Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-26

feos nrss made Its appearance In the War De-
partment during Secretary Proctor's admins
trstion. Prior to that time Indians had been
enlisted IS scouts, but their duty had always
been temporary in its nature.
When the Sioux campaign Of 1890-91 came to
an end 1t was suggested that many Of the dis
turbed and disturbing Brules could be made
solerably peaceful citizens by enlistiug them.
They could then no longer antagonize civiliza-
ton So It came to pass that on April 6, 1891,
Lieut.. E. E. bravo of the sixth United States
cavalry proceeded from Fort Niobrara, Neb.,
to Rosebud agency, South Dakota. Two weeks
later Lieut.. bravo returned to Niobrara at the
head Of ffty-four Bruls soldiers, all duly sworn
to serve this government as cavalrymen.
Within short time there were ffty-five men
| IN the troop. for an Apache was ENLISTED at Car
Isle and sent to Niobrara to do the troop tailor
ing. Taken altogether it was an unpromising
| lot OF material out OF which 70 shape something
that should look like other subdivisions of the
sixth cavalry. Some of the men-four or
| ive-spoke reasonably good English; the re-
mainder could converse only in the Dakota
| tongue. few had farmed in that casual and
unsatisfactory way which Is prescribed for the
disappointment Of those who are bold enough
to practice it, they had done the best they could
with the opportunities and implements within
their reach. But the main body of the COM
mand we're simply Indians. Their condition
could not be made more plain; they we're Just
Indiana
THE INDIANS WERE PLEASED.
"They were joyful lot of recruits" said
Lieut.. bravo to SrARreporter the other even
Ing. "rhey journeyed to the post in wagons
and when we arrived we're standing up express
Ing their delight in song of the most vociferous
description. Ass as they took possession of
their quarters told them that every man
would nave to take a bath and undergo q hair
cut before he could be permitted to clothe
himself in uniform. The next day was Sun
day, and they were five or six deep in the bal
room getting ready for the suits of blue and
yellow; Within two or three days all were uni
formed and happy. On May we commenced
those men took thorough hold of the
business was astounding. The words of
command were always given in English An
interpreter explained, in Sioux, the movement
which followed each command, but he was
never permitted to repeat the command in
anything but the language provided for in the
regulations: The Brules took to drill naturally
and learned with evident pride,
RAPID IMPROVEMENT
by the middle Of July they we're a. we'll
drilled a. any organization at the post; in fact
they exceiied all companies in the manual.
Then we took up mounted drill-green men
and green horses-and yet by August AZ the
troop was In such satisfactory shape that we
marched up to Rosebud agency. forty miles
distant. The Indian Episcopal convocation of
South Dakota was in session there and We
wanted the Indians from other agencies to see
what had been accomplished IN 30 short time.
That march had wonderfully good
effect on the enlistment at agencies
where proceedings had dragged some
what. Returning from the reservation
troop L. joined the sixth cavalry battalion
in its autumn maneuvers near the Niobrara
river and participated with credit in the pro-
gram-did just as any white troop did In
November we made tour of the reservation
and 1t would have been the easiest kind of a
There was a positive clamor. suggested the
possibility that they might become infantry
men, but the idea was not popular.
OBEDIENCE AND CLEANLINESS.
"Are the Indians obedient? They try harder
to learn what they are told to learn and to do
what they are required to do than any crowd
Of men ever saw. While waiting for the new
drill regulations--last November started a
school. On February Is, when left Niobrara.
there were seventeen men in the company who
could read anythingI wrote on the blackboard.
Then showed the would-be recruits that
they could learn to walk in the white man 9
| road just as well in the infantry as in the cav
alry-Rosebud agency could not have two
troops The young fellows then decided to
join the infantry. Capt. Clapp of the sixteenth
went up to the agency January u and on the
fifty. five men. That company-stationed at
Fort Douglas, Utah--is a success.
Their personal cleanliness is another of the
things which surprise people. Their quarters
are as orderly and neat any at the post, and
the manner In which they prepare and serve
their food Is unexceptionable. They had a
white cook as an instructor for just one mon tn.
When his time was up they took possession of
| the kitchen and dining room and have attended
to both ever since. 1t is true that they have
not learned to economize as have the white
cooks, but yet they are generally ahead, so that
there is a surplus which can be sold to provide
the mess with few extras. All the .trimmiuys'
which made the Thanksgiving and Christmas
dinners SO attractive came out of the company
| fund. They had pies at Thanksgiving, and
OF mincemeat, intending to have it made MP,
as had been the Thanksgiving pies, by the post
| baker. When / made my next visit to the
kitchen found three Indians baking mince
pies; and good ones, too. Those boys had
watched the baker at Thanksgiving and had
| caught OH. Oh, yes. they eat beans. They
never would while they lived on the reserya-
| ton. probably because the beans were never
cooked properly. Now it 10 impossible to save
any Of the bean ration.
THE cAsrEEN PRIVILEGE.
"Do any Of the men get drunk? Very rarely.
They have had the privilege Of the canteen
from the time Of their arrival at Niobrara. but
the privilege has never been abused. They
drank beer, but never to excess There was
but one man arrested for drunk on the three
| last pay days. Niobrara is the soberest post
ever saw. yet no white troop can equal that
| record. The Indian has to meet civilization
| somehow; they cannot meet it with greater
| safety to themselves than under the guidance
| of an army officer who has the welfare
| OF his men at heart Tho men can
| get liquor at Valentine or anywhere
else within reach, but the looked for
| intoxication but rarely puts in an appearance.
| One OF the strange effects Of uniform and dis
| cipline 10 seen whenever one OF the Brules does
| get drunk. In his wild state over-indulgence
would produce the widest ami most exarrer-
| ated misbehavior; in uniform he is always
obedient and easily controlled. They all smoke
| cigarettes-prefer them to any other kind of q
| smoke-but the number OF those who incline
toward . steady use OF the pipe is increasing.
"Many OF the men are members of the diff
ferent churches; they stick very closely-espe-
| cially the Catholics-to the forms of religion.
| but game OF shiny will keep the most en-.
thusiastic away from mass or other service.
| There has been no gambling in barracks Not
| one Of the men has ever tried to break the
rule. They probably do gamble, somewhere
all Indians wiu--but they respect the regula-
| tons.
| ECONOMY PRAcricRp.
| 1.-THE Indian nature is not inclined toward
economy, yet the men had about S20O in the
paymasters hands when left The company
tailor-s shrewd Apache, who is most popular