Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-05-08
The New York Tribune on Fort Smell.
ling.

The New York Tribune on Fort Smell
ling.
From the N. Y. Tribune of April 3Oth.
The question of Secretary Floyd's compli-
city in the Fort Smelling speculation of his
friends Mather, Schell & Co., is one which
the House will be apt to consider less tender
ly than did their Committee The evidence
on this head embodied in the testimony TAX
en- by that Committee is all the more signif-
cant that the Committee did not try to elicit
1t. Let us give another specimen
Assistant Adjutant General Thomas was
dispatched last summer to the n, rth-West
by Gen. Scott Oh tour of INSPECTION, and
made his official report to Gen. Scott at
West Point some time in August. In that
report he could not help speaking of Fort
Smelling and its then recent sale, which he
did in these terms:
80 long as the Indians remain in Mime
so'a SO long must troops be kept in the Ter
rltory. To supply the troops depot is es.
sentially necessary at Fort Smell ing, and
consider that the post should not have been
sold. All The necessary buildings were here,
with reserve ample for any purpose. A
condition of the sale l understand is, that
the buildings shall be kept as long as requir-
cd. They should not be given up, AID if
possible from 500 to 1000 acres OF land
should be reserved. A wagon train must be
Kept up, and at no point can the animals be
kept at SO cheap rate as hcre. Hay can be
cut and stacked at 81 per ton, and grain be
purchased cheaper than in the interior If a
depot is not kept here, it must be established
IN st. Paul, and at largely increased ex-
pense.
The mounted troops necessary for this re-
glon (and there should be three or four COM
panles,) could be kept at Fort Smelling at
less cost than elsewhere, and be in high con
dltlon to make an excursion into the Yank-
ton country during the hunting season, when
good impression would be made upon the
Indians.
do not know under what circumstan ces
the post of Fort Smelling was sold, but am
perfectly certain that no military man on the
spot at all acquainted with the state OF af-
fairs, would have recommended the mea
sure"
Gen. Scott Of course transmitted the Re-
port, of which the foregoin ing is but lrag
ment, to tie War Department, with only this
Endorsement
AUGUST 2S, 1857.
Respectfully submitted to the Secretary
of War;"
WINFIELD SCOTT.
The Secretary files it away in his archives
with the most unjust and insulting commen-
tary:
Endorsement Of the Secretary of War on
the foregoing:
WAR DEPARTMENT., Aug. 90 1857.
This report is sufficiently clear in its state.
ment of fact conn, cted with the Indian tribes.
The dissel tation about Fort Smelling, its sale,
and the Importance of it for military depot,
is gratuitous intermeddling in a matter al
ready disposed of by competent anthori-
ty.
"Whatcver may be the opinion of mill
tary man as to keeping upa military post in
the heart OF a settled country,to hold Indians
in subsection who roam through the forests
many days journey away from it, man of
common apprehension would conclude that
the proper place for forts and troops was
amongst the Indians to be held in subsection.
When the United States army are SIT to cut
ting and stacking hay, it is possible still
more eligible point may be selected for the
purpose, near to the Indian settlements where
the troops would need those supplies
'When this Department is required to re-
port to subordinates under what crcum-
stances the post at Fort Smelling was spld,' or
any other act was done, the duty shall be
performed ; but, until then, military man
will probably understand that superior in
authority is not to be called on for any expla-
nation Of any order"
%. B. FLOYD, Secretary of War;"
Gould anything be W orsc than the above?
Who does not know that troops stationed
beyond the bounds CT civilization must some
time. be set to 'cuttng and stacking hay,"
unless their animals are to be starved by
thousands? There is surely nothing "gratu-
itous'' in an Inspector General who is sent
into distant region expressly to examine
and report on Military condition and needs,
reporting that post which was in fact the
pivot of the North-W Western frontier has been
most unfortunately sold and could not be
well spared. 1t may be we'll to have forts
and troops amongst the Indians to be held
in subection;" but it has almost uniformly
been held better to put them where they may
be easily fed, supplied and REINFORCED, and,
whence they may be launched upon any hos
tile band at pleasure. Fort Smelling, at the
confluence of the Minnesota and the Mis-
issippi is the only point from which the saw
ages both of Northern and of Western Min
nesota can be conveniently observed and
threatened. And all the insolence of Floyd
about reporting to suJordiaates," "superiority
in authority, "explanation of any ORDER" is
purely gratuitous. Nobody had then called
on him for |" an explanation ;" Col. Thomas
did nothing IF the sort he simply did his
duty, as Floyd would have thanked him for
doing had he not been badly complicated in
the Fort Smelling business. Were there
nothing against him but this Endorsement.
his case would bn q had ono