Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-11-21

o. GENERAL SAEKADAN'S REPORT
a. The Causes which Have Led to Il
NJ Recent Indian wars In the
;, West. dc.
% The report OF General Sheridan to G.,
- eral Sherman on the operations of the Mi
= tary Division Of the Missouri, during Il
y past year, contains SO many matters of il
: terest, facts and practical suggestions. e
: pecially in regard to the Indian situation
e that we regret our inability, for want ,
: space. to publish the report entire. In n
> gard to the causes Of complaint or gener
> unrest of the Indians in the Northwest. Gel
= Sheridan does not appear to have dete
> mined in his own mind whether they N
lowing TO want OF sufficient appropri:
tions or from wretched lnismanagement
on the part OF the Indian Department
Except in the case Of the Red Cloud an
Spotted Tail bands OF Sioux. who. altliG
. threatening in their conduct. have bee
the hest supplied, and have been humore
until their increasing insOlcnce constantl
threatens to bring about Il breach of tn
peace"
After deprecating the removal Of tn
Agencies of these Indians from the Mis-
souri, river the General says:
There does not seem TO be now. ant
there never has been. much ste,dincss il
the management Of the Indians. and if
were not for the results which SO severely
involve the military, this would be none o.
my business and would not be mentioned
here. 1t is often wondered at by the gen
eral public
WHY WE SHOULD HAVE INDIAN WARS,
and again the remark is made that the
English Government has always been able
to get along without them in Canada and
British Columbia. therefore respectfully
submit to the General OF the army the fol
lowing brief answer to these inquiries
Ten years ago the Indians owned and oc-
cupied nearly all the country west of the
Missouri river. from British Columbia to
the Gulf of Mexico. excepting the settle
ment of Eastern Kansas. Colorado. and
Montana and Eastern and Southern Texas.
The Gros-Ventres. AssinaboineS. Black
feet. and other bands occupied the country
north OF the Missouri river; the Sioux and
Cheyennes south to Beaver Greek IN Kan
sas: the Arapahoes from thence down to
Arkansas river: the KiOwas down to, and
including both the Canadian rivers; the
Comlanchs from the Canadians down 10
the COncho river. in Texas. The almost
unlimited extent Of country was occupied
by tive vast herds of buffalo. one grazing
in the north. the other in the south. and
each herd numbered from 2,OOO.OOO to B.
600. 900 of animals. and in the same region
We're herds OF elk. antelope. deer and other
large game of almost every variety. ana in
numbers innumerlble. While in the valleys
were to be found wild roots. vegetables.
berries. ant fruit in abundance. Nature
had produced everything necessary tor the
subsistence of the Indians. and the whole
region was pasture-tield tor the numer-
Gus herds Of ponies, which was the wealth
and sole means of transportation for the
Indians. while the result of the chase and
the trapping Of game procured them the
means of clothing themselves, either with
the skins, or by barter with the traders, or
by both.
This. thus briefly stated. was their con-
ditiOn in this vast extent Of country about
ten years ago. and this was good enough
fer and satisfied the wants of the savage.
Willie constant feuds among themselves
gave them active occupation. as war was
their only profession, and they disdained
work.
They believed that all the region have
described belonged to tncEi. anu
OUR INDIAN POLICY ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR
RIGHTS
to the country and what it contained. but. !
alas tor the poor savage. along came the
century progress, or whatever
it may be called. to disturb their happy
The white men crowded on to
the grounds of the Indians and made ell
on their rights which no GOV
could stop. Our handful OF SOL !
die was at first sent TO protect the lndi- I
MS Dul SUI uttCUbpiS WIZ ICSS. /
The Government male treaties. gave pres
ents. made prom scs. none Of which were
honestly fulfilled and like all original
treaties with Indians in this country, they
were the first steps in the process OF lie
vclOping hOstilities. The Indian became |
Jealous; he made in his simplicity blind
bargains: lie began 10 see his lands wrest-
ed from his possession, his herds Of buff:l- |
10. which he believed the Great Spirit had
given him, rapidly diminish. AMI the elk.
deer and antelope killed for the market.
and by the sportsman. and widely scatter
ed by both. and his rude nature. alike to |
civilized nature under similar conditions.
naturally rebelled. lie commenced war.
war rs he had been accustomed TO make
it. and men. women and children. intrlld-
ers upon his soil. were killed, no difference
being made between the innocent or guilty.
the armed or unarmed.
The government followed up these acts
Of hostility with an army too small to in
timiiate or even punish. and. after years of
the Indians south Of the Union
Pacific Railroad and down to the Gulf Of
Mexico. including the Chcyennes, Kiowas.
Arapai,ocs and Comanches, were forced
on to reservations at Forts Sill and Reno.
in the Indian Territory. by the constant
OF an inadequate force.
Only breathing spell interviewed when
the same tile OF restless emigration was
to the Northwest. The Black
Hills contained gold. the valleys OF the
South Cheyenne. Belle Fourche and Vel
lowstone. and along the eastern slope of
the Big Horn Mountains invited the agri-
culturalist. while the upper table land
country presented the finest grazing ranges
in the world. Tie northern herd Of buffalo
had fattencd upon them for hundreds of
years, and it was too much for the wave