Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-07-24
A PECULIAR MN0 OF WARFARE.
Pecuiiarities and Difficulties OF Making
War un the Indians.

Making war on Indians is unlike any
other war making ia which armies en-
gage. Finding them, not fighting them,
is the difficult problem TO solve If the
reader will consider that the theatre OF
operations in any Indian campaign
whether in Wyoming Dakota, the In
dian Territory and Texas, or Arizona
is about as large as the New England
States with New York added; that each
of these possible theatres of war is an
uninha5itcd wilderness; that they are
without roads, aud often impenetrabe
for hundred, OF miles because of arid
deserts or impossible mountain ranges;
that while all parts of each Territory
are to the Indian as familiar as the
paths Of the home orchard are TO the
farmer and his children, it is and Of ne
cessity must be an unknown land to
the bcst-iuiormed white man; that i'm
these trackiess wilds the Indian has no
fixed habitatiou; that upon being dis
covered by his enemy the direction of
the trail be takes is "a matter OF iuditier-
ence to him; that where night finds
him Il, his home and that his subsist-
cnce and clothing are always with him
if all these and collateral matters
depending on them are considered,
an idea can be formed OF how difficult
il is to make successful war on the In
dian.
I'm war the Indian, though partially
civilized, reyerts to his worst phase Of
sayagcry. Much has been written as
to the false sentimeulality which crops
up i'm the discussion OF the Indian qucs-
ton 10y humanitarians aud lovers OF
fair play which it is not intended here
to repeat. But it may properly be OBJ
served THAT ID is worse than nonsense
to urge that the Indian regards the
white iulruders as the descendants Of
those who, two centuries and more ago,
came to this country and by might de-
priyed the Indians Of the lands and
hunting fields, and is through his chill
dreu pursuing the red man toward
the setting sun The Indians kuoWl-
edge of history scarcely extends beyond
one generation. His white enemy is
served in war as is amy other enemy,
and for the same reasons. lie has no
Inherited animosjties dating from the
time of the Pilgrim Fathers nor does
he feel gratitude for kind usage shown
to his ancestors or TO himself. The
aunuites paid him are looked upon as
tributes eXacted by fear or some less
worthy principle, aud kindness shown
him are evidences to his mind that those
BY whom they are shown are weak and
afraid of him.
Fortunately for the whites, the In
diaus i'm their warfare are not in the
habit fatncking our so-called forts
ON the froutie, else the horrors OF
past wars would equal in any year the
fearful pictures of the Indian mutiny
against the English. Our frontier
forts have often been at the mercy OF
the Indians but the capture in any
instance could not have been made
without great loss of life, and il i,
characteristic of the race that they are
slow to attack when certain death
awaits any great numbers, They are
brave where supcrstitious beliefs make
the chances of safety greatly in their
favor, but will not take the risks that
satisfy the civilized warrior. Gea.
V,s'tg UarrW, 4. $. A., m Harper's
Magazine.