The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-07
WRONGS OF THE RED MAN.
How He Has Been imposed Upon and
Cheated by Agents and Contractors.
General POpe's Protest Against Compelling the
Army to FOrcibly Detain Indians on
Reservations Until They Starve.

forwarded to the War Department a disnateh
from Colonel Bradley, in which the latter saws
the Mescalera Apaches, in the vicinity of south
eastern New Mexico, are becoming restless be-
cause their supplies are giving out AT present
they nave nothing but beef and short rationa
In communicating the above dispatch to Adju-
tant-General Drum, General Schofeld said
there were as many Indian difficulties as the
troops were able to handle He thought that az
the Indian Bureau could not furnish supplies to
these people, the army had better feed them out
of their stores, and charge the amount to the
Indian Bureau Secretary Lamar consented to
this proposition, and General Schofeld was di-
rected to issue rations from the military stores
at the post where the trouble is threatened.
1--WE would have had our hands full" said an
officer holding prominent position here. in
commenting, to-day, upon the contents Of the
above dispatch ''if the Apachcs in southeastern
New Mexico had gone on the war path. The
Utes in north western and northern Mexico the
Apaches in Arizona. and the Cheyennes in the
Indian Territory all giving us trouble; and
they widely separated. When one knows
the condition of the Indians he cannot blame
them for their actions. They must
90 something or starve to death.
They have food and there is
not half feeding them. | understand that an
preparations for the Indians are less now than
they were several years ago. and | have it from
no less authority than the General of the Army
that they are cheated out OF portions of food
purchased by these appropriations, to which
they are entitled. BY collision between dealers
and agents, they set cattle weighing one half or
one-quarter what their contract calls for. Of
course, when this is done, their food gives out
before the end of the year, and they can get
nothing additional on the reservation except
snakes and insects, which they do eat"
Another army officer says that the amount Of
food allowed an Indian by the government will
not equal more than one fourth the amount
which Is given to soldiers. In 1877, during q
trouble with the Cheyennes, General Pope sent
the following heretofore unpublished report to
the War Department.:
GAS matters stand, the military forces are
placed in false and very unsatisfactory condi
ton in relation to these Indians. 1t is inhuman
to compel Indians to remain at the agencies on
their reservations, slowly starving to death. If
they do what any man would do under
their circumstances-leave the localities
where they are placed to procure food
to prevent themselves and their
families from starving-it is considered the duty
of the army to pursue and force them back and
compel them to starve peaceably. In other
words, the military forces are required to COM
pei these Indians to starve to death quietly, or
be killed If they are not willing to do it, 1t is
impossible to believe that the government of
the United States intends, knowingly, to be
even tacltly PARTY to so monstrous a crime
against humanity, and ! consider it, therefore, a
duty both to the government and the military
force to ac0uaint the authorities with the facts
however disagreeable they may be. 1t will be
precelved that large sum is
necessarily used from the appropriation for these
Indian tribes to transport their supplies to this
and other remote agencies, and it is not improper
for me to again invite attention to the numerous
recommendations have made in the last twelve
years, that the Indians confined to the res
ervations by treaty stipulations be brought in
to points where everything is cheap, and where
the enormous expenditure for trans porting sup
plies to them will not be necessary"
In September of the same year General Pope
sent another report to the department. in which
he said:
THE papers forwarded contain mere re-
statement of what l have so often brought to
to the attention of the authorities, that l feel
reluctant to forward them; nevertheless,
the subject must be presented, and
must be dealt with, unless the honor
of the government, the faith of its promises,
common humanity to these wretched Indians,
and the safety of the people of the frontier are
not worth considering. The situation is plai:-
not to be misunderstood. The Indians in question
have the written promise of the government
embodied in treaty suemnly ratified by the
Senate, that they shall, in part consideration of
certain obligations which they have observed
and are observing, be supplied with provisions
in amount and character specifically stated--pro-
visions absolutely necessary to keep them from
starving at places where the governments
itself has established them They are
not so furnished. and are in consequence
in a suffering condition, which must very soon
force them to flee from the reservation. What
are the military forces to do? Is it really ex-
pected that they shall compel these Indians to
stay where they are and slowly starve to death
it is impossible that the government expects
this cruelty or that the troops should execute it,
do not undertake to say where is the blame for
this breach of the solemn obligations of the
United States but do say that under military
supervision, such condition of things could not
happen, unless from failure OF Congress to
make appropriations. reason which cannot
be assigned IN the case Of the Indian Depart
ment. There are herds of CATTLE in the vicinity
Of these Indians, which could be bought and
issued to them. If this be not done at once, is
there any man who can blame the Indian for
taking what he needs rather than starve to
death i'll the sight of abundance, and when the
government stands pledged to him for his sub
sistence? | trust that the Secretary of War
WILL in some manner, protect the army from be-
ing placed in such position this, and if the
Indians are to be dealt with in this manner, the
army, at least, shall be held bameless for con
sequences
Roman Nose States His Grievances.
LEAvENWoRTH, Kan, July GA brief inter
view has been obtained with Roman Nose,
the renegade Sioux, who has cast his lot with
the Cheyennes and has apparently devoted all
his energies to making trouble. He possesses
q considerable following among the Cheyennes,
and has led several raids on the cattle of the
companies which have leased grazing lands from
the Cheyennes and Arapahoes. His complaints
are chiefly against the cattle companies, which,
he asserts, have fenced in much of the best hunt
ing lands and forced the Indians to tramp over
sterile plains in search of game He claims that
the payments made by the cattle companies to
the Cheyennes and Arapahoes are not fairly di-
divided. and that the cattle turned over to the
Indians and branded to denote their ownership
are 'eobbled' by the bigger chiefs, to
the exclusion Of the lesser ones. He believes
that before long there will be a general Indian
war; and that the Indians might as we'll die
fighting as to be driven about and hemmed in
and starved by white men. The war said he,
twill begin with the Cheyennes and Arapahoes.
and then the Comanches. Apaehes. Kiowas and