The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-12-06

synopsis Of Gen. shernan's Report.
Gen. sherman, In his annual report, la
yites close study TO the report Of Lieut..
Gen. Sheridan. He says that Gen. Shert
dams command embraces Of the 10 regi
meuts OF cavalry and Is Of the p regiment
Of infantry, which compose the entire army
and although he states this force 10 be en-
tirely inadequate 10 perform the duties re
CURED, yet Il Is impossible further 70 rein
force him without stripping the seaboard OF
abandoning other territories subjected e
some dangers which he 50 graphically de.
scribes In his own. The troops now subject
/ 70 his command compose two-thirds the e.
| fective force Of the whole army, and his ter
riiorial command extends from the British
line on the north TO the mouth OF the Rio
Grande on the south, an average OF ! SOC
miles long, and from the Mississippi west
ward TO and including the Rocky Mountain
chain, an average Of 200 miles broad. Gen.
Sherman adds:
This vast region has in the past 10 years
undergone a radical change. From being the
pasture field of millions OF buffalo, elk, e Y,
affording abundant food for the Indians, fs
has passed into d farming country truversed
by many railroads. The game Is nearly all
gone, and the Indians have been forced on
small reservations. Nearly all the Indian
treaties were made on the theory that this
change would occur more slowly and that
the Government would have 70 furnish apart
would procure half or quarter Of the neces.
eary meat by hunting. ignin,it was a favorite
theory that the Indian would see for himself
Z reason why he should cultivate the ground
like white men, but his progress in this re-
spect IL scarcely perccptibls save In the rem
nant Of tribes like the Santees. Pawnces,
Cherokee-, e.c., while the sioux, Cheyennes,
Arapahoc~, kiowas. etc, seem 10 prefer death
than the common toll 81 the farmer. Be
You'd question Il was hunger which drove the
Bannocks and the Chryunnes 70 war this
each year unless these Indians be kept quiet
with more food. Ii seems idle TO expe q that
the entcrprising white race will cease till
every acre OF this continent IL susceptible Jf
cultivation IL is not 10 be expected that these
pasture fields can't be used By the two races
without everlasting conflict. Inc reserya-
tions already set apart for the Indians are
large enough, and should suffice them To raise
all the meat and grain necessary for their
subsistence, hut meantime they must have
food, else they viii steal and ngh..
To convert these Indians into pastoral
race il the nrst step IN the upward progress
OF civilization hat OF culture must be the
next stag, though slower Of realization. But
In this direction l. the sole hope Of rescuing
any part Of the nomad Indians from utter
This end can not be reached
by means OF the present peace agents, be-
cause persuasion H. wasted on AZ Indian.
There must not only be a show of force, but
actual force aud subsection used Force will
be necessary TO compel the nOtnad a. Guilt
vate his own ground. There Is wide dis
tinction among the tribes, and each tribs
must be dealt with accui ding 70 It's nature.
Large discretion 70 supply food must be lodg
ed with the President or somewhere else.
starvation will each year cause wars such n
occurred this season with the -hoshOncs and
southern Cheyennes. The army can not fere
see or prevent these wars. All il can do nj
Ter the Indians break out, plumber. steal, and
XIII harmless families. l. 70 pursue and cap
lure them in detail alter Infinite toll, then
conduct them back a. their reservations, and
urn them loose 70 return 70 the same game
VI nDitum. Congress can alone provide 4
'emcdy. and. 4 prevention be wiser than
'ure. money and discretion must be lodged 4
'omcwh here IN time 20 prevent starvation.
The Reports Of Gems. Mcdowell, Howard, I
lnu wilcox. describe the condition OF AZ
AIRS In the states and Territories bordering
IN the Pacific Ocean. These Indians are /.
collected by tribes and families on small res
'I'a.ions, Well apart. 80 that Indian wars
pa aiarge scale requiring concert Of action
re not probable. Yet the Nez Perce- war
\ 1917, and the ShOshone war Of this sum-
ner, show that these small bands OF Indians
ia large amount OF damage and caused
'reat CONSERVATION. The Pacific Coast In
ians depend much on fish for subsistence,
M the establishment ~ fisheries on the
over Columbia Is fast cutting N the sup
~. Unless suitable regulations are adopf-
4 the salmon Will become extinct and The
Indians ii,en TO stealing aud consequent
iar with the settlers. Reference H. made
, the danger of ho~filiiies between the In
ian- ana settlers IN Oregon aud Washing
'n territories, ADD also 10 Arizona, owing
trespasses ~ the whites. The army IL
oweriess " act in either case, having 10
Dntroi or right 10 interfere. except after
ostilities are actually begun. The Gen. ra;
speats that the Indian problem j. not
ngle problem, but many--a- many almost
! there are tribes. Measures which would
Wise IN one instance would be folly in
mother, and whatever dtpar ment OF the
ov' rnment Il charged with il must be
med, not only with force, but large dis
,elion ana authority 70 furnish food In
merge ncies.
la the military division OF the Atlantic.
en-. Hancock commanding. there are four
'gimcnts ~ artillery and three 81 Infantry.
'gregaiing 3yJ officers and Bliss men. One
giiDent Of infantry viii probably have 10 ,
, 70 ne frontier IN the spring.
Gen. sherman concurs in the recommends
ION Of Gen. SchOhrld that the September
'pointments OF West Point be discontin-
~, and suggests that the new cadets be ex.
mined BY the Academic Board early In
Inc, and that no cadets be examined or
United after the first Of July.
The report shows that there are 1929 en-
ted men In the ten regiments OF cavalry
the army, 2,6J men In the two regiments
artillery, and ll.2U5 in the twenty i've
kluth,r ~ infantry, making a total OF
,D03. Besides these there are in the en- I
neer battalion 1870; permanent and re-
uiting parties, music boys and recruits IN
pots, LEI; enlisted men detached on
neral service, 312; ordnance department. Z
!; West Point detachmcnts, 100: prison Z
ard. III; hospital stewards. lss; ordnance
rgeants, III; commiss2ry sergeants, l4S,
q Indian scouts, $40; total Of 1907.
aking the whole number OF enlisted men \
the army 24,16l. The report concludes as
lows:
beg t. state that from personal fnsrec-
ms and from official reports am sure the :
my = well aud economically supplied Its :
scipline and Instructions are rs good a. ,
uld be expected from it, scattered condi-
~, and from the vast amount Of labor \
cessarily imposed upon Il: that II has met
vnptiy ana chreffuily every call ~ duty c
q 81 hardship, IL has accomplished All &
lnnnt ~ work which no other nation IN tile II
'rli would have attempted with less than i