Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-27
GEN. CROOK on TIE BANNOCK WAR.
Crimes Committed Against the Indi
ans-It is Hard to be Forced to
Kill Them when They are
Clearly In the Right.

Omaha (Neb.) Herald, June 18th: A
Herald representative called upon General
Crook at the headquarters of the depart
ment of the Platte yesterday, and inquired
of him what Indians are engaged in this up
rising.
General Crook-The Bannoclks, Plutes and
some of the Shoshones.
Reporter-What has caused it?
General Crook-It is a general complaint
of want of supplies.
Reporter-Why have not the supplies been
furnished.
General Crook don know. The agents
say the appropriations have been exhausted.
Reporter saw it stated that some of the
supplies have been lying at some point out
there all winter, and had not been distribu-
ted. Is that fact?
and it is, doubtless, true, although l do not
know.
Reporter-Ihese Indians have hitherto been
friendly, have they not?
General Crook-Yes, l believe so.
Reporter-It is 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 agentsP
General Crook-That is not the hardest
thing. A harder thing is to kill the Indians
when they are clearly In the right.
Reporter-The bill to turn the Indians over
to the war department has been killed.
General Crook-Yes, believe so.
Reporter understand that the army Off
GERS were not in favor Of it. What was the
reason of that?
General Crook-It would entail great deal
of work and vast responsibility for which
they would get no pay, and there are very
few people who like to work for nothing out
of pure patriotism.
Reporter-There is much serious apprehen-
sion IN regard to trouble with the Indians.
General Crook-There are good grounds
for it. As long as the muzzle-loading arms
were in use we had the advantage of them,
since the breech-loaders 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 Bannocks, was up
there last spring, and found them in a des-
perate 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 off for half year to
enable them to pick up something to live on,
but there is nothing for them In that coun-
try. The buffaloes are all gone, and an Indl-
an cannot catch enough jack-rabbIts,to subsist
himself and family, and then there ism /
enough jack rabbits to catch. What are they
to do? Starvation is staring them In the
face, and if they wait much longer they will
not be able to fight. They understand the
situation, and fully appreciate what is before
them.
Reporter-Iw was told the other day that the
encroachments upon the Camas prairies was
the cause of the trouble.
General Crook-So it is. Those prairie.
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 a sweet potato. A squaw can
gather several bushels day of them. Then
they dig a hole and build 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.
Reporter-I don't see what the whites
want with such a swamp as that.
General Crook suppose it would be a
splendid place to fatten hogs. | donot won
der, and you will not either, that when these
Indians see their wives and children starving,
and their last source of supplies cut off, they
go to war. And then We are sent out there
to kill them. 1t is an outrage.
Reporter Would it not be good thing to
adopt some means to bring these facts before
the American people?
General Crook-How can it be done? You
and | know these facts, but if we tell it TO the
people back east then these men on the from
tier, who have an interest in things remain
ing as they are, come and tell it differently,
and they have very insinuating ways about
them.
Reporter-It seems to me that it would be
cheaper to treat the Indians justly.
General Crook-0f course it would be
cheaper. All the tribes tell the same story,
They are surrounded on all sides, the game
Is destroyed or driven away, they are left to
starye, and there remains but one thing for
them to do-fght while they can. Some peo.
pie think the Indians do not understand these
things, but they do, and fully appreciate the
circumstances in which they are placed. Our
treatment of the Indian is an outrage.