Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-13

,-..-.... Q. receive tie dead ana WOUNDED,
.. Ie-ic.cd 10y people searching for
-,.. -eIatyes The body Of Engineer
,-...g.-. OF the works, was found
,...l. M. AZ all shape. About twenty
N.,4 t.,, been taken odt Of the ruins SO
o.. 81, .W.uE 10 the confusion, the total
-rrI,r RI casualties has not yet been as
c14H.L
COLONEL FORSYTH SUSTAINED.
os,. ,.hsacld and the Secretary of War
EeplJiatc Niies and Court Of Inquiry.
TBS telegraph to the Dispaich.l
W.4v4roV, February 12.--The Secre-
4-..f War to-day made public the report
d.. .. i-ye~tiEauon INTO the battle at
l.... .d.kn,e Greek. South Dakota, De
,.f 9th last. particularly with refer
s-..t colonel Forsyth's conduct on that
,.,.r. The court of inquiry was COM
r...I.t Colonel Carr, Sixth cavalry, MAJOR
t.t. Fourth infantry, and Captain Bald
81. Fifth infantry.
NIIEss ENDORSEMENT.
T.a record Of the court is endorsed bv
Cr- Niles. under date Of Chicago,
.r..-- Wt. as follows: Respectfully
t-.,.-8 o. the Adjutant-General Of the
.r4sing Of this matter il has been
r- treat Colonel Forsyth with the
-.. consideration. But as II II I'M
ID. t1 the best interests Of the ser
t..-..t skill and herOism should be re-
v-.. .4 also is 10 important that lncom-
&c.. and NEGLECT when found should
.-, uunotlced. il would be utterly
.. 81, If military discipline to over
t.a Lt-iec: and disregard OF warn
... .. orders on the part or an ON
or. .-t.cularly when such neglect and
-I may have involved the lives of
.-.. .u and ieopardiZed the success Of
'..' .lry operations in hand. Certain
...--., ~ the affair at Wounded-hnee
CT. were SD unusual and extraordinary,
r....L injurious reports were current
lately thereafter as 10 imperatively
,r4i an investigation in order TO ascer-
'r.rl record rs accurately es possible
t t.e facts. so that an intelligent opinion
-.r Guide IN the bestOwal Of commenda-
re-umony elected shows the follow
G.4-'-.
WARNINGS AND ORDERS.
r-.'. That Colonel Forsyth had received
--r..t .i warnings as 70 the desperate and
C.ful character OF Big Roots band OF
Il n- and repeated orders as 70 the eN-
e-...uf constant vigilance TO guard against
sarr.-, OF disaster under all circumstance.
ally. That these orders and
waning. we're UNDECIDED and disre-
.H.H by Colonel Forsyth. who
seemed 10 consider an outbreak Of
,-a Indians rs being beyond the pale Of
l.iy d. the presence of the large
tr-u. troops at hand. The disasters
tl' have occurred 10 our troops IN the
I4t from the desperation OF the Indian
!ltrr aye known 20 all who are familiar
VII. our history. In addition 20 this 1t was
well known. and Colonel Forsyth had
been warned, that this particular band
contained many Of the most desperate and
Cd '.ul characters in the Sioux Nation,
4-i 'ta, the religious excitement nearly
aI-.cling frenzy had made them par
lAg.y dangerous.
1NExCUsABGE.
Illr these circumstances apparent in
difference aud security Of the officer IN
command of the troops at WOpnded-knee
trek .s llrUmpTehensible and 1neXcusaoIe.
l..-lly. An examination Of the accom-
paving map and the testimony shows con-
e-Ege.y that at the beginning of the out
iI k Lot q single company Of troops was
FL. disposed as 10 deliver its fire upon tine
Way. without endangering the lives OF
Tie 10 their own comrades. IL rs IN tact
Gs.t CO. conceive how q worse DISPOSE
to- o, the troops could have been made.
raw THY MIGHT HAVE BEES PLACED.
l WI Boo noticed that II would have
ben perfectly practicable for the entire
Command " upward of $50 men 20 have
Been placed between the warriors and the
women AID children, with their backs TO
90 4'',r and their faces towards the war
G,,, lcre they might have used their
s..f.-, effectively II required. The testl-
-.-l goes o. show that most OF the troops
were forced 70 withhold their first tire,
4e4.'l the brunt " the affair to fail upon
"a upsnles until such warriors as had
IN Teen killed broke through or over
powered tho small force directly about
and reached the camp occupied by
'--I women aud children.
mEngBED UgKLEss.
Pc battery Of four HOtchkiss guns had
O''l Then been useless the friction
E"s-s having been removed from the
t-- ty order OF the captain commanding
tte battery lest the gunners might, N
ti1' excitement, discharge the pieces and
etf'y Their own comrades. These guns
we NOT opened upon the Indian camp
..i O.. That time, placing IN peru
- rs "C' and ID" Of the Seventh
e''-'r. which were obliged TO retreat for
t-, distance. owing % the fire from these
t- and from the small arms OF some
.l. a. the command. The
,'t That the large number OF
o., hundred and six warriors were
H..-'uf trearm when the outbreak
,-nt s. shown by the evidence that
il- gat guns had been taken from tho
'. and that a personal search OF
twenty oF more warriors resulted IN find
~ iiem uuarmed. This fact. taken in
llertou with the extremely injudicious
opposition Of the troops and the large
rl.o.f Of casualties among them, con-
SONS the belief that some Of these
.aaa.hes were suffered at the hands OF
WI Owl meu.
siNGvL1E APArHY AND NEGLECT.
.ae fatal disposition Of the troops was
~" al the outset as TO cOunteract in a
go measure the disparity Of strength,
"2ul have been inexeusable IN the
% an armed aud desperate foe, even
no special warnings and orders been
,1ed nom the higher authority.
Il Va1 only partially account for
NV singular apathy and neglect
y. NS'onel FoTByth upon the theory Of his
,s14i1efence toand contempt for repeated
80 urgent warnings aud orders received
I'A IRON the division commander, OF
iS incompetence and entire inexpeTi-
60 70 the responsibility Of exercising
sre, Aud where judgment and discretion
also forward herewith the report OF
t,.1la frank d. BALDWIN, Of the Fifth
Jyl concerning the finding Of the
ss ~ party Of women and children
80 go. tnfee miles FROM the scene Of the
az asemont on W0nnded-Kn Creek.
a. - report indicates the nature Of some Of
49, iesetils Of that unfortunate aifair-re-
which are viewed with tho strongest
plIoya by the undersigned.
i''eAeal AKt6oN A. A. MINIS.
Malor.General Commanding.
GENERAL NILES sNUABED.
~. H,snsFal schofeld, commanding, sub.
., tls ease 70 the Secretary of War
WIN Tie foiiassts.s, -. 49,. ....t.s.t.