The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-12-17

dividin" them into tracts for the heads of
families. making labor gradually rnmpul>O-
". and even compelling the children To 90
to school. To accomplish this purpose, to
c~iviliZc. make >clf->uppnrtin@. and save
many more of these poor people than other
wise will be saved. ! believe il best 10 trans
fer the Indian Bureau to the military. and
let il be taken under the General admins
tration of the army. governed and c%untrOli-
ed in responsibility of account, in accord
ancc with our present system. The indians
will thus be- hunanrly and honestly dealt
with. and | believe if thi, had always beer
the ease. there would have been but few of
the troubles and bloody records which have
characterized the civ i~liZation nf the indians
III the many years gone by.
To meet the troubles which viii originate
from the Black Hills question, and To be in
advance of them when they come, and be
better able to deal Will them, | directed,
without expense 10 thu Government, an eN-
plOration Of the Yellowstone River last
spring, and selected two sites for military
posts. ON" at the mouth of ;hr BIG Horn, the
other AT the mouth of tn" Tongue River.
both III tn" Valley nfthc Yellowstone. Thc>o
stations, can be supplied by steamboats,, and
will have 50 important a bearing az the set
Element of the Si"uN Indian question that !
earnestly recommend that Congress he call
cd upon /" give authority ~" establish
ment and the necessary funds for ,bcir con
>truCtiOn.
INDIAN CAMPAIGNS.
In the Department nf the Missouri. the
campaign against the Chcycnnr>. KiOwas..
and Cumanclic>. Wa finished early in the
spring, and the rin@!"adrrS and worst crimi-
mails separated from the tribes and sent To
Fort Marion. Fla. Thj~ campaign was not
only very comprehensive, but WIS the most
successful of any Indian campaign in this
country since lis settlement tr the whites:
and much credit i due 10 the officers and
men engaged in il.
II MIC EANpiITI.
Nearly all the troops i'm the Department of
Texas. except those alun- the i.iu Graude
frontier. wcr" engaged IN this campaign.
Those stationed along the Bio Grlndc River.
the boundary line between the United STATES
ans Mexico. have had the humiliatin~ duty
Of attempting to protect our citizens and
their property from raids by people of u for
ci@n country. who come over the boundary
i'll armed parties to steal cattle, and do not
hesitate to attack and Kill orr citizens when
necessary To accomplish their purposes.
The low stage Uf water in the Rio Grandc
and its great lcn@tll-1, 2nn OF 1,5O miles
makes the duty Of prote1in" it difficult. in
fact almost impossible, with the few troops
available for the purpose. in speaking of
this duty IL Il humiliatin" ono. ! do not mean
that il is not perfectly lc"itimate-fOr any
duty j. such which has for it, object the pro-
lection of the lives and property of the peO-
pie on al international boundary line-but
when it i considered that these armed par
ties. rs soon ~ they are pursued, take ref
u-c on the opposite bank of the river and
there. within sight of our troops who dare
not cross. craze and slaughter the stolen
cattle with impunity. the service i very
mOrtifying To those engaged in the prOtcc-
ton of that frontier. This condition Of af-
fairs has been going on for the last twenty
years.
1t gives me pleasure to state to the
General of the Army the cheerfulncS> and
alacrity with which all duties were perform
ed by the officers and men under my COM
mand during the last wear; and | think the
high standing of honor and integrity attained
i deserving of COMMUNICATION. The result
of my observations makes me believe the
moral Standing of the officers AMI men in
the service higher ut the present time than
ut amy period within my knowledge. ] am.
Colonel. very respectfully, ynur ohcdicnt
crYant. L. II. SHERIDAN.
Lieutenant -tieneral Commanding.