The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-02
SHERIDAN TALKING BACK.
PROOFS or FRAUD AND MTSMANAGE
MENT BY the INDIAN BJREIU.
The Reports OF Array Onicer- as to why the
Hed Man Goes TO Wnr-Cheated and Kob-
bed ON Every Side -InfnrInnti lon for sehnrz.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.--Gcn. Shcrdan's
supplemental report, in Response to- Schurzs re-
quest for specifications says that the Indian
eituaton is unsatisfactory owing to wrctchcd
management. Residents of the Western coun-
try have been killed and thcir property has
been stolen. Lack Of game and Of food at re-
servations have made Indians desperate. Gen.
Sheridan thinks that under wise manage
ment tho appropriations mndo 10y Congress
| ought to be sufficient He wonders wh.l
Schurz asks him for additional Information for
S,hurz has in the Interior Department copies
OF the reports made by officers in tho West
from which reports Gen. Sheridan made his
own. He says that the object lie had in making
this part OF his report was to show the causes OF
tho Indian wars. and ono cause was bad man
agement Of Indian affairs. lie made no charges
against Schurz or against any one else. He
| adds:
The Secretary Of tho Interior saw 1T to take
this up. and 10y disingcnuously saying that
| had made charges IA TO corruptions at every
agency in tho limits Of this military division
challenges me for facts to provo charge he
| has himself pvt into my mouth. His infer
| enrrs are warranted by tho language Of the re-
| port. but IN support 81 what | did say | re-
| ~" tully submit the data accompanying this
| supplemental report.
| The report Of Lieut. Loo giving an exact
| eNtnstouoi Indian management at the Spotted
| Tail Agency WIS uhut'ucd since the data OF nay
annual report. hat tue facts as related were well
some extent IN IN" detection "f the McCnnn
| fraul. This report was submitted first, for tho
| reason that IL gives u TAR an com urchousiVr
| Mctoi Indian managemrnt AMI hrliovc. may
| occurred at many os the other ngruei,s and
| which produced the hunger ana lis ontent de-
| srylard ia the ur'cupan ing briefs.
| also ca.l attention to the briefs " CORE
| suou!"ure from Lieut. Dourhfr'y relative To
| the at 'mpt to force upon him. since he has
| been acting ~ Agent at Crow Creek. employee
| OF bad character. and or the loose nni criminal
| munn"r ln "hlh lndHn goods WI, snlrp"d
| without hills of iading or invoices. This is true
| also for The tlnvrunr ant Bgulc AgHu 'irs on
| Ill.," Missouri hiNrr. rs wei Hs Crow Creek.
| whose Agent. Or livingston. has recently been
! indicted on about ia chnrc"s. and us many
| more that were thrown out under the statute oi
! limitations.
Tho attention ~ the General Of tho Army is
| expressly called 60 thu reports of the Standing
| Rock Agency. under the uanasrfu"uto t Agents
| Burkc and Hughes Then look at th' llandans,
| Arickar-,s. Groa Ventures. ASsinahoiurs pi"-
| gHus. aud Crows "a Montana Territory. At the
| latter agency fraud has been rampant. although
| to the best az my recollection tho agents have
| been changed I've or six times dur
| ing tho last seven y"nrs. Then come
down To the Snoshones. Btnnook-. Nnftn"rn
| aut southern 'ltyrunts. Arapohor- klowas.
and Coman"hrs. Ute and southern Alarh,s.
| and asS them why they nave gon" To- war or
seven Years. Tie utsN Will hr inSu Hlri"ncy
oi food. irr,gulHr.ly IN ~ supply. amt hro,"n
| promises. IN" prescott Indian t"mull- siou"r
Is douhtlcss honest. iir h"~ ais haired num-
bcr ~ agents for mai.rasancr M on-e. Com.
missioner Smith vino preceded hlm. was an
| honest man. also. $50 lnr u@ Know. aud Ike
wise the Commissioning of Indian Affairs b'forr
him. AMI SO ON tt-ek. They all Hid as well AZ tury
| know how hut fear with all Tho prrcauti 10 M
| OF honesty that tho system and manner Of ur-
| couututill'y are too loose forth" government OF
pc'rlr who cannot read or write. ana are -.
peculiar aud primitive" In their habits n IN"
Indians. II Will he seen even 10y tho extracts
from the reports t. the Bourd Of Indian Com
miss.oucts ~ w"il as ia" Commissioner OF
Indian Affairs. herewith alta he'd. they too SUP.
lori an" IN this combustion. Then VITA AL ih"s
| incts before Us. nud IT, the best of my belle IN
tue possession OF IA" lninn bureau. what Was
IL" uiJ"ct Of challenging The conclusions ia my
report and giving the letter To The pubic brior,
/ mad lvcn sent 20 the honorable secretary OF
| War, to whom IL WIS addressed Surely III,
officers who guard the ag"nci = and who are held
responsloie Tor In" protection Of the lives am
properly Of the settlers. should have a right {,
| report TO their sup"r'ors the causes OF tn
troubles without tho danger Of hcing le'.tureJ
INTO sucneu by the Hol. Secretary %! the ln
Brioro closing this communication desire T.
! cui the attention OF tie General Of the Army Z,
that portion 90 Lieut.. Ices report which piainlN
| shows thnt tAc figures made IA Washington o
! result from the supplies received. and which
may ar.nunti"r the discrepancy IA 10" rnIe,ru
rerCr, Ut Mayor j. H. Miner. at the south
| rru Cheyenne Agency. and that OF CAPT. A
Il. Ba'nbr,i.e, Ior, Hall Agency In con
annual report and in this rrort ny
Interest 30 tic IL liam, and IN the best IutctHt
90 lie. PROPERTY. AMI development On tho from
tier OF the lives 90 oil - and soldiers md IA,
bot economy in tao admin siration ol my rDul
iuaul. INH Indian armrd 40 ~ IL. Hui ia % .i
own country. les superior go us at Ahy IOlu
. wtrrr We arc Liable To meet him. AMI ~ h,
takes no prisoners. u requires bold man O.
aitaes .in w .tI Hu inferior force in view OF 10.
d,s1st'rs winch happened 70 poor Custer Fet
The fo.lowiu. are the iarts referred to Ia th..
comnunir'l on: W. have not her tiis cher 20
irs are ia the War Department. They can hr fur
uI~Lrd, uni - already forwarded trtlis In f4ar
bureau. The war Department has u.sl .l. tI'
-lWlIur rorT'Spnni"urn rNi"uslrg htrk IRON
1874 20 1889, and which. IL cXam.nei. Will far
nisn. think. an exposition 81 more neeray 'ir,
irreg nlariucr than those oi 1874 To the prcstn
tine. have hero also mass O
ro.orl". such ~ tel"grgus and letters
on the same subject. and ol the same import
extending bncN Ia October. 1871 tat which dat
g.. ..nt II tie General OF th@ Army De-. ir.s them
Ihry cover where and when W. had supple,
Indians with rttion-to prevent GU hrcuk. some
tm'r a' the rrqn ~ of the Indian Bureau an.
som' tunes Tor numanrys sake.
The lri"'s appended are arranged, rs will h.
p seem hy Agencies cNtcnlns from 1874 t. 1870
| eurns" also. Con. Gihhun'- and Gen. John
; spea,uiiy. your obr'lient servant.
L. II. SHERIDAN. Lieutenant General
With the r"po.t are briefs ana EXTRACTS iron
reports oi army OH rrs and others rr"t.yr &
frauds ana nliSinanag,m"nt IN a." Indian ser
Woe. The report Of FIRST Lieut. Lee. which &
n dated Nuv. y last, gives an explanation Of no,
AFFAIRS were conducted ut Spotted Tail AGrnc
! previous To the time a m itnry oil Ger Nns de-
{ Jailed rs al.rut says that T.. A. Howard wa
, | Their" IN charge as agent. that lac had instille
into the mlnds ol th" Indians almost every nos
Il sihe prejudice against the military. but tina
1 wnrn tho change WIS nN'ic IL was done 80 sud
~ denly that IN" good effect WAS speedily ap
! parent Lieut.. loot. who preceded Lee u
! acting ngent, found whcn he relieved Civ
10 Agent Howard, the supplies reduced 10 a star
"a J vWion minimum, und after getting supple
from the military to feed the starving lndiuns
h first on 'lal act WIS 90 take "a ronsus. and b
Z then found Howard had been issuing ON papr
4 60 9llg Indians. when tho actual number WA
= only 477j.
q Leo took charge Of Spotted Tail Agcnc
@ March 3, 1871. by treaty, aLnutics for IA
r Indians should have reached them the Isl ,
August 81 each year but they did not Arriv
. until mldwutcr. thus causing much suilcrul
/ aud this has boon generally tbs ease. Lieu
r Lee then gives a history of the NJ Cam frauds
Il which had been reported ms early ~ 1873. an
e says notwthsHndi ny th"sa frauds, VI tuuu re-
4 cciVrd the contracts for a very large portion q
the transI urtatlon Tor 1871.
4 Irn then relates mtuutply the McCHn nm
Z ! Davis frauds shows the methods ~ Inspection
a states the deficiencies TINT occurred ou HccOuu
% OF them SAYS hr reuorted tho facts to the In
r dim BurrHu. and TINT finally h. received telc
gram from the acting Commissioner saying
n We trust MctNnn no longer"
4 Ire then shows how tho method Of dOn
D business in the Indian Bureau lett the agent h
$ the dark III to the quantity OF supplies turnc
= over 10 contractors for delivery at the agency
!. and that he could only get nj this lnlornutlu