The New York herald., 1879-01-02
WRONGED REDMEN.
General Sheridan Throws Light on the
Causes of Indian Wars.
INFORMATION FOR SECRETARY SCHURz
How the AbOrigineS Are Starved for the Benefit
of Agents and Traders.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. l, 1879.
The following is the supplemental report to animal
report of LieutenantGenera Sheridan for 1875 with
reference to Indian affairs and in response to the re-
quest of Secretary schurz that specifications be fur
nished in support of statements made py General
Sheridan in his annual report:-
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION or THE MISSOURI
To General W. T. SHERMAN, Washington. j. q :.
cr the eu Of Ne% York
peed to go to that city shortly after the receipt
y Of sns Isseror Of November iG ISIS S
% s by e secs exception % TO-
certain conclusions arrived ut and stated in my annual re-
present time is sorry to say unsatsiaetory Tho
Indian @ @ 10 the
settlements in the Western country anxiety during
@ afs with
There has been an nsen,ney OK " .o"a a. h,na ans
the Indians m il SRs rSs s
1t me that with wise managcment the amounts
cey applied to the exact purposes specified and il the
supplies regularly delivered 5nt the reports Of the de,
IT,. Tss % in the % Of the Esd GS%d and I'd
their conduct have the supplied and have becn
hnmored until their increasing constantly threat
As hs i report made mad for the Of w The Gen DO
not feel it incumbent amy questions in ref
n unless there should be doubt on the pert
War to the correctness Of statements
such DOUBT exists II not heeh Known
2 but the General of the Army has forwarded to
the communication of the Honorable Secretary Of the Int,
Secretary Of War and presume further action on my
aas %Hy pS Sf to s
sions arrived at in the report first named
AS this supplemental report is from data in my
Which the was S.sed and these have been
forwarded to the Honorable Secretary Of War from time TO
file in the nan Bureau o. is the of the Wa" ar DE %
rs"sas to Indian p shall
low ground the Honorable Secretary had for the dsasree
General Sheridan for detailed specifications the sweep
I ss. h re- bis % If ,s as az a" as %
Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Sioux agencies the appropra
S ,s
Sisn during the last ehGf not pps at AL or pat
such specific knowlede il very much to be regretted
given could have been acted upon make this demand
good faith and in tn. Of the sevs sn, Ss ,,sn
may be corrected promptly hope General sheridan n %I
to do for it should assumed that he is under the
neeessy after having the verdict rst to look
cAuss OF INDIAN WARS.
The object had in view in annual report was to show
that Indian wars from two causes-ee reporObut
1ha While ~, S s Ss NOT wn be y e
from the bad managenent Of Indian affairs made no
made charges against any one | desired simply to
call the attention Of superior officers to the causes
from the inadequacy OF our military, force resulted
the barbariics perpetrated
and sd TO sae m nay Ser nn %
mose complete system, and more integrity in the agents
The Secretary of the Interior fit to take this up aud
by SAYING that III M Ia % made Of s ary DR.
vision challenges me for facts to prove charge he has
Tanted BY tho Of the but IN support 2" Win.
did say Snens The a' "a n ns s
the indian is past cannot be recalled We have
destroyed his herds game. penncd him
n s rad s ss n% S s r an &
over him. To show how nconsiderate tho honor
ond letters Of November & io and November respectively
Of s tor % the % fac, ns
creiny retained copies of Indian reports coming to my
on this nat my reP" wa' s
anrathuness to the oacsts msAng these reports They
were on the gronna generally as oea inspectors for the
the best he service ot them personally known 10
s M s ss e e aI ad % and f if possible
the caamities Occurring to frontier settlers TO officers ana
cn of the army and TO reduce the unnecessary expenses
MALADxl,ssrR,rroS AGENCIES
The report Lieutenant Lee, giving exact exposition
of Indian management the spo.ted Tail Agency,
as related were we'll known mc-in iac insiru,
% rs H w In @ @ the IL s a
1, gives fair aud comprehensive idea of Indian
of what has occurred at Of the other agencies and
the secpoSpanyng In THIS eoS"eon also es nt
tenon TO the briefs of correspondence from Lieutenant
he has been acting agent at Crow Creek employees Of
n bad ana cS. cd ns sere ppsa wSa e
ladng invoices This true also for the Cheyenne aud
Brule agencies the Missouri River well Crow
Greek agent Or Livingston has recently been IN
dctc about hundred aud twenty four charges and
as many more that were thrown out under the statute OF
called the reports OF the standing Rock Agency under
the management Of AGENTS burke ana Inches, nen look
Piegan aud Crows in Montana Territory AT the latter
agency fraud has been rampant although to 'he best
oi recollection the agents hase been changed ~ least
ass or sH M ms e%
Cheyennes Arapahoes kiowas and tomanches utes and
have hostile turbuient iar the last six or
irrcgularity in its supply and broken promises
a FAULTY SYSTEM
The present Indian Commissioner l. doubtless honest ho
has discharged nnmber OF agents Tor maifeasanee W Of
bcc Commissioner smith, vino preceded him. an hon
tho Commissicuer of indian Affairs before him, and
how baa ""eS '"Gy isar. al with all the p"ssansions
OF honesty that le ,ys,em and manner of accountability
are too loose for the government OF people who sannot
read or write and are SO peculiar and primitive g their
trom the reports he oara OF Indian Commissioners,
a. wei as tue Commissioner of indian Anas herew in
with all these facts before to the 1cst of my belief
ject OF challenging the conclusions and giving
tie Letter 70 the pnOc before had been 'eat 70 ,ss
Surely the officers who the and who are held
Of Ss seT Ssas s To report pS CO c
Of seS eSsued @ into 81 aSse S S Se ns s
OF the Interior Let us now come down TO the matter
Indians and their return TO points further last TALL
In reference to his matter made accusations
the Indian Bureau. simply ~ had hoped the
agencies OF these Indians iRcd Ccud ana spotte ra
would have been retained the Missouri River
where they could been fed and looked after
at ~ comparatively small expense bat this wouid
the traders and contractors, Who fear abured
systematically last summer and fall TO work The result
which has bccn obtained, and now these lnuans
ground than the Missouri River bottom locate
points tho river lines OF
ked clouds bandwhcrc the expense feeding will
bc probably live times great un TIE Missouri RIVER
la addition these Indians now located near the limo of
nhNci 10 Bnck lls, anu are ON fNifenu western
limit OF their reservation and where contact with the
whites s liable to frequently occur and doubt IL IN the
present frame of mind OF the Red Cloud Indians the
races live 80 closely together without hghttng'
This does not Charge anything the nuan bureau,
that u viii DO that again the Honorable SECRETARY puts
charges tuto my mouth which made, aud gives
them 20 the public III the way.
INDIANS CHEATED Our or pkSiRABLE LANDS.
The history OF the above conclusions In report Is as
folows;-ihe treaty OF tile Black Hills seu ftpnft 81 Tom
msstOefs required the ted Cloud and SpUtu tAi pcoplo
reside ON the Missouri River where nuus bet
ter Tor cultivation aud supplies could Uc delivered ehcay
Tie report says the Indians willing there aud
Congress ratified tile treaty aud II became law hcnera
HammOnd Inspector OF the Indian Department, makes the
folowh hg report OF tue fertility OF the SOIL the good supply
of timber, Ac. -