The New York herald., 1876-08-18
General Crooks Army on the Eve
Of Advancing to Battle.
ARRIVAL on ALL His REINFORGEMENTS.
Scouting Near the Deserted Site of
the Sioux Village.
WILL THERE BE A FIGHT ?
CAMr ON THE ROSEBUD, August 9,
via Rtsxax . ncu II II nnuai L lQiG

Wa oHsAAAShs ~. -, Au6u0s Al, Aoso.
General rerry's iorccs havo finished crossing the
Yellowstone. aud only awat the completion Of the
preparations for the transport OF sup
pes An official circular round after the
troops had pitched their announcing that the
umn would tho morning OF the. 6th, so that
weavs one days rest before setting out On tho war
path The column will bo provsioned for thirty days
aud unless succeed in catching tho Indians, they
In catching within that tne We shall retro to win
ter quarters and the campaign will be for this
year. Ir should be unlnoky enough not 10 find tho
Indians the ault hardly, in justice, bc aid at tho
OF tho Generals the neld The government has
treated this Indian question with too much iovity,
tho authorities in Washington pcrssting in shutting
their Dyes the and power Of the Sioux
tion. No one power willing to admit that
iherc could be more than 100 Indians Al
though tho uusoundness of tho view has
been fully demonstrated all sfhs preparations
vere based upon this estimate and result there
has occurred great delay in tho assembling OF supplies
70 enable General Terry's column rent before taking
tho ned. II the campaign should prove failure the
blame then should De visited where It belongs and not
On officers who are doing their best 10 bring tho
var to successful issue. Under very discouraging
circumstances every hore has doing his
70 get the column in motion, and every 10 anxious
for the campaign TO close The country is most
Inviting, and all tho Of this Yellow
stone region fades like the baselsss fabric
OF q vision when viewed from mil
,tsry camp with its prospect of long
and fatguing marches through tho sand hills and
brush under the burning beams OF that scorches
the very Of the bones, with alka water FOR
drink and this OF sleep mado hideous by
tho bowling coyotes terrible yell of the
Indian savage
ousrKR's TRAIL.
To-day anxious eyes turned toward the East to
The abandoned hresides the memory Of wife and child
comes to sadden the soldiers heart, for who
among all this gallant array can say he will
rsturna Within a fow foet Of tho spot
where write the broad trail marking the passage
Of Custer and his men, "Custer's Trail" Il is
called and they went in far confident OF
and fuller of courage than even the who follow to
lvengo or perhaps lie with thcm There is no use try
Ing conceal the fact that the victory Of the Sioux
.errblc its completeness, has lowered the morale OF
troops not much perhaps but one listens to tho
soldiers they discuss among themselves tho cam
paign the conviction Is forced that they no longer
look upon victory certain Perhaps il better
81 than TO have Of confidence in nghting
willy foe the Indian has always proved himself.
To prevent IamcntabIe disaster SO far as be
judged the present campaign will bo conducted with
the utmost eaut,on; II may be barren, but 1t is not
likely disastrous unless the Indian revolt has
taken proportions beyond all estimation.
ARMS AND AMMUNITION INDIANS.
There is every believe that the Indians are
amply supplied with arms and ammunition, the
traders have been openly engaged this nefarlous
Of furnishing the hostile Indians with munitions
of war since the troops against them and tho
itary authorities Of stopping this traffic
In the blood soldiers Tho Interior Department
locks with such patcrna interest the poor Indian
that only permits the sale of arms and ammuni-
ton Indians but lest their wards should be
able to purchase enough powder and load to tight the
solders this branch Of the actually sends
tribes who are carrying on active hostiities guns,
powder and lead II the nation wants TO render Indian
wars impossible It will steps prevent the Ind
ians obtaining keeping thcm oven II they
should succeed In obtaining them. Tho true
way Of dealing with the Indians Is TO take
their guns and ponies away from them, supply them
with domestic cattlc instead Of frittcring away the
funds voted by Congress annuites TO the different
tribes the purchase OF useless trnksts paints
and other articles that given to the savage
nckIe his fancy and encourage him continue his
bsrbarous habits Of life Tho present system is admir-
lby calculated to prevent any progress toward civ
Eation on the part of the red man.
THE INDIAN CHEATED.
He Is brought into contact only with who arc
Interested In cheating and decciving him, and upon
whom there OF tho healthy checks upon dis
honesty which exist all other departments of the
government The few checks crcated by act Of Con-
gross disrsgardsd and Indian agents OF
fraudulent practices have been known pay
full although tho examining officers had refused
sign tbs vouchers Under these conditions IL is
be wondered at that the Indians look the
white . cheat and a liar, and despise what
arc pleased 10 call civilization. Unless TO be
constantly exposed to cruel and ruinous the
Indian question be dealt with IN statesmanliks
spirit
pIsBASD TIE INDIAN
The solution s easy enough 10 be found n honestly
sought II consists In dsbandng that group OF thieves
the Indian Ring, and treating tho Indian
with ilrmnoss and justice There should be
no more treaties, as though
dealing with . sovereign Power, bat each
Indian should be made responsible being before the
law with the rights and tho Same duties as other
men, With the abolition OF tho sgencies and the Indian
traderships troubles with tho Indians would soon
cease to assums the importance Of armed revolt
There IL very little doubt that the OF the
Missouri ,raderships tho hostile tribes are even
now receiving arms and ammunition. In rels-
ton 70 this subject General Giobon has ad-
dressed the following letter 70 the Governor Of
Montana and 70 ono OF the traders. who h popularity
supposed TO be the chief furnsnor Of material
s,,vpr Bull and his pravea General Gibbon says he
does not accuse Mr.. Powers Of selling ammunition to
the hostilcs but simply writes so as to warn him
against the consequences Of doing So Other officers
arc. however BY means so cons,derata II Is posi-
tvely asserted that within tho last year the Indians
haye been supplied with
tons AxnUNr.os
from the Cheyenne Agency, and steamboat captains
,sser, ,ha. arms and ammunition are constantly gong
m the Missouri River for the Indians reliable
asserts that he starting out from Carroll train Of
thirteen pack mules, carrying 2e,ooo rounds OF
ammunition for sitting Bulls party Each
mule carried two boxes OF fixed ammunition
and sack Of -four. II was notorious