Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-04-01
THE INDIANS.

THE EXPEDITION AGAINST
THE PIEGAN TRIBE.-GEN'L
SHERIDAN IN DEFENSE OF
COL. BAKER.
The following dispatches concern
ing the late fight between Col. Baker
and the Piegan Indians, in Montana,
are published
GEN. SHERIDAN TO GEN. SHERMAN.
HDQRs. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE)
MISSOURI,
CHICAGO, ILL.,, Feb. 2S, 1870.
GEN. w. r. SHERMAN, Commanding
United States army, Washington,
d. G.
GENERAL: / have your telegram of
the 28th inst, and will make the ne
cessary reports, and furnish you all
the facts In the case as soon as Col.
Bakers report is received. Col. Baker
could not make out his report at Fort
Shaw, as he was obliged TO return inn
mediately to Fort Ellis, to get shelter
for his horses and men. | see that
Mr.. Vincent Colyer is out again i'm n
mention that Col. Baker had captured
over 100 women and children? This
he suppressed, in order to do iniusticc
to that officer by deceiving the kind
hearted public, and to further the end
OF the old Indian ring, doubtless in
whose interest he Is writing. SO far as
the Indians are concerned, the problem
to be decided is, Who shall be killed
the whites or the Indians? They can
take, their choice. Since 1862, at least
800 men, women and children have
been murdered within the limits of
my present command i'm the most
fiendish manner - the men usually
scalped and mutilated,
women ravishcd, sometimes 80 or 60
times i'm succession, then killed and
scalped, sticks stuck into their persons
before and after death. have myself
conversed with one woman who,
while several months gone in preg-
nancy, was ravished over 80 times sue
cessively by different Indians, Lccom-
ing insensible two or three times dur
ing this fearful ordeal and each time,
on recovering consciousness, mutely
appealing for mercy, if not fof herself
for her unborn child. Also, another
woman ravished with more fearful
brutality over so times, and the last
Indian sticking the point of his sabcr
into the person of the woman.
could give the names Of these women
were it not for delica"y. 1t would APP
pear that Mr.. Vincent Colyer wanl..
this work to go on. l mention these
two cases. especially because they came
under my own personal examination,
and can give them us an example OF
what has occurred to hundreds OF 9TH
ers. The old Indian ring has again
set itaelf to work to get possession OF
! Indian affairs, so that the Treasury can
be successfully plmdcred and are
| printing and circulating through the
country specimens of dOggercl poetry,
such as inclosc to you with this com
munication. These specimens have
| been sent to me secretly, and you can
better judge of their object. am,
| General, very respectfully, your obedi-
ent servant,
= II Su9IIpAS, Lieut-Gon.
VINCENT COLYER'S REPLY TO GEH'I
SHERIDAN.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, !
BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS, !
To the Hon. FELIX r. BRUNoT, chair
man, Pittsbur9.
SIR: Gen. Sheridan strikes out a
me almost as wildly as he did at the
poor Piegans, and with about as mucl
Justice. lie says that in my cXtrac
from Lieut.. Pcase's report of the mas
sacre, "in order TO do Injustice to Col
Baker and to deceive a kind-hearteC
public, l suppressed the fact that Col
Baker took 100 women and children
prisoners. " If the General think
f that i. will relieve the blackncss O
the picture any TO say that in addition
to the 80 women and 80 children sicl
, with the smallpox, killed, there wer
100 women and children also takcl
, prisoners, i will add it now. Lieut.
Pease, / notice upon closer looi
does not make it so bad as that. III
says there were Is women and 10 chi
! dren none OF them over three year.
! and the majority much younger) som
! of whom were wounded, were take
prisoners.
The General seems to quite forge
that the same Government whic
, placed him in command of the mil
tary OF the West, appointed us to d
: our work among those Indians, an
| virtually makes il our duty to stan
in front of these helpless outcasts, We
c men and children, and say to any on
who may attack them, Cease Hoo
4 bloody UOrk these are not the guilt!
OF the outrages against the poor SC
0 tiers of the border, he says that
c "want it to go on" No, Genera
I you know you are not justified in an
4 such inference rs this. Because pu
aside the curtain and let the America
- people see what you call "great VII
4 tory over the Indians it don't folio
: that we do not want the men who pc
@ petrated the horrid crimes you portra
e with so much zest justly punished
r Strike" il you must strike, the gui
Y ty, not the innocent.
: Faithfully yours.
NTSTLsac1, CoT N-TTR