Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-01-02
THE INDIANS.
LIEUT.. GEN. SHERIDAN ON INDIAN
AFFAIRS.
The Response in Reference to Secretary
Schurx's Request.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE ANNUAL RE-
PORT.
The General Thinks the Indians Badl,
Handled.

report to the annual report of Lieut. General
Sheridan, for 1873, with reference to Indian
affairs, and in response to the request of Sec
rotary Schurz that specifications be furnished
IN support of the statement made by General
Sheridan in his annual report bears date of
Chicago, December 22d, and is addressed to
General w. 7. Sherman, Washington. Sher-
idan SAYS:
The object had in view in nv annual re-
port was to show that the Indian wars came
from two causes, but that while the first
could not be avoided by the government, the
second was clearly within its control, and re-
suited from bad management of Indian af-
FAIRS. made no charges against the Hon.
Scc'y OF the Interior. | made no charges
against any one. | desired simply to call the
attention of my superior officers to causes
that produced discomfort and outbreaks, and
that from the inadequacy of our military force
resulted in the massacre of officers soldiers
and citizens. and horrible and uncomfortable
harbarties perpetratcd on women and chill
dren, and TO state my belief that these disas-
tiers might have been averted by better or
ganization, more complete system and more
integrity in the agents employed.
The Sec'y Of the Interior saw fit to take
this up, and by disingenuously saying that
had made charges as To corruptions at every
agency IN the limits of the military division,
challenges me for the facts to prove a charge
he has himself put into my mouth.
His differences are not warranted by the
language of the report but in support of
what did say | respectfully submit the data
accompanying the supplemental report.
The question of justice and right to the In
dian is past, and cannot be recalled We
have occupied hiss country, taken away from
him his lordly domain, destroyed his herds of
lFn fnn nn1 i'm,
duced him to poverty For humanitys sake
then let us give him enough to eat and integ-
riiy in the agents over him.
To show how inconsiderate the honorable
secretary OF the interior was in his first and
second letters of November 10th and Novem-
Der 18th, respectively, it is only necessary for
me to call the attention of the general of the
army to the fact that since 1874 have care
fully retained copies of the Indian reports
coming to my office, the briefs of which are
herewith enclosed, and it was on this inform
alton that my report was made.
Surely the honorable secretary of the in
terror cannot impute untruthfulness to the Of
ficers making these reports. They were on
the ground generally as official inspectors for
the Indian bureau or in some official capacity
and are among the best in the service, most
of them known to the general of the army,
and TO the country
My object was to call attention to and if
possible prevent the calamities occurring to
frontier settlers, and To the officers and men
of the army, and to reduce unnecessary ex-
penditures brought upon the United States.
The report of Lient. Lee, giving an exact
exposition of the Indian management at Spot
ted Tail agency was obtained since the date
of my annual report, but the facts related
were well known to me. In fact was instru-
mental to some extent in the detection of the
McCann fraud.
His report is submitted first for the reason
that il gives a fair and comprehensive idea
of Indian management and believe may be
assumed as fair explanation of what occur
red at many of the other agencies, and which
produced the hunger and discomfort described
in the accompanying briefs.
| also call attention to the briefs of cores
pondence from Lieut.. Dougherty, relative to
the attempt to force upon him since he has
been acting as agent at Crow Creek, employees
of bad character, and of loose and criminal
manner in which Indian goods were shipped
without bills of laiding or invoice.
This is true also for Cheyenne and Brue
agencies on the Missouri River, as well as
Crow Creek. whose agent, DR.. Livingtone,
has recently been indicted ON about l24
charges, and as many more that were thrown
out ullutT tile Oh
The attention of the general of the army
is expressly called to reports on the Standing
Rock agency under the management of
agents Burke and Huges Then look at the
Mendeus, Arickacees, Gras Mentres, ASSN
BONES, Piegans and Crows in Montana ter
ritory.
At the latter agency fraud has been ramp
ant, altough to the best of my knowledge the
agents have been changed at least five or six
times in the last seven years.
Then come down to the Shashones, Ban
nocks, Northern and Southern Chevennes,
Araphoes, Kiows, Commanches. Utes and
Southern Apaches, and ask them why they
have gone to war or been hostile or turbulent
for the last six or seven years. The answer
will be insuficiency of food, irregularity in
its supply and broken promises.
General Sheridan as in his annual report
objects to the removal of the Red Cloud and
Spotted Tail Indians further west last fall to
worse ground than the Missouri river bottom
where the expense of feeding them would be
probably five times greater. and also to their
present location on the line of travel to the
Black Hills, where contact with the whites is
liable to frequently occur. He submits reports
from Gen. Crook, contirmatory of his opinions,
and says
The Indian armed rs he is and in his own
country, Is superlor.to us at any point where
we are liable to meet him, and rs he takes no
prisoners it requires bold man to attack
him with an inferior force in view of the dis
asters which befel poor Custer, Fetterman
and others.
The present Indian commissioner is doubt
less honest. He has discharged number of
agents for malfeasance in office.
Commissioner Smith who preceded him
was an honest man, also as far as know was
likewise the commissioner of Indian affairs
before him. They did as well as they knew
how, but fear that with all the precautions
of honesty that the system and manner of ac-
countabilty are too loose for the government
of people who cannot read nor write, and
are so peculiar and primitive in their habits
as the Indians.
1t will be seen even by the extracts from
the reports TO the board of Indian commits
sioners, as well as to the Commissioner of
Indian affairs, Herewith attached) they too
support me in this conclusion.
With all the facts before us, and to the best
of my belief in posses ion of the Indian Blu
reau what was the object of challenging the
conclusions in my report and giving the let
ter to the public before it had been sent to
the Hon. Secretary of War tn whom IL WAS