Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-12-03
THE REPUBLICAN.
REPORT OF GEN. SHERMAN.
Events of the Past Year on the Plains.

Lieutenant-Gen Sherman:
' HEADo'Rs MILITARY DvsIoS OF rHr Missouri,
81. Louis, NO., Nov. I, 1858.
!, Brevet Major General e. d. Topnsend
Il Assistant Adjaant General, Wash
ington, ID. G.
GENERAL; The Military Division o.
the Missouri is still composed of The
Department of Missouri and Dakota,
: embracing substantially the country
west of the Mississippi rivor to the
Rocky Mountains, including New
Mexico, Utah and Montana. These
) departments nre commanded by Gen.
erals Sheridan, Augur, aud Terry,
whose annual reports are transmitted
herewith, and to them refer you for
, more detailed statements of the pro
gress made and OF the events of the
past year. You will observe that
whiis: the country generally has
beeD at peace, the people on the
plains ana the troops OF my com.
mand have been constantly at war,
enduring all its dangers and hard
ships. with none of its honors and
rewards In former reports ] endeav
ored 70 describe the reasons and causes
which made state OF war the normal
condition of affairs on the Plains, and
have since studied 10 find some lasting
remedy, but thus far without success.
Our people continue, as heretofore, to
settle on the exposed points of the
frontier, to travel without the pre-.
caution which a well known danger
would suggest, and to run after every
wild report Of the discovery OF gold
or other precious metals. thus coming
iuto daily contact aud necessary con.
ffict with discontented aud hostile In.
dams The coordinate departments
Of our Government likewise continue
10 extend the surveys Of public land
westward, and grant patents to occu.
pants to locate and build railroads and
establish mail routes, with the heces.
sary stations and relays Of horses, as
though that region of country was in
profound peace, and all dangers to
occupation and transit had passed
away. Over all these matters the mil.
itary authorities have no control, vet
their public nature implies public pro.
lection, and we are daily and hourly
called on for guards and escorts and
are left in the breach to catch all the
kicks and cuffs Of war of races, with
out the privilege of advising or being
consulted beforehand. The reports OF
Generals Sheridan, Augur and Terry
contain abundant evidence on these |
points, and | refer to them here mere
ly 70 demonstrate the fact that as
long as these things continue, from
necessity and public policy, we can
not reduce our military forces on the |
frontier, and should not even allow
their strength to fall away by the
rapid causes of death, discharge and
desertion, but should keep The ranks
constantly replenishcd with fresh re.
cruits At the time of my last annual
report, dated October |, 1867, was a
member of the Peace Commission, on
which the Congress Of the United
States had devolved the whole Indian
question for u practicable and, IL pos
sihle peaceful solution. At the same
time, by an Executive order, 1t was
made my military duty TO subordinate
the acts of all the troops under my
command TO whatever plan Of action
the Peace Commission might adopt.
The Commission, in its annual report
of December last To the President of
the United States, bears full testimony
on this point 10 the effect that all the
officers Of the army, and all the troops
with whom they came IN contact, had
fully and chccriully co-operated with
them IN their efforts to bring the diff.
tcult business tU n peaceful conclusion.
| need not here refer to the delibera-
tions and acts of that commission fur.
ther than tO state that its members
were unanimous in the conclusion
that II we would maintain a perma.
nent peace with the Indians east of
the Rocky Mountains, they should be
collected on reservations as far re.
moved as possible from the white set
Elements and lines Of travel, and that {
there they should he maintained at ,
the cost uf the United States until
they could wholly or partially provide
for themselves The two principal |
reservations indicated by the commits.
sion were north of the State OF Ne. I
braska, and west Of the Missouri {
river. and South of the State of Kan. /
sas, and west of Arkansas These {
are the only parts Of our
vast national domain ut all adapted |
to the purpose, not already appropria. I
ted The commission further rccum- {
mend that for each of these reserva :
tons a sort Of government should be ,
provided by law, looking TO n time in ,
the future when all the Indians would
be reduced TO the peaceful condition
Of shepherds, herders aud farmers q
This general plan was justified by the I
then state Of facts, and its wisdom I
has been demonstrated by more recent u
events A sense of national justice q
dictates that In taking from these d
savages the land whose wild game 9
has hitherto fed, clothed, and shel. n
.ered them, we should, in restricting i
hem 10 the exclusive use of a part, v
make them compensation OF some sort
Ur the remainder, and, il possible, v
procure their consent. Influenced by n
his consideration, the Peace Commits. q
ZION, during the fall and winter of q
1867, and the spring and summer Of
1868, held u council with all, or nearly v
III, the tribes and parts Of tribes east q
If the Rocky Mountains, making lib S
'ral provisions for presents to ali who s
'ame TO the appointed places Of coun- il
VI, according 10 the forms and cere- .
monies TO which they were long &C. d
iustomed Formal written treaties v
sere made with each separate tribe. O
igned with all formality, and trans.
nitted 70 the Senate Of the United ii
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