Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-12-04
civllIziMo the RED MAN.
Remarkable instance Of lts Sue.
cess at Fort keogh. N. T., Re-
ported by Cen. Miles.

ported BY Cen. Miles.
Aninteresting document was yester.
day received at military headquarter rs
from General Miles, in reference to
the condition ofthe Cheyenne Indians
ut Fort Keogh, NJ. T.. General Miles
states that about q year ago he was
allowed to retain about thirty Indian
scouts and their families, but that
since then this number has been re.
duced to twenty; these included TWEEN.
ty-nine men, fOrty-fOur women, and
thirty-nine children. To these he
calls special attention. The General
states that twenty-Seven months age
these Indians were leaders In the bat.
tie of the Little Big Horn. They
were fought by the troops in the win.
ter of lS76J77. On March %, 1877,
seven of them surrendered at Fort
Keogh as hostages. Then followed
the surrender of 300 on April %, and
the remainder of Crazy Horses band
moved south and surrendered at theil
agencies. Their war ponies were sold
for 81, 1920. With half this money
Captain Ewers purchased very fine
herd of eighty-f1ve young cows and
young heifers at about $40 a head, and
S4OO worth of seeds Tor planting. The
cattle We're branded and distributed
among the families. The ground fol
the garden was broken up late in the
season, vet they have raised about
200 bushels bu OF potatoes, $50 of tur.
nips, 80 of corn, 10 of onions, 10 Of
parsnips, 10 of carrots, 1000 melons
l 900 head of cabbage, 1900 summer
squash, 500 Hubbard, 800 pumpkins
and 800 dozen of cucumbers. Besides
these, they raised a large guam
tity of beans, peas, radishes, and to-
matoes. Their winter crop has beer
stored in two large root-houses, bull
by the Indians themselves. The Gen
eral says that the head warriors o.
the Ogallalah-Sioux and Cheyenne.
could have been seen gathering theil
crops and lifting logs with which tt
secure them for the winter. Thi.
work has been done under the super
vision of one soldier, George Youkam
a plain, honest Illinois farmer-boy
who came out as recruit last spring
These Indians have solved thret
problems: First, that the widest O
them can be made peaceable and 10y
al. Second, that they can be made
self-sustaining, as these men received
nothing from the government thai
they have not earned, and have sup
ported themselves by their own in
dustry. Third, that the representa-
tions that have been made about oul
"barren lands" and which have done
so much harm, have been made with
out foundation; and that in addition
to the pastoral and mineral wealth O
this country, it is rich in agriculture
resources.
General Miles adds that what car
be done with these Indians can bt
done with all the Indians of tn,
Northwest, and at One-tenth what Il
Is now costing the government, anC
without any additional legislation OF
the subject. The only money thest
Indians have received from the gov
eminent was the small amount they
had been paid as enlisted scouts. II
this connection, the General says tina
he wishes to speak of the Indians
services. One of them was killed
while conveying dispatches, four O
sASAA WCIV OSaOAy WOuuuOu Ill Vic CIl'
gagements with the Sioux and Ne,
Perces. They have Discovers anC
guided the command to two hostile
camps; they have carried dispatche.
in every direction, and at great dis
tances, and, as guides, have been in
valuable, as their knowledge Of the
country, timber, water, and old In
dian routes of travel, etc., has aided
the troops in establishing direc
freight, mail and telegraph lines o.
communication. General Miles rec
0mmends that 81 ,224 he holds, receiy
ed from the sale of ponies of Indian.
who were sent south, be sent to some
officer who will make a judicious use
of it for their benefit.
General Terry forwarded this repor,
to General Sheridan, and called espe
cial attention to the report as being 8
valuable one, and added, that "the re
markable success which b reported
indicates not only an unexpected ca
pacity for improvement on the part
of these Indians, but very wise and
skillful administration on the part o.
Colonel Miles" And General Sheri
dams Endorsement Is that 'sthis Is II
confirmation. Of the belief, as express
ed In, my annual report, that with
kind treatment, administered with
steadiness and justice, the Indian car
be redeeHae1 and made selfsupport
Ing, and La an incredibly short period
of time as compared with the opin
ions usually entertained by the gen
eral public"