Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-01-10
sHERIDAN's REPLY TO sCHuRz.
In Answer to the Latter's Demand for
Evidences Of Fraud in the Indian
Bureau.


the interior, calling upon Gen. Sheridan
Tor specific facts in support of his
charges against the efficiency ofthe In
dian service, has elected reply in the
form Of a report from Gen. Sheridan to
Gen. Sherman, from which the follow
ing extracts are taken. Gen. Sheridan
says:
The object l had in view in my an
nual report was to show that lnaian
wars came from two causes (see report)
but that, while the first war could not
beavoided by the government, the sec
ond was clearly within its control and
resulted from the bad management of
Indian affairs.
have made no charges againt the
honorable secretary of the interior; |
desired simply 10 call the attention of
my superior officers, to the cause that
produced discomfort and outbreaks, and
that from tha inadequacy Of our mill
tary force ulted in the massacre Of
officers, soldiers and citizens, and the
horrible and uncomfortable barbarities
perpetrated on women and children,
and to state my belief that these dis
asters might have been averted by bet
ter organization, more complete sys-
tenn, and more integrity in the agents
employed.
The secretary ofthe interior saw fit to
take this up, and, by disingenuously
saying that | had made charges as
TO corruptions NJ every agency in the
limits of this military division, chal-
lenges me for 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 this supplement
tai report.
The question of justice and right to
the Indian is past and cannot be recall
ed. We have occupied his country,
taken away from him his loidly do
main, destroyed his herds of game, pen
ned him up on reservations, and re-
duced him to poverty. For humanity's
sake, then. let us give him enough to
eat, and integrity III the agents over
him. To show how inconslderate the
honorable secretary of the interior was
in his first and second letters of Nov. IL
and Nov. 30, respectively, it is only nee
essary for me to call the attention of
the general of the army to the fact that,
since 1874, | have carefully retained
copies of Indian reports coming to my
office, the briefs of which are herewith
Enclosed, and it was on this information
that my report was made. Surely the
honorable secretary Of the interior can
not impute untruthfulness to the Off
GERS making these reports. They were
on the ground, generally as official in
spectors for the Indian bureau or in
some official capacity, and are among
the best i'll the service, most of them
personally known to the general of the
army, and many of them to the coun-
try. My object was to call attention to,
and, if possible, prevent the calamities
occurring to frontier settlers, to officers
and men of the army, and to reduce
the unnecessary expenses brought
upon us.
The report of Lieut.. Lee, giving an
exact exposition Of Indian management
ut the Spotted Tail agency, was obtain
but the facts as related were well known
to me,-in fact, l was instrumental, to
some extent, in the detection OF the
McCann fraud. His report is submit
ted, first for the reason that it gives q
fair and comprehensive idea of Indian
and, | believe, may be
assumed as " fair explanation of what
has occurred Mt many Of the other !
agencies, and which produced the hun \
ger and discomfort described i'll the ac-
briefs. In this connection,
| also call attention to the briefs of cor
respondence from Lieut.. Dougherty, |
relative to the attempt to force upon
him, since he has been acting rs agent
ut Grow Creek, employees of bad charac-
ter, and Of the loose and criminal man.
ner in which Indian goods were ship.
ped, without bills of lading or invoices.
This is true also for the Cheyenne and
Brule agencies on the Missouri river,
us well as Crow Creek, whose agent, Dir.
Livingston, has recently been indicted
on about l24 charges, and as many
more that were thrown ont under the
statute of limitations.
The attention Of the general Of the
army is expressly called to the reports
on the Standing Rock agency, under
the management of Agents Burke and
Hughes. Then look at the Mandans,
Arickarees, Gros Ventres, Assinaboines,
Plegans and Crows. in Montana terrific
~. At tine latter agency fraud has
been rampant, although, to the best of
my recollection, the agents have been
changed at least five or six times lnthe
last seven years. Then come down to
the Shoshones, Bannocks, northern and
southern Cheyennes, Arapahoes, kio-
was and Comanches, Utes and southern
Apaches, and ask them why they have
gone to war, or have been hostile or tur-
bulent for the last six or seven years.
The answer will be, insufficient food, II
regularity in its supply, and broken
promises.
The present Indian commissioner is
doubtless honest; he has discharged q
number Of agents for malfeasance in
office. Commissioner Smith, who pre-
ceded him, was an honest man also, so
far as | know, and likewise the COM
missioner of Indian affairs before him,
~ u. ~. Looly Tba,, a III Ala q /, wnll % |