New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-13
COL. FORSYTH EAONERAIED.
HIS MANAGEMENT OF THE WOUNDED KNEE
FIGHT SUSTAINED.
orcprr,Ry PROCTOR APPROVES HIS CONDUCT
AND THE PRESIDENT ORDERS Ii" ~
RESUME COMMAND OF HIS

cECPFTARY PROCTOR APPROVES HIS CoNDoCt
Avn THE PRESIDENT ORDERS HIM TO
RESUME COMMAND OF HIS
REGIMENT
,,, roh ,o-rre President and Secretary
roctor hnve sustained Colonel ForSythS inahaseneiu
= .h wonndcd Knee engagement, contrary 10 INC au-
49, =, caroral Miles 10 further proceedings IN lh'
matter will be taken and the President mas oiuor'"
Colonel Forsyth TO resume cohina"u "a M -
cocrctorv Proctor to-day made pupio ",o ~
snondence bearing tie case lli' IL, - 'IO
ofHcial order for the investigation, WIN H ~ VI.
witnesses called to testify: copy OF "eHel' -
-, ,t,b General schofed's comment ana nhaliy
~ .n, ord recommendations OF the secretary OF
War. ., ..s+,oonv finds that
General Miles in reviewing the teSuino"S linus '''''
! these facts are brought out: - .uoo,od ,o,,
%, rba. Colonel Forsyth had received repi'eu warn
Flrs'-i Ia" 1,,-.te and decstful character OF Big
hd 81 Indians and repeated orders a. 10 Ine eN
| er,ise Of constant vigilance 10 gu"ru 'h
| disaster under all circumstances - hoado,
" sa,dlv Tbct these warnings and orders "erc u'i"N
ot dtr.g,rded by Colonel Forsyth, who seemed 70 .on
NV ,,hreak Of the Indians being beyond inc plie
~ possibility in the presence oil the as 'olee " a.,
| ~ hand Under these circumstances H'V "fp a..
SIcronce and security Of the ohieer In cohu'u VI ~
tr,ons AZ Wounded Knee Creek is lhco'pFoe'o'' '''
| incXcusable. 49,. o.orr,rvng man and
! Thirdlv-An examination OF the acconp'yI"1 >, g.
tstiuonv shows concusiyely that at the poE"n''s " Wv
] not "A sir
- q, dover It's fire upon the warriors without e'uHs s
- t., 80 some Of their own comrades IL IN l'cI' u
0cult 70 conceive how worse disposition OF 'he
lcil ao rrbe testimony goes show that most OF
tho troops were forced to withhold their Hr'' 's Wv
-. :, ,,o aratr ,o fall upon two companies Inc a''
,h,, a large number the 101 warriors were "io' '
orms when the outbreak occurred Is snow" W Wv ~
, tortveigbt guns had been taken from inc "p'c anu
,nat "A per,onal search OF twenty or more "airo'' I
IN ondioe them unarmed. This fact, taken IN connection
% ,, x,-crcly inludc disposition OF the troops ana
the large number Of casualties among them o'us''ns Wv
ci,ef that some Of casualties Were suh'' ~ y.
Sds Of our own men, l only partially account iof
enc SINGULAR apathy and neglect o. Colonel Fof7yth vi o NV
80 hi inoitference to and contempt for the repeated
and urgent warnings and orders received by nun o ~,
ct,on commander or by his incompetence ana ente III
o,,crencc I'm the responsibility ~ cNercsihE cou '
| tudrmcnt and discretion are fcquHeu'
c,,cr,I ScboNcd commanding, submitted the case 10
. secretary of War; with the following ndorsemcht
.Tbo interests Of the military service 90 ho'' III
| my Judgment, demand any further procedures J" u
c,sc nor any longer continuance OF '"iohe io''an
eusnpnson from the commad OF MS regiment ~"
,tdcrce in these papers shows that great care "ae
| ,r mo officers, and generally by the enlisted
! , 90 avoid unnecessary killing Of indian ""mcn
! d chiIdron I'm the affair at Wounded Knee anu
shovrs that the conduct of the 9TH cavalry unue'
vorv irving circumstances, was chii"c''r'AeU ~ -
cellcnt discipline and in many cases 10y s',' ~
bcorance In my Judgment, the cohuuct VI wv
,.s,i
ron il by me in my first telegram after tho engage
mcEt." -, ,,t C.oro-.,,
rae nopcrs were returned to the MAJOR "'he''i
commanding with an Endorsement by the SECRETARY VI
WAR I'm which among other things ie S'u ..,
M ,r,op. apUear to have been well disposed 70 WoNe'
an r,ln which was not ard could hardly have been an
,,i,atod by any one under the circumstances Inc u'
o,,',,oept vas much more thorough than n' lhuiH7 ~
pcc,ed and they found that the arms were U o.
from their tcpces and thO-c they hal cohcehU u ~ "
Iionkets were u be taken away also. they we're o"F
quay by the k,iangue OF the ghost cancel anu "h'''h
oi,t ,rcn4d fire Nothing illustrates the madness %
their outbrclk more orcbly thar The aet uat I''4' a.
O., WAS % directed every shot that olo hot h0
mas. nave gone through her village fL"re / H''
doubt that the first killing OF women a'u ,I'''i" W
,, o,.t fir, # the Indians themselves. the women ana
children were Fever away from tie imm'di''e co'i'"' .
, men after the latter broke iTCm the circle MANY u
them r,on and women, On their ponies ana IL j '
possible u distinguish warrior from 4qua at l'e u'''
/ when uourted The hrd frcM among ue WO''A anu
children In their retreat. Cautions were i'l'"'"' ~
L, by officer, and Honcoun -s.oned oWttf hot O. ''"o
s,uays or children. and men were cautioned r''lu','
th1' such and such Indians were sq'a"s me iHs 10y NV
tps wa, ont rely directed on the Hcn IN the c'I' anu "
direction opposite from tie tleea until ne ln-'"-' "V'
their Lr.sf Mingled with their women ahc cmliIe" uu'
exposing them T. FIRE o: the u''p'. ara az co"'' f'
some were uas,o!dably Killed ani wounded iaet N"'h
WIS universally reacted by the onc'T- ana mon % Tie ~
Cavity TIL, unfortunate IAa'' 81 the a'F p'" o' W.
circumstances for which The Indians h"ns'l'c' "'', '
titcy responsible Major Nhitsidc enIhn ally declares
ma, AZ las, nny shots fired by the indians rfore the
,-s returned the mr. several spcca. instances o' hu-
mal.ty in tho sayhr OF women and children we no''d
No doubt the position Of the troops made IL necessary
D., , ~ .her to Withhold their fire for time in order
that they might not cndangrr the lives Of Their corIad =
hrt both Major Kent and Captain Baldwin CONCUR m mo
ing that tn. evidence fails 10 - ah-h TIA, single man
Of Colonel Forsyl', command Killed or Woud'h b'
ris f.uow- Th, fact and indeed the conduct o. both
officer. and men through the whole affair demonstrates an
exceedingly satisfactory state Of discipline IN the Ih
Cavalry Their behavior was Characterized by SKID cool
RES, and forbeaanc'. and rejects t' Mgh'''
POSSIBLE credit upon the regiment
Therefore approve II the Endorsement Of the MAJOR
General commanding that the interests Of the military ser
vice do not demand any further proceedings In this Ease
y direction President Colonel Fosyh VAL Fc-une
the command Of his 7 gnent