Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1879-11-15
Army Report-Review OF Indian AZ
fairs.
WASHINGTON, Mover


the Secretary of War was completed
to-day. 1t is prefaced with the usual
tabular statements and returns COM
piled by the Adjutant- General, COM
menting on which General Sherman
says:
The eleven Generals 1,559 officers, 20 ,56e
men and 23 Indian scouts, together with such
Department to duty with the troops, constitute
the army proper, or the 'combative force
All other parts of the military establishment
are provided by law for special service more
| or less connected with the army or militia, but
are not available for frontier defenscs
Thus, for instance, the 3G enlisted men
| of the Ordnance Corps are in fact workmen at
| arsenals: the 192 men of the Engineer Corps
are at Wilet's Point undergoing instruction
| in torpedo practice, and are not subject to the
| DIVISION Commander. The 456 men of the Sig
nal Corps are employed in observing the wealth
fixed magazines. The ISL Commissary
are Stewards ard " of hespitals ia fi The '0' Wesf s
Point detachment 1S6 in number, is localized
at the Military Academy. The prison guard
at Fort Leavenworth comprises seventy men,
and recruiting detachments absorb 1,7O7 men
at Davis Island, Columbus, o., and Jefferson
aggregating 3,4ss enlisted men of the hishest
grades, compose about one-sixth part of the
enlisted men provided by law for the whole
army, leaving but 20, 799 for actual service.
mention these figures in some detail be-
cause L know that it is the popular belief,
| sHdTeu by many members OF Congress, that
we have 25,0O0 men on duty. have done all
| in my power to reduce these detachments TO
the lowest number possible, so as to afford
| more men to our skeleton companies, but
have found it impossible and l notice that
similar detachments are reported on all army
returns for fifty years back. There are
40 companies in the regular army;
5000 men would give hfty-eight to each,
which is as small as any company should
| be, and earnestly recommend that you ask
Congress to so legislate that the 25,O00 men
provided by law may be allowed exclusively
Tor regiments of the line, and that special pro-
vision be made for these several detachmcnts,
| as has already been done for the Signal Serv-
ice. The army cannot with justice, be held
responsible for the work of 5000, when
large fraction is necessarily diverted to other
uses, perhaps of equal National importance"
The tables above referred to show that the
grand aggregate of the army roll is 2,1S7 Of
hccrs and a. 2 men in service, and 3SS officers
retired.
| his report to the Ute troubles. He introduces
the subject with "a history of the tribe. These
Indians, he says are of the worst class, and oc-
cupy the roughest part of our country for farm
ing, gr;izing or military operations. Their man.
agement is complicated 10y the fact that their
country is known to possess mineral deposits,
which attracts bold and adventurous class of
white men. They are very warlikc, and have
TO difficulty i'm procuring IL. exchange for their
tcer-skius, horses and 3necp any amount of
he best rifles and ammunition. As long
I 'e game lasts they will not work or attempt
! irming, except in the smallest and most
liculous way, and that only by compulSiOn
The report details ut some length the history
W inc Weil-kHOWl cNtittS lGtulng UP 10 inc
N ,yement by Major Thornburghs command,
III continues:
with Knowledge of the result and to
III row as much light on the immediate cause
of this war as possible, give the last letters
which passed between Major Thornburgh and
NJ. Meeker. and will here record my judg-
mcnt that Major ThoInburgh was an officer
and gentleman of whom the army has reason
to bc proud. lie was young ardent, ambi-
tious, OF good Judgment, and no man could
have done better in life nor met death with
more hcroism.
TIORNBURGH TO MEEKER.
"I -EADQ RS WHITE RIVER EXPEDITION.
CAMP ON FoRTIFICArON CREEK,
September %, 1879
a. Mr.. Meeker, Indian Agent, White River
sSIR:EIn obedience to Instructions from the
General of the Army, l am en- route to your
Agency, and expect to arrive on the 10Th inst,
for the purpose of affording you any assist
ance in my power, and to make arrests Mt
your suggestion, and to hold as prisoners
such of your Indians as you desire until
Investigations are made by your Department.
i have heard nothing definite from your
Agency for ten days, and d. not kn Nv what
state OF anars exists, whether the lndiins VIII
leave at my approach or show hostilities.
send this letter by Mr.. Lowry, one of my
guides, and desire you to communicate with
me as soon as possible, giving me all the infor-
nation in your power, i'll order that L may
know what course am to pursue. If practi-
cable, meet me on the road at the earliest mo
ment;
"'T. 7. THoRNBURGH.'
All the world now knows that Special-Agent
General Charles Adams, of Colorado, appoint
ed by the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
these negotiations with the hostile Utes, has
partially succeeded in his mission, has OBJ
tanned tie surrender of Mrs. and Miss Meek
er, Mrs. Price and two children, who are al
ready safe with Their friends. He is now sup
posed to be again with the hostilcs on Grand
River, endeavCring TO effect the other condi-
tions required of the Utes by the honorable
Secretary of the Interior, who is primarily re-
sponsibe for the entire management of the
case. i certainly applaud the courage and en-
fa,- lax-I
and hope he will fully and completely succeed
in his praiseworthy mission, and yet believe
that prudence demands that the military prep
arations and precautions shall not slacken-
Thus far we have lost eleven citizens, two Off
GERS and twelve soldiers killed, and forty-one
wounded. The Indians admit II loss of thirty
nine warriors killed, so that they have not
much reason to boast"
Tue report next treats of the Apache raid,
and states that troops aie in pursuit, but moth
ing definite can be given as yet. The Apaches,
the General says, only resort To the Agency to
rest, recuperate and make ready for the next
war. He infers that soon winter comes
they will return To their agencies and he cool.
General Sherman refers at some length to
last summers incurslons of Indians from Sit
ting Bulls camp, and kindred subjects, and re-
marks that some more permanent security
our neighbors. Hetherefore recommends that
Congress be asked to appropriate 5000 TO
complete Fort Assiniboine, and 500 600 to
b,.iId n new post near Wood Mountain and
says: Z" In this connection also beg to sub
init my conviction that very soon the progress
move all the Indians now located on the Up
per Missouri-viz.: The Arickarees, Gros
Nentres, Piegans, Bloods and Crows, to the
Sioux reservation below Cannon Ball Creek,
and to open to actual settlers all the land in
the region north and west of that reserva-
tion.'
General Sherman reports highly satisfac-
tory condition of affairs in the Department OF
Texas, especially along the Rio Grande from
tier. The large immigration which has pour
cd into Texas having now extended to what
were formerly her waste lands, the removal OF
some of the frontier posts further west is neces-
sary, and General Sherman therefore indorses
the recommendation made to him by General
Ord for Congressional appropriations To con-
struct military posts on the new western
frontier.
Referring to the troubles caused during the
past year by the attempted emigration TO tho
Indian Territory from the southern border of
Kansas, General Sherman says: 1.-The delicate
duty imposed on the military was admirably
performed by the troops under the order of
General Pope. The opinion is expressed that
at least thirty superfiuous military posts might
be sold to great advantage"
The report in conclusion treats of the sub
ject of military education. and after referring
to the artillery school at Fortress Monroe and
schools should be established and main-
tanned for cavalry and infantry. These
have repeatedly been attempted at Forts
Leavenworth and Smelling but no sooner
have they been begun than some Indian
troops, so that at this lime we have nothing of
the kind But the day must come when schools
for infantry and cavalry will be established in
Ol u II
possible for instruction in the use of the rifle
and horse, before your officers and recruits are
pushed into battle and danger"
MEEkER TO THORNBURGH.
"To this Agent Meeker replies, under date
September q, as follows:
"'SIR: Understanding you are on the way
hither with United States troops, send u mes
senger, Mr. Eskrdge, and two Indians, Henry
dnterpreter) and John Ayersly, to inform you
that the Indians are greatly excited and wish
you to stop at some convenient camping place,
and then that you and five soldiers of your com
into hn rhan fol
better understanding can be had. This
agree to. L do not propose to order your
movements; but it seems for the best. The
Indians seem to consider the advance of the
troops a declaration of real war. In this
am laboring to undeceive them, and at tie
same time to convince them that they cannot
do whatever they please, The first object