The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-08-03
The Red Mans Wrongs.
GENERAL Crooks IDEAS About TIE BANNAck
TROUBLES.

The Omaha Herald Of June Dist contains an
account of an interview with General Crook,
the veteran Indian fighter, in regard to the
Bannack Indian troubles. As the opinions of
a man like Crook are deserving of grave con-
sideration, we append an extract from the
interview.
Reporter-Whas Indians are engaged in this
late uprising?
General Crook-The Bannacks, Piutes, and
some of the Shoshones.
R.-What caused it?
Gen. Cit is a general complaint of want
of supplies.
R.-These Indians have hitherto been friend
ly, have they not?
Gen. C.-Yes, | believe so.
R.-It Is not rather hard that men and officers
should have to be sent out there to be killed
by the Indians, when all the trouble has been
brought about by thieving agents?
Gen. Cha is not the hardest thing. A
harder thing is to be forced to kill the Indians
when they are clearly in the right.
R.-The bill to turn the Indians over to the
War Department has been killed.
Gen. C.-Yes, l believe SO.
R.-There is much serious apprehension in
regard to trouble with the Indians.
Gen. C.-There are good grounds for it.
As long as the muzzle-loaded arms were in use
we had the advantage of them, and twenty men
could whip a hundred, but since the breech-
leaders came into use it is entirely different
these they can load on horseback, and now they
are a match for any man. In regard to the
Bannacks, l was up there last Spring, and found
them in a desperate condition. L 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 off for half a year to enable them
to pick up something to 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 to subsist himself and family, and
and there isn't enough jack-rabbits to catch.
What are they going to do? Staryationis staring
them in the face, and if they wait much longer
they won't be able to fight. They understand
the situation, and fully appreciate what is before
them.
R.-Why have not the supplies been fur
nished?
Gen. CT don't know. The agents say the
appropriations have been exhausted.
RI saw it stated that some of the supplies
have been lying at some point out there all
Winter, and had not been distributed. Is that
a fact?
Gen. CT saw the same statement, and
IL is doubfheSe true, although l do not know.
RI was told the other day that the en-
c~roachment upon the Camas prairies was the
cause of the trouble.
Gen. Csc it is. Those. prairies are their
last source of subsistence. They are covered
with water from April TO June or July. and
there is a sort of root which grows in them
uuutE III ndtClJ "hlCH 10 very mOSu AhO u
sweet potato. a squaw can gather several
bushels a day of them. Then they dig a hole
and build a fire in it. After it 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.
RI dom see what the whites want with such
a swamp as that?
Gen. CT suppose it would be a splendid
place to fatten hogs. l do wonder and you
not either, that when these Indians see their
wives and children starving, and their last source
Of supplies cut off, that they go to war. And
then we are sent out there to kill them. 1t is
an outrage.
R.-Would it not a good thing to adopt some
means to bring these facts before the American
Gen. Glow can it be done? You and 1
these facts, but if we tell it to the people
pack East, then these men on the frontier who
nave an interest in things remaining as they
come and tell it differently, and they have
insinuating ways about them.
R.-It seems to me that it would be cheaper
% treat the Indians Justly.
Gen. C.-Of course it would be cheaper. All
be tribes tell the same story. They are sur
ounded on all sides the game is driven away
II destroyed, and there remains but one thing
or them to do fight while they can. Some
think the Indians do not understand
hese things, but they do, and fully appreciate
he circumstances in which they are placed. t
'ur treatment of the Indian is an outrage. {