, 1874-11-15

We published, Saturday morning, three dis
patches from the West on Indian matters. Bead
together, they form + significant commen-
ta1y on tho bad features Of the peace
policy, which, good in itself. has been
carried into effect with certain sickly senti-
mentality that makes it defeat its own endn-
This ia largely the fault OF subordinate officials.
nature Of things. supervise all the small de-
ta11a Of frontier management, but it is the
bungling discharge Of these small matters which
often makes the difference between success And
failure.
The first dispatch chronicled the offer OF = re-
ward OF $3.50 for the arrest OF the Minneconjou
Indians who murdered Frank Appleton, C1erk OF
the Red-C Cloud Agency. some months ago, aud
Of another reward Of s125 for the detection Of
two Indians who amused themselves, last spring.
by butchering John F. Holloway, an employe Of
the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Agency. It appears
from this that 1T least two Government officials
have been slaughtered by our red brethren
within short time. and that their uurderers
have gone unpunished-
The second dispatch told the story Of L
bloody fight near the Wichit. River, between
Capt. Farnsworth's command OF twenty-eight
men and about 100 Arapahoes and Kowas. The
most noticeable point in the account is the
statement that the Indians had more aumuni-
ton and better guns than the troops- The
A. fhofr rho had hraach .fnad.
era, which "were sometimes Of longer range
than those OF tho troops" It is not shhnge
that the gallant soldiers, with numbers,
ammunition, and guns against them, had
to retreat in the night. The friends
Of Private William Deucham, OF Chicago, who
WAS shot through the head; OF Corporal Thomas
J. Thompson, who was ahot in the right side !;
aud OF Trumpeter Hermann Fehr. who received
bullet in the chest, will doubtless be pleased t.
think that these soldiers OF the United States
vero probably killed by United States bullets,
shot with United States powder out Of United
States guns. The number OF weapons bought BY
the Western Indians is small in comparison with
the number they receive ~ presents from the
|AIoTEsameut ana 6teA1 1I0u lAo p0ules o1 Ile
soldiers they have slaughtered
After reading these two dispatches it is triho
surprising to learn from the third that each Of
she Chiefs OF the River Crow Indians Of Mon
tana ia to be presented by tho Government with
"a good horse, saddle. and gun" They will have
the winter for practice in shar7~shooting, while
they are living on the Reservation 1t the ex-
pense Of the country, and will then be ready to
test their skill in the spring on the war-pAth-
The country press, in order to save telegraph
bills, would do we'll to clip out the following
prophetic dispatch and keep it for uso next
spring:
RIVER Crow, Montsuz, Nay >, 1875.
White -squ1w-Scalfer, Baby-BzaineE, and Man-Tor-
tu1e1 the three head Chiefs Of tho Indians
the ar-path. They vaylald, with the1x bands,
emigrant train, yesterday. Tho women and chill
dren tied 10 ths wagons and burnt up With them
The men ~ere stripped and fastened to the ground.
Their ears, noses, and tongues cut from their
heads and fire WAS dndled On the stomach Of EACH
They died In awful agony. detachment of troops
VIE sent after the mur4eze1s, but the guns OF the
Chcfs were Of such superior make that the soldiers
wero picked off wherever they showed themselves,
when tho Indians still out Of range Of the army
breech-loadera. Tbs names Of the dead aud wounded
are II foloWB:
Tho troopa had to ratreat There .re fear. of gan
eral Indian war.