The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-12-05

the presence of officers who would naturally
see and report it.
the Kiowas and Comanches was done by an
executive order by the President, under date
Of Aug. 8 last, and that the reasons which led
to this action were: That the water in the vi
cinity of Fort Sill was bad, and the location
occupied by the Indians unhealthy. The land
was of inferior quality and comparatively un-
productive, and the buildings were old and
dilapidated, while the buildings at the Wich-
ita Agency were comparatively new, and the
land in that section of country was much bet
ter adapted for the purposes of cultivation,
and the water of an excellent quality. Under
utes, by the consolidation of the agencies,
the service of one agent and considerable
number of employees would be dispensed with.
There had also been some complaint on the
part of the kiowas and Comanches that their
stock had been stolen by raiders from Texas,
by the Secretary of the Interior that, by re-
moving those tribes to the Wichita Agency,
they would be thirty-five miles farther from
the Texas border, and Fort Sill would be be-
tween them and Texas. The Secretary then
discusses the statute laws of the United
military forces in experimenting persons vio-
lating the Intercourse laws.
1t was with great regret that MIR. Schurz
found himself compelled to take notice of the
supercilious and offensive tone In which mill
tary officers, not infrequentlN in their official
correspondence, referred to the acts of those
entrusted with the conduct OF the Indian
Service. He then says: ~ beg leave to call
your especial attention to the Endorsement of
Lieut. Gen. Sheridan, on the request of Indian
Agent Hunt (of Wichita Agency fthe rea-
sons which had induced this Department to de-
termine upon the consolidation of the kiowa
and Comanche and the Wichita Agencies, the
Lieutenant General was evidently ignorant.
And knowing nothing of these reasons, he
jumped at the conclusion that objection to
troops at Indian Agencies and the removal of
Indian Agencies away from military posts, has
for its main motive desire to cheat and de-
fraud the Indians, by avoiding the presence of
officers who would naturally see and report
it, And this in the face OF the fact that In
dian Agent Hunt in this instance had ad-
dressed a request to the Department Com
mander not to keep away the troops from the
agency, SO 'as to avoid the presence of
military officers but to have troops sta
toned at the new agency, SO that
the officers might make all inspections, ETC.,
thereby avoiding the weekly ride from Fort
Sill to Wichita Agency, as heretofore. 1t
seems, therefore, that when writing an in
d0rsemcnt containing so insulting an insinu-
alton, Lieut.. Zen. Sheridan had not even
taken the trouble to read the request of the
Indian Agent upon which the Endorsement
was made. You will oblige me by informing
Lieut.-Gen. Sheridan that the consolidation
of the two agencies above mentioned was or
dered by the President of the United States
upon my recommendation as Secretary of the
Interior, and that my recommendation to the
President was made upon consultation with
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, at which
the good of the service and the interests of
the Indians were carefully and conscientious
" considered.
''It would, furthermore, be well for the
l iantaO m 80. an IN hot <Io
gentlemen who determined upon this measure
are, III point of integrity, honor ana sense of
duty, fully his equals, and that to indulge in
opprobrious reflections upon their motives is
an act OF improperly so gross that it cannot
pass without corresponding rebuke among
gentlemen, and especially among high officers
of the Government"
This communication was referred by Sec'v
McCrary to Gen. Sherman, who returned it
to Gen. Sheridan ''for perusal, to be returned
with any remarks he may think proper to
make.''
Gen. Sheridan made a statement, under
date of Nov. Is, in answer to Sec'y Schurz' S
communication, of which the following forms
the chief oints: The Endorsement referred
to in the communication of Secy Schurz,
said Gen. Sheridan, was general, and intend
cd to cover operations for the period of twen-
ty years, and it was hoped that it might put
an end to such waste of army apprOpria-
tions as attended the following: The Agency
OF the Ogallalla Sioux, ten or twelve years
ago, was at Fort Laramie an expensive post,
built to control these Indians. The Agency
was removed from it by the Indian Bureau to
Camp Robinson to avoid the presence of the
military. Shortly afterward the necessity of
a military force compelled that bureau to ask
for troops to be sent to Camp Robinson, and
a new post was built there at an expense of
which the General Of the Army can well COM
prehend.
The Spotted Tail, or Brule Sioux, were at
the Milestone Agency, on the Missouri Riv-
built, to give it and other interests protection,
but these Indians were removed to Camp
Sheridan, $50 miles further west; and being
unable, after time, to get along without
troops, a new post had to be established there
at great expense. These Indians have been
since, they are now at Wounded-knee Creek
and Big White Clay, and by and by the ne
cessity of having troops will compel the cree
ton of two new posts at each of these locali-
ties. These removals have cost us hundreds
OF thousands of dollars, and no one can tell
how soon new change may he made.
Gen. Sheridan then states that, from long
experience, he is led to the conclusion that
the main cause or these removals was hostil-
ity to army officers, because of their reports
that came in the line of their official duties.
For six years and half on the Pacific Coast
he had observed the same thing. These
changes were only some of the expensive con-
ditions attending the Indian Affairs adm in
istration which have to be borne by the army,
and which cried out loudly for reform. The
Secretary of the Interior could not undertake
to defend the Indian management for the last
twenty-five years. Gen. Sheridan asks
Z" Then why should he have used such Ian
guage toward me as he has in his communica-
ton to the honorable Secretary of War! There
can be no excuse for this but his want OF
knowledge on the subject, and that does not
excuse the stilted tone and the lang uage used
Gen. Sheridan then concluded his commu-
nicatiOn by stating that he had established
Fort Sill in person after the Kiowas and
Comanches had been established at that point,
and spent several months in that country.
The water at Fort Sill, coming from a fine
mountain stream, is the best for over lou
miles. The country is beautiful, the soil
rich, and the grasses abundant and varied.
ton, and there was no reasonable cause for
the removal. The Generals object in max
ing the Endorsement was to put stop, if pos.
sible. to the appalling waste of the army'f
appropriations.
Under date of Nov. Is, Gen. Sherman adds
an Endorsement to Sec'y Schurz's letter above
quoted, in which he says: 1--WE (Gen. Sheri.
dan and the writer) believe honestly that de.
ceit has been practiced by somebody to influ.
ence these high officials 1.-THE President, Sec
rotary of the Interior and Commissioner OF
Indian Affairs) to remove the large tribes OF
Kiowas and COmanches to the small tribes oil
Wichitas so as to save the expense of one
agent.
.'Whilst the Interior Department may
thereby save few hundred dollars, the Wal
Department will be subjected to the expense
of tens of thousands of dollars, because Fort
Sill is a costly post, built specially to watch
those hitherto most numerous and dangerous
enemies, and its removal will naturally result
from this change The request for a company
of cavalry to 20 to the new agency looks like
the beginning of a new post when we have al
ready two good and sufficient posts located by
good judges for the very purpose of guarding
these very Indians, viz: Forts Sill and Reno
Both Gems. Pope and Sheridan attribute this
change to evil motives. Neither of these Off.
GERS attribute such motives to the President
the Secretary of the Interior. or Commissioner
of Indian Affairs, but they do reflect on the
agents, who have advised this measure.
Their object was not to prevent con
solidation of these agencies, but if possible
to influence these high authorities to pause
in an unwise act and to induce them 70 change
the location of the consolidated agency tc
Fort Sill, which is admirably adapted to the
purposes of farming and grazing. 1t is dis
tant forty miles from Texas, and is on pal
with Wichita as to horse and cattle stealing
at which game the Indians are the equals Of
the Texans, the most accomplished thieves o.