The Leavenworth weekly times., 1878-11-14

Things In General Relating 20 tho
Dcps,tmeut of the Platte.

| A REVIEW OF THE TPoUBI.E WITH THE sIOtS
Brigadier-General George Crook, comnianc'
! ing the department Of the Platte, has sent ms
annual report 10 the general OF the army
Re reviews the troubles with the SIOUX an
! the killing of Crazy morse, who enstStd III
mutIny a year ego last summer. Also The re
| moyal of the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail
| agencies 10 the Missouri IN The mouth OF No
| ysmb-r l,TT .OwiEg TO the latensss OF the
| sea.on ne saws, "thls march WAS attended
WIN much suffering, and the removal Itself
va. !. source Of great dissatisfaction to the
I.-opl.. OF these tubes" 1Ee capture Of the
X. z Perce- Last fail Is also fully described. In
T.-saId 10 the condIt on Of affairs among the
Sho-nUne and BannOcE Indians, who were
recently In revolt, Gen. Crook says:
81 visited tins agency in March and April
last 6 Tue appointment OF ratlons for
the supp V of this agency was ridicG,onsiy
Inadequate. The Indians complained that
Three days out of tie seven they had nothing
TO eat, and the agent Informed that the al
lowance had never been sufficient. j al
once t-!egraphed the state OF affairs to the
department., and urged that something be
done Immediately 10 remedy IL IL was a
matter of surprise To no one acquainted with
facts that some OF these Indians shouid soon
after break Out into hOstllitles. The great
wonder l. thai 70 many OF them have re-
tIned 80 lOi on their reservations with
the BsnDocXs and Shoshoues our lndianfpp
icy has resolved itself into "A question OF war
path or Starvation, and. being human, many
If ia. Will SiWak ctlssIos the former ALTER
native, la which death shall at least be
glorious. They cannot hunt for subsistence,
and the influx OF Immigration Is each day
adding to the Gordon OF settlements around
them; and If for any purpose they leave
1 heir reservation, IL Il only the meres, acci-
dent i'll the world that they can avoid a con-
=ict OF some kini with the whites The
sayages know nothing and can be made to
understand nothing OF such things as the
failure of an appro, ,,ristion," or the cumber-
some ana dllaioTy comp Icailsns OF adrninis-
nave promised faithfully 10 feed and
clorhe them ana teach them TO
earn their own living; and they insist
upon our hviig up to the con-
wreck their vengeance upon the unprotected d
rancBmen ana miners around them. They,
too, are dissatisfied that they have been for
years our steadiast friends and allies, tine
sioux, 80 lately our bitter enemies, nave
twice the amount Of supplies that Is pro-
ided IoT them "
Gen. Cook comments upon the condition
Of the force under his command. He says
hat the force il in good cDnd tion, but lie
complains that IL IL inaGquate 10 The demand
made upon II, and insufficient for the p:O-
ection of the frontier.
In regard TO the removal Of the Sioux of the
Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies, General
'rook says:
THE Indians seemed distrustful of the
promises made IN IN by the PRESIDENT, and
cared they would not be carried out IN good
aith. After many assurances that they
would be carried out they consented TO the
emoval. Upon my arrival at the agencies,
bet. II, found part of the Inoian supplies 4
and the remainder would be 80 as
Il the end of the month. / also found that
he transportation provided by the Indian |
e artmenI for the removal Of the Indians
ould not possibly reach them in time. /
Therefore, prompt action WAS necessary.
With the consent OF higher authority, as
listed the Indians by scraping together all
# the army transportation within reach i'm
,rovising many teams Of broken-down cav
dry horses. by mucn effort, many Of the In
ians soing on foot, and by their consenting
o subsist on beef during the march, i WAS
nally able TO get them OF. Had l been re-
uired TO send any additional troops win /
mem, IL would have been Impossible for the
move 10 have be. n made in Time"