The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-01-16
MASSACRE.

SECRETARY SCHURTz may find strong
argument against the transfer of the In
dians from the Interior Department to
the Military, in the treatment which the
Indians lately received at the hands of
the soldiers at Fort Robinson. People
are wont to hold up their hands in horror
at the atrocities committed by the In
dams when on the war path. But their
most merclless deeds are exceeded by the
inhuman cruelty and indiscriminate
massacre of defenceless women and child
ren by the soldiers at Fort Robinson:
The term Savage" more appropriately
belongs to the officers who sanctioned
the unheard of cruelty inflicted on poor
captive Indians than it does to the poor
Ignorant Indian who endured the refine
ment of cruelty. The soldiers find a
ready apologist for their indiscriminate
murder of old women and helpless child
rea, in General Sheridan, who says that
the soldiers were justified in killing
twelve helpless people in order TO kill
eight bucks who were endeayoring to es-
cape from torture by freezing AMI famine.
1t is the most disgraceful butchery that
ever disgraced the annals of any country
and common humanity demands that the
perpetrators be Justly punished. No
bloody deed of the Indians equal this in
infamy and history fails to furnish a
parallel.
The band of Cheyennes lately captured
were imprisoned at Fort Robinson.
Their recollection Of the treatment they
received in the Indian Territory made
them averse to returning to their reser-
walton. The persons in command in
order to break their spirit and make
them yield resorted to the punishment
of starvation and freezing. For three
days, men women and children were kept
in an open lodge, without fire, or food
and with very meagre clothing. Two of
their chiefs were induced to leave their
lodge under the pretense that a council
was to be held at which their presence
was necessary. When removed from
their people the two Indians were knock
ed down, maltreated and put in irons.
These facts reached the Indians, suffering
from starvation and cold and they re-
solved to escape like treatment or perish.
| They overpowered the sentinels and
made for the hills. They were pursued
twenty, twelve of whom were squaws and
papo0ses. The soldiers showed no mercy
even to children and the Indians prefer
red death to recapture and slow death
by freezing and starvation. The dis
| mounted troops returned with old women
| and children, many of them wounded
and their agonies increased by having
been frozen. Many died within two
hours. The soldiers were exhausted
with fatigue and benumbed with cold,
but the half clad, unarmed Indians were
pursued by fresh division and mounted,
who followed them until the moon set,
shooting down everyone they overlook.
Forty Indians We're killed and great
number wounded, and it is estimated
that two-thirds of those are women and
children.
The surviving Indians entrenched
breastworks during the night. They are
very poorly armed as their guns were
taken from them when they first surren-
dered, except such as they concealed
Still the troops did not dare to attack
them openly and sent for artillery with
which to dislodge them. The Indians
succeeded in escaping from the ravine
and are being pursued by the troops.
Such consumate cruelty should not be
allowed to go unrebuked. General Crook
knew of the means employed to bring
| the Indians to submission and approved
! of them. General Sheridan justifes in
| discriminate massacre. Such deeds are
| a disgrace to civilization, and makes the
deeds of the Indians tender in compari-
son. An inquiry into this butchery is in
| order.