The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-06
THE REDS ON THE WARPATH.

VreacherOus Depa rture of the Cheyennes
from their Reserva tfon-A Bloody Raid
Against the Rees and the White Set
tiers their Probable Objcct-Movements
OF General Custer In Pursuit.
WASHINGTON, June 5. 1874
General Sheridan forwards to army headquarters
copies of kilograms from General George A. Gus
ter, dated Fort Abraham Lincoln, via Bismarck
d. T., May 20, announcing That he is in receipt OF
dispatches from General stanley and the Indian
agent at the Cheyenne agency, from which 1t will
be seen that the Indians are no longer comfortable
by their agent, and, In spite Of the efforts OF Gen.
eral Stanley and their agent, they have taken the
warparh In formidable numbers. The alleged pre-
text OF their excursion-namely, to attack the
Rees-is simply subterfuge, as they invariably
give this purpose whenever they leave their
walton, when 1T is well known that not only the
Rees become objects OF their attack, but every
white man on these frontiers Is an object OF
their hostility General Custer further telegraphs:-
"This voluntary and unprovoked departure OF so
formidable war party from tteir reservation
rests upon no idle rumOr, but upon the positive
knowledge of General Stanley and the agent OF
these people,"
NUMBER OF THE WAR PARTY.
The telegram from Agent Bingham, dated
cheyenne River Agency, May "a, reports the num-
Der which have left the agency at about 400.
About four weeks previous to the date of his de-
spatch the agent had turned back large party and
now large number OF The same Indians have
gone again. He advised the chiefs that he should
proceed at once TO learn who were absent from
the agency, and that they should receive no more
rations. He was AFRAID that the party would not
turn back.
General Stanley. commanding Fort Sulley. as hts
telegram to General Custer states had visited the
chiefs at the Cheyenne agency to induce them to
follow the war party and urge the Indians to re-
turn. They agreed to deliver any message to the
war party, but declared that nothing would in
duce them to turn back.
POWDER AND BULLETS BETTER THAN SOFT WORDS.
With regard to the manner OF dealing with these
Indians General Stanley says to General Custer:-
'They are not likely to be amenable to soft
words, and you had better use powder and lead at
onCe.u
The commanding oflcer at Fort Rice had been
notified to be on the lookout for them. General
Custer in a telegram from Fort Abraham Lincoln
Of May 81, to General Terry, at ST. Paul, says
''Until the war party develops itself or we can
discover its whereabouts nothing decisive can be
accomplished. 1t has hardly had time to get this
far, and do not deem 1t prudent to push my force
far west OF this point, lest give them opportu-
nifty to make strike here during my absence, [
propose to keep scouts on the alert and allow the
war party time to get here this their objective
point, or to pass US on their way to BerthOld
cavalry up the valley Of Heart RIVER examining
the latter closely, until we discover the trail
This will place us between the Indians and their
reservation, and think we can overhaul Them be-
fore they can harm the Rees, particularly as have
notified the latter, which will save them from sur
prise. General Custer VIII take ten days. rations
and one company OF infantry, the latter to guard
the wagons whenever it becomes necessary for the
cavalry to move rapidly"