, 1874-11-11

! aud Wyoming down to Toxns, md 500 the oh&ab-
liHled rat.oca with thcir hundreds Of thousands
| Of head Of cattle, sheep, and horsea, toRotlnr
"ltl, tho families Of the owners. and reasonably
having auch valuable interests, aro doairous Of
| provoking Indian wnrs. There was time, pos
sibly, wlon tho population Of tho Indian frontior
1nny have boou deasrous Of Indian troubles, but
| country botwcon tho Missouri alyor aud tho
Rocky Mountains waB q barron desert; vllo
now It - tho grazing ground for tho stock oon-
anmod by tho population Of cur Eastern cities.
originated by tho actions Of bad wlllto mon, Of
tho snle Of whisky to Indians by tralors II ID
tho rosu1t Of tho rostlesa nature Of tho Indian,
WIN has no profession but arns; aud naturally
socks for war and pl1ndsr whom tho grazing getB
higll enough to feed l,'s ponies.
The troups In
THE DEPARTMENT or TEXAS
have boon subjected to all extraordinary activity
during tho past fiscal year, 1t has two frontier
Indian country on tho northern frontier. Affairs
on tho Rio Grande line, csuecially Oh tho Uppor
Rio Hrando, bayo become almost entirely settled
since tho hendaoine chahtisomsnt givou to tho
&c Fourth Cavalry. It las rosultod iu the ro-
turn Of many Of tho Kiokapoo Indians to their
reservation In tue Indian Torrtory, and tito most
friendly action on tho part 0 tic Mexican sr,-
thortiea TO prevent Indian raids in tho future.
Bouthern line Of tue Rio aranda by Moxican cat
tie tlioves, but even theea raids have recently
subsided to great oxtent.
The Indians, howovor, from tho RESERVATIONS
IN the 1ndinn Territory about Fort Sill, and tho
observation OF tho oheyeunos on ths Canadian
River, hays constantly committed doprcdatlons
III Toxas. They could not bo pursued auv fur
ther than to tue Indian Territory, aud were re-
iicyed In consoquon oncs from all riak, or evou em-
barEaRanlont. for tho lives taken aud property
doatroyud. The troops, as will be socu from
Sen. Augura report, wara wonderfully aotiyo,
but tho country is 30 largo, and the Reservations
30 near at hand. that it was only in fow in-
sd ins "19;s9S i, 'ea 6s 6i @ s
Acter we're tho purauit and clastiae-
mont given by Lieut.-Coi.. G. ?. Duoll
Eleventh Infantry, who overlook patty OF
hostile Qua,ha-do Comanohes. Fob. i. 1874. On
10o miles west Of Fort Griffin, killed eleven In
danH, and rccapturod 8ixty-hvo head OF stolen
stock; tho punislimont administered by tho ate
Lieut.. c. Z. Hudson, Fourth Cavalry, to a party
tue Nuocoa, Doc. Q, 1873. who had just before
killed foartocn herlors On the Olamo. yas ek-
cesdingiy merltorloua; tho pursuit By Lieut..
Gilmore, Tenth Cavalry, Of band Of hostile
Wltchits. on tue night Of May 2. 1874. who had
to abat'don all their stolen property to escape
capture by tho troops; mud tie recapture, May
l8 by Caps. G. Dentzoni, Twenty-Gfth Infantry,
of Of btolon property from squad OF hos;
Stanton Reservation, Now Mexico, to To- raid In in
Western TcxaB. and whle tllese actions wero
especially noticeable, they are not any moro to
be praised than the conduct Of both officers and
mon In over Il hundred cascs OF pursuit Of hoa-
tile mud deprcdRtlng Indians.
After the outbreak In tho Department Of tho
Missouri. which may be dated from tho attack on
Mai. Compton's party, between Fort Dodge and
Camp supply. the Indians were stimulated to
f,utt has .&z++:t.+ t.x
the authority Of tbs date OF July 20, 1874, Ind
10 bo obtained from tho Secretary Of tho In
terror, to
PUNISH TIE uosr1Lns WHEREVER POUND.
This lod to tho withdrawal Of Col. Mackenxie,
Fouith Cavalry, from the Rio Graude llue up to
tho point on tho headwators of the Drazos.
Known IN formor expeditions as Mackonxio'a
supply Camp, where MI expedition WAS organ-
ized TO operate north to the Lcsdwaters OF the
Rcd River. to cntcl all Indians driyon southwest
oy Co!. AtlloB, who was coming down the Ante-
lopo Hills. a column WAS also formed at Fort
ssll to move up tho Washita and drive to tho
same point all Indians who might bo found on
that river. Also another column at same post,
to advance up tue river and drive out OH to Col.
Mackenzie all lndinns who might have takeu
refuge Oh tLat stream.
Il will thus be seen TINT tte operations Of Col.
Miles: Lleut.-Col. Davidson. LIEUT. Col. Buell.,
and Mai. Price (wlo came down tho Canadian
from Fort BaBcom) will result in forcing tho
hostilee to tho vicinity Of Col. Mackenzie. All
theae arrangements hayo worked admirably, so
far, and 1t is hoped that lhe very best results
Which could be expected will DO accomplished.
and that VIC may eott1e tho Indian question tor
oyor, so far as tho Kiowas, Comanchss, and
Cheyeuncs in the southweot Ira concerned
The constant activity and the labor imposed
on tho troops Of this division during tho lust
year, and the expense incident thereto, have
arisen from the small number Of troops which
cali bs spared for the control Of go many il.
tercsts and 80 largo terr,torial command SILL,
1t may be sad OF the expeditions now In the field
against the Indians III the Southwest, aud opera
tions agaiust Indians further portb, aud tho
Black Hills lxpeditlons, TINT they are not noarly
50 expensive as one would suppose. as the saving
in tho reduction Of forage rations and the ratons
Of tbs meu in the fold is fully IN equivalent for
tho ircreascd expenditure III transportation
when ~o have our own wagons and teams.
Respectfully submitting this b1iof report, with
tue detailed reports Of Department. Commanders,
a1n, Colonel, yery respectfully, your ohodient
servant, (signed) r. Fl, SHERIDAN,
{o,xtA-