Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-03-31
THE PIRGANS.
The following official communication
from Gen. Sheridan has been received
at the Army Headquarters:

from 1en. pIcTludil AoS bSSA
at the Army Headquarters:
HEApquARrERs MnLrARY)
DIVISION or TIE MISSOURI,
CHICAGO, March 18th, 1907
General W. 7. Sherman, Commander U.
s.. Army, Washington, d. c.:
GENERAI-The further report OF Col.
Baker, In reference to the punishment
Of the Piegan Indians, has not yet been
received. 1t seems strange that there
should he such q want of knowledge OF
the position which army officers have
to maintain in reference to Indian az
fairs. s
have in my command at least five
thousand miles of frontier settlements,
my chief and only duty being to give
protection to the families residing on
these long lines against the outrages Of
Indians. The Government has invited
these settlers by opening the lands to
them for presumption and improve
ment.
The number of men. women and
children on this extended frontier is
very great, and there is not a day, from
one years end to the other, that these
families are exempt from the fearful
thought Of being murdered In the most
flendish manner; the men scalped. the
women nvisbed, and the brains Of the
children dashed out.
When 1 said, In a previous letter,
that 800 had met that fate since 1862, l
was below the figure, and should have
said 1000. My duties are to protect
these people. l have nothing to do
with Indians; but, IN this connection,
there Is scarcely q day In which l do
not receive the most heart-rending APP
peals to a v settlers from the cruel
fate which may come upon them, and
| am forced to the alternative Of choos-
ing whether | shall regard their ap-
peals, or allow them to be bntchered,
in order to save myself from the hue
and cry Of people who know not the
Indians, and whose families have not
the fear-morning, noon and night-of
being ravished and scapled by them.
The wife of the man Mt the center Of
wealth, civilization and refinement, Is
not more dear to him than is the wife
of the pioneer Of the frontier. have
10 hesitation In making my choice. l
am going to stand by the people over
whom am placed, and give them what
protection | can. We have not the
troops to place at each mans house to
defend it, and have sometimes to take
the offensive, to punish for crimes al
ready committed, iu order to prevent
the preparation Of Others.
In taking the offensive | have to &C.
lect that season when l can catch the
tlends, and if village is attacked, and
women and children killed, the re-
sponsibility is not with the soldiers,
but with the people whose crimes ne
cessitate the attack. During the war,
did any one hesitate to attack a village
or town occupied by the enemy because
women and children were within the
lines? Did we cease to throw shells
into Vicksburg or Atlanta because
women and children were there?
If the women and children were
saved in these places 1t was because
they had cellars to go into and should
any of the women and children Of the
Piegans have lost their lives, I sin
ccrcly regret that they had not similar
places of resort, though | doubt If they
would have availed themselves Of them,
for they fight with more fury than the
men. The soldiers do not want to kill
Indians. After long years of frontier
service. | am satisfied that they arc the
only good practical friends the Indians
have.
We care not about being abused by
one side or the other. If we allow the
defenceless people OH the frontier to
be scalped and ravished, we are burnt
in effigy and eXecrated as soulless
Of humanity. II the Indian Is pun
ished, to give security to the people,
we are the same soulless monsters
from the other side. This Is q bad
predicament to be In, but, as | have
said, | have my choice, and am going
to stand by the people whom the Gov
eminent has placed he here to pro-
tect.
The reservation Is the last ditch Of
the wild Indian. but to get him there
he must be fired on by the troops.
Those who think he can be induced to
go there by other means arc mistaken.
When on the reservation he will have
to be kept there by the presence Of the
troops, and thus become tangible for
the good work OF civilization and he
can only be protected In his rights
while there by the troops keeping off
the emigrants who encroach OH his
land. All these points are practically
exhibited each year.
Tho C%heyennes, Arrapahoes, Co
manches, Kiowas and Apaches have
just been fired OIL by the troops. Dur
lug the last year, as soon as I with
drew the troops from the Sac and Fox
reservations, tho emigrants took pos
session; q flood Of emigration, almost
ten thousand strong, moved In solid
mass and occupied the Usage reserva-
ton, because there were no troops
there to keep them of. All tho other
reservations OIL which the Indians were
set before will be lost In the same
manner unless guarded by the mill
tary. Yours truly,
ID III SrrpYnAN