Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-19
A BILLION FOR THE INDIANS.
Wars with the Redskin. That Have Been
Costly 60 Uncle sam.

Wars with the Redskin. That Have Been
Costly To Uncle Sam
Since the 18th Of July, 177G, when this gov
.rnment began, the Indians have cost the
United States q. 600, ,ooo.ooo When the old
PequOt chief met the Pilgrim Fathers near
Plymouth Rock and said. Welcome, En-
glishmen," he spoke for l.OJ100O Indians
That was the estimated number Of the red
race then living in wha; are now the
bounds Of the United States. And 50 it
appears that TO date the act of dispossess-
ing the aborigines has cost 81 900 for every
buck, squaw and papoose living on the
soil when the white man came.
These are rouIrl figures. but they are
very close 10 the exact record. Three years
ago Mr.. Tom Donaldson. who is now in
charge Of the Indian census. made care
ful compilation. lie showed THAI from
July !. l7.6. 20 June %, 1885,. the Indians
bad cost the government s9s9 2Ja 2si02 It
l. safe IN say thai the four years added to
the record since Mr.. Donaidson's researches
will bring the figures up close TO s. Co.,
oo,ec0. This enormous amount j. about
one-third Of what the war of the rebell-
ion cost One-thiri of tie sl.oso.gp.ooo
has been spent IN pacifyipg and civilizing
Indians. TwO-thirds Of the Si.Us0Og1. .ocO
have been absorbed in fighting Indians
What l. known as the great Sioux war
started in Is52. The war lasted three or
four years. IL cost the United States be-
tween els. CO.. .ooo and teo.oo.oo0
The Navajo war cost the government
nearly 80, 600.
The biggest Of all recent Indian wars
was the one about which least was pub
lished- 1t began in IsG2 IL had IT. origin
in n comparatively Insignificant matter.
a contractor for furnishing Indian supplies
sent 60 the Sioux agencies what was sup
posed 10 he prime mess pork. The c0nsign-
| ment Wa found io consist largely 81 heads
| Of hogs. The Indians went back on such
raiions, and took the wnrpaih instead Of
the pork. Gems. Sibley and Sully con-
Quoted the campaign They had 1900
troops under them.
In this Sioux war the .'Galvanized Yaa-
kees. - they were called. made their an
pearance. There were several regirneii;sof
these ''Galyani1ed Yankees" and they did
good service against the Sioux. IL may be
explained that 'Galvanized Yankee were
Confederate prisoners who took the oath of
allegiance and enlisted in these regiments
20 tight Indians in preference TO remaining
IN northern prisons. In answer TO a rsaso-
| luiion oi inqairy from the senate. lsSG the
SECRETARY 81 war stated that the total cost
OF troops In the Indian country from 1870
20 lss5 had been s2s3. 81. $3.50
In lSGs and lsGe there WA a lively Indian
war in what j. now the Indian territory
and Oklahoma The actual a.ld opera
tons during tie eleven months cost g. .us,s.-
| 5I55s
The Modoc war in the lava beds cost
the army Ill soldiers killed or wounded
The chief incident of this campaign srAs
the assassination az Gen. Candy. Seven
teen citizens were killed or wounded. Tn.
| record which was sent 20 the senate bv
the war department says. mo Indians re
ported killed
The Sioux war of lssG cusf for the actunl
field expenses &, 81, ,s5l. But the cam
paign was chiefly notable for the Custer
massacrN.. The army loss was aS3 killed
and 70 wounded. The Indian los nras
only -. The Custer massacre wa never
atoned Tor. The guns which the Indians
took from the soldiers are still in their
possession.
The Nez Peroes war of ls7s lasted thr,e
months and cosi sss3l ,3sss2
In that campaign ~ officers and soldiers
were killed and wounded. Twelve citizen,
were killed. The Indian los s~as1ss
The Bannock war 81 ls7s Was a small
affair. II only cost SrSGGI When N
was ended the record showed a loss of ?.
20 the army, 80 citizens murdered and :.
Indians killed
The Northern Cheyenne ouibreak Of 1872
eniAiled a loss on the army Of - killed and
wounded. No Indians were reported killed
Since lSse the only Indian fighting b.s
been with the little squads Of Anaches ia
Arizona aud New Mexico. For every
Apache run down and killed or catfured
the governmen; s. said 60 have stse,,; sioo-
coo-St. Louis Globe Democrat.
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