Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-11-19
General Sheridan's Annual Report.

Oh Ine Army ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS sheridan |
speaks at length concerning military affairs
in his command. After recapitulatlng the
composition Of his command and stating its !
disposition, the Lieutenant General says
Although the Department OF Dakota has
by far the largest number OF Indians from
whom hostile acts might be expected, these
have been at peace, during the past year,
and seem to have made some advancement
in labor and in the cultivation of the soil,
at the different agencies. The exceedingly
annoying condition CT having a small body
OF our hostile Indians, with Sitting Bull,
just across the boundary line, in British
Columbia, has been removed by the sur
render Of this head man. Nearly all of the
Indians who clustered around him have
come over, either with him or in advance Of
him, and have submitted to the authority OF
the Government. So long as this body of
Indians remained across the line, they
formed nucleus with whom all dissatisfied
or disaftected ones, at the agencies, could
take refuge. For this reason l supported
General Terry in his efforts TO get Sitting
Bull back, and think the results will be
satisfactory. Although Sitting Bull was not
much Of a warrior, and had no prestige
among Indians on that account, still he was
stubborn In his resistance to the Govern
ment reservation system, and naturally had
many adherents among the disaffected. His
original offense was his refusal to go to the
reservation Of his tribe--the Uncapapas-at
Standing Rock; he wanted to live wild. He
was not a chief in. that tribe, but was the
leader Of small band OF about sixty lodges,
who held with him the same feelings Of Bit
ter opposition toward being civilized. lie
was in the outskirts of the fight with Gus
ter, but not conspicuous, and shortly after
ward struck out with his small band for
British Columbia, being subsequently fol-
lowed, from necessity, by other bands Of
Sioux. have seen in newspapers long ac-
counts and narratives purportng to be de-
scriptions Of the Custer battle, as related by
Sitting Bull, which have, in my opinion,
but little truth in them, and historians are
cautioned against receiving them as correct.
The Northern Cheyennes and the Ogalala
SiouX-the former under two or three of
their principal chiefs, and the latter, under
Crazy Horse, as their leaders--did the fight
ing at the battle Of the Little Horn, when
Custer fell.'
Referring to the Departments of the
Platte and the Missouri, he says that "al-
though they have had plenty Of time, the
Uncompahgro Utes, who were to move to
this vicinity from the Department Of the
Missouri, have not yet arrived at the new
agency appointed for them, on the east side
of Green River, not far distant from the
new post above mentioned; nor have the
White River Utes yet reached the Uintah
resevation-the place the Commissioners
have selected for them as their future home.
Hopes are, however, entertained that, be-
fore the first OF the new year, both the I'M
compahgre and the White River Utes will
reach their respective destinations with
out serious trouble. Still some fears
are entertained that they may not
go there, and this impression has SO firmly
settled itself in the mind of the Commission
that, at the request OF Commissioner Rus
sci, the General Of the army has directed
that the White River Utes be driven to the
, Uintah agency. am afraid, however, that
little can be done toward carrying out this
order before spring and will hope that bet
ter results will have obtained before that
time, No one can form any idea, excepting
by personal examination, OF the rough and
2 broken country Of the Gunnison and White
, rivers--the old home of the White River
! Utes-and shall hope for a peaceful solu-
2 tion and settlement OF this complication
without necessity for military operations -
j "ln the Department Of the Missouri, small
= raiding parties Of Apache Indians-the rem
nant OF Victories band, joined by a few
young men from the Mescalero reservation,
in all not TO exceed sixty in number-caused
, widespread alarm and serious loss OF hui
, man life in Southern New Mexico last win.
ter. The band came in from Mexico, south
> Of Fort Cummings, and, after making a raid
} OF extraordinary boldness, recrossed into
9 Mexico near their point Of entrance. They
= killed number of people, and, an
sorry to say, received but little pun
u ishment in return. This same bant
re-entered Southern New Mexico in july
p and raded the same region of country, kill
+ ing Lieutenant G. w. Smith, 9th cavalry
q and several people, and again escaping int
# Mexico without serious loss so far as havt
= been able to learn from any official data re-
>. ceived at these headquarters. | would ad
v wise that, II possible, the consent of tn,
- Mexican Government be obtained for ou
troops to cross and catch this small band o
a free e-booters, or at least to break down th
confidence, with which the boundary line in
: spires them in their ability to escape pun
ishment."
~ In regard to the Indian Territory General
~ Sheridan says: 81 earnestly recommend
h Congressional action to keep out in
m truders from Indian Territory. Ha
it not been for the military, thC
= territory Of Oklahoma would have nov
y been covered with settlements, The in
~ truders have been kept out by companies o
:, troops marching from east to west and bac
- again, on the south side OF the line betwee
- Indian Territory and the State Of Kansas
- while the intruders marched to and fro, i
. Kansas, on the north side Of the same line
- - The question, as l understand it, is this
- Congress bought certain lands fror
;" Indians belonging to Indian Nation, 70
= the purpose OF colonizing other band
, Of Indians upon these lands. Afte
=, some hostile Indians had been settled O
% portions Of these lands, some Of the mem
~ ~ bers Of Congress and Senators Of adjacen
States, becoming alarmed at the assemhin
e Of these Indians in Indian Territory, secure
o. the passage Of an act prohibiting the re
moval Of certain outside Indians to India
=. Territory. Then the people, styled tn
"intruders, set up the claim that wha
%, was left Of this purchase, which is no'
named Oklahoma, was subject to the sam
oo,hiiinns Of anitlnrnnrt nc nnr nth or null