Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-02-01
THE THREATENED INDIAN WAR.

The President in his special message to Congress,
on Thursday transmitted a letter from the Secre-
tsry OF War, urging the employment Of volunteers
to protect the frontiers from Indian depredatons
says:
"The proposed temporary provision to meet a
special demand so far from obviating, in my judg-
ment only serves to Illustrate the urgent necessity
Of an increase of the regular army at least to the
extent recommended in my late annual message
Unless by the plan proposed, or some other equally
effective force be early brought into the ield
adequate to the suppression of existing hostilties
the combination of predatory bands will be ex-
tended, and the difficulty OF restoring order and
security greatly magnifed. On the other hand
without permanent military force of sufficient
strength to control the unfriendly Indians it may
be expected that hostilities will soon be renewed
and that years of border warfare will afflict the
country, retarding the progress of settlement ex-
posing emigrant trains to savage b2rbar:ies, and
consuming millions of the public money"
The Secretary of War, in his letter, refers to
the recommendation in his annual report of 1853,
of an increase of the army in order to afford pro-
lection to the frontier settlements and emigrants
to California and Oregon. In his late annual re-
port the recommendation was renewed. The Sec
rotary then adds:
"Since the date of that report, intelligence re-
ceived from officers on he frontier and through the
Department of the Interior, from Indian agents
and other sources shows that the Indians of the
western prairies and mountains are III hostile and
defiant attitude; that several of those tribes have
entered into combination for the purpose of making
a general war upon the whites during the approach
ing spring and summer, and that these tribes can
bring into the field from four to six eight thou
Il
which was urged in my report of December 1853,
been at an early period authorised the force at the
disposal of the department would have been sufi-
cient to prevent these combinations, and in all pro-
liability would have preserved the lives Of many
valuable citizens from the Indian massacre.
This measure, however, has not been acted on,
and at this advanced period, should the bill now
pending in Congress be passed, it will be found too
late TO organize regular enlisted force and place
it in position in season to prevent the anticipated
attack or to suppress it until after much mischief
shall have been DONE The only course now left
to the department, in anticipation of the proposed
increase, is the employment of a volunteer force
to cooperate with such Of the regular troops as
can be collected for the present emergency and it
is accordingly recommended that authority be asked
of Congress to call into service 3 900 mounted
volunteers to be organized into companies, squad
rons, and battalions and to serve for a period of
eighteen months, unless sooner discharged.
Should the proposed increase of the army be
authorized during the present session, it is hoped
that the two additional regiments Of cavalry may
be organized, mounted and put in position to re-
leve the volunteers some time during the summer
fall; and the two regiments of infantry recruited
and organized for service in the department of the
Pacific and on our extreme northwestern frontier,
where troops are greatly needed
Accompanying the letter of the Secretary are
letters from A ]. VAUGHAN, Indian agent, dated
Fort Pierre, Nov. 81, Major HOFFMAN, commanding
at Fort Laramie, and Col DoUGHERrr, an old Indian
agent all showing the necessity of adopting prompt
measures to proteclth frontiers. Col. DoUGHERrY
says:
GAN trade between our fur traders and the In
dams should be stopped without delay. In this
way. with good mounted force, we could keep
the Sioux traveliny back and forward with their
families from the Miss 1uri river to the Big Platte,
and harass them to such degree that other Indian
tribes would down upon them, and relieve Us with
ont any further trouble with them. A prompt and
decisive blow on the Sioux, IN effect, would be
worth to u.s. for years to come, millions of dollars
and many strong armies"