New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-11
ARMY REDUCTION.

Con. Sherman seems to us not to cOmpre-
bend-be certainly does not fairly state-the
grounds on which reduction OF our Army Is
| desired. lie insists that our present force is
| not more than is required to guard our IRON
| tier settlements and keep in order the savages
| of the Mountains and the Plains. We not
merely agree to all this, but insist that, though
the strength of our regiments were doubled,
| they would still be insufficient Our Army Is
inadequate, because utterly unfit for the work
| required.
The savages who wander over the Plains
and lurk in the gens of the Mountains are
nearly all mounted, especially when on their
maraudng expeditions, and their tough little
ponies will live where our cavalry horses would
starve. They endure fatigue as few other
animals can ; and, if allowed to pick what they
can every fourth or fifth hour, get over a
great deal of ground per day. Thus fleeing
band can starve out cavalry force sent on
their trail, provided they have n fair days
! start-and they oftener have two or three days.
So long as our deserts remain 80 vast ana
solitary, these highwaymen Of the Plains VIII
rarely be overtaken by the best cavalry we
can send after them. One Railroad across tho
continent will do more to repress Indian RAIDS
than Phil Sheridan can do with Ten thousand
rough-riding Dragons.
Still, sending ont cavalry TO patrol the Plains
Is not transparent farce, as pretending to
hunt them with infantry and artillery is. Three
fourths of our regulars now west Of Fort Kcar-
ney might as usefully and as economically be
boarding ut Uncle Sans cost at tho Fifth
Avenue Hotel They can no more overtake
tntaa Hnty
a hawk. A band Of mounted Apaches will
rayage q settlement four miles behind one of
our forts garrisoncd with infantry. Kill and
scalp the men, burn the houses, and carry of
the women and children, with absolute impu-
nifty. Before our soldiers can take their trail,
they are at least fifty miles away, and will add
fifty per,day to it for the next week; while
our troops, following on foot, must be crowded
to make twenty miles per day. Such is our
provision for the defense of our exposed from
tier settlers!
What we need Gas we have repeatedly urged)
is n totally different system, one that smacks
of old times on the border between England
and Scotland. Put Texas New Mexico, Col
orado, and each of the Territories in charge
of q thoroughly capable Army officer, with fif-
teen or twenty subordinate officers judiciously
posted at the points where danger is appre-
hended or possible Put the chief in communi-
cation with his subOrdinates by telegraph-sO
far as may be. Give him power to call out
Mounted Volunteers whenever necessary, and
TO tho extent Of the need. Now, when
a settlement or train is plundered,
let him call for as many volunteers as he deems
requisite, taking the trail at once with those
who first respond to his summons, and leaving
subOrdinates to hurry forward those who may
arrive thereafter. Let it be an infexible rule
that none are to turn back until the robbers
shall have been overtaken and demolished.
This system need not cost half the present
outlay, while it would serve far better pur-
pose. 1t would accustom our bOrderers to In
dian warfare; it would soon teach the suTvi-
wing marauders that the business Of ravaging
White settlements would no longer pay There
would be fewer raids and fewer raiders with
each succeeding year, until there would soon
be none.
At present our soldiers kill some Indians,
mainly by the diseases they dfiuse among
them. Probably, ten die of these for every
one who succumbs to a regulars bullet. The
system costs us over Ten Millions per annum;
its net annual product is about one hundred
Indians shot and one thousand killed by infec
tious diseases, at cost of not quite $4,000
each. We can do better business, whether
wholesale or retail.