Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-01-08
COLONEL FORSYTHE.
His Suspension Excites Comment
In Army Circles.
CREDITED TO THE PRESIDENT.
Ohicers Declare That 1t ParaIyzes Effect
iveness in ActiOn-DihicuIty of Discrim-
mating With Minors and Squaws
in Indian Warfare.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The report of
the relief of Colonel Forsythe of his
command of the Seventh cavalry by
General Miles, which had been tele-
graphed East from unofficial sources,
has been confirmed at the War Depart
ment.
Neither Secretary Proctor nor Gen
eral Schofeld were willing to say very
much on the subject though both prac-
tically admitted that General Miles did
not act entirely on his own response
bility. Secretary Proctor said: Gen
eral Miles did it. 1t is very much
mixed up matter and I may explain it
later"
General Schofeld was rather more
communicative. He said: There is
not much that can say about it just
now, but am willing to exploin as far
as can. 1t had been suggested by a
person l can not mention that it would
be well to look into the matter of the
fight on Wounded Knee creek the other
day, inasmuch as the reports stated
that several Indian women and children
were killed. Accordingly General Miles,
at suggestion from here, relieved Colo
mel Forsythe of his command pending in
vestigation of the circumstances of that
fight, which investigation is probably
now being conducted bv General Miles.
have as yet received no official in
formation from General Miles about the
matter, and all know about what has
been done is what 1 have seen in the
newspapers. Yes, the general manage
ment of the fight is also to be looked
into, but the particular point in ques-
ton is the death of the women and
children"
1t is surmised by some officials that
the person who suggested" the investi-
CATION is the President, whose ''sugges-
tions" as to the army have all the weight
of orders.
Considerable adverse criticism is
heard in the War Department against
the policy of relieving an officer during
the progress of a campaign instead of
waiting until after the troubles are set
tied. AS to the charge that Colonel
Forsythe allowed his men to kill women
and children. it is asserted that it would
be impossible in the hurry and con-
fusion of an unexpected fight and the
subsequent stampede and pursuit to de-
tect the sex of the Sioux. One officer
remarked: 1T is preposterous to
say that it is necessary in an In
dian sl1irmish to stop firing long
enough to find out what sort of
an Indian you are firing at. The
,,-o,,,oy, ,1J +ba mon 1ool- ,-a-,, ,,,,o6
alike in their blanket costumes and the
former are quite as fierce fighters as the
men. a Sioux squaw is as bad an enc
my as buck at times. The little boys,
too, can shoot quite as well as their
fathers, and what a spectacle it would
be for soldier on seeing ten-year-old
pointing gun at him with as true aim
as the best marksman i'll the army to
stop his advance and cry out: My son,
you must drop that gun for you are a
minor and l am not allowed to hurt
you"
Another officer said: AT this rate
the Sioux trouble will grow to be just
as bad as the events of the first three
years of the war, when every officer
with an independent command had not
only an enemy in front of him, but
court martial behind him.
Still another officer said that it was
grave error to order the relief of Colonel
Forsythe at this stage of the proceed
ings and then hold up warning finger
to every Colonel in the little army
around Pine Ridge, to tell them that
the death of each Sioux must be ex-
plained