Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-04-23
NO. As.
HOW TnE INDIANS ElahI.
An Ola Major ef saxalry Taiks--Repata-
tians of savage Tribes.


Il have had many Years experience as
purchaser o. saddle horses. = remarked q
major az cavalry on his way to Chicago
10 n reporter ia the corridor of the South
srn hotel. '.having been a member Of
horse boards Tor the last thirty years. and
having bought cavalry horses for tho
. United States service. ! therefore feel
that know whereof speak when I say
tlint the supply II gnud saddle horses ia
the country is ssnialer than IL has been at
any tune since the War. do not mean
that there are fewer thoroughbreds, for
There are probably more. but horses suit
able for other purposes than racing and
park nse are becoming rurer every day.
and although the price paid by the gov
ernmcnt j. higher tilan it has been for
the last twenty years. it Ii very difficult
- secure proper mounts for the cavalry,
while ten or even fve years ago at least
three times aS many horses able TO pass
muster were presented as the ADVERTISE
meuts called for.
| II haYeseryvd on the plains nearly con-
tinuonsly for more than thirty-ilve years."
continued the speaker. .sand am tolera-
bly, familiar with all the features cf cav
alry life, A eavalrymaH always has a
| frontier station, and only sees civiliza-
tion during his brief leaves. Civilians do
not realize tise hariships and exposures
10 which cavalryman Il subjected. He
has seasons Of idieneSs, bnt also long pe-
/ riods IT great exertion. and rs a proof OF
the effect OF his life IL can he safely stated
I that scarcely One man out Of ten reaches
the age Of ~ without bcing seriously
broken down. Indian campaigns are the
cause ri this | have fought and chased
/ Indians from the British lines TO the Rio
Grande. and know what campaigning
means. The Indians always get a tre-
mendous start II the cavalry. and seldom
are overtaken. The army has been
blamed for its i'll success. but when the
circumstances are understood 1t is won-
derful that ~ much has been accom-
ptishcd.
1.-The Indians never attempt to commit
outrage% IN the vicinity ~ an army post,
aud news seldom nsed to arrive until
twcnty-four hours or more had elapsed
and the Indians had long start. Nearly
always they are provided with remounts,
the loose horses b,ing driven before the
hand. and when an animal shows signs
flight continued on fresh animal.
Horses are ALSO stolen wherever met with.
and the consequence il that the trooper,
who Is confined b. the use Of single
animal. has Is,or chance ~ overtaking
the Indians. Asag general thing they can
fight or ESCAPE as they please. aud never do
the former except when in Overwhelming
numbers. The fatignes of one Of these
friiitless marches. generally made ON
| short rations to secure celebrity Of move
ment by avoiding carrying baggage, can
we'll be imagined, and the condition Of
man and beast after two months cam
paign is wntched iu the extreme.
Nowadays the active Indian CAM
paigntng is confined to Arizona, but
I when | was yonng mnn the northern
Sioux, northern Chesennes, piegans and
r Blaekfeet In fhe north. the southern
: Sioux and the Chevennes and Arapahoes
ON the central plains and the Cnmanches
and kinwas snuth of the Arkansas. kept
us busy all the time. OF all these In
hiaus the kiowas were the hest drilled, Il
u heiug hard Ia distinguish them from ths
. dragons AT "A distance OF two or thres
miles. The Comanchea never deserves
! their great reputation. a. They we're poo
fighters. doing well against the Mcxicans
but never standing against United Statei
troops. The Gheyenne- were noted fRl
and wide al the most determined and
e fiercest fighters. hnt their energies were
G more constantly directed against fheil
Il hereditary enemies, the Ites, than agains
: the whites. The Sioux were the largesi
i and most powerful tribe. and gave u.
more trouble than any others. They
were in their way as well drilled as the
! hiowas. ] myself having seen single
chief direct the movements Of 1000
: warriors, scattered over an extent oI
. country five miles I'm diameter. simply by
Q the flashing Of little mirror held in til,
q hand. The Blackfeet, being foot Indians
i We're more easily reached. and after on,
+. or twn lessons never gave any mor,
, trouble, although last winter they threat
!, ened an outbreak.
s.The Grows and pawnees, being hated
9 by all other tribes. we're our allies ant
| made our best tralers. The Utes, whils
] less daring than the plains Indians, from
!, their situation IN the mountains were
enabled to ambush the troops very easily
and many lives have been lost In thin
way. Fighting wilhal vas rather a rul
= than a combat, anu the troops had fol
:. many years little chance against them OF
account If their great celebrity of move
: ment. II was not until the winter q
Z 1916. when Gen. Nelson 4. Miles hegar
. his series of winter canpaigns, that til,
: plain Indians were thoroughly subdued
/ That officer followed their trail in tn
. coldest weather. drove them from thei
, winter camps, and although unable I.
overtake them. kept them constantly ol
the move. The Indians. sensitive q
2 cold, and III provided with clothing. die
! like sheep Of hardship and exposure an.
I one by one the hands, fairly tired out
: came ia. surrendered and were disarme'
4 and put ON reservations. The wiate
!. campaign more than anything else brck
the power of the plains tribes. but q
!. terrible expense tn the troops, who wer
exposed 10 the FURY of the westerl
storms in tie coidast months Of the year
The youngsters in tile army nlgret tn
Disappearance Of the Indians. hat we oil
!, fellows. who know what { winter marcl
!, Is. are most thankful that they ar
over. probably forever. ST. Louis Pos
DlSnafch