The Leavenworth weekly times., 1878-10-24

Mar D~pars..eu: -Ehe 1sezican
Ereus;- Etc.
l'I-obe.Dtmocrat, 10
That's him." remarked the porter a;
'he Lindeli, rather urgramnaucaiiy, point
ing 10 gentleman who sat under the mag
nihcent Por ico, enjoying the cool breeze
at evsniIg :. The individual referred to
~as gentleman rather unaer the medium
siz-, though cUmpactly built, dressed in
black broadcloth, but without ostentation,
ani wearing brigsdier's soft Eel; hat. He
"5,= past the meri1ian of lie, if any cri-
Ie'."n sas furnisl ed ty his eye glasses and
ia gray mustache, sirgularly calm and
ru.!rct-d IN manner, and was smoking a
cr-,r IN pisc!d eniovment ard content.
IS tnI- 'reusrai Pope asked the re-
porter.
The gentleman bowed, and the newspa.
Ier man introduced himself, and explained
that the ohject Of his mission was 10 ascer-
Tain the facts In regard to the
RECENT OUTBREAK OF THE CHEYENNEs.
Il dislike, extremely" said Gen. Pope
40 be made the subject OF an interview. 1t
Is hardly considered professional for an
army officer to give his views to the public
al large; he is responsible Only To his su-
perioI-, who are quick enough to observe
anG reprove any shortcomings or neglect,
and he canno: hold himself ready 10 an
-wer any statement that NAV be made in
the newspapers about him.
But, General Pope. statements have
been made, and circulated broadcast, that
you n,ed!essly neglected warning given
nj h. h.. IL L.
Lieut.. Morrison corrected il the other dsv,
through the columns Of the Gip5e- Demoed at.
| only want to know what the facts were: y
/"lou saould have iuteIvie~ed me or
some one else in position to speak au-
thorltalve Y, before the first publication
was mad. The statement is not true thai
| neglected TO Observe warnings that the
Cneyennes were about to leave their reSer-
Walton. | have just sent on my official re-
port 10 Washing ION, and il will probably
reach you in day or two. Ten days be-
lore there was any outbreak | instructed
the commanding officer at Fort Reno, Mai
VI asner, to send out a detachment 10 watc n
them, aud he did 50. He sent out, | be
lIeve, about eighty or ninety men to where
the band ot Cheyennes were, at the Sand
Hills, about twelve or fourteen miles from
Fort Rene, but the Indians slipped away
that night. We had no authority or right
to interfere with them until they LETT the
reservation. We have used every effort to
pursue and capture them, and return tuem
To their RESERVATION. You can't catch 10.
Il Indians, mounted on horses and stealing
fresh hors's as they 60 along, with infantry,
and at that time there was hot one compa-
ny Of cavalry in Kansas. The cavalry
regiments had, had b en- transferred To
the Rio Grande or to The North, where the
Department believed the greater need fn.
them existed, and believe they were right,
trusting to chance that there would be no
outbreak in my department. | mounted
what infantry could and dispatched COM
panies of cavalry locat, d in different por-
tIons Of Indian Territory after them. One
com pany had to travsi 80 and another $50
mii,s before they caught up with the In
ii ms"
Where are they now?'
They have crossed the Department OF
the Platte and now up in the region of the
Spotted Tail and Red Cloud Agencies Tn.
band comprises about ninety bucks, | be-
lieve, though the officers at first reported
that they numbered l2J or $50, but in a
band Of Cheyennes the women and bows
fight as we'll or better than the men, so that
they practically number about 200 war
riUrs. 1 have sent five companies OF csval-
ry, two OF mounted infantry, and Gen
Crook about regiment and a hall of cav
airy. When ! say regiment, | mean all the
way from 80 to 300 men, and by com
pany mean all the way from thirty to
Fifty men.
What do you mean to do with them -
They must be captured, and those Of
them sent back to their reservation who are
not killed in the struggle"
THE CAUSE OF THE BREAK
What was the cause of the Cheyennes
leaving their reservation ?'
The failure of the Government to keep
its promises with them. cannot of course,
attempt 10 place the responsibility, but
when he Government puts a tribe OF In-
dians where they cannot subsist by hunting.
it should keep its promises to provide them
with supplies and the necesssries of life. !
received the report of the Indian Agent two
or three days ago, and forwarded it 10
Washington. had no right to require it
of him, buI sent and he gave il to me. !
The agent, Mr.. Miles, comedies in the |
Statement that the promises Of the Govern
ment have not been ke;t. He couldn't |
give the supplies ~ the Indians because be- !
didn't have them. lie says that sup |
plies OF provisions OF various kinds, TO a |
very large amount, We're no: even adver- |
tised for. Who is responsible | can't sav
but know the Indians have suffered more
privarions and hartships, and endured
Ihem more patiently and with less grumb-
Ing, than would the same number OF |
white men. | have written 10 Washington |
nfty time in The past two years, stating
these facts. Like the same number Of !
white men would do, when hey found III.
Government wasn't keeping promise IN is
suing ;hem supplies on which to maintain
existence, and that they could not srhsisr
by hunting, they resolved TO go back TO
their old hunting grounds in the North. |
have been on the plains twenty five wears,
and | have never known an outbreak 10
occur among the Indians which was no,
caused by bad faith on the part OF the
Government. want of the moral sense of
Oblig gation-a failure To carry out it, agree
menIs. In this last outbreak no rutrac.s
Or murders were committed by the Chev-
ennes until after they were attacked. | AN
told, though l. have not got il officially,
that when The troops caught up with the
CheyenDes, the commanding officer rode in
to the camp and, calling Doll Knife 10 enc
side, said: Il don't want to attack you; /
don't want.to engage in battle with you some
Df your warriors and some Of my men will
necessarily be killed, but you must go back
to your reservation, and il would be better
all around for you to come without resist
ance"
Dull Knife replied: '.Nor do We want to
light you We went on the reservation be-
,ause the Government promised to furnish
ID with supplies and provisions. We have
waited patiently and long. The Govern
nent has not complied with its promises.
We can not starve. We are going back to
,ur old hunting grounds. Before We re-
urn to the reservation We will die in our
racks" The Sioux are beginning 10 get
Uneasy and restless, and fear that now
hey are joined by the Cheyennes there will
Ne serious trouble in the North. In fact,
here will continue to be trouble all along
'ur border as long as the present policy, by
which the Indians are duped and cheated
continues. As it is now the army can only
ook on, observing their condition, but
Without any right to enquire into their suf-
erings, needs and wants. or provide a rem
dy, and only called into requisitlon at the
asst moment. when, driven desperate by
Eant and suffering for the necessaries of
ife promised BY the Government, they al
empt to leave their reservation. We have
10 power to fores,all or prevent an out
'reak, and it is only when one breaks out !
hat We are called in service"
TRANSFER To THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
Gen. Pope warmly indorsed the proposed