Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-12-06
ALpENA ARGUS
MISCELLANEOUS.
AsFAITHFUL DOG.

deal of truth will be found in the
remark. For long time thu
United States failed rightly to un
derstand the Seminoles of Florida
In 1817-'18 General Jackson de-
vastated a portion of the territory
and scattered them to the woods
and everglades. This led to the be
lief that they were weak and few
in number, belief which, few
years later, they most effectually
exploded.
At the beginning OF 1885 it was
announced that the Commissioners
of the United States Government
had met delegation of the princi.
pal chiefs of the Southern Indians
and made a treaty, the articles OF
which were satisfactory to the
latter.
As the venerable historian, Drake
remarks, there are several queries
that present themselves to the In
telligent mind upon such an an
nouncement as this: By what
means were these chiefs gotten to.
gether? How many were theyf
What portion of the Southern tribes
did they represent? What other
chiefs and principal men did moi
participate in the proceedings?
Had these queries been properly
answered in the early border wars
in the different Florida wars, and
in those that occurred few year;
ago in Minnesota, the true cause OF
all the trouble would have beer
found. Dishonest agents, the use
of that irresistible foe to the North
American Indians-fre-water--
|
avarice of men occupying officia
positions, the persistent fraud o.
traders, and the unlawful encroach
ments of settlers-these have beer
the fruitful cause of border wars
and will continue so to be as lons
as a remnant of the aborigines hav'
a foothold upon this continent.
A few years ago, in making
treaty with the Sioux of the North
west, ffty-fve thousand dollars o
the money paid went to MAJ
named Hugh Tyler, for getting tn
treaty through the Senate, and TO
necessary disbursements" in gain
ing the consent Of the chiefs.
In 1857, trader, by deceivini
the Indians as to what they wer
signing, received twelve thousan
dollars for his private pocket. Ii
1858, the chiefs agreed to cede al
their reservation north of the Min
nesota River for one hundred an
sixty thousand dollars. Four year
after, they received fifteen thousan
dollars in goods. In another cas-
eight hundred thousand acres o
land were sold, for which the.
never received a farthing.
The proceedings of the Sioux
when they aroused, were inhumal
in the extreme, and deserved tn
severest penalty; but the provoca
ton, int the first place, came from tn
other side, and the consequences o
the bad policy pursued toward then
were seen from the first by thou
sands.
1t is our purpose, however, il
in the brief space allotted us, to Civ
an incident of the Seminole war
one of the hundred of events tina
are the inevitable accompaniment
of such sanguinary strife.
The Seminole war lasted sever
years, although they were neve
able to bring into the field NOR
than two thousand warriors, tw'
hundred and fifty of whom wer
their own negro slaves. The Unite'
States sent more than twenty thous
and men against them, and pal,
20,000,000 to militia and volun
teers, exclusive of the expenditure
of the regularNarmy. Bloodhound
were employed to trail them through
the everglades; a reward of tw'
hundred dollars was given for ever.
Indian killed; seven or eight hun
dred Creek Indians were employe,
to assist the whites; the best gen
erals in the service were in com
mand, including General Scott
and, at last, the United States wer
compelled to abandon the attemp
to remove all the Seminoles from
the country, and were obliged t.
make treaty with them.
In that portion Of Florida which
bordered on the scenes Of the Semi
mole war, dwelt Uriah Crawford
his wife, infant child, and a hug
dog of the Newfoundland species
This creature we'll deserves the men
ton made of him, as will be ad
mitted before we have done.
As the Seminoles grew more au