Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-07-04
UNION COUNTY NOMINATIONS,
The Indian War.

The Indian War.
General Sherman, the Military Com
mander In the department of the Indian
troubles, has recently issued a'compre-
hensive order for regulating Military
operations against the Indians, applying
to the States and Territories embraced
In his command. He is willing to &C
cept the services of mounted forces raised
in that section when any emergency
arises which in his judgment makes
it necessary to employ them, and re-
quires that in such case the men shall be
mustered In, according to the laws of
Congress, and that they shall act in con-
nection with the regular troops. The
effect of this provision is to discounten-
ance and forbid all Independent military
action on the part of the State or Ter
ritory against the Indians. The order
recommends that the civil authorities
shall have small armed companies at all
times to pursue and hunt down the
small, horse thieving bahds Of Indians,
who, by separating, manage to avoid
military forces.
In these cases where captures are
made, the Indians whether belonging to
a reservation or not are to be proceeded
against according to law. With regard
to those actually residing on reserva-
tion or restricted themselves to terri
tory guaranteed to them by treaty, the
General commands the military, no.
titles the civil authorities that these
treaty rights are the supreme law of the
land and must be preserved.
The Indian war seems destined to tax
the resources of our people somewhat
severely, far more than has been gener-
ally supposed, and all for the particular
benefit of the Indian agents and contract
ors, who have already commenced i'm
por tuning the government for contracts,
and fondly hope to profit once more by
the waste and fearful extravaganza in
involved in repetition of the scenes of
the Florida war. The tribes now in
arms scarcely number $4,000 able bodied
men, but they range over such vast
ex tent of country, and live in such a
no madic way, that it is all but impos-
sible to follow them and bring the con-
test to q decisive issue. Infantry are
nearly useless in campaign against a
horde of savages who live like the Par
thians of old, in the saddle, dispensing
and breaking up when approached by
regular infantry or cavalry. The horses
which carry them in their rapid, preda-
tory expeditions are remarkably feet
and hardy, and far superior in speed and
endurance to the heavier high fed steeds
of the United States cavalry. Therefore
til ere is good reason to believe, that the
contest will be long and indecisive, and
that volunteers will have to be employed
from the frontier States, with power to
fight ION their own hook" and that the
regular army will be mainly employed
to garrison posts in the hostile country,
and lay waste the settlements Of the
Indians. If the exasperated settlers and
miners in Montana, Colorado, Idaho, and
the adjacent territories, persevere in
their intention of carrying on war of
determination, the tribes will have to be
cut off in detail, and the expense of such
a measure cannot but be very great as
provisions and supplies will have to be
transported upwards of a thousand
miles, in some cases, from the actual
settlements of the white inhabitants. A
reward has been offered for Indian scalps
and no quarter is to be given or taken,
men, women and children being indis-
criminately slaughtered. There can be
no doubt of the result. The present
aspect Of affairs indicates that our gov
eminent will have to pay high price
for the folly and rascality OF its Indian
agents who have urged on and melted
these savage tribes to initiate the cruel
ties they are perpetrating upon the peo-
pie Of our western borders.
The population Of Utah is now esti-