The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-06-28
The Iudinns-Morc Soldiers Wanted on
the Plains.

the Plains.
We expressed our opinion Che other day
that there were not troops enough on the
Plains to perform the duties required of them
in tSpfeSsing the hostile Indians. We based
that opinion '6poS facts received from author
ity, than which there cou,5 be no better-the
officers themselves in command q the posts
on the frontier, who admit that they gre
unequal to the task of protecting she settlers.
Within brief period several such adSssions
have been made. What is the consequence
The cunning savage knows our weak spots,
and there he directs his attack. Take the
case at Fort Buford, few weeks ago, where
FIVE hundred Indians butchered all the labor
ing men working around the fort, while
Colonel Barron stated that he had only a
paltry few available soldiers in garrison,
force entirely unable to resist the savages.
And this is only one instance out OF many.
The fact is that we have plenty Of able officers
on the Plains, from Sheridan down, but we
are shamefully deficient in soldiers. The
remedy we suggested is that the troops now
doing nothing in the different Eastern and
Southern garrisons should be sent out to
assist General Sheridan, leaving only enough
men here to do ordinary garrison duty.
We publish some letters to-day from
officers highly commencing this suggestion,
expressing their anxiety to be sent to the
frontier on active duty, and confirming our
statement that fifty or hundred men would
be quite sufficient to protect the public pro-
perry at each of our Eastern forts and per-
form all the requirements of garrison duty.
We commend these letters and the facts and
figures contained therein to the attention Of
our readers. It appears that there are now
stationed at Fortress Monroe four hundred and
fifty men, where probably there are only fifty
actually required. There are about seven hun
dred troops in the forts around New York.
Why six hundred of these troops cannot be
spared for service on the Plains, where they
are needed who can tell In the garrisons of
the New England coast-Fort Adams, at New
port, and Fort Warren, in Boston harbor, and
others-there are not less than six hundred
men. In the forts. at Baltimore and around
Washington there are nearly. four hundred SOL
diers, while along the Southern coast from
North Carolina to florida, nearly eight hun
dred men are scattered.
Now, when it is considered that we are at
peace all along this region of country, and that
we are decidedly engaged in bloody war with
thousands of savage demons on our Western
frontier, who are daily numbering our farmers,
their wives and children; who are rendering
the existence of peaceful and happy settle
ments there an impossibilty although when
the government sells land to the settler it
guarantees him protecdon--sayages can
attack our forts with force of a hundred to
one, and cut off our troops in detail when they
meet them on the prairie, would it not be
proper to transfer some of the unemployed
Sheridan and his officers? 1t may be said
that the garrisons of the forts on the Eastern
shore are made up chiefly of artillery. To this
we answer that artillerymen have made as
good cavalry and infantry soldiers on the from
tier as those arms Of the service before now.
We repeat that it Is useless to talk about
subiugating the Indians-if it is not to be all
talk in the Interior Observation-Disclosures we
put troops enough on the Plains to drive the
obstinate tribes or sections Of tribes upon the
reservations and compel them to remain there.
This condition of things does not evidently
exist at present The Governor of Minnesota
recently made an appeal to General Hancock
for small force to enable him to pro-
tect the settlers in that State from the saw
ages. But the commanding general of the
District was obliged to send the pitiful answer
that he had only four hundred and twenty one
soldiers at his disposal and could spare none
| to avert the desolaton in Minnes sofa. Let the
blood flow; let the farm house blaze let The
infant child cry for mercy. General Hancock
although willing enough, could not stay the
misfortune, because he had no troops to spare
T, And yet there are seven hundred soldiers il
| Governors Island, Fort Hamilton, Fort Rich
mond and the other forts in the bay, and nearly
| fifteen hundred more in the various garrison!
| along the coast. Surely there must be some
thing egregiorsly wrong if not corrupt, in thu
management of oar 'Indian policy" We hope
that this condition Of things does not result
| from the idea that there is more to be made by
keeping the savages at war than by conquer
ing peace promptly and effectually. At al
events it is clear that more soldiers arr
wanted on the Plains
TAKE CARE IN THE TUNNEL. Eri'
Railway Company and the Delaware ant
Lackawanna are at issue in regard to thei
respective rights in the Bergen tunnel. Thi
Erie Company owns the tunnel and appears