The New York herald., 1878-11-14
GENERAL SHERNAN'S REPORT.
Our Treatment Of the Indian Question
Severely Criticised.
A SYSTEM THE NATION HAS OUTGROWA
Cause OF Past Outbreaks and Incentives
to New Ones.
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ATLANTIC.


wAsHISGroN Nov. l3. 1873
General Sherman, in his annual report. refers to tho
reports of the different commanders of military de-
partments. Among them that of Lieutenant General
Sheridan will he says attract the first notice. To this
report he invites close study. His command embraces
eight OF the ten regiments of cavalry and eighteen OF
the twenty-five regiments Of infantry which compose
the entire army and although he states this force to
be entirely inadequate perform the duties required
yet it is impossible further to reinforce him without
stripping the seaboard abandoning other Territories
subjected to the same dangers which he SO
graphically describes in his The troops
subject to his comInan dcompose twothrds OF the
effective force Of the whole army and his Territorial
command extends from the British line the north
TO the mouth Of the Rio Grande on the south, an
average of 1900 miles long. and from the Mississippi
River westward to and including the Rocky Noun
tain chain, an average of 200 miles broad.
THE EMPIRE
This vast region has in the past ten years. under
gone a radical change. From being the pasture field
of millions Of buffalo, elk, &C., afording abundant
food for tho Indians. it has passed into farming
country, traversed by many railroads. The game is
nearly all gone, and the Indian has been forced
small reservations. Nearly all the Indian treaties
were made the theory that this change would
occur more slowly, and that the government would
have to furnish partial food for the Indians and that
they would procure half or quarter OF the neces-
sary meat by hunting Again. it was fayorite theory
that the Indian would sec for himself reason why
lie should cultivate the ground like white men; but
his progress in this respect is scarcely perceptble
in the remnants Of tribes like the Santees. Paw
Arapahoes. Kiowas. 60 seem to prefer deati to the
common toll Of the farmer.
CAUSE or RECENT OUTBREAKS.
Beyond question it hunger which drove the
Bannocks and Cheyennes to war this summer. spd
similar escapades will occur each year unless these
Indians be kept quiet with more food. It seems idle
to expect that the enterprising white race will
cease till every of this continent is susceptible
these pasture fields can be used by the two races With
out everlasting conflict. The reservations already
apart for the Indians are large enough and should
suffice them to raise all the meat and grain necessary
for their subsistence; but meantime they must have
food. else they will steal and fight.
To convert these Indians into pastoral is the
first step in the upward progress Of civilization that
Of culture must be the next stage. though slower Of
realization But IN this direction is the sole nope Q.
snnhation. This end cannot be reached by means Of
the present peace agents. because persuasion -
wasted on Indian. There must not only be show
of force but actual force and subsection used Force
will be necessary to compel the "nomad to culti-
vate his own ground. There is wide distinction
among the tribes. and each tribe must be dealt with
according to it's nature Large discretion to supply
food must be lodged with the President or some
where else.
Starvation will each year wars such as oc-
Cured this with the Shoshorcs and Southern
these wars. All it do after the Indians break out.
plumber steal and kill harmless families is to pursue
duct them back to their reservstons and turn them
loose to return to the game 0d hbtfm. Congress
wiser than cure money and discretion must be lodged
somewhere in time to prevent starvation.
PACIFIC SLOPE.
The reports Of Generals Mcdowell, Howard and
Wilcox describe the condition of affairs in the States
and Territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, The
Indians are collected by tribes and families small
reservations well apart SO that Indian
large scale. requiring concert OF action, are NOS
the shoshone war Of this summer show that these
small bands Of Indians did large amountpf damage
and caused great CONSERVATION. The Pacific coast
Indians depend much fish for subsistence, and the
establishment Of fisheries on the Lower Columbia 10
fast cutting of the supply. Unless suitable regula.
tons adopted the salmon will become extinct and
the Indians driven to stealing. and consequent war
with tho settlers
Reference Is made to the danger Of hostilities 30.
tween the Indians and settlers n Oregon and WASH
ington Territories, and also in Arizona, owing to
trespasses by the whites The army is powerless to
to interfere except after hostilities are
actually begun. The General repeats that the
m'am %t m.pymss many almost as thsrs are srSes
Measures which would be wise in one instance would
be folly in another and whatever department. OF the
government Is charged with 1t must be armed. not
only with force but large discretion and authority TO
furnish food in emergencies.
DEPARTMENT OF THE ATLANTIC.
In the military division OF the Atlantic. General
Hancock commanding, there four regiments Of
ana three OF q s1 pre
ably have TO go to the frontier In the spring IL
would be we'll il there could bc held at poirs like
Atlanta Lcavenworth, st. Paul and Omaha, In rota-
ton, full regiment OF infantry or cavalry for in
struction but hitherto this has been mpracticabc.
General Sherman doubts the wisdom of selecting
and preparing in advance, recommended by General
Hancock posts and camps in the South against yellow
fever The artillery school ut Fortress Monroe Is kept
to high standard and is fast becoming post
graduate course for officers.
MILITARY ACADEMY.
General Sherman concurs In the recommendation OF
General Schoeld that the september appointments Of
West Point be discontinued and further suggests that
the new cadets be examined by the Academic Board
early in June aud that no cadets be examined on
however. the wisdom of the recommendation
that the standard for the admission of cadets be
raised He thinks that an erroneous impression is
common that academy will graduate more officers
than are needed for the army, but experience has
shown that vacancies annually occur in the ARMY to
nj least the number of sixty, which Is more than the
average graduating class.
STRENGTH or THE ARMY.
The report shows that there 1870 enlisted men
In the ten regiments of cavalry in the army, 2630 men
in the Ave regiments of artillery and u,205 in
the twenty five regiments of infantry making total
Of 2i6G4 Besides these there are in the
ing parties music boys and recruits in depots 1l2l;
enlisted men detached OH general service, 372 Ord
prison guard III hospital stewards, 1888; ordnance
sergcants ia; commssary sergeants. 14s and Indian
scouts. $40, total Of 3097. making the whole num-
bcr of enlisted men in the army, H.761.
The report concludes as follows:--In conclusion
] bog 10 state that from personal inspections and
from Official reports / am sure tho army In
well and economically supplied: Its discipline
expected from its scattered condition and
from the vast amount Of labor ., necessarily &C.,
fully every call of duty and of hardship; it has &C.
complishcA an amount Of work which. as General
world would have attempted with less than sixty
thousand or seventy thousand men,