Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-07-20
HOW INDIANS ARE ARMED.
Letter from an Ex.surgeOn of an,
seventh Cavalry.
READING, Pa, July Il. 1876.
II of the New York Herald.

To the Editor of the New York Herald:
In the Herald of to-day | noticed
an editorial mentioning a subject of
which / had intended writing you
before. | have reference to the
"source whence the Sioux obtained
their arms and ammunition" The
wholesale slaughter of a few weeks
ago might have been prevented had
the Indians been under the control
Of the War Department. The off
GERS stationed along the upper Mis-
souri, knew of the illegal trading
carried on at Fort Peck, but were
powerless, and had no authority to
interfere. Since 1872 some parties
had stationed themselves al the
above-named fort for the purpose of
obtaining the monopoly in barter
ing with the Sioux, and the only
inducement to bring their custom
ers forward was the offer of arms
Winchester rifles. The Indians.
only too anxious to secure these, ex-
changed all the buffalo robes and
pelts collected during their hunt
ing excursions, took them to Fort
Peck and received their arms.
though paying dearly for them.
The price usually paid for a rifle
was three hundred robes, an equiv
alent Of S2400; thus the firm sent
down the river II, 900 buffalo robes,
besides other skins and pelts, as the
result Of one seasons traffic. Now.
these very Indians were registered
at Grand River Agency, now at
Stand Rock, where they should have
taken their goods, but being limit
ed to certain varieties of trinkets.
ETC., they preferred goin north. Col
onel j. G. 0'Oonnor, who was agent
during 1872 and 1878, was ordered
to prohibit the sale of ammunition
upon his reservation, limiting the
trader, however, to the sale of two
pounds of lead and powder each
per week to such Indians only who
had shown themselves friendly.
This was intended to lessen the
number Of marauding expeditions.
which it did for a short time, but
finally some Of the more daring of
the semi-hostile and hostile Sioux,
came to the agents quarters and
told us "there was no use in Uncle
Sam keeping up that agency that
if the troops and other parties were.
removed they could live upon the
i. game which our presence kept away
, from the river, and that they could
, get all the arms and ammunition
(, they wanted, as they did not care
! for our damned handful of the
Great Fathers powder and lead. {"
AT the closing Of this harangue,
: Gall (who made the address, and
J who is one of Sitting Bulls chief
! eut-throats) advanced, threw back
: his blanket and showed two scars.
: saying, "this makes me angry at
- the white men," His body had
- been pierced by two bayonets in the
fight with General Sully, passing
; clean through his shoulder blades.
- showing his physical endurance, as
he crawled into his own camp the
= night he was wounded, a distance
:, of about four miles. These troubles
= were expected five years ago, and
we had only to wait until ali the
Il warriors were amply supplied.
That time has come, as we aliknow
q. Grand River was to supply 1850
redskins, 5000 Of which availed
!, themselves of the annuities and
= weekly rations the remaining $500
/, kept away and were considered hos
3 tile. 1t was supposed that this
> number, in all, could muster from
1000 to 5000 men and boys. The
result of the illegal agency on the
10 upper Missouri was hat instead O
having all the Indians under the
. immediate control at Grand River
they went north with their goods
trading off at the lower agency bu
100 robes to over $4,000 at For
a Peck. Had the military had con
troll Of this matter the latter woult
= have been cleaned out =" and dies
a villainous torturers brought to thei
or proper place neither would the.
~ have been supplied with arms sui
i ioient to carry on such a bold wal
- In closing, l would say that
re was over the very region-now tn
scene of shell on earth in 1877;
= under General Stanley as surgeon
with the Seventh cavalry, and al
terward with the Twenty-secon
and Seventeenth infantry. Hayin
of known nearly all the officers VIII
in fell, and those who are still holdin.
IS doubtful tickets, l have reason t.
de feel bitter, as l myself came nea
&C. staying in that country.
he Hoping you will pardon this dis
he connected and hasty epistle, l am
of very respectfully, your obedient ser
Of want, w. j. HOFFMAN,
Late Surgeon (and Naturalist
le- United States Army and Prui
ere sian Army during 1070-'71.
-A@@-
A straw that Broke the Rack of
~ Texas policeman.
0 There was a big row going ON il
an side of a San Antonio saloon, an
IL n notwithstanding noliceman wa