The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-11
THE TRANSFER or THE INDIAN BUREAU TO
TEE WAR DEPARTMENT.

WASHINGTON Dec. 2, 1858.
To Tux EDITOR or THE HERALD
We know or no safer criterion by which to Judge
the future than by the experience of the past espe
cially when this test Is applied to the subject.
shall institute comparison OF Indian affairs a.
administered by the War Department on the one
hand and by the Interior Department on the other.
In order 20 give fair and impartial view OF the
subject we will 20 back to the year 1s35-the mau-
guratiOn OF tine Florida Seminole war; The trea-
ties Of Fort Mourie Payne's Bluff and Fort Gibson
both contracting parties constituting these several
treaties differenty-were the remote causes OF the
war; The proximate cause or the outbreak as IN
most other cases, was the rash and cruel treatment
or the Indians by the government officers. some
Indians killed cow on the hammock for food and
were mercilessly whipped. 0sceola, who subse-
quently became the Ajax OF the war party, was i'm
prisoned and placed in irons inside the fort for words
spoken In debate at "a big talk These hostile
OF the officers and citizens called for revenge. It
came quick and terrible.
General Thompson was murdered by the outraged
Osceola. August II. 1885, private Dalton killed.
and the Florida war began and extended through o
period OF seven years. The agent estimated the num-
Der Of hostile warriors in Florida at less than 600
at fhe opening OF hosttes Six hundred warriors
this peninsula held the United states army
and navy at bay for seven years and cost the army
and navy IL, 500 men killed." kept six eight regi-
ments OF regulars 10000 volunteers and militia IN
in the fed-the records do not say whether the
killed OF the latter class OF troops are included IN
this dead list Of $500 killed In the army and navy
and piled up direct debt against the treasury or
$50 600. 900. From the data before we are salts
fed that this IL rather below than above the direct
expenses OF the war. The historian OF the says:
''The pay OF the militia and volunteers ana the losses
sustained by citizens from the ravages OF the enemy
cost the government OoO" The Secretary OF
War, on December g. 1888, tells Congress that the
$5,0o0,0O0 appropriated Is expended and asks for
another 81 100000, making $6,000,000 In one year.
Take this AZ an average expenditure per annum
and we have $42, 900 900 for the army alone.
Under resolution Of the Senate u report OF the
expenses OF the was called for up to 1870. The
Secretary OF War refused to report 80 did the Third
compile the report. The following officers did re-
port. as follows:-
ordnance Department expended In Ave
years. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. $la0 131
Quartermaster Generals Department
pended in five years. Observation-Disclosures. 1i,57l,477
Postmaster Generals Department expend-
ed in i've years. 1905 500
Commssary General OF Subsistence cx-
pended in five years ................... 1913, 1873
Commssary General OF Purchases cx-
pended In four years. .................. 173, 100
Surgeon Generals Office expended III Ave
years. ...................... 1886
Second Auditors Office expended in five
years. ....................... as9,630