The daily gazette., 1877-07-16
From the Baltimore Gazette.
The Indian Campaign.

No one has been careful observer OF
Indian campaigns during the last few
years. will be surprised that Gen. Howard
s has made another bloody failure in at
tempting 10 bring the Nez Perces to peace
by war. We have had the usual bombas-
Tic bulletins from military officers, and
graphic descriptions OF the strategy that
was 10 bring the willy Chief Joseph TO
battle and exierminate his warriors Day
after day. General Howard has telegraph.
ed how he had crossed the Salmon river:
then how be lad crossed it again; then
bow Joseph had cTuSsed il mewhere:
then how regular troops were expected
X soon 10 complete The marvellous strategi-
ca. movements Of Howard. and then how
he would be concentrated" when all
his troops got together in one place: but
Joseph scattered IS Howard concentrated.
sEooped down on isolated commands now
and then by way Of airing his strategy,
and finally Concentrated his dusky warri-
o!S so suddenly and in such numbers as
TO make the country await in painful sus-
penSe for the news Of another massacre.
The whole truth of the supeTl4iive folly
Of the Management: Of the war is told in
seventeen brave volunteers were deserted
by the regular troops 10 be butchered, but
rescued themselves by their sublime
courage, and the other IS given in Gen.
McDoWells & >pAlch 10 the WAr Depart
meni. begging for two hundred Western
volunteers 10 rescue HoRa ar1's army from
destruction.
II IS the old, old story Of military tom
iocleiy asa n>l The Cunning Of The savage
and i. viii bc told and told again. and
told over until indian wars are conducted
With some iIiile regard f,r common seuse
Tue Two hundred Western volunteers
now called for would have ended the Nez
Perces war in thirty days had they been
pu' IN the field a, the outbreak Of hosii,i-
!les, and now tLey will be worth more
man two thousand regular troops in the
htlds OF martlLet ploclamationist like
Howard. Ii is not his fault that he can't
h5ht Indians in the Indian country. for
lie doesn't know how 10 do II, and can't
learn; but the scores of Indian butcheries
We have had in the last ten years should
have taught the government the madness
oi sendIhs regular troops into the country
where Ho@ ard is operating. Had some
'--A44 mt NOiphcl CuOup Ol Sdfu ITrtk
memory. been ordered to the LANDS of the
oelllg' rent joseph with two hundred
volunteers, joseph would have PLAYED
Colonel Shoup for POtiphar, if possible.
aud get away even at the cost of some of
his raiment, if necessary; but there would
have been no lives lost. for the very good
reason that Indian lives wouldp't have
heen worth ten cents on the dollar in
case OF a battle. But, after wasting time
and money and life lavishly in regular
military movements, the hostile tribes
have gathered a formidable army of
warriors in the tield.an now the " estern
volunteers must come to the front aud
save the army They have done it before
and more than once, and they can do it
again; but shouldn't forty OF fifty years
OF criminal sacrifice of life In ill-directed
warfare against the barbarian teach an
intelligent government to fight Indians
in the only way that they eau be surely
and promptly defeated? There are few
Indian wars which shouldn't be ayerted.
but when war is upon US peace should
be won as cheaply as possible.