Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-04
SITUATION.
General Miles Believes 1T to Be
One of Much Danger.
Greatest Plot Ever Known
Among the Aborigines.
The Causes Given as Insufficient Food and
Religious Excitement, Superinduced by
the Natural Propensity of the Indian
for war--About $4,000 Anected by the
Messiah Craze
DANGER is IMMINENT.
Interview with General Miles ON the In
dian Situation.

diail Situail0n
WASHINGTON, Dec 4.-Gen Miles
who has been in Washington since last
Saturday night in daily consultation
with Secretary Proctor, Gen Sehofeld
and Secretary Noble, upon matters re-
lating to the Indian situation in the
northwest for Chicago Tuesday
The general Believes that danger is i'm,
minent
The seriousness Of the situration,
he says, has not been exaggerated.
| The disatfection is more widespread
than it has been at any time for years.
The conspiracy extends to more differ
ent tribes than have heretofore been
| hostile, but that are now i'll full sym.
pathy with each other, and are scattered
over a larger area of country than in
the whole history of Indian warfare.
1t is more comprehensive plot than
anything ever inspired by the Prophet,
Tecumseh or even Pontiac, The causes
OF this difficulty are easy Of location.
Insufficient food supplies, religious de
lusion and the innate disposition Of the
savage to go to war must be held re.
sponsible.
Are the campaign preparations Oh
the part of the government complete "
was asked.
Not quite replied the general.
Everything will be ready III few
days, though. Troops and supplies are
en- route, and will be available very
speedily All that is possible is being
done TO encourage the loyal and reduce
the number and influence of the hostile,
and in this way an outbreak may be
averted. sincerely hope there will be
no hostilities, for a general uprising
would be u most serious affair
How many Indians will you have to
contend with "
Altogether there are in the north.
west about $4,000 who are affected by
the Messiah craze; that means fully
5000 fighting men. Of this number
at least third would not 60 ON the
warpath, so that leaves us with about
1900 adversaries. There are 5000
other indians in Indian territory who
will have to be watched if active opera
tions take place -Four thousand In
dians can make an immense amount OF
trouble. But tithe of that number
were coneered in the Minnesota mas
sacre, yet they killed more than 800
settlers in very brief space of time.
What is the total strength Of your
force?"
Gen. Miles avoided the question
somewhat by referring TO the great
necessity which existed for more cav
airy
Altogether, he said, we have about
1000 mounted men. We have plenty
of infantry, but You cannot catch
mounted Indians with white foot sol
diers. The infantry had one OF two
good fights i'll 1875 and N, but such en-
gagements are rare in frontier warfare:
is it not novel proceeding for In
dians to go on the warpath at the begin
ming of winter"
"Yes, in some respects it Is, replied
the general. Their argument is good,
though. They are better armed now
than they ever were, and their supply
of horses is all that could be desired.
Every buck has a Winchester rifle, and
he knows how to use it, In the matter
Of subsistence they are taking but little
risk. They can live on cattle just as
well as they used to on buffalo and the
numerous horse ranches will furnish
them with fresh stock when cold and
starvation ruin their mounts. The
northern Indian is hardy, and can
SuIIer BreaU ueHl. lueS0 uOSJueS nave
been starved into fighting, and they will
prefer to die fighting rather than starye
peaceably hope the problem may be
solved without bloodshed but such a
happy ending to the trouble seems i'm
probable An outbreak would cost the
lives of great many brave men and
the destruction of hundreds of homes
in the northwest. If peace is possible
we will have it.
They Have Plenty to Eat
Acting Indian Commissioner Belt has
received q letter from Special Census
Agent Lea, at the Pine Ridge agency,
declaring that he has yet to see the first
family upon Pine Ridge reservation that
show the least sign Of suffering for
food.
-