The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-11-06

Tail band of Brule Sioux, whose agencies are
now on White River, Nebraska, 20 that in
| 1877, the great country above referred to,
which, In 1863, belonged to the Indians, and
extended from the line of The British posses
sions on the north, aud almost to the Gulf of
Mexico on the south, had passed inio the
| hands OF the whites with the exception of
the limited reservation assigned TO the Indi.
ans, and with DO compensation beyond the
| promise OF religious instruction, schools
supplies OF food and clothing. and an oppor-
tunlty OF learning the ways in which the
white man cultivated the ground-most OF
which promises have never been fulfilled
| In other words, we took thor country and
their means OF support, broke up their mode
OF living, their habits of life, introduced dis
ease and decay among them, and ii was for
this and against this that they made war.
Could any one expect less7 Then why won
der at Indian difficulties?
These wars might have been regarded as
| inevitable, and therefore a sufficient lumber
OF soldiers should have been provided to
meet them; but II was not done, and hence
the fatal results which followed. No other
nation in the world would have attempted
the reduction of these wild tribes and occu.
patton of their country with less than so, 600
or 10000 men, while the whole force EN-
pIoyed and scattered over the enormous re-
gIon described never numbered Ia, 600 men,
and nearly one-third of this force has been
confined TO the line of the Rio Grande to
protect the Mexican frontier The conse-
quence was that every engagement was a
torlorn hope, and was attended with q loss
OF life unparalleled In warfare. No quarter
was given by the Savages and the officers
and men had 10 enter on their duties with
the most barbsrOus crueltIes staring them in
the face in case Of defeat. Nor was this mis-.
fortune confined to the soldier. 1t extended
TO the settler, who was himself killed or
came home to see his wife aud children
murdered and his stock stolen Such, in
truth, has been the contest on our western
frontier during the last ten years. 1t would
have been less expensive if an army of
60,0Oo or 10000 had been maintained, and,
moreover, the blood of gallant officers
soldiers and citizens would not have rested
on our hands
This, then, was the first cause of our In
dian WARE. They would have occurred, no
matter what course or policy the govern
ment might have adopted. We could not
deprive these primitive people of their
homes where they had lived in barbsrous
contentment for centuries without war and
the only thing strange about these wars was
the manner and means adopted by the gov
eminent TO meet them.
THE SECOND OUTBREAK
of Indian hostilIties is caused in this way.
After he has lost his country he finds him.
his limits circumscribed, his opportunities
of hunting abridged, his game disappearing,
sickness in his lodge from change of life and
food. aud insut6cieDcy of the latter, aud
this Irregularly supplied, and the reflection
coming to him of what be was, and what he
now is, and piDched by hunger, creates a
feeling of dissatisfaction which, in the alb.
sence OF good strong force of soldiers, starts
him out on the'war path again, aud unarm- \
ed people are killed, settlements are broken
up, farms are abandoned, and general con-
fusion exists.
This condition of affairs is we'll illustrated
by the recent outbreak of Northern Chey.
ennes, who lately abandoned their reserva.
ton at Fort Reno and the same might be
said of the outbreak of the Nez Perces last
year and certainly of that of the Bannocks
and Shoshonesin this year, of the Cheyennes,
Kiawas and Comanches in 1874, ar d unless
wiser measures prevail hereafter it will go
90. The Crows will come in next, the AS
sInabornes and Gros Ventres and other wild
tribes north of the Missouri will be obliged
to follow. Spotted Tails and Red Clouds
people will be driven to toe same conditions
eventually, and so on down to the tribes in
the western part of the Indian Territory. To
prevent or even meet the calamity which
may occur, we are entirely unprepared, for,
without exposing other important points We
can collect together but a few hundred men,
For instance, at Fort Sill and vicinity, To
meet the Kiowss. Comanches, Apaches and
others, located in the Indian Territory, num-
herring 5000 or GOO, we have not more than
800 effective men. At Fort Reno to guard
the Cheyennes and Arapahoes, numbering
5000 or q 900, we have NOT exceeding 200 sf-
fective men, At Red Cloud Agency, where
there are at least 6, 600 Indians, we have only
two companies, and could rot in ten days
collect over 500 or 600 men. At Spotted
Tails we have only Two com panies, number
ing 119 men, and il would take two weeks
10 collect all the troops We could muster,
and they would not number much more
than 500 or 600 effective men, while the In
dams number not less than 1000. And so
on at points where there are Indians and
agencies, and at other strategical points, the |
number OF troops is insignificant, and il out !
breaks occur, as fear they will, the conse-
quences would be appalling, and i desire to |
warn the general of the army that we have |
not half the troops required to meet these |
anticipated troubles
Now that the game, upon which the In |
diars depended for their regular supply of |
foou. is gone, We shall require great supply |
of TatioDs with perfect re gulsrity in its issue,
TO meet the needs of these people, together |
with strong and stable government, backed |
up by sufficient number OF soldiers u en- |
force obedience, and to keep these restless |
ssvsges within the limits of their reserva- |
tons.
THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE,
1t will be seen from the foregoing that Ii is |
my belief that in accordance with our ideas |
of progress. the first war with Indians is in
evitable and can not De prevented, but the |
second wars are within our control, and We |
are reponsible for them, aud that the respon- |
siblilty rests on US, first, from our iDJudicious /
treatment, and, second, from want of suf-
ficient force to control and render the In
dams submissive to authority, and have no
hesitation in saying that after the first
troubles which arise from taking away from
the Indian this country which he believes to
be his birthright, kind trestment, admins
tered with stesdiness and justice, would re-
move our western frontier of all its appall-
ing horrors arising from India ri outbreaks
/ believe that, with treatment of this kind
the IUdian can be redeemed and made self
supporting, aud in an incredibly short
period of time, as compared with the opin-
ions usually entertained by the general pub
lie, and my opinions are sustained by a