American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-11-30
ARMY REPORTS.
of Gen. sherman's Report.

Hynopsis of Gen. Sherman's Report.
Gen. Sherman, in his annual report, in.
vites close study to the report of Lieut.
Gen Sheridan. He says that Gen. Sheri-
dams command EMBRACES g OF the 10 regi-
tnents of cavalry and 10 of the 25 regiments
of infantry, which compose the entire army,
and although he states this force to be en-
tirely inadequate to perform the duties re.
CURED, yet it is impossible further to rein
force him without stripping the seaboard or
abandoning other territories subjected to
some dangers which he Sc graphically de-
scribes in his own. The troops now subject
to his command compose two thirds the ef-
fectiye force of the whole army, and his ter
ri orial command extends from the British
line on the p"rth to the mouth of the, Bio
G1ande on the south, an average of 1,5U0
miles long, and rom the Mississippi west
ward to and including the Rocky Mountain
chain, an average of POO miles broad. Gen.
Sherman adds:
This vast region lps in thu pHst 10 tents
undergone h,radi.;ar change. From being the
pasture field of millions OF buffalo, elk, :,
atfording abundant food for the Indians, IL
has passed into II farming country traveI sed
by many railroads The game is nearly all
gone, and the Indians have been forced on
small reservations. Nearly all the Indian
change would Occur more slowly, dnd Ind that
the Government would have to furnish a part
e f2oa fef fhs n in asy
snry meat by hunting. Again,it was Il favorite
theory that the Indian would see for himself
like white men, but his progress in this re-
spect Is scarce ly perceptible save in the REM
nant Of tribes i, the ne, s sia iawmses
Arapahoes, kiowas etc, seem to prefer death
than the common toll of the farmer. Be-
yOnd question 1t was hunger which drove the
Bannocks and the Cneyennes to war this
summer, and similar escapades will occur
each year unless these Indians be kept quiet
with more TODD. 1t seems idle to expect that
the enterpristng white race will cease till
every acre of this continent is susceptible Of
10 a fhE,cn
pasture fields CAM be used by the two races
without everlasting conflict. Tho resetva-
large enough, and should sutiice 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 a pastoral
race is the flrst step III the upward progress
OF civilizatiqn~~:hat OF CULTURE must be the
next stage, though slower of realization. But
in this direction is the sole hope of rescuing
This end can not be reached
by means of the present peace agents. be-
cause pc, suasion is wasted on an Indian
There must not only be a show of force, but
actual force and subsection used Force will
be necessary to compel the nomad to cuiti
tinction among the tribes, and each trfba
must be dealt with according to its nature.
Large discretion TO supply foodmnst be iodg
ed with the President or somewhere else.
Starvation will each year cause wars such as
occurred this season with the Shoshones and
Southern Cheyennes. the army can not fore
see or prevent these wars. Ali it can do at
ter the Indians break out, pIunder steal, and
kill harmless families, is to pursue and cap
ture them in detail alter Infinite toll, then
conduct them back to their reservations, anu
turn them loose to return to the same game
adj ibitun. Congress can alone provide
and, If prevention be wiser than
cure, money and discretion must be lodged
in time to prevent starvation.
The Reports of Gems. Mcdowell, Howard,
and Wilcox, describe the condition of at
fairs In the States andTerrit6ries bordering
OIL the Pacific Ocean. These Indians are
by tribes and families on small res
ervations, well apart, so that Indian wars
on a large scale requiring concert OF action
are not probable. Yet the Me- Perces war
Of 1877, and the Shcshone war of this sum
mer, show that these small bands of Indians
did large amount OF damage and caused
great consternation. The Pacific Coast In
dams depend much on fish for subsistence,
and the establishment Of fisheries on the
lower Columbia is fast cutting of the sup
ply. Unless suitable regulations are adopt
ed the salmon will become extinct and the
Indians driven to stealing and consequen Mt
war with the settlers. Reference Is made
10 the danger of hosillies between the In
lians and settlers in Oregon and Washing
ION Territories, and also in Arizona, owing
10 trespasses by the Whites. The army is
powerless to act in either case, having 20
control or right to interfere, except after
hostiiities are actually begun. The Gen. raj
repeats that the Indian problem is not
single problem, but many-as many almost
Is there are tribes. Measures which would
be wise in one instance would be folly in
another, and whatever depar ment of the
is charged with 1t must be
armed, not only with force, but large dis
sretiOn and authority to furnish food in
In the military division Of the Atlantic,
Gen. Hancock commanding, there are four
regiments of artillery and three of infantry,
iggregating 395 officers and 8. 1SS men. One
regiment of infantry will probably have 10
go to the frontier in the spring
Gen. Sherman concurs in the recommend
alton of Gen. Schoteld that the September
of West Point be discontin-
ued, and suggests that the new cadets be ex-
imined by the Academic Board early in
June, and that nc cadets be examined or
after the first Of July. F....
The report shows that there are 500 en-
listed men in the ten regiments of cavalry
in the army, =, go men in the two regiments
Of artillery, and ii 200 in the twenty-five
p 1854. Besides these there are in the en-
gineer battalion 1879; permanent and re-
cruiting parties, music boys and recruits in
depots, 1,121; enlisted men detached on
service, 372; ordnance department,
544; West Point detachments, 100; prison
guard, IL; hospital stewards, 1SS; ordnance
sergeants, Ia; commissary sergeants, las,
and Indian scouts, $40; total of 1907,
making the whole number of enlisted men
in the army 24,761. The report concludes as
follows:
beg to state that from personal insrec-
tons and from official reports am sure the
army is well and economically supplied Its
discipline and Instructions are as good as
could be expected from its scattered cOndt-
ton, and from the vast amount of labor
imposed upon it that it has met
and cheerfully every call of duty
and of hardship; it has accomplished an
amount of work which no other nation in the
world would have attempted with less than
60. 900 or 10000 men.