The Weekly Arizonian., 1870-07-09
THE WEEKLY ARIE0NAN
JULY s...>..................l87O.
THE INDIAN WAR AND GEN. SLOVENIAN


 z-l.I.1-1-1s THE INDIAN WAR AND GEN. SLOVENIAN
 The Indian policy to be pursued in Arizonr under the provisions of the order regulating th' duties of post commanders in the new depart ,nent. promises to be the most wide-aWak anC efficient ever adopted toward the Apaches,
 True it is, that for nearly two years we have had an active war, an energetic war, Wal which has curbed forever the career of many a savage and siilled forever many cruel hood stained hand but it has been cruel war.-aot because it spread desolation and dr,,ruction among themountainho horde, leaving, (as Friend Vircent would represent it), widow- sd mothers and orphan children of the race of ,ba red man. without food or shelter No, We do not charge that from any infietion ofpuu- i.kment on the Indian this war has been cruel; but We charge that in oyertaxing the energies of the limited number of troops in the Territory the cruelty of this war has had its existence. Tn qDsakidg thus we should be sorry 10 be un- dars;ood as eudeavoring to influence military commanders to relax their elfortsin the field, while they, of ali, seem most unconscious of the herdships which they endure but 1t is only justice. since they ask fer no reward at the hands of tue people, that their persistent efforts be acknowledged From personal observation we are enabled to remark upon the manner iu which this Indian war has been conducted ; and, in this connection, will state it's characA ter as it has presented itself to uB--taking for example post of 100 men
 The post commander receives an order re- quirin- him 10 despatch @ scouting party im- mediately. Of his force of 100 men 20 are reported sick, 10 are on extra duty and I5 are absent on escort duty. He has, therefore, 5 men "for duty" Forty men are detailed as the scouting party fifteen remain to do garri- sou duty The hardships encountered by those who proceed to the mountains are acknowledge e1 while those who remain are conelautly on dat7, and during the absence Of the scouting party obtain only four CT i've hours of sleep in evary twenty-tour hours. The par returns al the end of ten or fifteen days four. five, or six are ob iged 10 go to hospital. Two weeks elapse and the men are restored 10 health and vigor; another scout is ordered and similar disposition of the troops IS made. And thus may be seeu the fate of one hundred men placed in tAs position and expected to perform the work Of thousand lhs Is what every bumane person will regard as the cruel feature Of the war. But Gen Stoneman says in Orders No 4. dated at Drum Barracks on the 3lst oi May;
 "In their intercourse wiih Indians the troops will treat as friendly those who are positively known to be such; the most vigorous and per- sistent efforts will be made to pursue and chas- tise those not so considered-and to this end both Cavalry aud Infantry will be employed either separately or jointly, aud in large or small parties as may be thought most adyis- able
 Now, this looks encouraging "In large or small parties as may be thought most advis- able" Large parties will certainly be thought most advisable bu: to maintain persistent eiflrt3' with large parties we shall need more soldiers than we have at present in the Territory, There can be do doubt, however, that Gen. SToneman intends carving on an acuve campaign against the Apache and it is equally clear that he intends having sufficient troops with which to do it, There is light ahead