Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-08-30

able and will bc sent forward. This
makos nearly 3.O0O out Of our $4,000.
The remainder has not only to engage
In Indian wars, hut has 70 take care Of
an immense amount ofproperty proba-
bly, hundreds Of millions Of dollars
worth, all Of which would be exposed
to plumber and all the accidents Of
common property were not these mon
stationed rs they arc. Indeed, our five
artillery regiments are mostly en-
gagged in guarding public property,
but recently, under the pressure, we
have taken nearly ono-half Of them,
leaving tho rest to take care Of the
guns, magazines and property Of the
most valuable kind on which Congress
has expended hundreds Of millions Of
dollars, and which, IL not watched,
would run to decay or be carried of,
probably, by people around about, |
can account for every man in tho
army.
Mr.. Hurlbut. DO you include in that
list tho Signal Corps2 Answer. No.
sir. They arc not charged against tho
twenty-five thousand. The number Of
men in tho army, according to our list
return, is 24,670. In trying to keep
within the twenty-five thousand we
have, as matter of course, got to keep
well within the standard. In the
meantime discharges arc going on on
account Of expiration of service or Of
sickness, deaths, etc, SO that | doubt
whether We have to-day 10000 men
who are, properly speaking, soldiers in
the limo of battle. There is another
consideration. We cannot send the
whole of our available force into the
Indian country, because the Indians
occupy central position, with the ref,
crence to four very important Terri
ies-Montana, Dakota, Wyoming
and Nebraska. These Sioux Indians
have for years and years been depre-
dating upon these Territories. Then
tho Pacific Railroad PASSES through
Wyoming and Nebraska, over which
we have invited travel from all parts
of the civilized globe, and if any acci.
dent were to happen to one of their
trains from Indian hostilitics, and II
people were murdered in them, ii would
be national disgrace and shame
Therefore we are compelled while we
are engaged away up on the Yellow
stone in fighting Sitting Bull and his
midland to guard against the chances
Of detachments striking either the
Pacific Railroad or the scattered settle
ments around about. Then again we
have, through the civil branch OF the
government, to provide for friendly
Sioux amounting to about $4,000 peo-
pie all told, OF whom probably 5000
are warriors. Although these are
friendly and Christian Indians in one
sense, they are suspicious Indians in
another sense, and We have to watch
them TO see that they do not go out
themselves to join and reinforce the
hostile Indians, and that they do not
send them out provisions and stores,
and that such as come back wounded
or who desire to shake hands, as they
term it, making peace again, shall be
arrested and punished by the law Of
the land. Therefore we have to keep
q good many men along the Missouri
river. 1t was only yesterday that an
fcd;ar os.onx .,v,., o,,t T., Noo,u.
called Gov ooo mon vhom we cou,d NO,
g;ve him becsu.e we aid no, have them.
We teared that the Nex. perces the
Bloods and tho Blaokfset Indians would
break ont and commence bostilitics
seaiust the northern and western bor.
der Of Montana wberc thew have M
soldiers at all and whore we con,d M,
pct them without abandoning other
countrv ouite as valuable and ouitc as
mucb exposed '1N
The Chairman With the authority
under the law as Il now stands 10 All
nm the cavalry regiments can won not
Iif necessary for defense. against ,be
ls;oux take men from the infantry and
sr,,,lerv ~ d;ffsran, no;n,s !, q
proposed TO take them from the infant.
rv to fill nm the cavalry recimen,. n,
tho Texa. frontier : A don't know
that we have proposed to that We
have proposed TO send all the recruits
that we can get to those regiments on
the Texas frontier the Eighth and
Tenth Cavalry, but VIC have not trans.
! forred any from the artillery or infant.
nv to those regiments. nor have VIC
designed 10 do 80 We intend to All
them up bv recruits inst as wo nro.
pose to do in this case We can. and
nrobablv will overhan, onr or,;,,or,,
and infantry com,non;o. and w;,h AZ,
consent Of the men NAV transfer somo
IN tho c.valrv, pu, a man ,ronsssrrod
.. al. .i. u;.l. A..