The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-23
sfvfs,l SHERMAN ON our INDIAN DIFFICULTIES.


-. ,oro,rno letter from General w. 7. Sherman,
.ated 81. Louis September 9, and addressed 70 W
r n. Williams, Cheyenne, wyoming appears IA 'na
Cheyenne STAR
DEAR SIR--In my hurried departure i. 80 TOT.
Sanders was unable to stop long 81 me peace
and talk over matters. was meHlpet u uic roace
Commssion-Ooncurred with IL III Some iespee.ss
out differed In others, and YET ny a actinn ~
ia decIsions. Thore were some members to that
commission from civilians, and tnen army n.y. Sn a
srov, onr respective standponts, but in our conclu
eions were generally OF one opinion.
rndisns have been held to possess a certain title
10 the lands held by them, Tor the surrender OF
and made compensation. We found the Cheyennes,
Arapahces Kiowas and sioux In possession OF the
proceeded to treat with them all in detail and made
with them treaties by which they agreed to surren-
e us Kansas Colorado ana Wyomng ana to
remove and permanently occupy reservations NORM
and South, described IN my General Orders No a. 10
accomplish their removal Congress has placed In my
bvnds certain moneys, which shall dsburse lor
taat sole purpose, and when Indians have failed 20
ACT in good faith they shall receive nothing IRON me.
All Indians lawfully under the control OF the In.
terior Department. by and through civil agents, but
ence by the military SO that our officers and soldiers
have no right TO anticipate Indian hoslites put can
tile acts. In all the treaties by the Indian Peace
Commissions was clause OF doubtful wisdom, VIZ,
leaving the Plains Indians the right to hunt bualoes
long they lasted outside their reservations With
out this condition 1t was contended no peace could be
concluded and though the members varied in opin-
ion, this concession was made by decided majority
and tried on, as long as the Indians maintain peace
But as they have broken the peace l have ordered
the military to their efforts to remove to their
proper reservations all Indians who have not been
drawn into war, and to KILL destroy and capture all
who have been concerned in the recent acts Of hos
tty. Nearly all the people on the plains, even the
Governors OF the States and Territories, who ought
to know better, seem to have an idea that have q
right to make war and peace at pleasures right to
call out volunteers and pay Them and to do more in
zion hnfo ffnn al
Kingdom. possess none OF these powers The regu-
lar army is provided by Congress- and but small
small force required to protect the two railroads.
the Missouri river the various stage routes amount
Travelled road the incidental protection OF
Of thousands of miles OF frontier settlements. Each
and appeals for help, from Minnesota to Arkansas
and from Montana TO New Mexico. Were to grant
army would be so scattered as to be of little or no
use. With this small force In the last two years
hope for and if any man be increduous, let him en-
list In my company, and he Will soon ind out II ne
AS to the frontier settlements, have again and
again warned the Governors and the people that
nntii TINS Indian matter was finally concluded their
people should not spread out SO much: Their iso.
lated FARMS with horses and cattle, are too tempting
to hungry and savage bands of Indians. II, how
ever they Will not be restrained by motives OF pru
dence the people should, as they used to do In
Ohio, Kentucky, Iowa and Missouri, make their
setuements In groups, with block houses and sod
Tort SO that when the savage comes they may rally
and defend themselves and their stock 1t is ply
steal inpossibility for the small army we all know
KIND Congress maintains with yearly threats Of fur
ther reductions to guard the exposed settlements OF
Kansas, Nebraska, Dacotah, Montana, wyoming,
Colorado and New Mexico. These States and Terri
tories must by organizing their people into sort OF
militia, be prepared to defend their exposed settle
ments and TO follow up and destroy the bands OF
maraudiug Indians and horse thieves, both red and
white, that now infest them and carry on a profit
able business. The army cannot do it any more than
we can catch all the pickpockets and thieves in our
cities. Slamor on this subject against me General
Augur or General Sheridan IL simple folly We do
0nr duty according TO our means, and account TO
our snperiors and not to the people who neglect
advice and counsel.
II you think this will he OF service 10 the border
people have no objection 10 its use. Yours truly,
W. I. SHERMAN, Lieutenant General.