New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-11
The Horrors Of the Border.

The commissioner OF Indian affairs re-
ceived the following important telegram
last Thursday, bringing news Of serious
outbreak among tAe Indians in tie Indian
Territory:
Usage CITY, Kansas, July !, 1874
Hon. E. P. Smith, Commissioner, Washington:
have Just arrived from the Cheyenne and
Arrapahoe agency. on the North + ork OF the
Indian river Hostile Cheyennes, Com
anehes and Kiowas made their appearance
in the vicinity of the agency On the second
instant, and on the SAME day killed and
scalped William Watkins, thirty miles
south of the agency. Five war parties
seemed moving in the direction Of
the trail from the agency to Caldwell,
Kansas. l at once dispatched courier
to Fort Sill for troops TO protect the
agency, which were temporarily granted:
On the morning of the fifth we mustered
a small party OF employees to escort me
through to Cald well. Hostile Indians had
been seen at King Fishers rancho, proceed
irg north. We took all men and stock to
Lee & Reynolds rancho on Turkey creek,
and on the second instant Indians attacked
this rancho, but were repulsed. getting only
some horses. Four miles north of Bakers
rancho we found four men, Pat Hennessey.
George Faud, Thomas Galloway and one
unknown, lying in the road murdered.
They had three wagons loaded with sugar
and coffee for Agent Haworth, all of which
was destroyed or taken away, All the men
were scalped. Hennessey had been tied to
his wagon and burned. The fire was still
burning. We gave them hasty burial,
and proceeded to the next rancho. Here
we found teamsters, stages, etc., concen-
trated. They reported a war party of about
one hundred having passed north and east
that morning. The ranchmen had kept
them of We took q woman and child
from this place, and gave the men all the
ammunition We could spare. The next
rancho we reached after dark. The In
dams had gone into camp four miles east on
Skeleton creek.
advised all ranchmen and fceightmen
to abandon their places. which they did,
and BY making good use of the night we
reached Caldwell yesterday. We found
Latiin's ox-train at Pond Creek, twenty-five
miles south of Caldwell, and fear this
train, loaded with subsistence for the three
agencies. will be captured, as we saw hos
tile Indians in that vicinity, and the party
had only three guns. My chief clerk is in
command of the party. There are now but
two ranches on this road, and We fear for
their fate before help can reach them. /
Lave no doubt the Indians will clean every
thing until repulsed. This is their procla-
nation. / have offered my own life in pass
ing through their lines to save others, and
now ask, and shall expect to receive at
once, two or three companies of cavalry,
one to be stationed at Bakers rancho to
protect government interests on this road.
and one at the agency. These troops should
be transported "a quickly as possible to
Wichita by rail. No hostile Indians shall
be quartered at the agency, and l must
have troops to back it up. Let the hostile
element be struck and with such power as
shall make the work quick and etfectual. l
now 90 to Leavenworth, awaiting iDstruc-
tons, and ready to go with General Pope.
JOHN D. MILES, Indian Agent.
Mr.. Miles is a Quaker, and considered by
the Interior Department to be cool and
thoroughly reliable agent. His request tor
troops has been Endorsed and recommended
for immediate attention by the military au-
thorities Of the War Department.
The hostile Indians referred to are esti-
mated to number 5000, comprising about
one-fourth of the Cheyenne, kiOwa and
Arrapahoe tribes. Commissioner Smith
last year recommended that these tribes,
who had been raiding extensively in Texas,
should be brought into thorough subsection
and compelled to give up their raiding
leaders. This was not done, and the |
trouble now proceeds from the same turbu-
lent portion of the tribes, three-fonrths OF
whom are peaceably located at Fort Sill !
reservation, where Santanta, Big Tree and |
their other prominent chiefs still remain in
compliance with their agreement.