, 1891-01-29
THE OFFICIAL REPORT.
Gen. Miles Bulletin Regarding the
Indian Troubles.
What Caused the War and How it
was Prosecuted.
Calamity Displayed by the Troops
in the Field.

Indian troubles has just been issued and
will be found very interesting as a review
of the campaign. It is as follows:
HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF THE)
MISSOURI. IN THE FIELD,
PINE RIDGE. s.. D., Jan. Is, 1891.
The division commander takes pleasure
In announcing the satisfactory termina-
ton of hostilities in this division. The
disaffection among the Indians was wide
spread, involving man different tribes,
The purpose of the conspiracy was to pro-
duce a general uprising of all the Indians
in the coming spring. The hostile ele-
ment of the Sioux nation p~recipitated the
movement by leaving the agencies, DEFY
ing the authorities of the government and
destroying the property that bad been
given them for the purposes OF %civilizR-
ton. They assembled in large force on
almost impenetrable ground known as the
Mauvaises Terres of South Dakota, and
from that rendezvous ~marauding parties
robbed both white citizens and friendly
Indians on their reservation and through
the adjacent set Elements.
To check this insurrectlon, orders were
gwen for the arrest of the chief consplra-
tor, Sitting Bull. who was on the eve of
leaving his reservation to join those above
mentioned. This was done on the 18th
OF December last After peacefully sub
hitting to arrest by the officials of the
government, he created a revolt, which
] hrruuht m bio aagfafanaa loruo n,rI-
his followers, who assailed the Indian po-
lce. This resulted 10 Sitting Bulls
death, and the final arrest of 300 of his
people, thereby removing the principal
part of the disaffected element from the
Standing Rosk reservation.
The second arrest was that of Big Foot
and his party, December 81, 1890. who
made their escape the following day. This
band va composed OF outlaws from
different tribes, who defed the govern
ment officials.
While these measures were being car
ried into execution the troops we're quick
ly moved between the hostile element in
their stronghold and the settlements 10
such a way as to check their usual
depredations and give protection to life
and property of the citizens. Nearly the
entire force Of troops in the department
of Dakota under Gen. Ruger were judi
ciously placed where they would give the
most protection to the settlements and
where they we're enabled to intercept any
body OF hostiles should they escape. Bret
delays we're necessary to put the troops in
proper position, as well as to give time
for the work OF disaffectiou to be carried
on IN the hostile camp, and to strengthen
the loyal element Gradually the troops
were moved to such positions as to render
resistance OF the hostiles useless, and
they were forced back to the agency.
The escape of Big Foot and his party
made their recapture necessary. This was
successfully done by a battalion of the 7th
Cavalry aud Lieut.. HaVthorne's detach-
ment of artillery under Maj. Whitside,
marched seven miles to W6haiGSddtR eK8ege,
and at 9 O'Clock p. IN. tie command was
joined by Col. Forsyth with the second
battalion of his regiment with two Hotch-
kiss guns under Capt. Capron, LIST Artil-
lery, and Lieut.. Taylor's Sioux scouts.
With this band of outlaws under con-
troll, the entire hostile camp moving in
before the troops to surrender within a
short distance Of the agency, 1t was hoped
and expected that this serious Indian
difficulty would be brought to a close,
without the loss of life of a single white
man.
While disarming Big Foot's band, on
the morning of December 80, after a por-
ton of their arms had been surrendered,
they were melted to hostility by the
harangues of one OF their false prophets,
and 10 their attack and attempt to escape,
nearly all of the men we're killed or
wounded, and a serious loss OF life occurred
among the large number of nou-com-
batants
During the engagement, some 1850
young warriors left the village near the
agency and went to the assistance OF Big
Foot's band, and we're engaged with the
troops, and returning made a vigorous at
tack upon the agency. drawing the fire of
the Indian police and scouts. This caused
a general alarm, and upwards of 5000
Indians fed from the agency to the
canyons and broken ground adjacent to
White Clay creek, aud assumed a hostile
attitude. The troops that we're following
however checked their further movements.
The attempts of some of the
warriors to burn buildings neat the agency
the following day, resulted in a skirnish
with the It'll cavalry under Col, Forsyth,
promptly supported by Mai. Henry, 9th
cavalry.
On January /, 1891, a spirited engage
ment occurred on White river
between a body of warriors, num-
bering upwards of one hundred, and
Captain Kerr's troop of the 9th cavalry,
10 which the Indians we're r%epulsed with
loss. Maj. Tupper's battalion of Col.
Cars m Of the 9th cavalry NOV
ing to Capt, Kerr's support. This was
followed by several skirmishes between
the Indian scouts under Lieut.. Casey.
While making a reconnaissance, the ser
vice sustained a serious loss in the death
Of that gallant ofiier.
Within thirty days more than 100 of