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

ttNt "a nv judgment demand any further
proeeedlnRs u tins case, nor any longer
continnance Of Colonel forsyth's ausne,,.
sion frem the commahd Of hls eg,nepas
Tho evidence IN these papers sSows that
great cure was taken bv the Officers sod
generally by the enlisted men to avoid the
unnecessary killing Of the Indian women
end children IN the affair at Wounded
Knee, and shows that tho conduct al the
seventh cavalry under tho very irving cir
cumstances was characterized by excellent
discipline and, in many eases by great for
ncarancs. In my Judgment the conduct of
the regi nent was well worthy of the COM
mendanon bestowed upon II by me ia NV
first telegram after tho engagement
ihe papers were returned 20 the Major
General commanding with an endorsement
bY the Secretary OF War, In which tho
Secretary in the beginning describes tho
circumstances Of Sitting BULBS surrender
10 Major Whitesides as sullen and IN
willing yielding Of the band Of savage
fanatics, who were overmatched aud ont Of
food, 10 a superior force. II was not Ia
good faith on the part OF the younger
braves az least, but yet not With any dot.
mite prearTanged plan Of tfeachery. The
necessity of preventing this during the
process Of disafmiugi IS then stated, aud the
Secretary says
TBE TROOPS WE'LL POSTED.
The troops appear to have been well dis-
posed to prevent an outbreak, which WAS
not and could hardly have been anticl-
pated by any one under the circumstances,
even in dealing with Indians. and the dis
positions made appear 20 have lad the
desired effect Of convincing at least ma
jority Of the Indians Of the futility Of any
attempt 10 escape If troachery was pre-
meditated by any Of the Indians, which
seems extremely improbable, q majority Of
them were deferred from attempting 10 ex-
ecute II until melted by the speeches oil
the ghost-danceTs.
sULJENLY EvADING THR oRDEs.
The disarmament was commenced. and IL
was evident that the Indians were sullenly
trying 10 eyade the order. To carry out this
order the men had been ordered out from
their camp TO separate them from their
women and children and were formed
about 100 yards away. and Troops X and b
were posted midway between them and their
tepees. When ordered TO surrender their
arms they produced two broken carbines
and stated that that was all they had but
when a partial search Of the tepees was
made before the firing commenced about
forty arms were found, the squaws making
every effort 60 conceal the same by hiding
and sitting on them. and in various other
ways, eyincing the most sullen mein.
OPENED FIRE.
The disarmament was much more tho
rough than they expected, aud when they
found that their arms were 60 be taken
from then tepees aud those they had con-
cealed under their blankets were TO be
taken away also they were carried away by
the harangue Of the ghost-dancer, and
wheeling about opened fire. Nothing illus
trates the madness Of their outbreak more
forclbly than the fact that their first fire
was so directed that every shot that did
not hit a soldier must have gone through
their own village.
THE FIRST BILLING.
There is little doubt that the first killing
of women and children was by this first
ire of the Indians themselves. They then
made rush 10 break through and around
the TANKS Of the troops commanded by
the gallant Captain Wallace and reached
their tepees, where many of them had left
their arms with the squaws. and they con-
tinued firing from among their women
and children, and when they started from
their camp their women and children were
mingled with them.
NEVER AWAY.
The women and children were never
away from the immediate company Of the
men after the latter broke away from the
circle Many Of them-men and women
distinguish buck from squaw at a little
distance when mounted. Men fired from
among women and children in their re.
treat. Cautions were repeatedly given
both by the officers and the non
/ commissioned officers not to shoot
! the squaws or children, and the men
were cautioned individually that such and
such Indians were squaws. The firing by
| the troops was entirely directed on the
men in the circle and in tho direction
/ opposite from the tepees until the Indians,
after their break, mingled with their Wo-
men and children, thus exposing them 70
/ the IRE of the troops, and as a consequence
some were unavOldably killed and wound
/ ed, fact which was universally regretted
/ by the officers and men OF the Seventh
! cavalry.
INDIANS RESPONSIBLE.
This unfortunate phase of the affair
! grew out of circumstances for which the
/ Indians themselves were entirely response
! bic. Major Whitside emphatically declares
that at least fifty shots were fired by the
/ Indians before the troops returned the FIRE.
/ Several special instances of humanity IN
/ the saving of women and children were
/ noticed That it resulted in the loss OF
/ lives Of many good soldiers and the
wounding Of many others, as well as
almost the total destruction of the Indian
/ warriors, was one of the inevitable conse-
quences of such acts Of insane despera-
| ton.
/ BODIES FOUND.
The bodies of an Indian woman and
! three children. who had been shot down
/ three miles from Wounded Knee, were
/ found some DAYS after the battle and buried
/ by Captain Baldwin, of the Fifth infantry
| on the 21st of January, but it does not ap
pear that this killing had any connection
| with the fight at Wounded Knee, nor that
/ Colonel FORSYTH IS 10 any way responsible
| for it. Necessary orders will be gwen &c
! insure a thorough investigation OF this
/ transaction and the prompt punishment; OF
/ the criminals.
Therefore approve Of the endorsement
| of the Major-General commanding. that
tho interests Of the military service do not
| demand any further proceedings IN this
/ case.
By direction of the President Colonel
| Forsyth will resume the command OF his
| regiment
iSigned.1 REDFTELD PRoCToR,
| Secretary Of War.
GENERAL SHERMAN VERY LOW.
/ The Family Summoned to His Bedside