Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-05-22
INDIAN SOLDIERS

WAcHiNNIDNg ~ - 4 ut reluctance
Of the Indians to enlist as ordinary
soldiers has at last been measurably
overcome, and at one point and
another they are yielding to the
Establishments OF the recruiting
officer. At Rosebud upward OF thirty
had been gathered In at the latest &C.
counts, while at Cheyenne fifty-fve
had been secured, or enough to com
plete Troop L, Sixth Cavalry.
It is true that this is only be-
ginning, but with the Indians the
main difficulty is to get a start.
Tribal influences are strong, and MEM
bers OF the same band are apt to be in
auenced by the same motives and inn
pressed by the same facts for or
against Individual acceptance Of
propositions made to them by the
Government.
One of the new organizations is
made upof Brule Sioux, some OF whom
were conspicuous in the Messiah ex-
citement, and who now by their en-
listment show willingness to take to
drills in place of dances. This is a
sign, SO far as itgoes, that the troubles
of last winter will not be renewed, and
that an outbreak would in any event
lack the services Of some of the most
restless and ambitious of the young
warriors, whose energy is hereafter to
find an outlet in the army This CON
sideratlon is mentioned for most
among the reasons which Gen. Scho-
field has given for enlisting "about
1000 young Indians" organized as
troops and companies and each in
corporated into some existing reg
iment as Troop L Of the cavalry or
Company l Of the infantry:
Fer the purpose Of giving salts
factory employment to considerable
number Of young men among the war
like ndantribes, thus dim n,shlag the
number Of the disaffected who are
likely to become enemies; for the pur-
pose of educating in the rules and
customs Of civilized as contrasted with
savage warfare, which would be long
stride toward their civilization; for
the purpose Of adding to the army a
valuable contingent possessed of the
special military qualifications which
characterize the Indian warriors of
the country, and to assist in the
Efforts to transform the Indian char
acter from that Of alien enemy to that
of citizen of tho United States.
But the army officers arc evidently |
not all OF one mind in regard to the |
results OF enlistng Indians. Some do |
not like the plan ut all. Many like it
but do not look with great hope on
enlistment as a ciyllizing agency.
Gen. Miles, in letter to The Indian
Bulletin, thinks that the plan is
wholly feasible, and adds that. in his
Indians having taken
the oath of enlistment have always
kept it in good faih, even when re-
Qulred to fight against their own
He holds that the
Indian soldiers should be allowed to
have their families with them, and
should cultivate ground to supply
themselves with vegetables. There
would be few desertions among them,
he thinks, but their officers should
possess special qualifications for
them.
Major Guy V. Henry, Ninth Cavalry,
In letter to the same periodical,
holds that the scheme is practicable,
although the question Of the home
and the family is difficult one.
The army discipline. If properly
enforced, would "kill the Indian" in
them but to accomplish this an officer
lf a peculiar temperament Should
have them-one interested in the
'ciyilizing part" They are taken now
by young officers, as a rule, for the
glory and prospect of Aght. During
lhe late trouble / could not get my
Sioux scouts TO go into places Of danger
Turing the Missouri fight many went
10 the rear, and the feeling generally
S, as far as the Sioux Indian is con-
,erned he could not be trusted in
light againss his own people. 1 en-
isted the first Apache scouts in
Arizona and they only remained faith
III after killing their own people, and
we're afraid to leave the Union sol
llers.
Now to ciyilize them. would not
Mist them. That is being done more
o feed and keep away any restless
lement among Indians. They have
o be fed, so tho army does it, and {
ecps them under restraint at the
anne time. An army in one sense
ever was a ciyillzer should break (
ID all tribal relations. keep them ]
ogether in bands or families, and I
cater them mound in different I
tates, and surrounded by civilization, c
q farming districts thoy would soon ]
earn the value Of money, and work S
'ould follow. {