New-York tribune., 1876-07-11
sOyDJERS AND THEIR CRITICS.

II is not strange perhaps that the partisan
newspapers hasten 90 seize upon the campaign
which resulted so disastrou,ly 70 Custer and
his whole command as material for political
capital. at any other time than the opening
of n Presidential canvass it would not be 50
treated but lust now the eager paTtisans let
10 opportunity pass to make point against
an oppOucnt. 1t occurs to us, however, that
the critics who are passing Judgment upon
Gen. Tcrry's plans and dcnOuncing the division
Of his forces as weak and mwise are getting
q tri0a beyond their depth. Gen. Sherman.
who is supposed to know something OF the
art of war, and to bc as well acquainted
with the methods and devices OF lndlan
warfare as any of the critics referred
to, differs from them decidedly Ill his
Judgment of Gen. TcTy's plans; and in an
interview at Philadelphia on the day after
the news was received, Gen. Sherman spoke
of this same division OF forces as an cmincntly
proper one, aud observed that o;her Indian
tribes had been successfully hunted down by
fhe samc method. With such backing as this
Cen Terry cln well afford TO submit the Whole
question to the Judgment of the people, not
withstanding the adverse criticisms OF partisan
newspapers. 1t is TO be regretted that what
are considered the eXigencics Of political
campaign should impcl men TO hasty judS-
mcuts and unjust conclusions i'll matters oi
such seriousness. II ought not 10 be necessary
to import into a Presidential canvass the
brutalilics of Indian warfare, and all good
citizens viii protest against any such use OF
the late disaster as that to which some partisan
journals are cndoavOTing to put 1t.
1 1. bn record
T.rry in his effort to find and strike the en-
can,pment Of the hostile Sioux, directed a part
of Lis force TO move mp the ROscbul, and
part to move up the Big Horn and Little Big
Horn, at such speed as to meet on the even
ing of the 2Gth near the hcadwaters OF the
latter stream, where it was supposed the en-
campmcnt was more likely 10 be found: 1t
appears that this plan, Simllar to That which
had been adopted with success in expeditions
AGAINST other savage tribes, was approved by
each Of the subordinate commanders, who
were experienced in Indian fighting; that it
was based upon correct Judgment
of the locality at which the enemy
would probably be found i'll force, and
that il would have resulted, if strictly
followed, in massing the whole force at that
point on the 2Gth. For reasons which are not
vet wholly known, and perhaps may never be
come known, Gen. Custer moved much more
rapidly than was expected. 1t appears that he
struck an Indian tlnil, and several times had
information leading him to believe that the
In lians were in flight; it may be that any
one Of a dozen Other conceivable reasons
prompted him to push forward with speed.
The whole plan was based upon the belief, ev-
idently entertained alike by Gen. Custer and
hy Gen. Terry, that either branch OF the force
would he sufficient to drive any body OF hos
tile Indians likely to be found. 1t is now
known here, but was not known to
Terry or Custer, that the force Of
:; ting Bull had been nearly or quite doubled
by the arrival OF 1900 braves from the
Arrapahoe and Cheyenne tribes. Gen. Custer
be the reason what 1t may pushed forward III
full belief that if he could catch the Indians
anywhere he could defeat and drive them II
appears that after marching continuously all
day on the oath, and all the next night he
found village near the expected point on the
forenoon of the 2jth. and that his scouts
brought word that the Indians were flying
from it. as they had abandoned Others pre-
yiously seen. Then he attacked, without wait
ing to rest men or horses, more than twenty
fonr hours before the other forces were ex-
pcctcd to arrive. Why he attacked we do not
know. There may have been good reason. II
seems difficult to believe that soldier oil
Clusters experience and melit engaged III
conflict which he did not have reason to sup
pose would not be serious, under such circum-
stances 1t is more rational to suppose that
circumstances not now fully known led him to
believe that the force before him was small,
would be easily routed, and, if he delayed for
rest or rcGnlOrccmGnts, would get away alto
gethcr. If he erred in Judgment, We cannot
say how far the circumstances caused that
error.
Hence while there is no known ground for