White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1870-04-14
INDIAN CIVILIZATION.
What General Sheridan Has TO Say
| About It.

WASHINGTON, March 23-The following i'm
pnrtaut official communication from General
Sheridan was recsived toc.y at army head
quarters: "a
"HEADa' rs Nil. DIE OF THE MIssouaI1
CHICAGO. III March Is. 1870. (
"Cen. ". T. Siermsn, command ndiaq United
Siaies Army. Washington, d. c..
"GEsERAL: The further report OF Colonel
Baker. in reference to the pnni shmen: of the
Piesan Indians, has not vet been received
81. seems strange that there should be such
a want Of knowlelge of the position which ar.
my officers hare 10 maintain in reference 10
Indian Affairs. have in my command at lea st
Eve thousand miles of frontier settiensnt,f nv
chief and only duty being to give protection +,
the families residing on these long lines against
the ontrayes Of the Indians. The Governmen,
| has invited these settlers by opening the lands
to them for pre- empfion and Improvement
The number Of men, women and children On
this extended frontier is very great, and there
| il no, day from one years end to the other
| r,st these families gre exempt from the fear.
I fnI thought of being murdered in the most fen.
dish manner, the men scalped, the women raw.
| isbea, the brains Of the children dashed ont
When said. in a previous letter. that eish,
hundred had met that fate since 1862 was be
| low the fiyure, and should have said twelve
thousand. NY duties are to protect these peo
pie. Ihavo nothing to do with Indians; but
! in this connection there is scarcely a day in
which do not receive the most heart rendine
! appeals to eavc settlers from the cruel fate
which NAV come upon them; and am forced
| to the alternative of choosing whether ] shall
regard their appeals or allow them to be but.
chered in order to save myself from the hue and
cry of people who know not the Indian, and
whose families have not the fear, morning
neon ard night. Of being iavished and scalped
bv them. The wife of the man at the centre
OF wealth, civilization and refinement is no more
! TO him than is the wife of the pioneer of the
frontier. have no hesitation in making my
choice. am going to stand by the people
over whom am placed. and give them Wha,
protection can.
/ "We have not the troops to place at each
mans house to defend it, and have sometimes
taken the offensive 10 punish for crime already
committed. in order to prevent the perpetration
of other. In taking the offensive have. to
| select that season when can catch the fends
and if village is attacked and women and
children killed, the responsibility is rot with
| the soldiers, but with the people whose crimes
necessitated that attack. During the war did
! any one hesitate to attack village or town
occupied by The enemy because women or chill.
d.en we're within its limits? Did we cease to
throw shells into vicksourg or Atlanta because
women and children were there? II the wo.
men and children were saved in these places
it was because they had cellars to go into; and
should any Of the wsmen and children of-the
Piegans have lost their lives, sincerely re.
gret they had not similar places Of refuge,
though l doubt If they would have avaiIed
themselves Of them, for they fight with more
fury than the men.
The soldiers do not want to kill Indians
After two years Of Indian frontier service ! am
satisfied they are the ealy good, practical
friends the Indians have. ~. 2a s.c s-
ave cannot avoid being abused by one side
or the other. five allow the defenseless peo
pie Of the frontier to be scalped and ravished
We are burnt in efigy and execrated as soulless
monsters, insen.ible to the suiferings of humani.
ty. II the Indians are punished to give secu-
rity to these people, we are the same sOu1less
monsters from tie other side. This is abad pre-.
dicament to be in, but, have made nv
choice, and am going to stand by the people
whom the government has placed me here To
protect. a 1.It El.
"The reservation is the last ditch to the Wild
Indian. hut to get him there he must be forced
by the troops. Those who think he can he in.
duced to go there by other means are mista-
ken. 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
civilizations; and he can only be protected in
his rights while there by troops keeping of the
emigrants who encroach on his land. All these
points are practically exhibited each year.
"The Cheyennes, Arrapahoes, Comanches,
Kiewas and Anaches have just been forced on
by the troops. During the last year, as soon as
| withdrew the troops from the Sac and Fox
reservation, the emigrants took possession. A
food 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 tie Indian may yet be placed will be
lost in the same manner unless guarded by the
military.
"Yours truly, P. II. SHERIDAN.
'sLieutenaut General"