Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-04

ministration of Indian affairs than the fac's
which have just adduced It's well knoWo
that the Cheyennes who remain north ol the m
Platte River do so in perverse Voat!oo OF inc
wishes of the government and their own en.
gapement. Their reservation, as well as tlia'
of all the Arapahoes, is in the Indian lerri,
tory. and they left it to escape the controi vi
their agent. Their constant employment, lot
years has been the generation OF mischlei
against the whites, whether they possessed
grievances or not to justify them. Yet thelr
afiiatiop with the most powerful savage people
under our tutelage, with the danger TO be ap-
pretended from it, very palpably ll!ustratea ny
warning events, has been permitted lot iobg
period, and has aided greatly IN parclpitatips
the Sioux war Could anything be more luoe-
cie than the issuing of supplies to the Cncyen-
ues, who are the known allies OF the olouA'
while they are off their own reSe' Valnu anc %
that of the latter2 The influence OF the con-
tractors who furnish and forward supplies TO
the agents on the White River is the secret
cause of the feeding and clothing of the Ctey
| ennes and Arapahoes, 400 miles from their
home. The hypocrisy OF an Inspector. IKE
Vapdevecr and the pliability Of an agent l!ke
| SaviIle or Howard are the CLOAK under which
the sordid schemes of Boslcrs and McCanns
have been executed The rascally officials which
the government secures by virtue OF Its nlg
gardly economy, to imporsonate to the lh
| dian the white maus justice, have brought
about the present hoslilltles, although the
head of the military department OF the
Platte is responsible for having preclpl'
tated instead of endeavoriug to obViate them.
IF the Sioux retreat into the mouotalns the
campaign will probably be prolonged INTO the
wiuer, and artillery will be necessary IN the
field General Crook, however, has peculiar
prejudice against the utility oil this arm OF the
service against tie lnnlaos, although 10 the
battle of the Rosebud it certainly would have
been of great avail. At prescott those who see
him every day and converse With bin, even
field officers, are as ignorant OF his plans as
they were when the expedition was hrst orgau-
| lied. HI seems to have formed his estimate
of the Sioux from lis experience Of the ApseE
es, and the surprise which he suffered on Juue
II, was. the first awakening from this deluslon.
| Nothing is more certain than that the Apachcs
are insignificant and contemplate in cumparl.
son with the Sioux. Yet, although a stranger
to the latter at the beginning of his admlnstra,
| ton 10 the department, General Crook, rs we'll
| as can learn, consulted none of his suboTdl
| nates regarding their knowledge OF the enemy
whom he was about to fight Many OF these
gallant gentlemen had been constantly engaged
| ia dealing with the Sioux In their military Ca
| pacity since 1866 Ever since its departure
from Fort Fetterman The conduct OF thls ex,c.
dition has been remarkable Tor the cou!eupt
shown by the general commanding for macy cf
tho fundamental principles OF military policy
One might have inferred that the enemy
against whom we Were moving was lmpotrnt
aud harmless The march has been unguarded;
the camps have not been compact enough !or
the most advantageous dete nee; the scouting
has been without system; IN troops although
many Of them we're the rawcst recruits, have
scarcely been drilled, notwi hsandng that they
have been angushing in Incidence for nearly
two months, and the proximity of lodlans has
not not been taken advantage Of TO strike them a
blow, The campaigo, thus far, bears q close
resemblance to the geurraship OF McClclan,so
far az results are concerned, but is very dssim-
liar from it ia respect to military principles.
| All these shortcomings, however, may be at
tributcd to the fact that before 1876 40 general
officer of The army had occasion or opportunity
to learn ho,o to fight the SaomD After arnlDg
our euemy as we'll, it uOt better than ourselves,
| we need not be surprised lfin tournament he
| be may be as near overthroWlng US as We him,
General Crook has now the benefit OF expert
euce and an accession of force to enable him to
lead 90 to victory, aud there is reason to hope
that the month of August will witness decided
triumph, provided that the Sioux are still dis
| posed to Try the fortune Of battle. The Crow
eouriers from General Terry who arrived
| on the 2lst said that two steamers had
| reached his camp on the Yellowstone with
| troops, horses and provisions. His COL
umn is probably marching toward US now.
General Crook dispatched messenger named
Kelly, who turned back twice, beset by the
Sioux; but he started third time Oh the 2Oth
aud has not since been heard Of tie went
afoot aud was shud in moccasins. His lnten
tiou was to travel only at night and to lie con-
cealed 10 bushes in the daytime. tie boasted
that he could walk fifty miles between sun and
sun Pedestrianism was undoubtedly his best
method of accomplishing the journey, as with
out horse nc could more easily escape obser-
yation and would make DO trail. The Sho-
shones are we'll uourlshed 10 camp, and seem ID
excellent eouoeit Of their fortune. An ally who
maiutaios them in idleness apparently Wins
their hearts. They construct wonderfully COM
Portable novels with willow sapings and their
twigs and enjoy existence with la2y relish.
Twenty of the warriors are accompanied by
their souaws. and there are three maidcns who
will mr. pably bestow themselves upon the btav-
est trio of young braves, so proven IN battle
Washakie, the chief OF all the Northern Sho-
shones, is a mau of handsome features and i'm
rosinp stature His form Is massive, but sym
metrical. His face iu profile resembles that OF
Becoher, the cmotiouai.t; n front it resem-
bIes that of Spotted Tail, the chief of the
Brues, and his eyes have the same bright and
intelligent twinkle, mingled with CLEANS of be-
pevolent humor. Contact with civilization
seems to have ripened bis originally noble ua-
ture. He is true friend of the white man,
and one who makes his acquaintance cannot
help believing iu knship of mind between
| him and palcr .sages of the more fortunate eau,
| cssian race. Washkie has cultivated his intel
Iigeuce throughout his life aod has adapted the
language of bis tribe to an alphabet: His hair
is silvcrcd with the hoary dust OF sixty years
but he looks as young as if he had found iu the
Shoshone Sierra Mountain the fountain which
Ponce dc Lon sough, 10 vain 10 the land of
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