The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-04

and OF course they will not converse with stranger.
but do know they were in our vicinity when these
hres were started in the spring and there had been
no hunters around or We should have known II De-
canse the mining camps their market for meat.
About the quantity of timber and grazing land
burned over cannot give il in acres but it Is I'M
mense. 1t can only be measured by miles. and at
rms date Is growing more fierce every day. Nothing
now can stop il but storm of rain or snow. very
Respectfully j. B. DONALDSON. Superintendent.
Official copies of these papers were forwarded to
the Assistant Adjutant General on General Sheridans
stan for his Information by General Pope. and by
General Sheridan to the Adju.ant General Of the
Army under date of September 20 and September rs.
As already said it not until yesterday that copies
We're received at the Interior from the War Depart
ment.
MAJOR rHoRNBURGHs ORDERS
All of the accounts received of the progress of
Major Thornburgh toward the White River Agency
agree in saying that at the critical moment. when
the danger of attack was inevitable. he advised
to act promptly and repel the approaching In
dams. He is quoted as saying that his
orders were such that he could not order
an attack without subjecting himself to court
martial in the event he should survive the engage
ment which was certain to follow. Officers of tho
Adjutant Generals Bureau have searched the records
i'll vain to find any orders emanatins from the War
Department that would have warranted any such
instructions. On the 18th of September the official
for troops which resulted in the sending of Major
Thornburgh with three companies of cavalry and one
of infantry to the White River Agency. The Adju-
tant General telegraphcd verbatim copy Of the let
ter received from the Acting Secretary Of the IN
terror to General Sheridan. who communicated tho
same. through his Assistant Adjutant General
Whipple, to General Pope. commanding the
Department Of the Missouri. When the or
der reached General Pope he knew that
there must be some mistake about it. as
the force under him too remote from the
agency to be effective. il immediate action was to be
taken. He at once returned the order to General
Sheridan, who sent it to General Crook command
ing the Department of the Platte. and whose forces
could be rapidly concentrated at Fort Steele. What
orders General Crook gave Major Thornburgh are
unknown to the War Department
sax GENERAL ORDERS GIVEN.
Adjutant General Townsend says:-
or late years it has been tho general order Of the
Department in sending out special expeditions to
caution the officers against precipitating engage
lnent with the roaming Indians. The nature OF the
Indian is such that he is provoked at the slightest
challenges the warlike proclivities of the
| Indian it invariably follows that the War
hands. Hence the abundance Of caution urged upon
all officers not to fire upon Indians merely because
they found away from their agency or off their
| reservation. In this Major Thornburgh aD-
pears to have acted as cautious. obedient officer
| would. His instructions were to proceed to tho
agency. He had already met o number of the chiefs,
andi from all he saw, he had hardly any
for surprising that the Utes intended hostile acts
until he was face to face with the danger. Besides
we have but one statement that Major Thornburgh
did not feel justified in acting prudent officer
| should have done under the circumstances. 1t is
the fate of our army to DO put in dangerous places
aud think the general sentiment OF the public is
with us in doing all We can to avoid unnecessary
sacrifice OF lite.
THE REQUEST FOR TROOPS.
The foil ie tha lott Of Actip
Bell which was telegraphed to General Sheridan:-
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Sept. Is, 1879.
| The Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR;
SIR have the honor to invite your attention to
tho enclosed copy OF letter OF this date from the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with enclosure
therein noted i'll relation to lnsubordination OF tho
and driving the agent. n O. Meeker. from his
agency. In view of the state of affairs III said agency
communicated, respectfully request that the
| commandant OF the nearest military post may be
instructed by telegraph to detail u sufficient guard
found implicated in the disturbance. and that the
ringleaders be held prisoners until tue has
been thoroughly investigated Very respectfully.
A. BELL. Acting Secretary.
LETTER THE COMMISSIONER
The letter Of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs
upon which the above was predcated is as follows-
DEPARTMENT INTERIOR,
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS,
WASHINGTON. Sept. is, 1879.
The Honorable THE .SEcRErARY OF THE INTERIoR-
SIR have the honor to transmit herewith copy
Of telegram, dated 18th inst. from United States
Agent N. c. Meeker. OF the White River Agency. Col
orado, who states that he has been assaulted by
leading Indian chief named Johnson. forced
from his house and badly injured. but rescued
by his employees and that they are in danger of
losing their lives and request protection respect
fully recommend that the matter be referred to the
Honorable Secretary of War; with the request ne
cause the necessary orders to issue to the comman
dant OF the nearest military post to the
agency to detail sufficient number of
troops to arrest such Indian chiefs insub-
ordinate and enforce obedience to the requirements
of the agent and afford him such protection the
exgency of the case requires; also that the ring
leaders be held prisoners until an investigation
can be had Very respectfully,
L. j. BROOhS, Acting Commissioner
GENERAL sHERrDASs REPORT
General Sheridan. his last annual report to GEN.
eral Sherman. alludes to the insignificant force
der his command to carry out the Indian policy OF
the government After describing the OF terri
tory over which they have been allowed to roam,
the prodigal provision Of nature in creating vast
herds Buffalo, with elk. antelope, deer and other
large game. he says:-
This thus briefly stated their condition in
this extent OF country about ten years ago. and
this good enough for and satisfied the wants of
the savage while constant feuds among themselves
gave them active occupation. as war was their only
profession and they disdained work. They believed
that all the region have described belonged to them,
and our Indian policy acknow lodged their right to
the country and what it contained. But, alas for
the poor savage! along came the nineteenth century
progress, or whatever it may be called. to
crowded on to the grounds of the Indians aid made
encroachments Oh his rights which government
could stop. Our handful of soldiers was at first
protect the Indians, but such attempts were
powerless The government made treaties, gave
presents. made promises, none of which
honestly fulfilled, and, like all original treaties
with Indians in this country, they the
first steps in the process of develop
ing hostilities. The Indian became jealous.
Hc made in his simplicity blind bargains
He began to see his lands wrestcd from his possess
sion. his herds OF Buffalo, which he believed the
Great Spirit had given him. rapidly diminish, the
elk, deer ana antelope killed tor the market by
the sportsman and widely scattered by BOTH and his
rude nature, alike to civilized nature under similar
conditions, naturally rebeiled. He commenced war,
he had been accustomed to make it, and men,
women and children. intruders upon his soil, wero
killed, difference being made between tho
innocent or guilty, the armed unarmed.
The government followed up these acts of
hostility with army too small to intiinidae or
punish and after years OF struggle the Indians
south OF the Pacific Railroad and down to the Gulf
OF Mexico, including the Cheyennes, Arapahoes and
Kiowas and Comanches. were forced to reserva-
tons at Forts Sill and Reno i'll Indian Territory