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


Louis. No.. October "a, and shows the strength OF
the army according tothe latest returns received
up 10 october Is, 1874. The total number OF On.
listed men at that date was 25.441. General
Sherman says
have no doubt that by the 1st or January,
1879. tne number OF enlisted men VIII De reduced,
by ordinary casualties discharges and deaths, to
the number limited oy law-namely. 25, ,o01, and
VIII venture the expression OF opinion that TINS
limit forces the companies To so small q standard
that the efficiency of the service Is greatly i'm.
paired thereby. IL Is utterly impossible to nam.
tam the companies at remote stations up to the
very small legal standard, because mont hs must
necessarily clapse after discharges and deaths
before recruits can be sent from the general rem
devious.
lie then refers TO the several military divisions
and departments into which the country II
divided and to the reports OF commanding ofncera
as to the condition Of the troops the changes that
have occurred, &C. In regard TO the military dtvt
sion OF the South he states:-'Since the rendition
OF the report OF the commander thereon, owing
TO the disturbed condition OF civil affairs there
and the constant acquisitions OF the civil oflcera
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 from the Department Of
Dakota. These troops together with what were
previously on duty there, deemed amply
adequate to the necessity Referring to the milf
tary Div sion OF the Missouri commanded by Lteu-
tenant General p. H. Sheridan, he says, this impor
tant division embraces substantially ali the ter
ritory east Of the Rocky Noun tatns to the Missis
suppl River aud 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 barbarism to con.
ditlon Of comparative civilization. IL is within
this area that there has been and must continue
Tor years tO come that contact OF the rOniie SET
tiers With the aboriginal savage. resulting IN
A CHRONIC STATE OF WAR.
During the past year, oy the extraordinary ac-
tivity O the troops ana the good sense OI our milf
sale. On the nortuera hue of Texas aud southern
line OF Kansas she nntamed savages-kiowas,
Comanches Cheyennes and Arapanoes-began thn
season their usual raids, and as the lndian agenu
confessed their utter inability TO manage thell
respective triDes by the usu.l humane and Chris
tan treatment, the whole subject was turned over
to the War Department and committed 10 the
management ul Lieutenant General Snerldan, who
has laid mold OF 1t with his accustomed energy.
He Is al THIS moment down IN the Indian country
near Fort SILL giving his personal attention to the
subject. ana Ishaye no doubt before the winter
over these Indians will learn lesson which III
enable the civil agents TO bring them within the
sphere or humanizati0 l, II NOT or CIVILIZATION. In
posed OF the departments Of CALI ornia. Columbia,
and ArlzoDa. ne says these departments ara
otlcers the spot is lett the supreme control Of
ali the details. and the consequence Is, the utmost
harmony OF action and economy OF administration.
have not the least doubt that to General SEQ
fields judlclous supe,vlslons and the prompt
action OF General Jef. q. Davis IN oregon last
r WHAT ior time, % threatened g be war WITH the
Shosh0nes and snake Indians. Also General
and a
mlnisIraton, has maintained an almost unlnters
rupted peace III that most difficult CO untry, Art
ZOna.
THE PEACE ESTABLISHMENT
enclose the reports OF all THESE orcers and re.
literature. clear anu concise IN the statemenL Of
facts anu demonstrating tnat the small arinv ol
the United States, Called peace establishments, II
the hardest worked body OF men IN thts or any
country. The discipline and behavior oi the OH.
GERS nnI men have been worthy Of M and
frontier or III aioing the civil officers In the exc
cut"n OF civil processes, have been q model for
the imitation OF all good men,
In regard 70 The removal OF bis headquarters to
ST. Louis, he says:-"I am prepared to execute
any oulles that may be deyolved on me by pi oper
authority. Here 1 am centrally located, and,
should occasion arise, can personally proceed 70
any point OF this continent where my services are
sHERIDAN's REPORT.
Lieutenant General Sheridan, IN his annual 70.
port, says within the limits of his command (the
Military DIVISION or the M1ssouri), there are
seventy-slx established posts and camps, gar
regiments OF infantry ana small detachment Of
engineer troops, asgreg ting ar the last Ofncal
report 'say rt ,,s anu & dasa
dating bands OF Indians, to assist tue Department Of
the Interior to maintain is authority IN the various
known territory, to aid the civil autnorities in
enforcing the laws and maintaining peace n re-
mote districts, to escort national boundary, state
ana territorial surveying parties; TO protect and
defend the advanced lines Of railway IN the lar
poWer Mese 10 forward W ne wave Of cVss
ton on our frontier, and ut the SINE time to keep
within the limits q the appropriation, has taxed
their suDordlnates throughout the whole division {
AID, taxing into consideration the small number
tueir operations aud tue amount OF money appro.
prlAted by Congress to cover the expenditures,
they have succeeded as well as could ne expected.
THE BLACK BILLS EXPEDITION,
under Colonel Custer, he says:-
Of the Black Hills was lound to be much better
than was expected, with plenty 6f good timber
an abundant supply OF good water and grass.
Some gold was founa near Harneys Peak. but Of
s mere y az na n no m gysn M m
an expedition such as that or Colonel Custer's to
prospect and determine It's Quantity.
lishrient Of large military post In the Black
Hills country. He reviews at some length the In.
which have heretofore been published. In regard
to the operations Of Colonel Miles, Lieutenant
Colonel Davidson Lieutenant Colonel Buell. aud
results which could be expected Will be accom-.
pllshed, and that we may settle the Indian ques.
ton forever, so iar rs the kiowas, Commences and
Cneyennes III the Southwest are concerned.
CAUSES OF THE INDIAN TROUBLES.
them to the immunity with which the tribes have
been treated. In all their raids into Texas for the
past three years their reservations nave IurnSneu
them supplies with which to make the raids and
sheltered them from. pursuit when they returned
with their scalps aud plumber There 10 no oOube
that the advance Of settlers and the operations or
authorized surveying parties In the indian Ter.
ritory and Kansas, aud also the buffalo hunters at
Au0be Walls irritated them, but the business IN
which these parties were engaged made war an
exceedingly undesirable thing Tor them. No man
OF close obse ryati0n, 1t seems TO me,
can travel across the great plains IRON
Nebraska anu wyoming to texas and see
the established ranches, with their hundreds OI
thousands OF head OF cattle, sheep aud horses,
together with the families OF The owners and feAr
ably think tnat these people, so mucn exposed
and having such valuable interests, are deslrOua
OF provoking Indian wars. rnere was Q time
possibly when tue population OF the Indian
irunGier may nave been destr0us OF Indian
troubles, but that has passed long ago. 1t wal
when the country between the Missouri River and
the Rocky Mountains was barren desert, while
sumed by the pOpulntlOn OIL our Eastern cltlea