Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-06-13
The Indians.

Gen, Hazen of the United States Army,
says, OF late Indian massacre Il
served two years along the line of Forts
Inge, Clark, Stockton, and Towards
Wells, and know perfectly the habits OF
the Indians, who have always made the
Wells point of attack and had, after
the war, for one year charge Of the
Indians who make these raids. More
over, for the past month I have suffered
extreme torture and partial paralysis
from ball received 10 years ago, near
Towards Wells, from n party Of these
same Indians. They are probably no
other than q band of Comanches who
inhabit the borders of the Staked Plain,
and are associated with tho Kiowas and
Comanches of the Fort Sill Reservation,
the latter furnishing recuits for all expe-
ditions into Texas and Mexico, which
are constantly made, even the persons
who go being known by name.
These Indians have a great many
Mexican prisoners, some Of negro blood,
captured in childhood, for by no other
means are these people ever associated
with Indians on their raids and yet, in
five successive encounters with them in
that vacinity, there was always some one
present who told the, same story of
Mexicans and negroes. There is not n
full moon but some expedition leaves
their Reservation, direct for murder and
massacre in Texas. reported not less
than twenty to the Government when ]
had civil control Of these people in 1868
8. | have listened for hours, when |
had no military power there, to Santanta
and Satank recountiug dozens of such
scenes as Gen. Merritt relates. SO little
importance was given these matters at
the Reservation and by the Government,
that Santanta bOasted as Il meritorious
act, of his leading the attack at the
massacre of the Government-train party
near Fort Griffin, last Spring, never
dreaming but that Gen. Sherman would
pass it over and give him extra rations
for promise to be good, as had been
done dozens Of times before, and in all
probability this would have been done
then only for the presence of Gen. Sher-
man.
/ innugurated the peaceful side of the
Indian policy at Fort Sill, but just as l
was ready to commence the conjoint and
equally necessary policy, that of force, I
was recalled, and the latter has never
been carried out. Until it is, Merritt's
story of Towards Wells and that of the
Fort Griffin supply~train, last May, will
be often repeated. The Staked Plain
Comanches, only few hundred warriors,
now in full cooperation with the Indians
on the Reservation, and a small party of
Apaches have always been in the habit
of crossing into Mexico, along the trail
by Towards Wells, and until their
haunts are broken up by military force,
will continue to do it, drawing off the
young men from the Reservation. A
gentlemen of the utmost trustworthi-
ness writing from the Reservation, says:
"The Klowas and Comanches are de-
predating in Texas worse than ever" I
will repeat that these depredators are
always known or with the least care
might be, both when they depart and
when they return, and that the Indians
leave for these massacres with the full
knowledge Of the Government officers at
the Reservation, that these raids extend
back over period Of 20 years, and that
every grown man of the Comanche and
Kiowa tribes, towhom we issue rations,
is a murderer Of many men, women and
and is still carrying on this
murderous life. Until there is a compe-
tent military surveillance Of these
Indians, or they are disarmed or dis
the present policy with them
is co-partnership in murder.