Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-03-21
Findings of General Crooks Court of In
quiry on the Cheyenne Troubles.

The Board Of officers of the army, convened
by order OF General Crook, With instructions
"to examine into and report the facts attend
ing the arrest, confinement, disarmament, es-
cape and recapture of a number of Cheyenne
Indians" has made its report, which, after
giving a detailed history of the affair, con-
cludes as follows:
II is difficult to arrive at correct estimate of
all motives which Influenced the Cheyennes in
their desperate course, without going beyond
the trctlimits of this investigation or eonsid-
ering facts not developed by 1t. The village OF
those Indians, numbering over 1000 souls,
was destroyed by General Mckenzie In the
Big Horn range in the fall of 1875. Left at an
inclement season without a tepee, they ap-
piled TO their allies, the Sioux, for shelter,
and were refused, or were at least received
very coolly. Having no other course, they
surrendered at Camp Robinson, and were per-
suaded 10 go to the Indian Territory, largely
Influenced thereto by Chief Standing Elk, sup
posed to be a Southern Cheyenne. 1t is not
known to the Board what assurances were
given to them by the Government, or what
promises, II any, were broken. They were
probably received very coldly by the Southern
Indians and they are very unanimous In their
complaints OF their treatment by the Southern
Indians. II is easg to imagine that they were
quite justified in their light-at least in their
own minds
After their surrender and incarceration at
Fort Robinson in October last, 1t is under
stood that certain State authorities intended
to make a demand upon the General Govern
ment for the surrender TO their tribunals Of
the perpetrators of certain outrages charged
upon these Indians. That demand would be
eminently proper and right, but 1t could only
refer to the guilty individuals upon due iden-
tifcation. The punishment for these acts OF
an entire band, tribe or nation, as a body, was
the province of the Government, and not
properly 20 be delegated to any inferior au-
| thority 1t is quite probable that identified
| tion OF the guilty might have been impossible,
| but might It not as well have been attempted at
| Fort Robinson as elsewheret Could not the
State officers have gone to that place for the
purposel Apart from THESE outrages, did the
| dignity OF the Government require the forci
BILE removal of these people back to the Indian
| Territoryl At any rate, prior to full inves
| tigation into the merits OF their complaints, II
| is neither the province nor the intention OF
the Board TO criticise its superiors. But 1t II
convinced that the return of these Indians tC
| the South could only have been accomplis heC
by bloodshed; and It desires TO point out the
| only course which it seems TO thidk coulC
have avoided that issue.
In view Of the orders received, the only ques
tlop lett with the military author ties ut For
Robinson was, what steps to be taken by then
would involve the least shedding OF blood
The recourse TO measures OF starvation bear
too strong analogy TO the ancient but nov
exploded practice OF torture applied 20 tn
prisoner 10 compel confession, not TO startl'
the supporters Of modern leniency. But wha
military course could have been deyisedt j