, 1876-07-09


- they neglect OF refuse 60 to move they will b
nla,ated to the Var Department as hostile 1ndians
.,,sf military force will bc sent to compel then
~ ahsr tho order Ut the indian oilicc
IN tic 1st day Of February tho Secretary o' liz
,rte,iur u further nntilica thc $ccretary of war
iaThr time given him .Sittlny Tul III Which !.
.o,urn to Au agency huviilg expired. and advice.
1staircd at tic indian ocu bong i, Tho uagct thai
r,t;ne }uli still refser to comply with tho .,irrc.
Ems ut tho Commissioners, tl.e aaid Indians ast
u1ajh utsrshy turned over to the War Department ia,
1Hrb action Oh thu part Of the army you ,nay
ss 2tsl[ iii lie staess of this corrcsnonaenco thu
,tnera of the Army snd his subordinate command
ssnwere duly notified, aud were maxim. rrepura-
iort for striking blow at these husiile say
n.sasan nos enterprise Of an almost unsurmountable
aaTso,n,ct. often fails to 10 degrees qc:ov zcro.
md where it ii impossible to procare food for
Eo"si coll,.1a1it OF 1;rig. Gen. George Crook. an
ps;+cr Of great merit anI experience. which II,
T.1ch last marched from Forts Fcttcr.lan and Lar
s to ;ask ns a ts s. Of xs
a.se ono OF tho hostile bands referred to BY In
s;en Inspccto. Watkins, bit the weatnerw found
~ litter cold and other difficulties great arose
,n,t Cen. Crook returned 10 Fort Laramie in =
rrs,ure unsuccessful, 20 far ae the main purpose
a. concerned
+ These 1ndisns occupy parts of the department of
nd Grook respectively, but tho whole is ilnu,ei-
snl st"lr Commanded by Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan, who
hss piyeu tho matter his special attention,
ANOTHER EXPEDITION.
prepsrations were then made Oh larger scuIc
nd columns were put in motion as early in May al
possible: from Fort Abe LINCOLN, on the
Missouri ror, SsE: Es under Dc xen;nno Ssn Ts11s; nsg;
sa from cibSon i and from Fort Fottc4nan, sr qndsr
ccn Crook These columns were 10 strong ~
eo!ld d. maintained III that inhospitable region OF
Us coud be spared from other pressing necessities,
md these operations aro not yet concluded nor Il
more deai!cd report deemed necessary to explain
The srbiect-mattcr Of this inquiry. The present
military operatons are nos assinst the Sioux
hos1iie haaSe p.rt Of it. Which defy ths and
sre undertaken at The special request Of the l5u-
of lie Government charged with their supervision
and xbo]y to make the civilization Of the remain-
ar near the Sioux Reservation.
THE BLACK HILLS.
The accidental discovery of gold on the western
border Of the Sioux Reservation and Intrusion Of
our people thereon havo not caused this var, and
hsre oilJ complicated it by the uncertainty
Of the numbers to be encountered The young
their agents to 80 on tue hunt m os war-pa,h their
only ides OF the object OF lfe The object OF these
military expeditions was IN the interest of peace;
The pescefn1 part OF the Sioux nation IL supposed
to embrace at least ninc-tenths Of tho whole, anu
no: one OF these peaceful treaty lndians has been
molested by the military authorities,
The recent reports touching The disaster which si
befel purt Of the Seventh regular cavalry Leo w
Gen. Custer in person. are
BELIEVED TO BE TRUE.
For some reason u yet unexplained Gen. Custer,
who commanded the Seventh cavalry, and had been
det:chcd by his commander, Gen. Terry, ut tue
mouth Of the Rosebud to mako O wide detour up
the Rosebud tributary to the Yellowstone,
across to the Little Horn and down .o', It 70
on for meeting, attacked en- routo u large lndinn
village with only part at his force, having hinsulf
detached THO rest with view to intercept inc ex
pected retreut of the sayagcs, and experienced IN
utter annihilstion OF his immediate command.
The forces OF Gen. Terry and Gibbor REACHED the
field Of battle the nezt dsy and rescued hity:two
Lieut.. Col: GoorEe 4. Custer, capts: Custer,
keo.h, f4tas, 1ieuts Cook, Smith, Mcintosh,
Calhoun, Hodgson, Reilly, Porter, starssls, all OF
the seventh eayary aud Lieut.: cr,t.ensen et @ the
geon Lord, and Acting Asst. Surgeon DcWolt. arc
missing. The wounded were carried back TO the
mouth Of the Zig Horn, in Yellowstone, which is
1nyigabte. and where there we're two steamboats,,
one OF which was sent down the river to Fort Abc
li1coly with the wounded, and TO communicate tie
sad facts.
Big Horn rehtting, and will promptly receive
rclaforcements and enpllles, ard WILL resume his
operations Immediately:
In the meantime Gen. crook has also advanced
fsou1 Fort Fettcr1aan, and, on the eth Of June,
eight days before Gen. Custcr's attack, had en..
M s sie ce o Sf n ua Ins Ssad
hours, driving: tug indians from the held
losing Omen killed. I officer and 20 men wounded.
Gen. Crook reports his ca,Ip III On Tongue River,
Wyoming. Keinforcemeuts and supplies ere alsu
en- route 10 him, and every possible means have
been adopted to accomplish concert of aotion
Tt cen these two forces, which are necessarily
separated, and are only able to communicate by
|m ,cnse distances around By their rear The task
to tho military authorities ia
ONE or UNUSUAL DIFFICULTY,
has been anticipated. for years. and must be met
and accomplished. It no longer he delayed, and
everything will be done ly the department to insure
the SUCCESS which IL necessary to give even askur-
ance of comparative safety to tue important but
scattered interests which have grown up in renaote
aud almost inaccessible portions OF uur national
Domain
1t is again earnestly recommended that the ap-
preparation asked fox repeatedly BY Gen. Sheridan
1t $780, 000 be made, TO build two posts On the yell
lowstonc at or nea: the mouth Of the Big Horn and
Tongue Rivers. |
1ncosed herewith please find copies Of 1ea. |
Icrrys report Just received by telegraph since the
Of this letter. |
Your obedient servant, |
(Slg1cd) J. D. CAMERON,
Secretary Of War.