The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-13
WOUNDED KNEES FIGHT.
COL. FORSYTH CENSURED ONLY
BY GEN. MILES.

by President Harrison and Secretary
Proctor-The Court-martiars FincinE
Not in Keeping With the Structures
of the General
WASHINGTON, Feb 12-The Secretary o
War to-day made public the report Of tn
Investigation into the battle at Wounded
Knee creek, S. D., on Dec. % last. particu
larly with reference to Col. Forsyths con-
duct on that occasion. The court of inquiry
was composed Of Col Carr OF the Sixth
cavalry, Maj Kent of the Fourth infantry
and Capt Baldwin Of the Fifth infantry
The record Of the court is indorsed by Gen
Miles under date of Chicago, Jan. 81, as
follows: Respectfully forwarded to the
adjutant general of the army" Gen. Miles
says:
In disposing of this matter it has been de-
sired 10 treat Col. Forsyth with the utmost
consideration, but as it important
that skill and heroism should be
rewarded, also is 1t important that in
competency and neglect, when found, should not
pass unnoticed. Ii would be utterly subversive
OF military discipline to overlook neglect ana
disregard of warning and orders on the part OF
an officer, particularly when such neglect
lives OF brave men and jeopardized
the success of the military operations
in hand. Certain features of the affair at
Wounded Knee creek we're so unusual and ex-
traordinary, and such injurious reports we're
current Immediately thereafter, as to impera-
lively demand an investigation in order 20 as
certain and record as accurately as possible all
the facts, so that an intelligent opinion might
guide in the best way commendation or censure.
The testimony ELECTED shows the following
facts;
FORSYTH FoRKwARNED.
First, that Col Forsyth had received re-
peated warnings as to the desperate and de-
ceitful character of Big Foot's band. and re-
peated orders as to the exercise of constant
vigilance to guard against surprise and disaster.
Secondly, that these orders and warnings
were unheeded and disregarded by Col For
syth, who seemed TO consider an outbreak of
the Indians as beyond the pale of possibility
in the presence Of the large force of troops at
hand The disasters that have occurred to our
troops In the past from the desperation of the
Indian nature are known 20 all who are familiar
with our history. In addition TO this It well
known and Col Forsyth had been warned, that
this band contained the most deoeitful and deS-
perate characters in the Sioux tribe, and that
religious excitement had made them worse,
and that the actions Of the officer in command
of the troops at Wounded Knee are incompre-
hensible and inexcusable.
THE TROOPS BADLY PLACED.
Thirdly, an examination of the accompany
ing facts and testimony shows conolusively
that at the beginning of the outbreak not a sin
gle company of troops was so disposed as to
deliver IT'S fire upon the warriors without en-
dangering the lives of one of their own com
rades 1t is. in fact, difficult TO conceive how
worse disposition OF troops could have been
made will viii be noticed that it
the entire command of upwards of $50 men to
have been placed between the warriors and the
women and children with their backs to the
latter and their faces toward, the warriros,
where they might have used their weapons
effectively If required. The testimony goes
70 show that most of the troops were
forced to withhold their fire, leaving the brunt
of the fire to fall upon two companies until such
warriors as had not been killed broke through
or overpowed the small force directly about
bhem and reached the camp occupied by their
women and children.
THE HoTcHKIss GUNS UsELEss
A battery Of four Hotchkiss guns had until
then been useless the friction primers having
been removed from the guns by order of the
captain commanding the battery, lest the gun
ners might in their excitement, discharge the
pieces and destroy their own comrades. These
guns were now opened upon the Indian camp,
and ID, Seventh cavalry, which were obliged
u retreat some distance, owing TO the fire from
these guns and from the small arms of some
portions OF the command.
MANY INDIANS uSARNED.
The fact that the large number of 100 warriors
we're without firearms when the outbreak oc-
Cured is shown by the evidence that forty
eight guns had been taken from them by the
more warriors resulted in finding them unarmed
inns tact. taken in connection withkhe extreme
ly injudcious disposition of the troops and the
large number of casualties among them,
constralnS the belief that same of these casual
ties were at the hands of our own men The
fatal disposition of the troops was such at the
outset as TO counteract in great measure the
immense disparity OF strength, and would have
been inexcusable in the face of an armed and
desperate force, even had no especial warnings
ana orders been received from higher authority.
cen only partially account for the apathy and
neglect of Col. Forsyth upon the theory of his
indifference and contempt for his repeated and
urgent warnings received by him from the
petepee snS snfra Sy his ncC%
responsibility of exercising command
where judgment and discretion are required
l also forward here the report OF capt
corning the finding of the bodies of party of
women and children about three miles from the
scene OF the engagement on Wounded Knee
creek. This report indicates the nature of some
OF the results of that unfortunate affair results
which are viewed with the strongest disapproval
by the undersigned. NELSON A. MILES,
Major General commanding.
GEN. soHoFIELD's ENDORSEMENT.
Gen. Scho6eld, commanding, submitted
the case to the Secretary Of War with the
following Endorsement:
The interests OF the military service do not.
in my Judgment, demand any further proceed
ings In this case, nor any longer continuance of
Col torsyths suspension from the
command of his regiment. The evidence
care was taken by the officers and generally
by the enlisted men to avoid the unnecessary
killing of the Indian women and children In the
affair at Wounded Knee, and shows that the
conduct of the Seventh cavalry under very try
ing circumstances was characterized by excel
lent discipline, and in many cases by great
forbearance In my Judgment the conduct of
the regiment was well worthy of the com
mendation bestowed upon it by me in my first
Telegram after the engagement.
WHAT SECRETARY PROCTOR SAYS.
The papers were returned to the major
general commanding with the Endorsement
by the Secretary of War, in which the sec
Rotary in the beginning describes the cir
cumstances of Sitting Bulls surrender to
Maj. whistles as the sullen and unwilling
yielding of savage fanatics, who were over.
matched and out of food, to a superior
force. 1t was not in good faith on the part
of the younger braves. at least, but vet
not with any definite prearranged plan of
treachery. The necessity of preventing
any escapes during the process Of disarming
is then stated, and the Secretary says:
The troops appear to have been well disposed
to prevent an outbreak which was
not and could hardly have been antici.
pated by any one under the circumstances even
in dealing with the Indians, and the DISPOSE
tions made appear to have had the desired effect
OF convincing at least a majority of the Indians
or the futility of any attempt to escape II
treachery was premeditated by any OF the In
dians which seems improbable, a majority of
them were deferred from attempting to execute