, 1873-09-01
FORT SILL.
Its 1tMmorc1 Cnpttlro 1mprobnb1c--
location md Description OK Tho Fort

Hts 1kNm0rcil Cnpft1rH 1mnr0bnbae--
location lantl Description Ok tho Fort
nnh Its surroundings.
To the Editor NJ the Philadelphia Eetning Ttle0raph:
Ycstorday's tolegrarhio r,ln,or Of tho duhtr'tc-
tuion Of Fort Sill mny probably DO confirmed,
but 1t iB not at oil probable. In the latter cnso,
to have 1t ready oil tho llrAt circulation Of like
report heroaftor, It may perliaps eavo some Of
your roatlcrb little norvollHneaH. Tho Indiau Tor
ritory has considerable area In comparison with
the Eastern States, bong In ratio to ponnsylya-
total population is 59867. A limo cutting OF tho
eaBtcrn third would about incloBe TINT portion
allo:tod tho ao.ni-ciyizod and civilized Indians.
Tho remainder Of tho Torritory III occupied ny
Wild tribcs to tho total number of o. ,ioo Witch
hYures include both BoxoH mud children, and givo
only about 1000 warriors. Thoao aro supposed
to be ,nler tho surveillance and guardianship Of
tho resular troopB stationed NJ Camp Supply and
Fort Sill. The for1ncr IL about thirty lnilos south
Of tho Territory, aud in tho neighborhood Of 800
miloH from Fort Sill. 1t generally accommodates
six compnnfeB. At present thera arc thoro two
oompanios of tbs Sixth Cavalry, aisd throe COM
panies Of tho Third Infantry.
Fort Sill car, be uaed III Il tcn-com},a,y post,
and IL ono Of tia !arYost IN the country. Tho
nite was located ly Gen. S!,uridan, in 1868, aud
tho folt "ae afterwarda urectod by tho Tenth
Cavalry, ,lndor comsnnlld Ut Gen. Gliorson. It
Is built OF atone from luarries on tho Post Res
It IN G5 miles north OF tho Texas bordor. in the
southwest corlor Of tho Territory. Tho nearost
electric station il That Of Doggy station, on tho
Minaour KanBus Il Texas lsaiiroasl 15o 1uilea to
arc i've companies Of tho Tenth Cavalry, B, G,
II. Il, aud N, QUO company Ut the Eleventh, and
two Of the Twonty-hftA Infantry, with tho hoad-
quarters Of tho 1enth Cavalry, Liout.-Col. Da-
vidHon commanding.
Of fortrcAB or prominent fortatlcation. The
buildings arc arranged to form four sides of n
square, called tho parade, from which 1t Is tmmo-
diately scparated by carriage road, each side
being In length about equal to ono of our long
post reservation iucltftlos from twenty-four to
thirty square 1nileB, upon which aro scattered
traders atoros, tho Indian Agency and pertain
iug, buildings, hay-rcks, grazing patches. yogo9.
worry noarly in tho ceutro Of q square formed by
Cacho Creek aud its tributaries, tho main stream
running east to tho northeastern corner, thcn
conrailg due south. Within this outer
natural obstacle arc placed at aomo dis
small inclosod works Of earth having Cutting
guiis aud howitzors and Napoleons. TAo sidca
Of tho square formed by tho buildings are duo
north aud south, east aud west The barracks
form tho woat sido, tho company officers quar-
tors tho cast, fold and staff quarters tho north,
while tho south sido iB composed Of three large
aud three Blnall buildings. Tho QuartermaBter'a
storehouae Is tho eastern, headqunrter oflces
and Post Library the centro, while the weBteru
is used by tho Commissary Department. The
guard-house Ia south Of tho 1attor, band bar.
rncks OF tho centro building, and smithery Of
the QuartermaBtor's Htorehouso, Tho garrison
guard on ordinary occaBfons 10 composed oi
two commissioned officers, threo non-com.
missioned officers, and twonty-ono men. Be.
sides this guard there III a constant lookout
report from signal station on top Of Mount
| Scott. This mountain IL the highest in tho i'm
modiato vicinity, being about 1900 foot above
| tho plaiu. From tho Btatlou-louao Oh it's sum
| nit can readily bo discovered, on clear day
| partoB moving at a distance from 40 to &C
| mtos. Tho poBt proper, at night, il lncl0Bed By
| a Gordon Of seven sontinels Tho company sta
bloB hare constant ~ stable-gnard," and tht
Indian Agency las au especial detail for itB pro
| lection.
Tho day would hayo to be very mur1y and tht
| night exceedingly dark, tho force the entire
fighting population. OF tue Territory, aud
their boldnesB beyond anything pre-.
yi6usly developed, to have captured tht
post by regular attack. It might, possibly, ons
chance in thousand, happen to bo executed b,
treachory and surprise, but such o concerted
movement, engaging tho number Of 1ndianf
necessary for itB Buccoesful elimination, coulG
hardly lave taken place without Homo knowl
edge, dcinito or rlnlorcd, coming to tho mill
tary. They llave been in tho country since 1865
antl luow tllcir danger. It is more than proba'
bic that tho story was started to ncite mUb lh,'
! along tho route Satauta nud Big Troo should bt
travelling at this time on their journey to For
| Sill, to DO presont ut tie approaching council.