Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-10-20

HUME Al THE NIO6E
 WAR.
 gan. The close of the war left him almost at the spot where he had begun his military career. for Secretary Seward convinced the president and cabinet that it would be delicate but powerful hint to Louis Napoleon to send one of our best generals to Texas, and. besides. we might need him there" But the French soon left Mexico, and after very uncon- genial and cxasperating experience in the reconstruction line Maj. Gen. Sheridan was madc commander of the military division of the Missouri, with headquar- ters at Chicago. The Union Pacific rail road was soon after completed, and the general made various trip to the west, and attempted vigorous enforcement of the rather anomalous Indian policy of that period. and out of this grew what was denounced as the "Piegan massacre"
 Briefly stated, the facts are these: Col. Baker, ill immediate command of the Montana department, forwarded frequent complaints of tho murders and depreda- tions by the Piegans-a subdivision of the BlacAfeet Indians. Sheridan in turn forwarded these to Sherman, his supe- rior, and in November, 1869, the latter sent general orders to punish the Pic gans." A rapid but very plainly ex- | pressed exchange of notes now took place; Baker to Sheridan that as the severe winter weather was at hand he had an opportunity to "strikc the Piegans," and Sheridan to Baker, to the effect that If you strike them strike them hard" And ho did it. Six companies of regulars and | few volunteers, Montana settlers, left Fort Shaw on Jan. 19 1870, and toiling l through distressing storms of snow came upon the main Piegan winter camp on Maria river at daylight of the 23d. Sick ness was raging among the Indians, the smallpox to some extent, and they were completely surprised; in few minutes the troops had killed 113, wounded many more, and burned the camp. As usual when camp is attacked the Indian women fought as desperately as the men and many were killed. The soldiers il sist that they spared women and chil dren as much as possible. About hun drod were taken prisoners.
 When these facts were published { storm broko forth greater than that ex cited by the massacre of Glencoe. It was tho culmination of a series of winter at- tacks on the Indians, and the whole sys- tem was vehemently denounced. It wae fought over in congress, in the religious meetings, in the papers, and in partisan debate; and was revived by the subse quent Camp Grant massacre in Arizona Gen. Sheridan was unsparingly denounced by the advocates of the Quaker policy; but he was the most popular man in the far west. "Give. us Connor and Chiving ton and Custer, with Sheridan to com mand, was the cry from Missouri to tht Pacific, from the Assinfboine to the Gila
 #*~
 Sheridan stood up manfully to his shart of the responsibility; avowed his orde, to Col Baker, praised the latter's efflci ency and explained that with few troop and a large area to defend he mus ''strike hard" and in winter. Since 1862 he said, there had been 1,200 whites mur dered in his department by Indians ''The men scalped, the women ravishec and tho brains of the children dasheC out" '1 have no hesitation" he adds ''in making my choice. am going t stand by the people over whom I an placed and give them what protection
 can" He then urged certain reforms il Indian management, which he continue, to urge after becoming lieutenant genera until congress adopted them. And of tn Piegans it must be said that they began to improve at once, and have since beel es harmless as the "Shinnecocks" o Long Island .--.---.--