Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-21
THE INDIAN As A SOLDIER.
An Onicer's Story of the Military Education
of His TrOou

OF MS Troop.
The Saturday evening informal talks or read
ings before the University Club are becoming
very popular With the members and friends Of
that growing organization. They are Invested
of all the restrictions Of formal affairs and are
the more enjoyable in consequence. The club
committee in charge secures for each Saturday
the services Of some well-known resident or
visitor, who has a particular subject in which
he is personally interested and upon which he
Is consequently able to talk in not only an in
teresting but instructive and authoritative
manner. Notices sent to the club MEM
bers, and they are at liberty to invite their
friends who are not members Of the club 20 be
present.
Lieut. Charles d. Rhodes of the sixth cav
airy, Washington boy. read a most interesting
paper Saturday evening on the Indian as a
Soldier. He was peculiarly fitted for the task,
having been an officer Of troop l. of his regi
ment from the fret Indian enlistment. He was
OF the opinion that the government has at
last hit upon the solution of the vexed Indian
question, taking a mean course between that
OF extreme philanthropsts who expect to jump
the nations wards into civilization without the
necessary training to make them self-support-
ing. and that of determination advised by those
VINO believe that ''the only good Indian Is a
dead Indian his account Of the success of
dams who have turned soldiers have had an
ambition aroused which makes them Just as
obedient and orderly their white brethren.
The effect Of making soldier Of an Indian is not
only TO make him good servant of Uncle Sam,
but TO excite in all his relations and friends
desire to follow his example and to have feel
ing of trust and confidence in the military.
When troop l. was about to leave the reserva-
ton hundreds of blanket Indians besieged the
officers to promise that If troop should be
sent to war they might be allowed to accom-
pany it as volunteers. When the troop was
about starting for Chicago to take part IN the
worlds fair dedicatory ceremonies the relatives
and friends of the Indian soldiers spent the
entire night in songs of rejoicing and glorifi-
cation In strong contrast with their manner of
procedure the night before the raw recruits left
the reservation to receive their first instruction
as soldiers. Then their friends could not be
dissuaded from the belief that their braves
we're going to war to be ruthlessly slain. These
instances we're cited to show the non-enlisted
Indians how to regard the plan Of making
soldiers of red men. The Indians who we're to
appear in the Chicago parade took the
greatest interest in their soldierly appear
snce. Thew slept but little the night
before the parade, and were up and about be-
fore o clock in the morning cleaning their guns
and polishing their trappings.
Lieut.. Rhodes gave very entertaining ac-
count of the methods of drilling the Indians
II was necessarily very slow work as none of
the recruits knew more than a few words Of
English in common use. The explanations had
to be made by an interpreter, but when the In
dians once understood order they remem-
bered it remarkably well and in short time the
troop compared fsvoraby in all the particulars
that so to make a soldierly band of men with
the pelghboring white troops, and the officers
feel that their patience has been fully rewarded
As to whether Indian soldiers would remain
loyal to the government in case Of war with their
own people or not, Lieut.. Rhodes was satisfied
that while few would unquestionably desert,
the main BODY of Indian soldiers would remain
loyal. He interpreted his account of the mill
tary education of his troop with some enter
tanning stories of Indian humor. Lieut. Rhodes,
who has had but little vacation during his three
years service on the frontier will remain at
his home for fortnight longer.