Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-12-28
HOW INDIANS FIGHT.
Az Army Omcer Tells tho PecuiiarL
ties or the Various Tribes.


II have had many years experience
as u purchaser of saddle-horses. re-
marked major of cavalry. on his way
70 Chicago. TO n St Louis Post-Di pufch
reporter in the corridor of tho South
ern Hotel this morning. ''having been
q member Of horse boards for Mt least
thirty years. and having bought thou
sands of cavalry horses for the United
States service. / therefore feel that
know whereof speak when | say that
the suppl, OF good saddle horses in
the country is smaller than it has been
at any time since the war. l do not
mean that there are fewer thorough
breds, for there are 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, 1t is very difficult to secure
proper remoun;s for the cavalry, VIII lie
ten. or even five. years ago at least
three times as many horses were able
to pass muster as the advertisements
called for.
Il have served on the plains nearly
continuously for more than thirty
five years." continued the speaker.
'nnd am tolcrably familiar with all
the features of cavalry life. A cavalry
man always has a frontier station and
only sees civilizatied during his brief
leaves. Civilians do not rsalize the
hardships and exposures to which II
cavalryman is subjected He has sea-
sons OF idleness, but also long periods
of great exertiOn, and as n proof OF the
effect of his life 1t can be safely stated
that scarcely one man out OF ten reach
es the age Of forty five without
being seriously broken down. Indian
campaigns are the cause of this. | have
fought and chased Indians from the
British line to the Rio Grande. and
know what campaigning means. The
Indians always got n tremendous start
Of the cavalry, and seldom are over
taken. The army has been blamed for
its i'll success. but when the circum-
stances are understood it is wonderful
that SD much has been accomplished.
The Indians never attempt to commit
outrages II the vic nifty of an army post.
and news seldom used to arrive until
twenty-four hours or more had elapsed,
and the Indians had a long Start. Near
~ always they were provided with re-
mounts. the loose horses being driven
before the band. and when an animal
shows signs OF fatigue another was re-
mounted and the fight continued on II
fresh animal. Horses are also stolen
wherever met with. and the conse-
quence is that the trooper, who is con-
fined to tho use or a single apimal has
a poor chance of overtaking the Indi-
ans. AS a general thing they can fight
or escape as they please, and never do
the former except when in overwhelm-
ing numbers. The fatigues of one of
these friutless marches, generally
made on short rationS To secure cleri-
ty of movement by avoiding carrying
baggage, can well be imagined, and
the condition of man and beast after II
two-months' campaign is wretched in
the extreme.
"Nowadays the active Indian cam.
paigning is confined to Arizona, but
when | was young man the Northern
Sioux. Northern Che, ennes, Piegans.
and Blackteet in the North; the South
ern Sioux and tho Cheyennes aad
the Arkansas kept us busy all the time.
OF all these Indians the Kiowas were
the best drilled, it being hard to dis
tingush them from the Dragons ut u
distance of two or three miles. The
Comanches never deserved their great
reputation. rs they were poor lighters.
dong well against the MeXicans, but
never standing against United States
troops. The Cheyennes were noted
far and wide as the most determined
and fierce fighters, but their energies
were more constantly directed against
their hereditary enem cs. the Utes, than
against the VIII ties. The Sioux were
the largest and most powerful tribe,
and gave us more trouble than any
others. They were in their way rs well
drilled ms the Kiowas,I myself having
seen single chief direct the move
ments of n thousand warriors, scatter
ed over an extent OF country five miles
in diameter, simply by flashing little
mirror held in his 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 threaten
ed an outbreak. The Crows
and Pawnees being hated
BY all other tribes, were our allies,
and made our best trailers. The Utes
while less daring than the pla ms 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 n run than n COM
bat, and the troops had for many
years little chance against them on
account of their great celebrity of move
ment. 1t was not until the winter of
1876, when General Nelson A. Miles
began his series of winter campaigns.
that the plains Indians were thor
oughly subdued. That officer followed
their trail in the coolest weather. drove
them from their winter camps. and.
although unable TO overtake them.
kept them constantly on the move.
The Ind ans. sensitive to cold. and i'll
provided with clothing. died Ike sheep