Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-12-23
The Military Affairs and Operations OF
the Northwest.


souri, embraces the Departments of Dako-
ia, the Platte and the Missouri. TIE De-
partment of Missouri embraces the States
Of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas,
a portion of Arkansas, the Territories OF
Colorado, New Mexico and the Indian
Territory.
The Department has been ably snd
economically commanded, and a condition
of peace exists with all the Indians, ex-
cept the Apaches, of New Mexico efforts
have been made to treat with these In
| dams, but without success. General Sher-
| idan considers the number Of troops in
this department, with the present reduced
strength of the companies, as insufficient
| for the wants and interests of the public
service.
The Department of the Platte COM
prises the State of Nebraska, and the Ter
ritories of Wyoming and Utah. The
main line of travel in this department is
the Union Pacific Railroad. The lines of
travel and the settlements in the depart
ment have been subjected to incursions
from not only the large body of Indians
residing in the department, but from the
Indians belonging to the Departments of
| the Missouri and the Dakota; and during
the past year the troops have been kept in
constant activity. The post OF Camp
Douglas, at Salt Lake City, resembles
somewhat the position of an American
| Consulate in foreign city-a place where
prosecuted Gentles can take refuge, and
have protection, under the American flag.
The command has been economically and
very successfully administered during the
past year. The number of troops would
| be sufficient for the wants of the public
service, if the companies were kept filled
to the maximum.
The Department of Dakota embraces
the State of Minnesota, and the Terri
tories Of Dakota and Montana. 1t has a
large number of Indians within its limits ;
most of those west of the Missouri may
! be safely classed as hostile 1t is also sub
| iected at times to incursions from the
4, Indians living north of the British line.
In it is the long line of the Upper Mis-
souri, river with its extensive commercial
interests and the rapidly extending settle
ments in Montana; also, the northern
settlements of Minnesota The General
says this department has been economical
! ly administered and ably commanded, but
| he deems the number Of troops inadequate
for the proper protection of the various
| interests at stake 4 great many of the
settlers in Montana have been murdered,
and five or six hundred head Of stock cap
tured and run off within the last fifty days,
and much bitter complaint has been made
by the settlers on account of non protec-
! ton; the few troops scattered in Montana
| being insufficient to meet the wants Of the
case
"There has been great deal of trouble
along the Missouri river, and a number of
people murdered in the vicinity of the
military posts. The friendly Indians, and
the agents and employees at Big Cheyenne,
Grand River, and Milestone agencies
have been in jeopardy on several occa-
sions, as the wild Indians have, at times,
had their own way driving the employees
into the the Agency buildings, taking pos
session of the annuity goods, and killing
the cattle. Steps have been taken to
remedy these evils, as far as we can, by
the erection of block houses. The post at
Fort Buford has been in state of siege
for two or three years, In the early
spring hope to be able to send few
troops from the Department of the Platte
to the Department of Dakota.
Although there have been numerous
1 depredations in the Department of
I Dakota, and some, in fact, in all the de-
partments, still the condition of Indian
affairs is very much better than last year
The policy of reservation adopted by the
Indian Department is, in my judgment,
the only policy that VII. put an end to
Indian murders and depl edations. Think
| it may be necessary to punish some Of the
Sioux, as the Cheyennes and other tribes
south had, to be punished, before peace
can be fully established, and the reserva-
! ton system made success; but every
effort will be made to avoid any necessity
of this kind, with the strong hope that the
savages may settle down on their reserva-
tions, and adopt more peaceful and civil
! lied life.
"The Indians have run riot along the
! lines of our Western settlements and the
| emigrants and commercial lines OF travel
/ for many years-murdering and plumber
ing without any adequate punishment,
! and the Government has heretofore sought
interests by making presents to these
savages; or, in other words, while it
! found it necessary to enact the most
stringent laws for the government of
civilized whites, it was attempting to gov
ern a wild, brutal, and savage people,
without any laws at all or the inlliction
of any punishment for the most heinous
crimes. This system was not a success
If white man commits murder or robs,
we hang him or send him to the peniten.
tiary; If an Indian does the same, we
have been in the habit of giving him more
blankets.
"The Indian is a lazy, idle vagabond ;
he never labors, and has no profession ex-
cept that of arms, TO which he is rails d
from a child scalp is constantly dan
Cling before his eyes, and the highest
honor he can aspire TO is to possess one
taken by himself 1t is not to BE- won.
dered at, therefore, If he aims at this honor
when he grows up, especially if there is
] 4.