray County, Colorado* Ouray, Colorado, a small city* Ouray, Utah, a village* Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, in Randlett, Utah* Ouray Peak, in Colorado* Mount Ouray, in Colorado...
, to a new reservation in Utah.
In addition to public speaking, Meacham reported on Native American issues by publishing a journal called Council Fire, with Thomas A. Bland, in 1878. He wrote two books dealing with the Modoc War: Wigwam and Warpath; or, The Royal Chief in Chains, a history of the War, was published in 1875 with an introduction by Wendell Phillips
Wendell Phillips
Wendell Phillips was an American abolitionist, advocate for Native Americans, and orator. He was an exceptional orator and agitator, advocate and lawyer, writer and debater.-Education:...
. The former abolitionist wrote,
"To show the folly of our method, examine the south of the Great Lakes, and you will find in every 30 miles from Plymouth to Omaha the scene of an Indian massacre. And since 1789 we have spent about one thousand million of dollars in dealing with the Indian. Meanwhile, under British rule, on the north side of these same lakes, there has been no Indian outbreak, worth naming for a hundred years, and hardly one hundred thousand dollars have been spent directly on the Indians of Canada. What is the solution to this astounding riddle? This, and none other. England gathers her Indian tribes as ordinary citizens, within the girth of her usual laws.... With us martial law, or no law at all, is their portion; no civil rights, no right to property that a white man is bound to respect..."
Meacham published Wi-ne-ma
Toby Riddle
Toby "Winema" Riddle was a Modoc woman who served as an interpreter in negotiations between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army during the Modoc War . She warned the peace commission of a possible Modoc attack, and she saved the life of the chairman Alfred B...
(The Woman-Chief) and Her Peoplein 1876 and dedicated to it to Toby Riddle, who had saved his life.
"This book is written with the avowed purpose of doing honor to the heroic Wi-ne-ma who at the peril of her life sought to save the ill fated peace commission to the Modoc Indians in 1873. The woman to whom the writer is indebted, under God, for saving his life."Meacham petitioned Congress for years to award a military pension to Winema Riddle for her heroism; in 1891 Congress finally approved the pension, one of the few enacted for a woman and a Native American.
Books
- Wendell Phillips, "Introduction", Wigwam and Warpath; or, The Royal Chief in Chains, Boston: John P. Dale & Co., (1875), at Internet Archive, online text
- Wi-ne-ma (The Woman-Chief) and Her People, Hartford: American Publishing Company, 1876, at Internet Archive, online text
Legacy and honors
- Thomas Augustus Bland, Life of Alfred B. Meacham, T.A. & C.A. Meacham, 1883
- Meacham, Oregon was named for him.
Further reading
- Thomas Augustus Bland, Life of Alfred B. Meacham and Alfred B. Meacham, "Tragedy of the Lava Beds", Kessinger Publishing LLC, 2010
- Jeff C. Riddle, The Indian History of the Modoc War, and the Causes that Led to It, Marnell and Company, 1914, Internet Archives, online text with photos