The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-11-26
Vol. 20, No. 50

y AOICc VA tuo lTOutlcT CduuOC DC re
duced.
| The State Peace Commission hav
unanimously agreed that all Indian
east Of the Rocky Mountains, shoul
as soon as possible be collected o
reservations as far as possible fror
white settlements and lines of trave
and be maintained by US till able {
provide for themselves, and judiciou
provisions had been made. A coun
Gil had been held by Col Mission an
written treaties made with nearly al
tribes, and generally confirmed b,
the Senate, but Congress, for som
reason, did not take action on tn
chief proposition which related {,
setting apart reservations and provi
ding for the Indians.
Gen. Sheridan found, upon inves.
tigation, that the attack on the set
tiers at Salina, Soloman and Repub
lican Rivers were without provoca.
tion; yet he delayed striking theil
camps until he had demanded the at
tual perpetrators ofthe act. This de
mand tailed of success as the ole
chef would not give up SO many o
their main warriors.
Gen. Sheridan expects to get the
mounted regiment Of volunteers now
being raised by the Governor of Kan
sas, into the field in November, and
expects to so punish the hostile In
dians that they viii not again resor,
to war. Gen. Sherman takes the
ground that it is idle to attempt te
occupy the plains in common with
these Indians, and that the Indians
must yield. The reservations as
signed to them he says, will, if held
make their descendants rich, and they
are promised food while they are
learning to cultivate the soil and
raise stock.
The General gives as near as he
can learn the reason for the war in
Gen. Sheridan's Department. The
Indians charged the Government
with not keeping faith that their
game had been driven away by the
building Of the Powder River Road
and Union Pacific Road, and though
the Commissioners consented that
the former Road should be discontin-
ued, it was August before the posts
could be withdrawn, and the Indians
went to plundering the parties hav-
ing stores in charge and to incite 9TH
er tribes to hostilities.
Heenkorses the conclusion to which
the peace commissioners arrived at
the meeting at Chicago in Oct, that
the management of Indian affairs
should be transferred back to the
War Department, the only Depart
ment of the Government which can
use force without circumlocution, and
act with such promptness and vigor
as to give any hope that the plans
of the Peace Committee will be car
ried out. He says he is convinced that
the idea which many goodpeople liv-
ing remote from contact with
the Indians have that the whites are
always in the wrong and that the In.
dams have been forced to war in self
defence by actual want or our selfish
ness is an erroneous one. He says he
believes the only hope of saving the
Indians from utter annihilation is in
carrying out the scheme proposed by
the Peace Commissioners.
The report concluded as follows:
propose to continue to have Gems
Terry and Augur protect the Mo.
River traffic and the Union Pacific
Railroad with jealous care, and to
gather in all wandering bands OF
Sioux to the Reservation North ot
Nebraska.
Gen w S Henry is prepared to
feed and protect, to the extent of his
means, subject to my control, or to
destroy or punish hostile Indians Of
his department, until they of their
own yolition will go to Fort Cobt
and remain there on their reserva-
ton assigned them, under care of Ger
w B Hayard, who is also prepared
to limited extent, to provide fol
their necessities, This double pro
cess of peace within their reserva
tions, and war without, must soor
bring this matter to some conclusion
4 g. p.