Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-03-31
2olitifal.


General Sheridan India "a Civilization.
General Sheridan, writ es the follow
ing letter to General She rman on the
Piegan Indian difficulty. 1t is dated
Chicago, March IS:
"GENERAL-the further report of Col
onel Baker, in reference to the punish
ment OF the Piegan iudi ans has not
yet been received.
''It seems strange that there should be
such a want OF knowledge o. the position
which army officers have to maintain III
reference to Indian affairs / have in
my command az least five thousand
miles OF frontier settlements, my chief
and only duty being TO give protection
30 the families residing Oh these long
lines against the outrages OF the Indians.
The Government has invited these set
tiers by opening the lanG 10 them lor
pre-emption and Improvement. The
number Of men, women aud children on
this extended frontier is very great, and
there is not day from one years end to
the other that these families are exempt
from the fearful thought of being muir
dered in the most fiendish manner, the
men scalped, the women ravished, the
brains of the children dashed out. When
| said,: in previous letter, that eight
hundred had met that fate since 1862,
was below the figure, and should have
said twelve thousand. My duties are TO
protect these people. L have nothing
10 do with Indians; but i'll this connec-
tiOn there is scarcely a day in which
do not receive the most heart-rendlng
appeals to save settlers from the cruel
fate which may come upon them; and
am forced to the alternative of choosing
whether L shall regard their appeals or
allow them TO be butchered in order to
save myself from the hue and cry OF
people who know not the Indian, and
whose families have not the fear, NOR
ming, noon and night, of being iavished
and scalped by them. The wife of the
man at the centre of wealth, civiliza-
tion and refinement is no more to him
than is the wife of the pioneer of the
frontier. 1 have no hesitation in
making my choice. L am going to
stand by the people over whom L am
placed, and give them what protection
L can.
1--WE have not the troops to place at
each mans house to defend it, and have
sometimes to take the offensive to pun
ish for crimes already committed, in
order to prevent the perpetration OF 9th
ers. In taking the offensive l have to
select that season when l can catch the
fiends, and if village is attacked and
women and children killed, the respOn-
sibility is not with the soldier, but with
the people whose crimes necessitate that
attack. During the war did any one
hesitate TO attack a village or town oc-
cupied by the enemy because women or
children were within its limits? 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, it was be-
cause they had cellars to go into; and
should any of the women and children
OF the Piegans have lost their lives, /
sincerely regret they had not similar
places of refuge, though doubt if they
would have availed themselves of them,
for they fight with more fury than the
men.
"Fhe soldiers do not want to kill In
dians. After two years of Indian 'front.'
ier service [ am satisfied they are the
only good, practical friends the Indians
have.
1--WE cannot avoid being abused by
one side or the other. If we allow the
defenseless people of the frontier to be
scalped and ravished, we are burnt in
elillgy and execrated as soulless mon
sters, lnsensible to the suffering of hu
manlty. If the Indians are punished to
Slve security to these people, we are the
same soulless monsters from the other
side This is bad predicament to be
in, but, as [ have said, 1 have made my
choice, and am going to stand by the
people. whom the Government has
placed me here to protect.
1.-The reservation is the last ditch to
the wild Indian, but TO get him there
lie must be forced by the troops. Those
who think he can be induced to 90 there
by other means are mistaken. When
on the reservation he will have to be-
kept there by the presence of troops, and
thus become tangible for the good work
of civilization; and he can only be pro-
tected in his rights while there by troops
Keeping off the emigrants who enroach
on his land. All these points are prac-
tically exhibited each year.
The Cheyennes, Arrapahoes, Com
anches, hlowas, and Apaches have just
been forced on by the troops. During
the last year, as soon as L withdrew the
troops from the Sac and Fox reserva-
ton, the emigrants took possession. a
Hood of emigration, almost ten thousand
strong moved in solid mass and occupied
the Usage Reservation, because there
were no troops there to keep them OFF,
All the other reservations on which the
Indian may yet be placed will be lost in
the same manner unless guarded by tn e
military.
Yours truly, P. H. SHERIDAN,
Lieutenant General.u