The New York herald., 1874-11-10
OUR LITTLE ARMY.
General Sherman's Report 10 the
Secretary Of War.
THE INDIAN TROUBLES.
The Federal Force Too Meagre in Num-
bers 70 Be Efficient.
WASHINGTON, Nov. S. 1874


Louis, No., October "A, and shows the strength Of
the army according tothe latest returns received
up TO October Is, 1874. The total number OF en-
listed men At that date was 2s.44l. General
Sherman says
] have no doubt that by the 1sr OF January.
1915. the number OF enlisted men VIII be reduced,
by ordinary casualties, discharges and deaths, to
the number limited Dy iaw-nameIy 25OOl and
VII venture tne expression OF opinion that tins
limit forces the companies TO so small standard
thst the efficiency af the service IL greatly i'm
paired thereby. IL II utterly impossible to nam.
tam the companies AT remote stations up to the
very sman legal standard, because months must
necessarily ciapse after discharges and deaths
before recruits can be sent from tue general rem.
devious.
Lie then refers 70 the several military divisions
and departments into which the country Il
divided and TO the reports Of commanding ofllcera
to the condition of the troops, the changes that
have occurred, &c. In regard TO the military divt
sion ol the South ne states:-'Sinco the rendition
OF the report OF the commander thereof, owing
10 the disturbed condition Of civil AFFAIRS there
and the constant requlstions Of the civil of1cers
for military help, the Thirteenth infantry has been
ordered TO New Orleans. and ak companies OF the
seventh cavalry have also been ordered to the
Division OF the South rom the Department OF
Dakota. These troops, together with what were
previously on duty there, are deemed amply
adequae 10 the necessity" Referring TO the mill
tary DIV sion Of the Missouri, commanded by Lieu
tenant General p. H. sheridan, he says, this mpor
tant division embraces substantially ali the ter.
ritory cast OF the Rocky Mountains to the Missis
sippt River and east, including the states OF I'LL.
nois and Minnesota. Within this immense area
are grouped most OF the Indian tribes who are In
a transition state from savage barbarsm to q con-
dtion OF comparative civilization. Ii Is within
this area that there has been and must continue
Tor years TO come that contact Of the frontier SET
tiers With the aboriginal savage, resulting IN
CHRONIC STATE OF WAR.
During the past year, oy the extraordinary &C.
tivity oi the troops the good sense oi miit
tary officers, the frontier mas been comparatvely
sale On the nortnern lne or Texas and southern
me me OF Kansas sne unIamed sasages.kiowas.
season their usual raids, aud as tue Indian agents
confessed their utter Inability 70 manage theu
respective trtDes by the usu.l humane and Chris.
tan treatment the wnoie subject was turned over
TO the War Department ana committed 10 the
management VI Lieu enant General SHERIDAN, VINO
has laid mold OF II with his accustomed energy.
He is at TINS moment down IN the indian country
subject ana shave no doubt before the winter
is over THESE Indians will learn a lesson which VIII
enable the civil agents TO bring them witnln the
regard to the Military DIVISION Of tne Pacific com.
posed OF the departments oi California. Columbia,
and ArlZODa. he says these departments are
luckily so remote from headquarters, tnat to the
officers on the spot is lett the supreme control Of
ali the details. and the nsequence Is, the utmost
harmony OF action and economy OF administration.
have not the least doubt that to General SEQ
aeon Of General Je Davis in oregon last
spring we are indebted to a peaceful solution Of
what, Tor a time, threatened to be war with the
Shoshones ana Snake Indians Also General
CrooKe, being armed with ull authority and but
little complicated with civil agents and their ad-
m mnistration, mas maintained an almost unlnter
rupted peace III that most difficult country, Art
zona.
| enclose the reports OF all these orcers and re.
! fer to them with pride as samples OF military
facts and demonstrating that the small army oi
the United states, caileu peace establishments II
ce hardest 1oay ., men ~ TINS ,n or any
GERS and men have been worthy OF all praise. and,
whether empDyed on the extreme and distant
frontier or III aioing the civil officers In the exe
cution OF civil processes, have been model for
the imitation Of all good men.
In regard 10 the removal OF his headquarters to
st. Louis. ne says:-"I am prepared to execute
any outies that may be devolved on me by pi oper
should occasion arise, can personally proceed %
any point OF tins continent where my services are
needed"
Lieutenant General Sheridan, IN his annual re-
poft says within the limits OF his command (the
Military DIVISION OF the MlSsOuri), there are
seventy-six established posts aud camps, gar.
r,soued by etgut regiments OF cavalry, seventeen
engineer troops, asgreglt lting ar the last ofclsl
report 1883 commissioned officers and enlisted
dating bands o oians to assist the Department. oi
the Interior to maintain It's authority IN the various
indian reservations. to explore S ana survey un. o.
enforcing the laws and maintaining peace IN re-
mote DISTRICTS to escort national boundary, state
and territorial surveying parties; TO protect and
defend the advanced lines OF railway In the far
West and, IN fact, to do everything within ouy
power 10 forward the advancing wave OF civilizs-
ti0n on our frontier, and at the SINE time to keep
within the limits Of tue appropriations, has taxed
their su6ordlnates throughout the wnole division
aLd taxing into cOnsiderAtton the small number
OF troops, the great extent OF territory covered by
tnetr operations aud the amount OF money apprO.
priated by Congress to cover the expenditures,
they have succeeded as wen as could he expected.
THE BLACK BILLS EXPEDITION
under Colonel Custer, he says
OF the Black Hills was found to be much better
than was expected, With plenty Of good timber
anp considerable goo good u sou Lat ut nigh alttndss and
some gold was found near Harney's Peak. but ol
its abundance there Is at present no reliable In.
an expedition such as that OF Colonel Custer's to
prospect and determine its quantity.
General Sheridan again recommends the estab-
lishrlent OF large military post In the Black
Hills country. lie reviews at some length the In.
Which have heretofore ct been published. In regard
to the operations Of Colonel Miles, Lieutenant
Colonel davidson, Lieutenant Colonel buell. aud
Ma0r Price, lie says 1t Is hoped that the very best
results which could be expected Will be accom-
plished, and that We may settle the Indian ques.
ton forever, SO lar rs the klowas, Comancnes and
CneyeDnes IN the Southwest are concerned.
CAUSES Of THE INDIAN TROUBLES.
respectfully differ with General Pope as to the
CHIEF causes oi these Indian troubles and attribute
them to the immunity with which the tribes have
been treated. In all their raids into Texas Tor the
past three years their RESERVATIONS nave IurnIshed
them supplies with which to make the raids and
sheltered them from pursuit when they returned
with tneir scalps and punder. There ID no doubt
that the advance Of settlers and the operations OF
authorized surveying parties IN tue lnuan ler.
rItory and Kansas aud also the buffalo hunters nc
Aaobe Walls rritated them. put the business IN
which these parties were engaged made war an
exceedingly undesirable thing Tor them. No man
Of close observation, It seems TO me.
can travel across The great plains IRON
Nebraska anu wyoming to Texas and see
the established ranches, with their hundreds OF
thousands OF head Of cattle, sheep aud horses,
together with the families 0f The owners, aud roar
sonaby think tnat these people, 80 mucn exposed
and having such valuable interests, are desir0us
OF provoking Indian wars. fnere WAS q time.
ironLler may nave been desirous OF Indian
troubles, but that has passed long ago. II was
when the country between the MissOuri River aud
the Rocky Mountains was . barren desert, while
now 1t Is the grazing ground lor the stock con-