Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-02-13
mn OFFICIAL REPORT
.,,.ss vsssmsO WHEN rHf
NJ SLAUGHTER seoA"'
rpsr.pA % the S'r,' ...r,,,

..r ,orspgp KNEE BArr!E'
airport MAD. rss', s. ~
a.,,,,so4os, Feb. i2.-rhe Secrc'
Nnn ,xs, ,o,lsy made public the re-
ny ~ investigation Of the pa,ue
,vwSsunied Knee, particularly y, Inv, NV
,-nce 10 Colonel EofsyIhcs co y" ~.
is, ~, occa.lon. The record OF ne
n,an " jnaulry ls endorsed by MAJOR.
sano,, ME- under date OF Chicago
enema .,, eist. lie says, In part
'i .,'l'nsi Forsythe had rccciveu
Ny.s, warnIngs rs 10 ho
rgs,. and deceitful character OF
r"c,, land Of Indians, and re-
, s ordcrs IS TO the exercise o, con
~, vigilance to guard against sur
~ y, disaster under MI cifcum'
~ THESE warnings aud orders
INV, ,s ,n,pheeIed and disrcSarded oy
~. Ear.ythe. lie hnu been
100. s.,".'i that this particular band con,
- ,sany Of the most desperate anu
1. 20 eharactarsin the Sioux nation,
"a The religious excitement nauc
S,m peculiarly dangerous. unue.
w.. w.. cIrrum.,ancos II Il apparent mat
,a.,rs,iferrnc. Of the officer In conf
90 a the troops at Wounded Knee
.,ner,mnnchet siblr and inrxcusnbi".
"a single company was 10 disposed
40 deliver it, fire upon the warriors
.ghout endangerlng the lives OF some
yihslr comrades. IL ~ dlricult 70
,nesIye nov a wore disposition OF
tDls could be made. a.,
rnr tss,lmony goes to show That
m,.t of the troops were forced 20 with
VA urlr flrc, leaving the lrunt OF
a. aiI.lf 10 fall upon two companies
vntll such wafriOrs as had not been
MA Lrske through or overpowercd
n, snail force directly about them anu
tiehei the camp occupied by tue
vouvu and children. The battery oil
saf Ho.chlis. guns had until then
l,en useless. the friction primers hav-
lrg pssp removed BY order ~ the cap
hln commanding tile battery, lest the
g!an-ra might, In their excitement,
lI.charr, the pieces and destroy their
ecu ooaindts. Thcse guns were now
spsned upon the Indian camp, even nj
iisi time placing In peril troops & AMI
n. seventh cavalry. which were OBJ
lgci 10 retreat for some distance, owing
b the fire fIom these guns and from
W. snail arms Of other portions OF the
taaiani.
Alsrge number Of the iod warriors
WE'RE WITHOUT FiREAHNs.
y.,n the outbreak occurred. II Il
iasn By the evidence that foriy.cight
ru had been taken FROM tho icp,cs
lhd a personal search ~ iuniy or
niis warriors rsultoil u filming thcm
WARMED. This fact, taken In c0nnec-
uoa With the extremely inJudicious
tapoaiion Of the troops aud the large
pinbef u casualties amsng them, con-
stain. The belief that some Of tho
asuililts were suffered at the hands
aoato own men. fbc fatal disposition
d lhe itool- was such at tho outset 10
e,'gnleraei, In great measure, the
innrnse Disparity u strength, and
sun have been incxcusablc In the
htof an armed and desperate foe,
s'sa had no especial warning and
e'asi been received from higher au.
hohiy.
l. can only partially account for the
SECULAR sta,hy aud neglect OF Colonel
is,g1le upon the theory Of his la.
eneltnce " aud contempt for repeat.
nAni urgent warnings aud orders re-
N'si by him from tue division com.
nihdef, or by his incompetence aud
'auie inexperienced In the responsibility
usicsing command whore judg-
1aand dscre,iou ARE required.
nso forward herewith Ihe report OF
tspain Baldwin, Filth Infantry,
Nnoe'uing the finding VI bodies or
women and children three miles from
@s scene Of the engagement on
wounded kneo Creek. This rcport
.nnea'es the nature Of some OF IN.
ie,uin Of that unfortunate. affair =
'eils which are viewed with the
GI.nse' disapprovnl by the under.
hyasi' lSlgned)
NELSON A. MILES.
MaIor'General Commanding.
ovNiai schoiied submitted IN,
~ 70 Tue Secretary Of War, with the
.a,n,O that the interests OF The
,a n,ce 20 not demand longer con.
,.H'ee OF Colonel Forsyt6e,s sus.
ru'"h' In his Judgment,
f"k CONDUCT on THE REGIMENT
"a wei worthy Of the commemorate,
s'osed upon II by him In m. Ard
Inn M,ef the engagement.
g.a ~ s,,ufnlng the papers TO the Major.
,svis commanding, the Secretary
me testimony rs 10 m. ami.
"a u ' ana comments ON the drsur.t.
az. n vs.. character Of the band. He
n,r..., ws manlfestly an imperntiy.
d.e.sy 10 prevent the escape OF tb.s,
I,mina a"s during the process OF a..
l.sn iiie troops appeared 10 INV.
ma WI disposed 10 prevent nm ou,.
has which was not AMI could h. ,Jiv
M iIen anticipated In deallny wiz
SlAn-. The Secretary saws. ~
SNhing ILLUSTRATED the waJu.. =,
Act tL H., ,s more forcibly than tho
th,, w" a'' .heir INT FRO was 40 directed
'blllers mn, I,ot That did not hit the
own vilIa" u'' nave rye gone through their
va bs a,,,l,ng Of women and ch,lirsn
h,n. MS Inst flre OF ths Ind,aa
bL,sst',ss, They then made n ,"sh
citrsos ! through and around The ganhs
CApaln wssHSnmandcJ by the gallant
tfses, wbr s, ace. and reached their
their arms wl, in, W., OF them had left
women r anIs from among their own own
,laflsi , nu children, and when th. v
mi ehIidra'nu ltir camp their women
Tie woma 'en We're mingled with them
way fro@ tS and A. children children were never
circle. sla u,Sl NE latter broke from IN.
gaop ias any ofthem, men ana w VIZ, ~.
! dI,,iSa"s,,, ponies, and ii ia i,n Sva
@'' distance when n noun, ii4naw "'A