Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-10-28
THE INDIAN SOLDIERS.
AN OLD ARMY OFFICER GIVES
HIS OPINION.
The Enlistment OF tho Red Men Proving
a Decided Success-The Sevages
Arc Easily Trained and
Like the Work.


Qndian) Sixteenth infantry. has kind
iy contributed the following on the
subject The Indian as Soldier,
says the Omaha Bee. The major has
mad many years @ perience with the
Indians and he has made their habits
mode OF life and warfare his study:
Judged by the record he has so far
made. the Indian us n soldier is
proving decided success but while
doing SO he is furnishing ample rea-
son for the reconstruction OF popular
ideas concerning his character tenn
permanent and personal equation.
Every one who as n school boy read
the delightful stories OF Fenimore
Cooper came TO believe that the
Indian was stolcal and sedate; that
he was brave TO recalessness capable
of enduring the greatest privatiOn
and even torture with calm inditfe
ence; that his eye was truer and his
hand quicker than those OF white men;
and, finally that though q savage.
he was very superior sort OF hui
. mainly of the instructed kind. need
ing only to he christianized TO he
SOluSJuluS poGbSE IMAM MS WhllS
brother.
Now. the Indian has not and mover
had any OF these fancy qualities to the
extent which white men have them.
In place OF being sto cal and sedate
he enjoys fun and rough horse play
us much as any school boy he breaks
and loses heart under trouble or sick.
ness very uicllly and completely; he
bears pa n with difficulty and in
moments OF danger is timid He can
see no better than a white man. and.
perhaps because less intelligent he is
less accp~ete shot. The Ind an is.
however Very proud. and SO sensitive
to ridicule that his conduct when
among his own people is nodded not
upon his own desires aud wishes. but
rather upon the standard of bravery
required by his tribe This being in
most cases high. he is forced 30 deeds
OF daring which in his own heart he
would prefer TO leave undone.
The experiment OF making regular
soldiers OF this material has now been
undergoing trial for something over
more than year and as stated, is
proving success
A company OF Sioux Indians now
serving at ort Douglas Utah. aud
which has been in ser ice barely six
months will perhaps fairly represent
the condition and progress OF other
Ind an companies in the army.
When enlisted these men were mostly
untutored and typical sa ages. Six
or eight among them could speak
J English and could write Now. and
J for sone time past e cry man signs
: mis- name leg bly,. and nearly all can
, read simple sentences and do some
thing with figures. They have
learned to take reasonable care of
their person and clothing. and are
proud of appear ng we'll They haze
learned their drill and the manual of
J arms as correctly as do white recruits
OF the same length OF ser ice and.
having had the usual two months
course OF instruction in musketry, they
show a very fair record.
They yield readily 10 discipline and.
, except that they are rather needless
and forgetfuL they obey orders com
, mendably.
, 1t has been difficult to teach them
, habits OF order and personal neatness.
, but in these respects they make con-
slant improvement IL was expected
that they would incline 10 drink heav-
lily and to be troublesome when in.
toxicated; but from the first these
!, men. though having the privileges OF
the canteen equally with white sol.
No L. 4
fewer disorders among them than
have occurred in any OF the white
companies at the post
They were on coming TO the post
; kindly received and treated by their
white comrades and so far as known.
there has been no instance of quar-
: re! or dispute between tho races. SO
far these men have not been on pa
rades as other regimental 70 nations
: not having until now been supplied
, with full-dress uniforms nor have
: they performed guard duty-but in
both these respects they will mn
doubtedly prove efficient
r The battle tactics OF the new drill
r regulations involve u complete aban-
!, donment OF the former close order and
$ precision of movement and with a
su bstitutiou OF extended order the
rushes o. detachments when advanc-
:, ing and the requirement strongly
: insisted upon. to take every advan-
tage of cover is q return to some
. thing like the tactics which defeated
}, Braddock long ago and which are cer-
!, tainly very like the Indian methods
/, OF fighting at the present day. These
men may. therefore be expected TO
readily understand and adopt it and
3 to make efficient soldiers if occasion
arises for sending them into battle.
: Now. regarding the other side OF
\ the question. there appear three con-
siderations: First that by reason oil
so many OF their best young men be.
Q ing in the army the tribes so rep
C resented are much less likely to en-
L gage in war against the government
n because they will realize that should
! they do so they may have to fight
y their own people and so those in the
n service are TO that extent hostages
!. for the others who have not enlisted.