The Lake County star., 1876-08-03
INDIAN WARS.
New York Herald.1

New York Herald.l
The history Of Indian wars shows that
in nearly every instance where the saw
ages have gained advantage over white
| troops the successes have been due to
either overwhelming superiority of num-
bers, to treachery, to ambush or to sur
such cases to manifest their bloodthirsty
instincts by the use of the scalping-knife
or tomahawk on all who fell into their
hands. Tie destruction of Clusters
command is by no means without a par
allel in point of magnitude or probable
results. In fact the United States had
hardly achieved its independence when
its army suffered even greater reverses in
combating the aborigines, and it will be
seen that such disasters have not been
uncommon down to late period.
Although peace had been effected be-
tween Great Britain and America in
1888, yet the savages who had been per-
suaded to take part with the latter, were
unwilling to bury the bloody hatchet.
Without any pretext whatever they con-
tinued to exercise toward Americans the
most wanton acts of barbarity. From
1888 to 1890, the time the United States
commenced offensive operations against
the Indians, the latter had on the Ohio,
and ON the frontiers on the south side,
killed, wounded and taken prisoners
1000 men. women and children, besides
carrying off thousands of horses aud
other property. They had also made re-
peated attacks on detachments of troops.
In April, 1890, Major Doughty was or.
dered to the friendly Chickasaws on pub
lie business. He performed his duty in
boat, having with him a party of fif-
teen men. While descending the Ten
nessee River he was met by a party of
Indians in four canoes. They approached
under white flag, the well-known en-
blem of peace. They came on board the
Majors boat, received his presents, con-
tinued with him nearly an hour, and
then separated in the most friendly man.
ner. But they had scarcely cleared his
oars before they poured in fire upon
his crew, killing and wounding eleven
out of the fifteen soldiers. In Septem-
ber, 1890, General Harmar was dis
patched with 300 Federal troops and 900
militia to the principal villages of the
Indians on the Miami. On their arrival
there they were found deserted. The
first opposition was met by detachment
of 200 men near the Great Miami village
They came up with and were attacked
on surprise by large body of Indians,
who were concealed in the thickets on
every side of large plain. The conflict
was short and bloody. The troops were
soon overpowered by numbers, and all
fell except two or three officers and two
or three privates. The next battle
which occurred after the army left Miami
village was still more disastrous. At ten
mile distance from the town Harmar Or
dered halt and detached four or five
hundred militia and sixty regular SOL
diers, who were ordered to march back.
At their first entrance into the town
there appeared small body of Indians,
who Immediately fled at the first onset,
and by that means decoyed the whole
body of the militia by making their fight
in different directions and encouraging
the militia to pursue. BY this strategem
the few regular troops were left alone
and the IndiaDshad effected their design.
They succeeded in routing and destroying
the regulars. The defeat of the troops
was complete. The dead and wounded
were left on the field of action in posses
sion of the savages. The whole number
of soldiers killed was 1888; wounded, 81.
When General st. Clair, who was
Governor of the territory west of the
Ohio, was sent against the Indians in
1891, Washington took leave Of his old
military comrade in words that were no
more warning to him than they should
have been to soldier so well read as
General Custer.
"You have ,yonr instructions from the
Secretary of War;" said the President.
81 had an eye to them, and will add but
one word-beware of a SURPRISE"
The troops for the expedition gathered
early in September at Fort Washington,
now Cincinnati. There were about two
thousand regulars and one thousand
militia, most of them being beggarly
and disorderly lot. The regulars de-
serted one by one, and the militia threat
ened TO 90 in body. Discomfort ruled
throughout the march, which began on
the 7th of September, and continued
through dense woods and unexpl0red
country for nearly two months. On the
30th Of October sixty of the militia de-
serted, expecting to plunder the supply
trains in the rear, and regiment was
detached to bring them back, or at least
to Illustrate their designs. Thus reduced
to fourteen hundred effective men, st.
Clair continued his march until Novem.
Der, when he encamped on rising
ground, with a stream forty feet wide in
front. The encampment was surrounded
by close woods, dense thickets, and the
trunks of fallen trees, with here and
there ravine or swamp, the best kind
of cover for Indian warriors. 1t was
st. Clair's intention to throw up slight
defensive work on the following day SO
as to make the camp more secure, but
before the next day arrived he met the
enemy and was defeated. The attack
was a surprise, and throughout the In
dians fought under cover. From the. be-
ginning the troops met murderous fire,
and although some brave and effective
charges were made, the day was destined
to be one Of direful defeat and disaster.
The retreat was disorderly one, not
only the dead but many of the wounded
being left on the field. The whole loss
was five hundred and fifty killed and
two hundred wounded, and out of the
ninety.fve commissioned officers who
were on the field thirty-one were killed
a,d twentv wounded Washinotop