Michael Steck (1818–1880) was a
physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
,
Indian Agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government.
Background
The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...
(1852–1863), and Superintendent of Indian Affairs (1863–1865) in
New Mexico Territory
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...
.
Steck was the eldest son born to John and Elizabeth Steck, in
Hughesville, Pennsylvania
Hughesville is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,155 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Hughesville is named for Jeptha Hughes, who ...
, in October 8, 1818.
He graduated in 1842, from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. For a time he practiced medicine in
Mifflinville, Pennsylvania
Mifflinville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 1,253 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bloomsburg-Ber ...
, where he met and married his first wife, Roseanna Harvey. He came to New Mexico in 1849, as a contract physician for the U. S. Army, paid $1,554, with his wife who suffered from tuberculosis.
Steck became a temporary Indian Agent, for the Southern Apache (Chiricahua), at
Fort Webster in 1853. In 1854 his position became permanent, his work winning the trust of the Apache leaders, and working with the military forces in the area to keep the peace, brought with it the support of several military officers in the Territory, who wrote a recommendation to the president, citing his "...knowledge of the country, and the Indians, their language and habits." With the appointment the location of his agency was moved from the dilapidated Fort Webster to the new
Fort Thorn Fort Thorn or Fort Thorne, originally Cantonment Garland, was a settlement and military outpost located on the west bank of the Rio Grande, northwest of present-day Hatch, and west of Salem in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. It was ...
where it would remain until 1859.
In 1859, Steck proposed a reservation for the Chiricahua in the vicinity of
Santa Lucia Springs
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
in the upper
Gila River
The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...
. By 1860, the reservation had been approved but with the coming of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
and after the attacks on the Apache leader
Mangus Coloradas by miners from
Pinos Altos and the killing of
Cochise
Cochise (; Apache: ''Shi-ka-She'' or ''A-da-tli-chi'', lit.: ''having the quality or strength of an oak''; later ''K'uu-ch'ish'' or ''Cheis'', lit. ''oak''; June 8, 1874) was leader of the Chihuicahui local group of the Chokonen and principa ...
's family members by the U. S. Army in the
Bascom Affair in 1861 set off the
Apache Wars
The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States Army and various Apache tribal confederations fought in the southwest between 1849 and 1886, though minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. After the Mexic ...
, dooming the proposed reservation and Steck's hopes for a peace with the Apache.
Following the repulse of the
Confederate invasion of New Mexico, Steck was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs in New Mexico Territory by
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
in 1863. Steck, an initial supporter of General
Carleton’s plan to defeat the
Navajo
The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States.
With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
to make New Mexico safe and to civilize, Christianize both the
Navajo
The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States.
With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
s and the Mescalero Apaches by transforming them into sedentary farmers. John A. Clark, Surveyor General of New Mexico wrote to Steck in October 1863, there were only 4000 acres of arable land in the
Bosque Redondo
Fort Sumner was a military fort in New Mexico Territory charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero Apache populations from 1863 to 1868 at nearby Bosque Redondo.
History
On October 31, 1862, Congress authorized the construction of For ...
reserve. Later increased to 6000 acres, it was still far less than what would be needed to feed 9,000 Navajo and the Mescalero Apaches. When he realized the general had misjudged both the large size of the Navajo population (over 9000 captives) and the poor agricultural potential of the land near
Fort Sumner
Fort Sumner was a military fort in New Mexico Territory charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero Apache populations from 1863 to 1868 at nearby Bosque Redondo.
History
On October 31, 1862, Congress authorized the construction of For ...
, Steck opposed Carlton's plans. Steck argued that the Navajos should have a reservation in their own homeland and that it was impractical to resettle them in Apache territory on such inadequate lands. However, he was ignored by Carlton with disastrous results for the Navajo.
In 1863, Steck's one-year-old son born in July 1862, died August 1862, in Santa Fe and was soon followed by his wife October 3, 1864. He subsequently married Elizabeth Wood and they had 3 children.
Following his resignation from the Superintendency in 1865, he became involved with the
New Mexico Mining Company from 1865 to 1880. In 1867, he was elected to the New Mexico Territorial Legislature from Santa Fe county and served in the house of representatives, 1867-1868 session. Upon his return to Pennsylvania, with the
Muncy Creek Railway from 1873 to 1877.
He purchased land in
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...
, in 1880 and died on October 4, 1880, in Winchester,
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,419. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. It is Virginia's northernmost county. ...
, of a
cerebral hemorrhage
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...
while fishing.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Steck, Michael
United States Indian agents
1818 births
1880 deaths