The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-08-23
ually this 9th day of June, 1857, paid
the amount thereof.

ually this 9th day of June, 1885,, paid
the amount thereof.
Chas. E. Flandrau.
We witness the payment of the said
money and the signatures OF said
Indians. Stewart B. Garvie.
A. j. Campbell, Interpreter.
I also made a good many presents to
Indians who had been kind to Mrs.
Marble and Miss Gardner, but not ex-
ceeding in amount over one hundred
dollars. My advances were all re-
funded from the appropriation, and
the balance covered into the treas
ury," to use modern expression.
I was ordered by the United States
Government 'sto investigate and re-
port the facts in the case, and the
measures which in my judgment were
best calculated to redress the griev-
ances and prevent their recurance in
the future
l had become SO thoroughly con-
vinced of the imbecilitv Of a military
administration, which clothed and
equipped its troops exactly in the
same manner for duty in the tropical
climate of Florida, and the frigid re-
gion Of Minnesota, that I took advan-
tage of the invitation, to lay before the
authorities some of my notions as to
what was the proper thing to do, and
you will excuse me if I repeat some of
them here, I believe twenty years has
enlightened that non-progressive insti-
tutions, to the extent of furnishing
the soldiers in this latitude, with buf-
falo overcoats and snow packs. I can
only account for this deviation from
the practice of the past hundred years,
however, on the theory that the eli
mate is becoming decidedly milder.
I reported on the 9th of August,
1857, and after insisting on a force of
not less than four hundred mounted
men, to be kept during the summer in
the field, between the Big Sioux and
the James rivers, and the balance of
the season at we'll selected posts on
the frontier. I added as follows:
"All troops in this country should
be drilled to travel on snow-shoes, be-
cause during the entire winter, it is
next to impossible to travel without
them, where there are no roads. which
will generally be the ease whsGe In
dians will lead soldiers in chase.
The indians all have snow-shoes and
know how to use them, and will make
twenty miles, where man with shoes
or boots on, will become exhausted
and fail in five. Without snow-shoes
and the accompanying moccasins, and
change of dress to adapt soldier to
the climate and country he is to act
in, the superiority of the Indian, who
is furnished with all these appliances,
is so great as to render the soldier,
how good SO eyer he may be, as a
man, utterly useless.
The ordinary means of transporta-
ton in the army is, as you we'll know,
by heavy wagons drawn by mules.
In the winter these wagons are placed
upon sleds, and where there are roads
for them to go upon, they can do we'll
enough. But, as 1 have before said, it
will be very seldom if ever, that troops
will be called upon to act in country
where there are roads of any kind
made in the snow, consequently these
sleds and mules are useless.
The mode of transportation in all
extreme northern countries in the
winter is with dogs and trains; they
pass over the surface of the snow, and
can be followed by men on snow-shoes
anywhere. A party with an outfit of
this kind, with provisions to CORE
spond, would be efficient in the winter,
where the present United States SOL
dier of any arm, with the usual outfit
and transportation, would accomplish
nothing. Let men be placed here,
then, who will at all times and under
all circumstances, be superior to the
enemy they have to contend with, and
I would have no fear of a recurrence
of the difficulties of that spring.
Too Enthusiasts.
When General Lafayette attended La
marques funeral. the crowd took the