Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-01-17
Report OF the Indian Peace Commission


tribes, We're authorized. to call together tn
chiefs and head men of such bands Of In
dlans as were then waging war, for the pur
pose of ascertaining their reasons for hostili
ty, and if thought advisable, to make treat
les with them, having in view the following
objects:
First, to remove, if possible, the cause o.
war.
Second, to secure as far as practicable, our
frontier settlements, and the safe building
Of the Pacific railroad.
Ih'rd. to suggest or inaugurate some plan
for the civilization of those Indians.
The commissioners have made their re-
port to the President of the United States.
1t Is signed by \. 6. Taylor. President A.
IL. Henderson ; W. 7. Sherman. Lieut., Gen
eral W. B. Hanney, Brevet Major General :;
John B. Sanderson Alfred II. Ferry, Breyet
Major General 5. F. Tappan, c. c. Au-
CUR, Brevet Major Generaland Commissioners
This report is paper of great import
ance and cannot be read by any humane or
honest minded person without exciting
intense and most painful interest The
commissioners We're composed Of men who
are not afraid to tell the truth IN language
of urmistakable plainness. The report is
long and even an epitome of it is beyond our
limits. The sum Of the whole. 50 far as the
causes Of the Indian wars for many year, past
are concerned-is that these wars have been
caused by the most shameful disregard Of
treaty obligations on the part of the whites,
even tine Government having oft times
been guilty Of gross neglect Of its boundcn
duties towards the tribes.-the Indians
having been defrauded by knaves, and mur-
dered needlessly and in great numbers by
armed troops with circumstances of treach-
cry and barbarity unsurpassed in the histo-
ries Of barbarian warfare. The notorious
under the order of Col. Chivington
in 1864, is cited as one instance. After re-
countingamurlerous action of similar charac-
ter, fewmonths previous ,thereport proceeds
Some time during the Fall. promi-
nent chiefs Of the Cheyenne and Arapah1e
nations sent word to tie commander at Fort
Lyon that the war had been forced uuln
them, and they desired peace They were
then upon their own reservation. Tne officer
in command, Major f. W. Wvnkoop. lsr
Colorado Cavalry, did not feel authorized to
conclude a treaty with them. but gave them
a pledge of military protection until am in
-ervicw could be procured with the Governor
'f Colorado. who was Superintendent of In
lan Affairs. He then proceeded To Denver.
with seven of the leading chiefs. % see the
Governor. Col. Chiyinrton was present at
the interview. Major Wynkoop, in his
sworn testimony before previous Commis-
sion, thus relate, the action Of the Governor
when he communicated the presence Of the |
chiefs seeking peace He (the Goyernor)
that he was sorry had brought
hem that he considered he had nothing &,
10 with them that they had declared WIZ
against the United States. and he considered
hem in the hands of the military authori-
les that he did not think. anyhow. it was
policy 70 make peace with them until they
were properly punished. for the reason that /
the United State. would be acknowledging
themselves whipped. Wynkoop further
states that the Governor said. the 80 Reri-
neut of Colorado troops had been raised on
MS representations at Washington 3. to kill |
Indians, and Indians they must kill.
Wynkoop then ordered the Indians to
move their Villages nearer 10 the fort. and !
oring their women and children. which was
lone. In November. this offcerwas removed. /
md Major Anthony Of the lst Colorado Cav /
dry ordered To take command Of the Fort. /
He, TOO, assured the Indians of safety. They !
numbered about 500 men. women. and child |
zen. 1t was here under the pledge Of protec-
ton that they We're slaughtered Lv the 81 |
'olorado and the battalion of the lst Color- |
10 Cavalry, under Col Chrington. lie |
marched from Denver To Fort LYON. and |
lb1ut daylight in the morning of the Doth Of |
November surrounded the Indian camp. and |
an indiscriminate Slaughter The |
particulars of this massacre are too well
known to be repeated here. with all Its !
heat-rending scenes. 1t is enough to say
that it scarcely has its parallel IN the records
)f Indian barbarity Fleeing women. hold
ing up their hands and praying for mercy,
were brutally shot down. Infants were
killed. and scalpcd in derision Men were
tortured and mutilated in a manner that
would put to shame the savage ingenuity of
Interior Africa. No one viii be astonished
that a war ensued which cost the Govern
ment $50 900 900. and carried conhagration
and death to the border settlements. Dur
ing the Spring and Summer of 1868, no less
than 5000 troops were withdrawn from the
effective force engaged in suppressing the
Rebellion, to meet the Indian war.
The result of the years campaign satisfied
all sensible men that war with Indians was
both useless and expensive. Fifteen or
twenty Indians had been killed at an ex-
pense of more than 81 900 900 apiece, while
hundreds of our soldiers had lost their lives,
many of our border settlers been butchered,
and much property destroyed. The war was
more than useless and expensive.
1t was dishonorable to the nation, and dis
graceful to those who had originated it.
Other instances are cited-some Of quite
recent occurrence where the lying state
ments of dishonest individuals, taken for
truth without investigation, led the way to
the needless sacrifice Of many lives of soldiers
and settlers, to widespread devastation Of
stations and destruction of valuable trains on
the routes, and to the outlay of vast sums of
money, "while we are forced to believe,
says the report, . that their entire loss since
the burning of their village, consists of sir
n,en hzed."
As to the general principle of treatment,
the commissioners say that if the Indians are
treated fairly by the whites, as whites would
expect to be treated by whites, there would
be no trouble. If the Indian is driven to war,
of course. he makes war after the Indian
fashion; he neither gives nor takes quarter.
In view of the whole subject, the commits
sioners make sundry important recommenda-
tions such as, that the attention and power
of the Government should be turned to the
civilization of the Indians as rapidly as 1t
can be done. instead of assuming, as the case
has been hitherto, that they were to remain
uucivilized that clean sweep Of all super
intendents, agents, &c, now authorized to
act with and for the Indians, should be made
by declaring by law that their functions shall
end by day set, not later thru Feb. /, 1869