The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-27
The New Indian War.

The telegraph yesterday brought the
| news that the Indians are creating sad
havoc among the miners in the Black Hills
country-that out of forty-two men at
Dearwood twenty seven have been killed,
while FIVE other men had been scalped
within three miles OF Custer City. We
fear that this is but the beginning of such
horrors. The imprudent adventures who
have intruded into the Sioux reservation
TO the number of several thousands. are
widely scattered, and 1t will be impossible
for our troops to protect them from the
vengeance of the hostile Indians, who are
now thoroughly aroused in consequence of
the anticipated movement of Gen. Crook
and his forces against them-a movement
regarding which they appear to be thor
oughly informed. But this Is not the worst
OF IL.
eve of a fierce and sanguinary Indian war,
in which, no matter how much skill and
bravery our troops may display, il will be
impossible for them to afford TO the set
tiers on our extended borders protection
from Indian incursions, and we may soon
expect TO hear Of the most frightful acts
of savage warfare in Wyoming and Ne
braska. People IN the East who do not
know the strength and ferocity OF the
wilder bands of Sioux warriors, and have
read OF one or two bold frontiersmen sum-
marly disposing Of whole tribes, may think
an Indian war a trifing matter; but we
fear that before 1t is through with, the
country will be appalled, by the butcheries
of innocent men, women, and children in
exposed localities, which will result from
the accomplished invasions of the Sioux
reservation, and from the military opera
tions now in progress.
The Florida war, directed against hand
full of Seminoles, lasted seven years, and
cost the country s30,O00,000 besides the
lives that were sacrificed. Later, what
was known as the Cheyenne war carried
conhagration and death to the border set
| tlements, led to the most frightful excess
es of barbarous warfare, and resulted, so
| far as the success of our arms was concern
ed, in killing fifteen or twenty Indians at
an expense Of about one million and IA half
dollars each. II the various bands Of
Sioux occupying the Black Hills reserva-
ton should make common cause against
the whites, as IL seems likely that they
may, in the belief that the present strug-
| gle for existence is a final one, the conse-
| quences may be far more serious than in
either of the wars that we have named.
The present situation has been brought
| about wholly by the bad faith of our Gov
ernment. Nearly ten years ago the United
States made solemn treaty with the
| Sioux, guaranteeing them the peaceable
| possession of the Black Hills country, and
| agreeing to protect them from intrusion
| from the whites. Our Government faith
lessly violated this treaty, first by the in
| vasion of the CUSTER expedition, and, sec
| ondly, by falling to protect the Indians
| from the intrusion of miners. And now,
because the Indians have resisted the at
| tempts OF white adventures to take pos
session OF their lands, they are to be chas-
tised-to be exterminated. If necessary, the
Indian haters say, though the business OF
DISCRIMINATING Indians by force of arms
has not been brilliantly successful
hitherto.
When the CUSTER expedition made its
invasion OF the Sioux territory the results
were predicted, and unless we are greatly
mistaken, We have seen as yet but com
paIatively mild beginning of what is now
| IN ooma