The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-15
THE INDIAN WAR.
General Crook says the Indians.
I'm Az SIo,r,v ii, tho Etfybt

General Crook Says the Indians
90 Are Clearly In the Right.
From the Omaha HOraldI
Reporter-What Indians are engaged
In this late uprising2
General Crook Bannocks, Piutes
and come Of the Shoshones. .
Reporter-What caused it?
General Cook-It lisa general complaint
Of q want Of suppliet.
responsibilities Indians have hitherto
been friendly, have they not? hk
General Crook Yes, believe 90.
81 Reporter-Is it not rather hard tina,
men and officers should have TO be sent out
there toIbe killed by the Indians, when all
the trouble has been brought about by
thlevipg agents2 .pigln "
General Crook-Thatis not the hardest
thing. A harder thing Is to be forced to
kill the Indians when they are clearly In
the right. 100 uf 81" yaH
Reporter-There is much serious
apprehension inreeard to trouble with
the Indians. Boa so
General Crook-There are good
grounds for 1t. As long as the muzzle-
loading arms were in use we had advant.
age Of them, and twenty men could whip
a hundred, but since the breech.l oaders
came into use il ia entirely different ;
these they can load on horseback, and
now they are match for any man. In
regard 10 the Banaocks, | was up there
last spring and found them in desperate
condition. / telegraphed and the agent
telegraphed for supplies, but word came
that no appropriation had been made.
They have never been half supplied.
The agent has sent them of for half a
year TO enable them to pick up something
10 live on, but there Is nothing for them
in that country. The buffalo is all gone,
and an Indian can't catch enough jack
rabbits 10 snbsist himself and family, and
there Isn't enough jack.rabbits to catch.
What are they going to do? Starvation
10 staring them in the face, and il they
wait much longer they won't be! able TO
fight. They understand the situation,
and fully appreciate what is before
them.
Reporter-Why have not the supplies
been furnishedf p.s
General Crook-I don't know. The
agents says the appropriations have been
exhausted. a., ...-..g, ...
Reporter-1 saw il stated that some Of
the supplies have been lieing at some
point out there all winter, and had not
been disturbed. Is that fact?
General Crook--I saw the same state.
mcnt, and ii ia doubtless true, although l
do not know. i"t 30.
Reporter-I was told the other day
that the encroachment upon the Camas
prairies was the cause Of the trouble.
General Crook-Soitis. The prairies
are their last source OF subsistence.
They are covered with water from April
to June or July, and there is sort Of
root which grows In them under the
water which is very much like sweet
potato. A squaw can gather several
bushels a day OF them. Then they dig a
hole and build Ere in II. After 1t is
thoroughly heated the roots are put in
and baked, and when they are taken out
they are very sweet and nice. This root
is their main source Of food supply.
Reporter don't see what the whites
want with such swamp as that.
General Crook-I suppose 1t would be
splendid place 10 falten hogs. do not
wonder, and you will not either, that
when these Indians see their wives and
children starving, and their last source
Of supplies cut Of, that they go to war:
And then We are sent out here to kill
them. II Ia an outrage.
Reporter-It Seems 10 me 1t would be
cheaper to treat the Indians justly.
General Crook-0f course, it would DO
cheaper. All the tribes tell the same
story. They are surrounded on all sides.
the game Is driven away or destroyed,
and there remains but one thing for them
10 do-fght while they can.