The Portland daily press., 1866-12-06
Gen. Grants Revor,.

commanding the department OF the East Mai.
Cen P. III. Sheridan, commanding the DEPART
ment Of the Gulf Mai. Gen. George H. Thomas
commanding the department OF the tennessee,
and Mai Gep ID. E. Sickes, commanding the
department. of the South. Gen. Sherman's re-
port also includes report from Maj. Gen.
Pope; Gen. Halleck's includes reports rom
Mai. Gems. Mcdowell and Steele, and Gen.
Thomas includes reports from Gems L. ..
| Wood and Jefferson @. Davis Gen. Grant
simply refers to these accompanying reports
1or an account OF W. at has transpired in the
several military divisions of the country, and
| closes his own report with the following sug-
g"st'on in regard TO the management OF Indian
affairs: IS
4 would respectfully suggest, for the consid-
| Grafton OF Congress, the propriety of transfer
ring the Indian Bureau from the In terror to the
| War Department., and the abolition Of Indian
| agencies, with the exception of a limited mum.
| ber of inspectors. The reason for this change
| seems to me both obvious and satisfactory. 1t
would result In greater economy of expendi-
| ture, and, as think, diminution Of conflict be-
| tween the Indian and white races"
s LIEUT.. GEN. snERafAN's REPORT
| Gen. Sherman, in his report, alludes 10 the
| disposition of troops made under the chanc 90
of military departments directed by the War
Department in August last, and thus states
| what has been done with the Indians and what
| he proposes to do.
| This brings me to the consideration of the
| question of the Indians. who, in nomadic and
| predatory bands, infest the whole country des-
| eribed, sometimes in one place aud then in an
| other. These Indians are universally, by the
| people of our frontier and of our isolated Ter
rltores, regarded as hostile, and we, the milit-
| ary, chargeA with general protection of the
| infant settlements and long routes of travel,
have to dispose our troops and act as though
| they were hostile, while by the laws of Con-
gress, and the acts of our executive authorities
| these Indians are construed as under the pro-
tection and guardianship OF the general govern
ment, through civilian agents. This whole sub
Jeet has heretofore been so ably reported on by
General Pope and Others well qualified to
judge, that I will not here renew the discussion
but merely state as the result OF my own .juds-
ment that he entire management of the In
dians should be controlled by the military au-
thorities, and the commanding officers of the
troops should have not Onty the surveillance
of these Indians, but should supervise and
control the disbursement Of moneys and distri-
button of presents to the tribes under past and
future treaties. aD- U nf .... I.9ff
Indians do not read, and only know our pow
er and strength by what they see, and they al
ways look to the man who commands soldiers
as the representative of our government. The
complaints OF short payment by the agents are
universal, and the Indians themselves would
be more likely to receive the ample annuities
appropriated by Congress- if the agents were
required to make the seIni-annual payments
subject to the inspection and control of the
military commanders, who, as a rule, are not
50 liable to be corrupted by the chances OF gain
and peculation, as temporary appointees.
propose the coming year to restrict the
Sioux north of the Platte, west of the Missou-
ri river, and east of the new road to Montana,
which starts from Laramie for Virginia City
by way of Forts Reno, Philip, Kearney, G. Il.
Smith, sc. All Sioux found outside Of these
limits without a written pass from some mill
tary commander defining their object, should
be dealt with summarily. In like manner /
would restrict the Arapahoes, Cheyennes,
Comanches, kiOwaS, ,Apaches, and Navaloes
south of the Arkansas and east of Fort Union.
This would leave for our people exclusively the
use Ofthe wide belt, east and west, between
the Platte and the Arkansas, in which lie the
two great railroads. and over which passes the
bulk of travel to the mountain Territories. As
long as these Indians can hunt the buffalo and
antelope within the described limits we will
have the depredations of last summer, and
worse yet, the exaggerations of danger raised
by our own people, often Tor very base pur-
pose. 1t is our duty, and it shall be my study,
to make the progress of construction of the
great Pacific Railways that lay in this belt of
country, as safe as possible, as also to protect
the stage and telegraph lines against any hos
tile bands but they are so long that to guard
them perfectly is an impossibility, unless We
can restrict the Indians as herein stated. beg
you will submit this proposition to the Honor
able Secretary of the Interior, that we may
know that we do not violate some one of the
solemn treaties made with these Indians, who
are very oaptious, and claim to the very letter
the execution on our part of those treaties the
obligation of which they seem to comprehend
perfectly. a1-i lsesf
GEN. HALLECK's REPORT
Gen. Halleok's report, accompanied by The
reports OF Gems. Mcdowell and Steele, relates
principally to the conduct and disposition of
the various tribes of Indians scattered over the
Pacific States and Territories
GEN. MEApEs REPORT.
Gen. Meade, in his report simply gives re-
view of his operations ia Maine aud Vermont
in April and June of the present year, at the
time OF the tenian movements upon our east
ern and northern frontiers.
GEN sHERIDAN's REPORT.
Gen. Sheridan, in his report speaks of the
effect of imperialism in Mexico by the presenC
OF a considerable body of American troops In
| Texas. He says he has always regarded the
| occupation of Mexico by Maximilian as a part
| of our rebellion, and he did not think republic
| canism in the United States would be COM
| pletely vindlcated until Maximilian left Mex
leo. In speaking of the condition of affairs in
| Texas Gen. Sheridan says that two unarmed
Federal soldiers were lately shot in Brenham,
Texas, and the grand jury could find no bill
| against their assassins but made out an in
dictment for burglary against Federal officer,
| who broke into house in search of the mur.
derers. He is of the opinion that the trial of a
white man for the murder of freedman in
Texas, would be a complete farce. ia white
man is killed by the Indians ON the Texas
hontier there Is a great stir made, but scores
| OF freedmen may be killed without OCCASION
ing any stir at all. He will establish frontier
posts in Texas, for protection against the Indi-
ans, In the spring lie speaks Of the anoma-
lous condition of civil and political affairs in
| Louisiana, and thinks if he had been in New
Orleans at the time of the July massacre, the
slaughter Of loyal men might have been pre-
| vented.
REPORT or GEN. THOMAS
Gen Thomaa srthfY,ita thu yapo.ts IS
Wool and JED c. Davis, the former command
| ing in Mississippi and the latter in Kentucky.
Gen. Wool speaks in terms Of commendation of
the course taken by the Governor of Missis-
siepl ana oy the higher executive and judicial
officers OF the State. No serious conflict has
occurred between the State and military au-
| thorities, and the people seem to be endeavor-
ing to adapt themselves as readily as possible
to the social changes caused BY the war In
| speaking of the freedmen, Gen Wool alludes
to the unsettled condition of the labor question
when ne went 10 Mississippi, and he says il is
his profound conviction that the contract sys-
TEN Is the best for both the employer and the
employed. He alludes to fe v of the statute
laws in Mississippi in reference to the negroas'
which he considers the most open to objection
and expresses the hopo that they will soon be
! removed or become obsolete ''.V -
He speaks of the crops of the year as almost
total fhiurs, and says that the people have
not breadstufis sufficient to support them until
another crop is raised, and no money to buy
with. They must depend upon private charity
winter ttl 7 IE II :. - e
Gen. Davis says there are 80 many "guerril-
las and negro speculators' in Kentucky that
the presence of United States troops at vari-
Gus points viii probably be necessary for some
| time to come. t.f f4.I. RI
GEN. sICKLEs REPoRT
zen. Sickles' command embraces the CARROLL
mas, and his report of the condition of affairs in
those States is in the highest degree eneourag
ing. The functions of the courts have been
resumed in most districts, the freed laborers
have generally been well treated by their en-
| ployers the crops have been very fair, the out
RACES upon freedmen have been comparatively
few, and the general aspect Of the relations ex-
istipg between the whites and blacks is -eeard-
ed as giving hope and promise for the ftrtrire.-
There are some parts of South Carolina where
loyal whites and freedmen have no assured
safety of life and property, and where it is im-