The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-28
HOW INDIANS FIGHT.
Fictitious Regulations Held by Many of TIN
Savage Tribes of the Far West.


Savage Tribes OF the Far West.
from the st. Louis Post. Dispatch.
az have had many years experience as pur-
chaser of saddle horses" remarked major of
cavalry on his way to Chicago to a Post-Dis-
patch reporter in the corridor of the Southern
hotel this morning, ''having been member Of
horse boards for the last thirty years, and hav-
ing bought cavalry horses for the United States
service. | therefore feel that / know whereof
| speak when | say that the supply of good
saddle horses in the country is smaller than it
has been ut any time since the war; | do not
mean that there are fewer thoroughbreds, for
there arc probably more, but horses suitable
for other purposes than racing and park
use are becoming rarer every day, and although
the price paid by the government Is higher than
it has been for the last twenty years, it is very
difficult to secure proper mounts for the cav-.
airy, while ten or even five years ago at least
three timos as many horses able to pass muster
were presented as the advertisements called
for. The horses that were raised in the couIl-
try districts of Kentucky and Missouri were
splendid animals for all around use, but now
there seems TO be nothing between the weedy,
delicate racer good for a mile dash, but who
would break down in n three days forced
march, and the heavy animal that does excel
lently for wagon or light artillery use, but is
too Slow and clumsy for the cavalry. Even
when we get horse that has at once bone and
stamina it is nearly always the case that he has
long back, that curse of the cavalry horse,
for weak kidneys are inevitably the result after
one seasons campaign. Horse boards now
have TO go over the country with fine-toothed
comb to find the active, short-coupled horses
that are the best for service and which used
Ito be found on every large farm. Unless some-
thing is done by the breeders the splendid sad
die horses for which the Mississippi valley
once was famous will entirely disappear.
81 have served ON the plains nearly contin-
uously for more than tlirty-fiye years. con-
tinued the speaker, "and am tolerably familiar
with all the features Of cavalry life. 4 cavalry
man always has frontier station and only sees
civilization during his brief leaves. Civilians
do not realize the hnrdshps and exposures to
which cavalryman is subjected. lie has sea-
sons of idleness, but also long periods Of great
eXertion, and-as proof of the effect of his life
il can be safely stated that scarcely one man
out of ten reaches the age of forty-iive with
out being seriously broken down. Indian cam
paigns are the cause OF this. i have fought
and chased Indians from the British lines to
the Rio Grande, and know what campaigning
means. The Indians always got tremendous
start OF the cavalry and seldom are overtaken.
The army has been blamed for its i'll success,
but when the circumstances are understood it
is wonderful that so much has been accom-
plished The Indians never attempt to
commit outrages in the vicinity Of an army
post, and news seldom used to arrive until
twssnty-four hours GsTaoy ha9aelaase9 and the
Indians had a long q stassy Always they
are provided with rem dfts, the loose horses
being driven before tlfts band, and when an
animal shows signs Of fatigue another is
mounted ana the 1HEuB continued on q ifeSn
animal. Horses are also stolen wherever met
with and the consequence Is that the trooper,
who is confined to the use OF n single animal,
has poor chance OF overtaking the Indians.
AS general thing they can fight or escape as
they please and never do tn @ former except in
overwhelming numbers. The fatigues Of one
these fruitless Marches generally made ON
short rations to secure celebrity of movement
by avoiding carrying baggage, can well be
imagined, and the condition of man and beast
n mputh9' wrofrhe1
the extreme,
Nowadays tho active Indian campaigning
is confined to Arizona, but when / was young
man the northern Sioux, northern Cheyennes,
Piegans and Blackfeet in the north the south
ern Sioux and the Cheyennes and Arapahoes
on the central plains and the Comanches and
Kowas, south of the Arkansas, kert us busy
all the time. OF all these Indians tho .kiowas
were the best drilled it being hard to distin-
guish them from the dragons at q distance of
two or three miles. The Comanches never de-
served their reputation, as they were poor
fighters, doing well against the Mexicans, but
mover standing against United States troops.
The Cheyennes were noted far and wide as
the most determined and fercest fighters,
but their energies weres more constantly
directed against their hereditary enemies,
the Utes, then against the whites The
Sioux were tho largest and most powerful
tribe, and gave us more trouble than any 9TH
ers. They were in then way as we'll drilled as
the Kiowas, | myself having seen single
~
warriors, scattered over an extent Of country
five miles in diameter, simply by tho flashing
Of little mirror held in the hand. The Black
feet, being foot Indians were more easily
reached, and after one or two lessons never
gave any more trouble, although last winter
they threatened an outbreak. The Crows and
Pawnees, being hated by all other tribes, were
our allies and made our best trailers. Tho
ties, willie less daring than the Plains In
dams, from their situation in the mountains,
were enabled TO ambush the troops very easily
and many lives have been lost in this way.
Fighting withal was rather q run than conn
bat and tho troops had for many years
little chance against them on account Of
their great celebrity of movement. 1t was
not until the winter Of 1876, when General
Nelson A. Miles began his series of winter
campaigns that the plain Indians were
thoroughly subdued. That officer followed
their trail in the coolest weather, drove them
from their winter camps, and although unable
to oycrtake them kept them constantly on tho
move. The Indians, sensitive to cold, and i'll
provided with clothing, died like sheep Of
hardship and exposure and one by one the
bands, fairly tired out, came in, surrendered
and were disarmed and put on reservations.
The winter campaign more than anything
else broke the power Of the plains tribes, but
at terrible expense to the troops, who were
exposed TO tho fury Of the western storms in
the coolest months Of the year. The young
sters in the army regret the disappearance OF
tho Indians, but we old fellows, who know
what n winter march Is are most thankful
that they are over, probably forever"