Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-12-03
CLEARFIELD, PA, THURSDAY, DEC. 3, 1868.

were duly confirmed, but those wit
the various bands of Sioux, Snake,
etc., were not confirmed, simply, il
inferred, because they were not com
pete when the Senate adjourned; bu
for some reason Congress did not TAX
action on the chief proposition of th
Peace Commission, which was EN-
brAced In their reports of last Decem
ber, viz; that which related TO In,
hettlng apart of the two reservation
hefelnbefore referred TO, and provi
q'ng governments therefor, which wa
designed to precede the confirmation
OF any OF the treaties. and was the ON
y y'tal principle Of them all. | regre
that ! feel compelled TO refer to thil
iAot, because many persons attribut,
~ ~ the reason why We failed 10 SO
cure lasting peace, and why we ar,
at this moment engaged in a costly
war with four of the principal tribes
with which we had 10 deal viz th,
Cheyenness, Arrapahoes, Kiowas and
Camanches,. 1t has always beer
most difficult TO discover the exact
truth concerning the cause of a rup.
ture with any Indians. They never
give notice beforehand of warlike
intention, and their first notice comes
after their rifles aud lances have done
much bloody work. All intercourse
then necessarily ceases, and the orig.
inal cause soon becomes buried in after
events. The present Indian var ia
General Sheridan's department is no
exception, and, as near as can gather
It, the truth in about this
Last year, in the several councils
held at North Platte and Fort LARA
mie, by the Peace Commission, with
bands Of Sioux, the ,Indi-
ans asserted that they were then, and
had been always, anxious TO live al
peace with their white neighbors,
provided we kept faith with them
They claimed that the building Of the
Powder river road and the establish.
ment ofmilitary posts along It, drove
away the game from the only huntin 2
grounds they had left after the occu-
patton Of Montana and Nebraska, and
that the road had been built in face OF
their protest, and in violation of some
old treatywhich guarantees them that
forever; that the road aud
the posts along it had been construc.
ted in 1865 and 1866, for the benefit
Of the people Of Montana, but had al
most ceased 10 be cfany practical use
10 them, by reason Of the building of
the Union Pacific Railroad, whuse
terminus west Of the Black Hills made
il easy for the wagons 20 travel by AN
older and better road west Of the
For this reason, and because the fur
her extension Of this railroad, under
rapid progress, would each year make
Ihe Powdcr.nver road less and less
used, the commission yielded TO the
earnest entreaty OF the Sioux. aud
the abandonment, for
he time being, of this road. On the
II day Of last March General Grant
yave the necessary orders for breaking
Up the posts Forts Reno, Philip Kear.
icy, and q. +. Smith, but il was well
ownrds August before the stores and
material could all be hauled away.
As we have reason to apprehend. |
ONE Of the Sioux attributing our nc |
ion to fear, followed up our withdrawal |
y raids 20 the line Ofthe Pacific road, |
nd to the south of il iato Colorado |
)thers of them doubtless reached the |
amps of the Arrapahoos, on Beaver
'reek, and the Cheyenne camps on
'awnee Fork, near Fort Larned. and |
old them what had occurred, aud |
lade them believe by war, or threats
{ war, they too could compel us to
bandon the Smoky Hill line, which
asses through the very heart of the
ufialo region, the best hunting grounds
America. About this time-viz:
.ugust 3 or 4, party of Indians,
Omposed oftwo hundred Cheyennes,
,ur Arrapahoes, aud twenty Sioux,
re known TO have started from their
amp on Pawnee Fork, on war expc-
ilion, nominally to fightthc Pawnees.
IN the 10th they appeared Oh the
nline, north of Fort Harker, where
he settlers received them kindly, and
hey were given food and coffee, but
reiending TO be offended, because il
'as in tin cups, they throw il back in
ie faces Of the women, aud be an at
nee TO break up furniture and set fire
, the bousrs. They siezcd the wo.
Ieu aud ravished them, perpetrating
lrocities which could only have been
ie result of premeditated crime
Here they killed two men. Thence
iey crossed over the settlements on
We solomon, where they continued to
ostrOy houses and property, to raw
b all the females, aud killed thirteen
Ien. Guing on TO the Republican
ley killed two more men aud com
lifted other acts OF similar brutal
.rncity. As soon as the intelligence
this could be carried TO Fort Harker
oops we're sen in pursuit, who sue.
.eded in driving them away. rcscu-
gsome captured children, aud killing
NJ few Indlnns, by rrasOn of their
st ponies aud familiarity with the
,untry. ! rrcile these facts with
inc precision, because they are pro f,
m beyond dispute, and up to the
Try moment oftheir departure from
awnee Fork no Indian alleges Any ]
It the kindest treatment on the part I
the agents of the General Govern 4
cnt, ofOur soldiers, or of the frontier !
'ople, with one exception, the agent d
leavenworth. The soldiers, not I
Nv from natural aversion TO an In 4
an war, which is all work and no {
ory, but under positive orders from &
e, had borne with all manner of {
suit aud provoration, in hopes that s
ry soon the measure Of the Peace l
would eliminate in the l
thdrawal of these savages from the y
ighborhood orour posts, roads aud !
and thereby end all far j
or trouble. {