Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-12-10
Gen. Sheridan's Report.

The Military Division of the Missouri now COM
prises most of the Gulf and Western States, all
the Territories east of Arizona, Nevada and Idaho,
including the southeastern portion of the latter
Territory extends from British America on the
north to the Gulf of Mexico and the Rio Grande
on the south and as far east as Key West, on the
Gulf and embraces within its limits ninety mine
Indian tribes, numbering about 1872, 900 persons,
scattered over more than 100000 square miles of
frontier territory.
For the better protection of this frontier, with
it's vast agricultural, mining, mercantile and other
interests, and for convenience in the admnlstra-
ton of the affairs of the division 1t is divided INTO
five DEPARTMENTS as follows: The Department of
Dakota Brig. Gen. Alfred Terry, commanding; the
Department of the Platte, Brig Gen. George Crook
Brig. Gen. John Pope, commanding the depart
ment of T exas. Brig. Gen. O. G. Ord, COMMANDING
and the Department of the Gulf, Brig. Gen. G. G.
Augur. commanding.
Within these limits We have ninety-one estab-
lished posts and camps, garrisoned by eight regl-
ments of cavalry, six companies OF artillery,
try and small detachment OF engineer troops, ag-
gregatng at the last official report, IA 613 commits
stoned officers and enlisted men.
to the Black Hills territory the General says:
1 earnestly recommend some action which will
settle this Black Hills question, and relieve US
from an exceedingly disagreeable and embarrass-
ing duty feel quite satisfied that all the ntry
sonth of the Yellowstone River, from the Black
Hills of the Cheyenne as far west as the Big Horn
Valley and perhaps as far west as Clark's Fork oil
the Yellowstone, is gold bearing but as to the
amount of gold deposits / cannot say; it may be
great or it may be small. This area is also at
many places well timbered, has many beautiful
valleys of rather high altitude, with good soil and
abundance of running water. Nearly the whole OF Ii
is well adapted to grazing purposes. The winters
have every reason to believe very cold but the
temperature is uniform; the cold weather is found
to be less injurious to stock where there is no
shelter than milder climate where cattle are sub
iected to the changes of alternate freezing and
thawing and where the rains rot the grass.
The Sioux Indians, numbering about %, 900,
now hold this country, and, in addition. the belt
eastward from the base of the Black Hills of the
CHEYENNE to the Missouri River which would
make about 10000 acres of land for the head of
each family and perhaps much more without one
single acre being cultivated, while the maximum
amount given by the Government to adult
white settler is only 100 acres. which he has to
live build hut, put up fences, till the ground and
pay taxes.
mand and throughout most of the Indian country
for the last twenty years has left the impression
that this system Of cviizing the wild portion OF
our Indian inhabitants has not met with success
which gives a fair equivalent for the expense,
trouble and bloodshed which have attended it. |
believe there is true humanity in making the res
ervations reasonably small, dividing them into
tracts for the heads of families, making labor grad
uaIly COMPULSORY and even compelling the children
to 90 to school. To accomplish this purpose. to
oivilize make seif-supporting. and save many
| more of these poor people than otherwise win be
saved. bslieys II best to transfer ths Indian