Milton Cline
Milton William Cline (born Whitehall, New York, May 16 1825;[1] died Montrose County, Colorado, October 7, 1911[1]) was a nineteenth century American sailor, soldier, scout and pioneer. His name appears throughout the history of the United States Civil War and post-bellum period.
Cline began his career as a sailor aboard the whaling ship South Carolina in 1846.[2]
Military career
Prior to the US Civil War, Cline moved to Indiana, and during the War, he served as a scout with the 3rd Regiment Indiana Cavalry. Under the command of Major General Joseph Hooker, Cline was assigned to a newly formed core of scouts.[3] Cline's success with this group was mixed. On the one hand, he accomplished "the deepest and longest infiltration of the Confederation Army recorded during the war,"[3], and was instrumental in obtaining key intelligence about orders being sent by Jefferson Davis,[4] but on the other hand, he was later blamed for the failure of an infiltration mission in which all but one of the infiltrators was killed or captured.[3] This latter episode ended Cline's career in the 3rd Indiana.
After the war Cline moved west, ultimately settling his home in Cimarron, Colorado. At its peak, his ranch covered 450 acres (180 ha) and had 5400 head of cattle.[5]
Cline had a close relationship with Chief Ouray and the Ute people who neighbored his range. He was known to intervene in local disputes between the Utes and the white settlers, specifically during the hostage crisis following the Meeker Massacre, when Cline was among the party sent by the US government to negotiate the release of hostages taken by the Utes.[6][7]
Death
Cline died on October 7, 1911, in Montrose County, Colorado. At the time, the Ouray County Plaindealer noted his death as "A famous old pioneer dead."[1]
References
- ^ a b c "Milton W Cline". FindAGrave.com. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
- ^ "Crewlist for the voyage aboard the South Carolina". Whaling Project. City of New Bedford [Massachusetts] Free Public Library. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ^ a b c "NCOs: The MI Tradition" (PDF). p. 5.
- ^ Miller, John A. "Zora: The Pivotal Crossroad of the Civil War". The Civil War Along Tom's Creek and Waynesboro Pike. Emmitsburg Area Historical Society.
- ^
"Historic Cimarron". National Park Service. Retrieved February 2012.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "The Meeker Massacre and the Battle of Milk Creek". Rio Blanco County Historical Society. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- ^ "Rescued: The White River Captives Released" (PDF). The Ouray Times. 25 October 1879.