Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-02-20
Col. EOrSYthe Sustained.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE secretary of
wal this afternoon made public the result
of the investigation of the battle at
Wounded Knee and Colonel Forsythe's
conduct on that occasion. In endorsing
the record of the court OF inquiry, General
Miles scores ColonelForsythe in a merciless
manner. He accuses Col. Forsythe of
neglect OF duty, disobedience of orders,
general Incompetence, a lack of judgment
and discretion. General Schofeld in en-
dorsing the report says the interests of
the service do not demand continuance of
Colynel Forsythe's suspension and states
the record OF the court shows that great
care was taken by officers and enlisted
men OF the Seventh cavalry and that in
his Judgment the conduct Of the regiment
was well worthy of the commentator be-
slowed upon it by me in my first telegram
after the engagement. The secretry If
war reviews the evidence taken at great
length and in conclusion S~uStains fully
Colonel Forsythe's management of his
men. The president sustains Secretary
Proctor in his decision.
In the course of the letter the secretary
says: Nothing illustrates the madness Of
the outbreak more forciblythan the fact that
the ndian first fire was so directed that
every shot that did not hit a soldier must
have gone through their own village.
There is little doubt the first killing of the
women and children was by this first fire
of the Indians themselves. They then
made a rush to break through and around
the TANKS OF troop K, commanded by gal
liant Captain Wallace, and reached their
tepees, where many of them had left their
arms with squaWs, and they continued fir
ing among their own women and children,
and when they started from their camp
heir woman and nEiIIrn, ,,-
mingled with them. The woIne and
children were never away from
the immediate company of the men after
the latter broke from the circle Many of
them, the men and the women. got on their
ponies, and it was impossible TO distinguish
Il DUCK from a SQuaW at a little distance.
wien mounted. The men fired from
among the women and children in their re-
treat. Cautions were repeatedly given by
both officers and non-commissioned officers
not TO shoot squaWs or children, and the
men were cautioned individually that such
ana such Indians were squaws. The fir
ing by the troops was entirely directed on
the men in the circle and in a direction op-
poslte from the tepees, until the Indians,
after their break, mingled with their women
and children, thus exposing them to the
hre OF the troops, and as a consequence
some were unavoidably killed and wounded
q 1acs Wnlch vas uhlvels lily It gt tied by
oiu AlCA VI liz OCtCull CdVdlTV.
This unfortunate phase of the affair grew
out Of circumstances for which the Indi-
ans themselves were entirely responsible.
Major Whiteside emph ,tically declares
mat at least fifty shots were fired by the
Indians before the troops returned the fire.
SeVerai special instances of humanity in
the saving OF women and children were
noted. No doubt the position of the troops
MADE IL necessary for some of them to
Wltnhold their hire for a time in order that
they might not endanger the lives of
their comrades, but both Major Kent and
captain Baldwin concur that the evidence
rails to establish that a single man of Col.
Forsythe's command was killed or wound
ed by his fellows: This fact, and, indeed,
the conduct of both the officers and
men through the whole affair
demonstrates an exceedingly sat-
isIaetory state Of discipline in
characterized by skill, GOODNESS, discretion
and forbearance, and reflects the highest
possible credit upon the regiment. which
sustained a loss of one officer and TWENTY
hye enlisted men killed, and three officers
and thlrty-tWo enlisted men wounded.
The situation at Wounded Knee creek was
more difficult than that involved in an
ordinary battle, where the only question is
OF gaining a victory, without any effort to
save the lives OF the enemy. 1t is easy to
make plans when we look back ward, but
IN the light of the actual conditions as they
appeared to the commanding officer, there
does not seem anything in the arrange.
ment of the troops requiring adverse crit
cism on the part of the department. l.
therefore approve of the endorsement of
the major-eeneral commanding, that the
interests of the military service do not de-
mand any further proceedings in this case
BY direction of the pr-sidel t, Colonel For
sythe will resume command Of his regi-
ment.
Rioting at Kearney.
NEWARK, n. ]. Feb. IA riot and
bloOdshed occurred at Clark's thread mills