Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-02
OUR INDIAN POLICY,
The Cost of killing an Indian ON the
Plains-HOw Indians Fight Blood
Observation-Disclosures of cur Present
Policy.

PIaIns-HOw Indians Fight BIOot
Observation-Disclosures of cur Presen
Policy.
The Washington correspondent of thu
Chicago Tribune sends lengthy commu,
nication to that paper in regard to oul
Indian policy from which we make the
following extracts;
A gentleman of considerable promin-
ence, and whose opinions and statements
can be relied upon, writes, or reports to
one of our Departments, in reference to
our recent operations in the Northwest
against the Indians, as follows: ..r-
General Sully, with 1908 officers and
men and 1862 horses and mules, during q
campaign of nearly seven months, having
marched more than 1,6OO miles, did not
succeed in killing single Indian, except,
perhaps, one Indian killed after the expe-
dition returned to Fort Rice. An express
rider claims that he killed one-so that
matter is in dispute; the Indian, at any
rate, was admitted to be friendly and
foolish. General Sully, is an excellent
officer. 1t was not his fault; he could not
find the Indians; he could not overtake
them; they were too cunning, too fleet for
him. His loss, of course, was not heavy
He did, however, kill one hundred horses,
to prevent them from falling into the
hands of the Indians.
Il have been informed by general Off
Ger of the United States army, who has
had large experience in Indian affairs,
who says it costs nearly S2,OOO,OO0 year
to support a regiment in the Indian coun-
try-S2, 900, 600 to kill one Indianl
II met an officer at Sioux City who had
Just returned from the Plains, having |
been with Colonel Cole the whole sum- |
mer. He informed me that Cole and |
ConnOr's commands together had not |
killed twenty Indians, and had taken |
three squaw prisoners-at the same time |
had lost more than that number of men |
besides more than 300 horses
and mules that were taken by the Indians,
Or killed to prevent them from falling in
TO the hands of the enemy. am inform
I'd that between 5000 and 1000 men have
been employed on the Plains the past sea-
ion to fight the Indians, say six regiments,
1t 50, 100000 each, Sl2,000,000 to kill per-
laps 25 Indians-half million each
'ather expensive
"The people of Minnesota sent South
md got large number of bloodhounds to
lunt the Indians. Result-the Indians
hot the dogs and then cooked and ate
hem-a great luxury
"The Minnesota Legislature Shame on
hem) passed an act paying bounty for
be Indian scalps. If l am not mistaken
n officer, who was connected with an ex- {
edition in Minnesota against the Indians, :
Informed me that he knew of six sealps !
eing taken from one Indian, with a tuft {
f hair and piece of skin about the size
dollar-that they brought in as the l
esult Of that campaign, one hundred and
wenty scalps, which, at one Indian killed
, every six scalp would show the killing f
twenty Indians all toldP b
now SAVAGE INDIANS ARE. a
The writer then proceeds to narrate in n
dents connected with the trip up the c
yer to Fort Sully; how they went fully {
rmed and equipped, apprehensive yet pre- {
ared for an Indian attack that they met
le Indians in council and then returned :
unarmed they met Indians .
4 the route, all of them armed, on their "
ay to hunt buffalo, and says;
"On the way from Sully to Sioux city =
leH pdS>eu more JndH z,OUU lHulaHS ana =,
1t in no more danger of being molested :,
IAN they would have felt in Pennsylvania " .
venue, in Washington, D. G. No dis :,
spectftl word or question did we receive
the whole route of 300 miles,"
After describing the roundabout way in
hich the expeditions were conducted, the u
says; p p
These improvements are rather difficult
be understood in this section, and it is
ped the matter will be explained. Had bs
IN. Sherman in his march from Atlanta p
Goldsboro gone by way of Canada and St
ew England, instead of by the most di- al
ct Iouto to accomplish his purpose, it
,uld no doubt have been very difficult
r us to have understood the movement. =,
IF q nan is insulted in the street, if in =,
,ad Of knocking his assailants down he "'
es away and hunts up his youngest and :
1st distant relative and knocks him
wn, it might give rise to some rather
remarks, touching the
lrage and good judgment of the man