The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-06-14
How Indians Fight.

eminent at its back, Is habitually
compelled to make long. difficult
and costly campaign in order to sub
due even a few score Indians upon
the warpath. The explanation is
furnished by General Wesley Merritt
in an interesting description and dis
cussiOn of three such campaigns fur
nished to Harprr's Magazine. He
shows that making war on American
Indians is unlike any other war MAX
ing IN the world. and that great
part ofthe advantage which the army
would have in contending with an
equal number of white men Is neu-
tralized by the Indians mode of
fighting.
The chief difficulty in an Indian
war is to find the enemy. The thea
ire of operations in any campaign.
whether in Wyoming, Dakota, Texas
or Arizona, is "about rs large as the
New England States. with New York
added" and this area, although an
uninkabited wilderness and I'M
known to the white man, is ITO the
Indian as familiar as the paths of the
home orchard are to the farmer and
his children" There are other things
to be noted about these theatres of
Indian warfare. They are "without
roads, and often impenetrable for
hundreds of miles because of arid
deserts or impossible mountain ram
ges." The Indians has no fixed hab.
itatiOns in these trAckless Wilds. and
on finding the white troops at hand
the direction of his flight is matter
of Indifference to him. "Where
night finds him is his home, and his
subsistence and clothing are always
with him." In war, too the Indian
whatever his previous advance to-
ward civilization, resorts to sayagery,
as can we'll be understood, since war
under any refinement is savage
enough.
General Merritt does not hesitate
to say that ii is mistake to suppose
that Indian wars now arise from in
herited hatred of the whites:
1T is worse than nonsense to urge
that the Indian regards the white in
truders as the descendants of those
who. two centuries or more ago,
came to this country and by might
deprived the Indians of their lands
and hunting fields, and are through
their children pursuing the red men
toward the setting sum- The In.
dams knowledge of history scarcely
extends beyond one generation.
His white enemy is served in war as
is any other enemy. and for the same
reasons. He has no inherited ami
Inosities dating from the time of the
Pilgrim Fathers. nor does ne feel
gratitude for kind usage shown to
his ancestors or to himself"
While Indian campaigning has
always been difficult. it has become
much more so, in General Merritt's
opinion, since the civil war. because
while formerly it was ian unwritten
law of the frontier, religiouSly oh
served, that arms and ammunition
should never at any price be furnish.
eu to the Indians" now the traders
cupidity supplies them with the best
of both. The result il that "the In
dian to-day is more dangerous foe
than would be like number of vet
eran soldiers" He adds the most
approved breechloader to the advan-
tages in his mode of fighting already
spoken of.
Although for the most part hostil-
tiles with the Indians are record of
constant labor and wstchfulnesS, and
sometimes great privations. now and
then ending in massacre tike that
of Custer's command, or in capture
and horrible death, yet it has oc.
casional features of romantic glory,
pleasant to dwell upon. One of these
was furnished by General Merritt's
march to the relief of Captain Payne
in the Ute war of 1869. The news
reached Fort Russell that Major
Thornburg had been attacked and
killed on Milk Creek. that many of
his men had persisted, and that the
remainder under Captain Payne.
were surrounded by the hostiles.
There was distance of ITO miles to
be marched after going by rail to the
station nearest the scene, and no one
could say whether the menaced COM
mand might not meanwhile be de.
stroyed. For five terrible days and
nights Payne's men held a rifle pit
which they had hastily constructed.
Once the Utes set fire to the dry
grass to windward, and made furi.
Gus attack under cover of the smoke,
but were repulsed. Then they set.
tied down to watch their prey and