Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-05-13
determination.

The more stten.ively the ludiar
problem is considered the more Ger
tain it is that we started out the
other day with but an inadequate
comprehension of the nature and
magnitude of the determination
business. No doubt the savage
tribes will eventually be exterminat.
ed, but not this summer. At pres
ent, indeed. the comparative handful
of Dative American citizens have the
other forty millions Of US at decided
disadvantage. 1t is estimated that
there are now remaining in the
United States about three hundred
and fifty thousand Indians. OF this
number, probably one-half, scattered
over wide extent of territory, have
to be continually watched In order
TO keep them within bounds while
there are not less than seventy.five
thousand wild marauders who are
constantly roaming from Oregon to
New Mexico and from Kansas to the
Pacific engaged in differing and
murder. They are generally we'll
mounted and armed, ara not hamper
ed with such incum ORANGES as tents
and commissary stores, and are
thoroughly Injured to hardship and
fatigue. They are likewise intimate
ly acquainted with every rood of the
lnhospitable country over which
hey rove so that successful pur-
suit of the nomadic vsgabonds by
soldiers who are strangers to the
wilderness. is we'll nigh impossible;
and that the effectual determination
of the savsges ia no such idle pass.
time as we were at first inclined i'm
agine, will be readily perceived
when we reflect how ridiculously in
adequate the force is that we are
employing in that business. The
United States army numbers about
thirty thousand men. About one.
third of this force is now coneentrat-
ed on the Mexican border, and out
of the remainder, required for gar
rison and detached service, we have
left not more than toHr or five full
for operations against the
Indians Of these troops consid-
cradle share have to be employee in
keeping our friendly Indians on their
reservations, so that we have in re-
aIity probably not more than three
thousand soldiers left for the work
OF capturing and DISCRIMINATING at
least fifty or sixty thousand rowing
savages that ought to be killed i'm
1t is to be further re-
membered that the hostile bands oc-
cupy the most arid and mountain
GUS regions of the continent. The
routes to their strongholds lead
through barren deserts uttery dts'i~
of vegetation except cactus and sag
brush, while the springs are usually
with poisonous salts
that make them unfit for use.
Troops in pursuit Of Indians, there
tore, whether cavalry or infantry,
must cucumber themselves with sub
sistence trains and forage for the
horses, which cannot live on such
vegetation az grows 10 the alkai re-
gions On the other baud, the Indi-
ans can subsist on Lizards and frogs
and being imperfec ly familiar with
the country have every advantage
of their pursuers. 1t is simply unr
reasonable to expect, therefore, that
the hostile savages are to be exter-
minated in day with the handful
of troops that are engaged against
them The entire United States ar.
my would be no more than sufficient
for successful campaign against
the Indians, and from present APP
pearanees 1t will all have to be em-
ployed in that direction, if our ar
dent hopes Of extermination are re-
allied. But we may be certain that
the troops now engaged in that work
are doing as well as they can, and
it is hardly worth while to be impa-
tient of their efforts, or even to find
fault should the Modocs esoape.-
MillCdukee Sentinel.