Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-08-06
General Crittenden,s Views.

Interview with Correspondent OF the Gin
clnnau Enquirer.l
at Crook is whipped" he said, "and
has lost three hundred men, you can
make up your mind that he has just
faxed the savages; and, IS he must have
been attacked in his camp, he must have
acted on the defensive, and has killed
two men for one, for the Indians cannot
make any hesdway against our infan-
try"
"Crook is not dsshing fighter like
Custer, is he, genecal?'
HCrook's q good Indian fighter. He
had dash enough when he got after the
Apaches, hut he has good sound sense.
He dashed in when he first went up
there at Rosebud, bu. he found out that
the Apaches and Sioux are different
races. He had to find the Apaches and
make them fight against their will or
wish, and they only had bows and ar
rows to oppose him. He found the Sioux
not only willing but anxious to fight,
armed with good rifles, and the best
marksmen in the country. There are
many individuals in the army who can
shoot better than the Indians, but we
have no five thousand men who can
shoot better than the five thousand
Sioux. They have their. own battle
ground, and while the game lasts can
hold out for long while, but when the
game is exhausted they will hSve to
abandon the country"
SITTING BULLS aENERALsHIP.
"Don't you think, general, that Sit
ting Bull has exhibited considerable
generalship"
"Not any more than several other
chiefs among the Sioux. They have a
number of men among them who pos
sess great deal of intelligence. l am
not one of those who believe that great
general or q good general is born. A
good commanding officer is q man Will
good, hard sense, and courage enough to
look over the field during the battle and
keep cool enough to take in the situa-
ton. II Sitting Bull were killed to-
morrow the Sioux would carry on the
war Just the same. He is an outlaw, and
the worst daredevil in the crowd. Old
Indian fighters have been surprised at
the manner in which he has kept the
Indians together. They did not think 30
many Indians could be kept together for
30 long time"
'tCUsTER's LUCK"
When the conversation turned on the
terrible disaster that Terminated Clusters
career, the general took up tue topic
without hesitation, but 1t was evidently
q painful, very painful theme to him.
tIts folly to talk about fighting the
Indians with cavalry. Our cavalry is
not fit for Indian warfare. The Indians
stampede the horses and demorAlize the
troops, while their ponies can stand any.
thing. Every Indian pony is trained
horse. Custer's disaster was a terrible
affair. 1t can't be criticised in the light
of military experience, because there Ia
nothing like it in the annals OF waFfare.
1t stands alone, without precedent. ii
Custer had had infantry instead of cav.
airy, they could have pushed through
| the Indians, and portion OF the COM
mand could have escaped, bat the cav.
airy could not act in such a country.
They could not charge, while every In.
| dian rode pony that can climb q rock
| like a goat. They dismouuted and
fought like tigers, every man dying like
q soldier"
WHAT is NEEDED.
General Banning asked him what
course Of action be thought wisest, un.
der existing circumstances, to put ar
end to the war.
Fl think the wisest and most econom
icsl thing you can do is to provide for s
number of volunteers for three or siz
N onths, to fill up the skeleton regi
ments to their full quota OF one thou
sand men. tn will save the expense
Of organizing new regiments, and pro
viding new equipments. Crowd plenty
Of infantry into the hills; and, wheI
the Indians return to the agencies, tax,
away the Arms and poaies from ever
redskin who has been on the war path