Charles Adams, born Karl Adam Schwanbeck (December 19, 1845 – August 19, 1895), was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

officer, US Indian agent, diplomat and businessman. In 1879 he secured the release of five hostages taken captive by the

White River Utes White River Utes are a Native American band, made of two earlier bands, the Yampa from the Yampa River Valley and the Parianuche Ute people, Utes who lived along the Grand Valley (Colorado-Utah), Grand Valley in Colorado and Utah. Historic bands ...

after the

Meeker Massacre Meeker Massacre, or Meeker Incident, White River War, Ute War, or the Ute Campaign), took place on September 29, 1879 in Colorado. Members of a band of Ute Indians ( Native Americans) attacked the Indian agency on their reservation, killing the ...

, and held an official inquiry into their treatment. In 1880 he was appointed minister to Bolivia, where he served for two years. Returning to Colorado, he became involved in mining and water development.

Early life and education

Born in

Anklam Anklam [], formerly known as Tanglim and Wendenburg, is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the ''Kleines Haff'', the western ...

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in 1845, Charles was the son of

cabinetmaker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves and/or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (s ...

Karl Heinrich and Maria J. Mackman Schwanbeck. His family immigrated to the United States after the

Revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...

Career

Schwanbeck fought as a young man in the late years 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 ...

. After the war he migrated to the

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the ...

. About 1870, he was appointed a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of the Colorado Militia, by when he had changed his surname to Adams. In addition, he was appointed as US

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 ...

to the

Ute Tribe Ute () are the Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries unt ...

, serving through 1874. There were distinct groups of Utes in Colorado, although settlers often could not distinguish them. Adams dealt primarily with the White Rivers and Uncompahgre Utes. During these years, Adams established good relationships with Chief Ouray and his wife ''Chipeta'' of the Uncompahgre Utes. This friendship was useful in helping him negotiate the release of five captives (three women and two children) taken by the Utes in 1879 after the Meeker Massacre, as part of the White River War. In 1875 Adams was appointed a post office inspector but he also continued with the militia.

Marriage and family

Adams dropped the Schwanbeck surname sometime around 1870, when he married Margaret Thompson Phelps.

Diplomat

In 1880, Adams was appointed the United States minister to Bolivia. In that position, he served as the arbitrator of conferences on the Bolivia and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Wars. He remained in that position through 1882. Returning to Colorado with the change in presidential administrations, Adams became engaged in the manufacture of glass, and mining and mineral water development. He died on August 19, 1895 in the Gumry Hotel disaster in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

when a boiler in the basement of the hotel exploded, destroying the building and killing more than 20 people. He is interred in the Crystal Valley Cemetery in

Manitou Springs, Colorado Manitou Springs is a home rule municipality located at the foot of Pikes Peak in western El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The town was founded for its natural mineral springs. The downtown area continues to be of interest to travelers, ...

References

*''Who Was Who in America: Historical Volume, 1607-1896.'' Chicago: Quincy Who's Who, 1963. {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Charles 1845 births 1895 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Bolivia Businesspeople from Denver People from the Province of Pomerania German emigrants to the United States 19th-century American diplomats Accidental deaths in Colorado Deaths from fire in the United States United States Indian agents 19th-century American businesspeople