The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-11-19
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GEN
ERAL OOMMANDING-OPERA-
TIONS THE PAST YEAR.
Remarks on the Oklahoma, Ar
raplIOe, Cheyenne and New
Mexico Troubles.
Course, Abilities and Services of
Gen. CROOK Highly Approved
and Commended.
Questions of Command in the
Army Never Settled
Other suggestions.

WASHINGTON, November 11.--The annua
report OF the lieutenant general of the army is
made public to-day. AT the date of the last
report of the consolidated revision the army
consisted of 2,154 officers and "A 705 men.
Nothing" says the report has YET beer
done in the division Of the Atlantic for the
protection of our Seaboard by improvement oi
armament or increase of Notifications, so that
many OF our large cities are still at the mercy
of the il on cladS of foreign nations IN case of
rupture OF OurrelatiOnS. but it is hoped that
public sentiment Will before long prevail on
cong preS. for liberal appropriations in this re-
spect The division of money has hal disturb
ances which have severely taxed the troops
and the supply departments of the govern
ment
First came the Oklahoma invaders. "The
sincerity Of the leaders of The Oklahoma
colony" writes General Sheridan, may well
be doubted. but they were bold in their
movements and carried the scheme to the
verge of biOOdShed. The belief exists that
their mention was not actual settlement but
70 call the attention of congress to the
opening up of the Indian territory and that
money Wa9 subscribed for tIlS purpose by in
tereSted corpora ions,
Fol owing the Oklahoma invasion, came the
Cheyenne and Arapahoe disturbances which
threatened, for a time, all the horrors of an
Indian war. For the cause of this trouble
and the pari 'Ulars of its sentiment, 1 refer
to my report to the president, made in July
last.
In the southwestern corner of New Mexico
many lives have been lost by the invasion of
a small body OF Chircahua Apaches from
Arizona A large number of troops are at
of its protection and l am in hopes of an
early settlement of the Apache difficulty, in
sdch manner as Will forever prevent re.
currenee of the raids of the Indians.
In the nor, Invest, General Terry, command
ing the department of Dakota, was obliged
to keep a large number OF troops
in the field on account of the outbreak. Gen.
Howard, commanding department of the
Platte, IN addition to furnishing troOpSsto the
department of Missouri for the apprehended
difficulties with the Cheyennes, had and now
has to provide troops on account of the Chinese
labor troubles at Rock Springs, in Wyoming,
and other points on the Union Pacific railroad:
When we come to estimate duties performed
By troops In the division of Missouri, it will be
seen hat they have been most onerOuS and
responsible requiring degree of activity far
beyond an 1clpatlon AMI often recurring under
trying disadvantages in so far as relates to
means Of field transportation in cases OF
emergency, expensive. unsatisfactory and vex-
atiouS.
The department. of Texas, he says, has en-
jnyed unusual quiet, but has furnished aid in
the New Mexican and Indian Territory trou-
bIeS
The affairs of the division compri ing the
southwestern portion of the department. of
isfactory. Sc long as General Crook had
charge of the Apaches under the agreement
between the secretary of war and secretary OF
the Interior matters were very we'll In Arizona,
but after contentious began under the divided
authority that existed a year ago, diStrust and
trouble arose among the Indians and contin-
sssssy 1ast. I'll c.aIr2sSs. "st speie Pzs =.
without cause, and embraced Suiy a. part o.
the tribe, but this element comprised
conduct OF this band, not exec ding AZ men anC
% squawS was tiendiSh 10 the extreme. Un
protected aud unarmed people were murdered
whenever met, and when pressed by troops
they scattered like flock Of quail and came
together again at some designated point from
80 TO 100 miles distant. They shall all be eX-
terminated edo, or captured, and have the great
pi1Sh this, though the difficulties are very
great. l beg the people in that section to bear
in mind that Gen. Cook is the best man we
have to deal with these hostile Indians, and
will accomplish in the end more than perhaps
any man in the army. He is familiar with the
Indians and country, and unfortunate as the
p ople of Arizona and New Mexico have been
there is no other man in the army who could
do any better or who is more wrapped up in
the Welfare of the people in that section, as re-
CARDS the property and business Interests. In
The pursuit of this hostile band in Mexico
under the agreement, our Off;
GERS and men have been treated
with consideration and kindness, which it is
my duty to acknowledge. take great pleas
ure in commencing General Crook for the ad
mirable disposition Cf his troops, and his
steady per .erverance under disheartening cir
cumStances.
No events have occurred in the department
OF Californil of any special importance; the
same may be sad of the department
of the Columbia, commanded by Gen
were ut back 10 the depar tment from the In
dian territory, but no appropriation was made
for t cir S stenance, and to keep them from
want, a small amount OF army rations have
On the Indian question General Sheridan
reply is almost Identical with the views h
gave to a reporter few days ago. and whicl
have been going the rounds Of the press, dur
ing the past week. lie says plan could b.
,;,Xtended to cover mos! OF the country
0nSG Il only propose that the governa%nfeenI!
of settlers AID SPECTATORS would buy then
and take then at the average of S1.25 per acre
Some of them are worth s. or $40 per acre Il
this W y the Indians would have perpetua
security in the principal until congress choose
to give it to them TO be used as they may SCI
fit. The government could lose nothing an'
the indians would only be getting the value o
are not poor They are over Incompetent a
the present time to take care of their property
and thei ef re require looking after. Th
tire ties we have made with tLe might inter
fere with tn ! purchase of these lards by tht
government, Cutlcongress could easily devils
some me ans of overcoming this difficulty,
Ga mot agree with General Miles in his
concentrations reg arding Indian territory
| tr in his col lidence in the ability of the Ii
| dian TO make himself Self-SuppOrting in s.
short q time.. All Iur experience heretofor
does not warrant such confidence and Sucl
| opinions, sholld be rem lrked as an individ
nal rather than a representative OF the army
The processes OF civilization must neceSSari
be slow, and will no doubt be worked out i
time, ii tirmness and fair treatment is OF
served and steady policy be pursued, bu
the ultimate result is still some distance in tn
| future. When tribe becomes refract ry, O
mas worked itself int o state of open revolt
IT'S temporary transfer to tie control of tn
military force for purposes of discipline, a
mas recently been done with the Cheyenne
and ArapahoeS in the Indian territory, an
/ AOaclnS. will he fnnn1 (,f great hnnEti6- HI
the permanent control of the Indians is not d
Slred by the army at largI. The Seminol!
| ldlan scouts now in ths vicinity OF Fort lari
| Texas, IN ntioDed IN the very last report, hav
not as yet heen brought back to the India
! Terr tory. Symp9thy for item IS very egrea
| ana the lnjuS;ic1 they have undergone Il
| about ten years has often been referred
| without effect They are good people an
| should be provided for in the Indian Teri
| tory.
| Ihe lientenant-genaral commends the II
| COMMUNICATIONS of the acknowledgement n
| ga-tii9g the promotion 10 tne rank of fel'
| officer.
He calls attention to the necessityof coucel
| tratirg troops near the large cities. where the
cam be more economically supported an
| whence they II more readily be moved to II
| frontier when require there.
| General Sheridan concluded by saying
1.-The most import ant question involving til
| command and government OF the army whic
have been the source of constant embarras
| meEt and the cause of m1ch contT oYersy f
| many years, remain unsettled. At the pre-
| e It time no commanding general, from I'll
/ highest to the lowest, can know the extent
| limits of his au hority, and no one can hay
any stall responsible to him for he faithf
/ execution of b S orders. During the last tweI
| ty-fiVe years The country has passed throug
tni ee momentos crises, wherein the unsettle
| ton add their decisions for the occasion d
| pended SOlelg upon individual opinion. Al
other such crisis may not be far distant, whe
| such a decision may not be so favorable II
| the country Hence while L Or6Senttle In