, 1891-02-13
Action of the Authorities at
Washington
On the Colonel's Conduct at
Wounded Knee.
No Attention Paid to Gen.
Miles Criticism.
The President Orders His
Reinstatement.

VI ~ DaANiGO VI W buluGL
Knee, particularly with reference to Col
Forsythe's conduct on that occasion The
record OF the court OF inquiry is endorsed
by Gen. Miles. Under date of Chicago,
Jan. 81, be says. in part: "Col. For.
sythe had received repeated warnings as
to the desperate and deceitful character Of
Big Boot's band of Indians, and repeated
orders as to the exercise of constant yigi-
lance to guard again,t surprise or disaster
under all circumstances. These warnings
and orders were unheeded and disregard
ed by Col. Forsythe. He had been
warned that thus particular band CON
tanned many OF the most desperate and
deceitful characters in the Sioux nation,
and religious excitement made them pecu-
liarly DANGEROUS. Under these circum-
stances the apparent indifference and
security of the officer in command of the
troops at Wounded Knee Is incompre-
hensible aud inexcusable. Not a single
company was 50 disposed as to deliver its
fire upon the Warriors without eudaoper-
ing the lives OF their own comrades. 1t
Is difficult to conceive how a worse dispo-
sition Of troops could be made.
The testimony goes to show that most
OF the troops were forced TO withhold their
hire. leaving the brunt of the affair to fall
upon two companies until such warriors
as had not been killed broke through or
overpowered the small force directly
about them and reached the camp occu-
pied by women aud children. The bat.
terry of tour Hotchkiss guns had, until
then, been rs useless, the friction primes
having been removed from the guns by
order of the captain commanding the
battery, lest the gunuers might. 10 their
excitement, discharge the pieces aud de-
strov their own comrades These guns
we're now opened upon the Indian camp,
even at that time placing in peril troops
U and ID, 7th cavalry, which were obliged
TO retreat for some ~distande. owing TO
the fire from these guns and from the
small arms OF other portions OF the com
maud.
The fact hat a large number OF the
LOG warriors were without firearms when
the outbreak occurred is shown by evil
dence thar forty eight guns had been
taken from the tepees, and a personal
search OF twenty or more warriors resulted
in finding them unarmed. This fact, taken
in connection with the extremely in
judiclous disposition Of the troops, and
the large number OF casualties among
them, constrains the belief that some
casualties were suffered at the hands OF
our men. The fatal disposition of the
troops was such as, at the outset, to coun-
teract in a great measure the immense
disparity Of strength, and would have
been inexcusable IN the face OF an armed
and desperate foe, even had no especial
warnings aud uruers Ueru received IrvuI
higher authority
Il can only paTtlallr -aarunt FIR tho
singular apathy and neglect of Vol. NO
sytbe upon the theory of his indifference
to and contempt for the repeated and ur-
gent warnings and orders received BY him
from the division commander, or by his
incompetence and entire inexperience In
the responsibility of exercising command
where Judgment and discretion are re-
ouired. also forward herewith the re-
mort OF Cant Baldwin, 9Th infantry, con
cerninu the finding of bodies OF women
and children three miles from the scene OF
the engagement on Wounded Knee creek.
This rcport indicates the nature of some
of the +, suits of the unfortunate affair;
results which are viewed with the strong
est %disappruval by the undersigned.
TSiVped1 NELSON A. MILES.
Major General Commanding.
Geu. Schoield submitted the case to
tho secretary Of war. with the endorse
ment that the interests of the service do
not demand he further %nunua OF
Col. Forsythe' 8 suspension. In Lis judg
ment, the conduct OF the regiment was
well worthy of the commentator be-
slowed upon it by him in the first telegram
after the engagement. In returning the
papers to the major general commanding,
the secretary reviews tie testimony as TO
the surrender, aud IN on the
desperate character OF the band. lie
Gays it was manifestly an imperative
necessity to prevent the escape OF these
desperadoes during the process OF dis
armiDg The troops appear To have beer
well disposed to prevent an outbreak,
which was nol and could hardly have beer
anticipated her in dealing with tie
Indians The secretary says:
Nothing illustrates the madness OF thu
outbreak more forcibly than the fact tina
their first fire was so directed hat every
shot that did not hit the soldiers mus
have gone through their own village
There is little doubt that the killing o
women and children was by this first FIR,
Of the Indians themselves, They thel
made a rush to break through and arount
the TANKS of Troop X, commanded b.
gallant Capt. Wallace. and reached tn
tepees where many of them had left thei
arms with their squaws. and continue,
firing from among their own women AM
children, and when they started from
their camp their women and childreI
we're mingled with them. The womel
and children were never away from tn
immediate company OF the men after tn
latter broke from the circle. Many of tn
men aud women got ON their ponies, an
it is impossible to distinguish a buck frol
a sluaw at little distance when MOUNTED
The men fired from among the wome
and children in their retreat.
Cautions were repeatedly given b
both officers aud non-comuissiOned nc
to shoot squaws or children, and the me
were cautioned individual ly that such an
such Indians were squaws. The hiring b
the troops was entirely directed on tn
men 10 the circle and in a direction oppC
site from the tepees until the Indian!
after their break, mingled with the
women and children, thus exposing theI
to the fire OF the troops, and, as a cons'
quenee. some were unaviodably kille
and wounded, a fact universally regrette
by the officers and men of the It'll ca'
airy. This unfortunate phase of tn
affair grew out of circumstances for whic
the Indians themselves we're entirely r.
sponsible. Mai. Whiteside e%mphatical
declares that at least fifty shots wei
tired by the Indians before the troops r
turned tho fire. Several special ~instanc'
of humanifv in tba aoy,no nf uvoman nm