The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-12-11

NUMBER so.

the 18th of September, in time to be o.
material assistance to Col. FORSYTH b,
the approach of his command, since
which time he has been operating east
and west on the head waters of the Re-
publican but his command being nrin.
tcipally infantry il cannot do much more
than cover the country. After it he.
came fully known that the Kiowas and
CoInanches were engaged in hostilites
we had against Us the full number o.
: 5000 warriors, well mounted and arm
ed, and deemed it necessary to saw our
force was too small. and orders were
received 10 call OH the Governor of Kan
sas Tor one regiment of Cavalry LOO
strong. This regiment will soon be or.
ganIzed and ready for the field M
On sept. - seven companies of the
4 Fifth Cavalry arrived at Fort Harker
They were at once equipped and sent
10 tn of the railroad from here OIL Beav.
er creek, under command of Bfevet Col
/ W.B. Royal, Major Fifth Cavalry, but
as yet have not not succeeded in finding
I the Indians, On Oct. u, Gen. Sully or.
dereft l1stef command from Chalk
fgfIlsIlf e1eeA t. scss1sr the tountrr q.
/ Medicine Lodge creek and the Big Bend
of the Arkansas, pending the accumu-
lation of supplies at Dodge for an exDe-
dition to the Canadian River and Wach-
tia Mountains. Only small parties OF
Indians who had been depredating on
the line from Harker to Dodge were
found, and who drew south to watch
the movements of Custer. Two Indi-
ans were reported as probably killed in
some small dashes made by them at sun
dry times, but no families or villages
were found.
On Oct. 5, Gen. Bradley notified me
that the trail of the Indians Col Rovall
was sent after had crossed Beaver creek
in sOuthWesterly direction. Breyet
Major General Z. A. Carr, Major Fifth
Cavalry, who arrived soon after the
detachment of his regiment had taken
the field, was ordered to Join his COM
mand and take the trail reported by
General Bradley with directions to Bre-
vet Col. Bankhead, at Fort Wallace. to
furnish him with Brevet Lieut.. Col.
Carpenters and Capt. Graham's compa-
MES of the Tenth Cavalry, numbering
about 12O men, as an escort. Gen. Carr.
while carrying out these instructions:
was with his party attacked on the 18th
inst, by about 400 of these Indians on
Beaver creek, and after an engagement
of six hours repulsed the Indians, kill
ing nine and wounding an unknown
number. Three of the escort were
wounded.
| The above gives you an account of the
| principal movements and principal COM
bats since the 25th of August; but in
addition there were number of move
ments from posts, especially from Forts
| Wallace, Dodge, Lyon and Havs. in
which some Indians were killed. In all
contests and skirmishes which have tax
en- place up to this time about ninety
two Indians have been killed and an
unknown number wounded. No villa
ges have as yet been destroyed, and no
large amount of stock captured. The
above number of Indians killed, think,
can be safely relied upon as correct. The
number of soldiers killed in this period
has been six, and OF scouts iD the Gov
ernment service five OF soldiers wound
ed ten, and of scouts sixteen. The num-
Der of citizens killed and officially re-
ported is as set forth in the accompany
ing list of Indian Outrages and muir
ders, and will number seVenty-fiye kill
ed and nine wounded. In nearly all
cases the most horrible and savage bar
barites were perpetrated on the bodies
of the victims.
The amount of stock run off in Color
ado and Kansas, and from the freight
trains to New Mexico and Colorado is
very large-prObably in excess of five
thousand head. The settlements have
| us
making the damage done to all interest
i ed very large. In fact unless the Indi-
ans are crushed out and made to obey
the authority of the Government. there
will be total paralysis of some of the
best interests of this section of country.
All confidence is destroyed. The peo-
pie had felt some degree of security
from the assurance of the Peace Com
mission, and many of them have met a
horrible fate in consequence. No peace
which will give confidence can be here
after made by paying tribute to these
savage bands Of cruel marauders.
am exceedingly glad that the Peace
Commission resolved at their late meet
ing that the Indian tribes should not be
death with as Independent nations.
They are wards of the Government, and
should be made to respect the laws
and the lives and property of citizens.
The Indian history of this country for
the last 300 years shows that of all the
great nations of Indians only the rem
nants have been saved. The same fate
awaits those now hostile, and the best
way for the Government is to now make
them poor by the destruction of their
stock and then settle them on the land
allotted to them. The motive of the
Peace Commission was humane: but
there was an error of judgment in max
ing peace with those Indians last fall
They should have been punished and
made to give up the plumber captured
and which they now hold, and after
properly submitting to the military and
disgorging their plumber they could
have been turned over TO the civil
agents. This error has given many
more victims to savage ferocity.
The present system of dealing with
the indians, think, is an error. There
are too many fingers in the pie. too
many ends to be subserged and too mu III
money to be made, and it is the interest
of the nation and humanity to put an
end to this inhuman farce. The Peace
Commission and the Indian Department
and the military and the Indians make
d 'balky team" The public treasury is
depleted and innocent people murder
ed in the quadrangular management in
which the public treasury and the I'M
armed settlers are the greatest sufferers.
There should be only one head in the
government of Indians now they look
to the Peace Commission, then to the
Indian Department, both of which are
Expensive institutions, without any sys-
TEN or adequate machinery to make
Egood their promises. Then the Indian
tails back on the military, which is the
Ionly reliable resort in case he becomes
lpinched from hunger.
f 1 respectfully recommend, in view OF
what have seen since came in com.
mand of this department, and from 8
long experience with Indians hereto.