The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-08-03
= : n 49,
GENERAL SCHOFIELD'S PLEWS


Says the whites Are to Blame for the
Indian Trouble-Thinks 1t is About Over
Indians, He Says, Acted Probably on
| the Defensive.
| New York, Aug 2.Lieut. Gen. John
M. Schofield of the United States army
is at the Hotel Windsor to-day. He ar
rived from Washington last night. The
general was seen at . the hotel this
morning, and he talked freely Of the
present Indian troubles in the west.
There is, to my mind, no cause for
| apprehension" he said. Both the In
dams and the whites are on the defen-
sive. The danger lies entirely with the
whites. have just been west on two
months tour of our posts, and the in
| formation I got while away was from
brief dispatches and newspaper ac-
| counts. The latter l believe have ex-
aggerated the trouble. When / return
ed to washington I made careful
study of the maps of the country
| around Jackson's Hole and of the cause
of the trouble.
There is no doubt but that those
frontier whites were the cause OF the
whole thing. That country Is one OF the
| best hunting regions on the continent.
1T is sparsely settled and very noun
famous, and affords the best possible
shelter for the game. Elk abounds
there. In fact, had planned going
| hunting there with General Crook once,
but the expedition never came off, as
he died
/ THE whites wanted the whole game
country themselves, and when they
found those Bannocks there they arrest
| ed them The Indians tried to es-
| cape, and when shot, alarmed lest the
whites intended an attack on them,
| they gathered in force armed and for
| titled themselves in the hills
II am convinced that they never in
tended retaliation. Their action was
simply defensive. They are waiting
now for troops to protect them. Then
the uproar began. The whites armed
themselves and undoubtedly have shot
any Indians they could lay hands on
The news from that country comes
rarely, and when a runner arrives with
reports they become greatly exagger-
ated.
General Coppinger, according to re-
ports to-day, ought to be in communi-
cation with the Indians very soon. /
think that when the troops are on hand
to quell the disturbance and protect the
Indians, they will return quietly to
their reservation. They are but few in
numbers, and General Coppinger has
an ample force-in his four troops of
cavalry-about 200 men.
1.-THE country is very difficult one
/ for troops to travel over. think that
had the situation been as serious as 1T
was reported Eoppinger would have
been with the Indians before this.
'tBut finding there wassifo cause for
apprehension he did not force his men,
but travelled easily.
when he is once there the danger Of
an outbreak will lie with the whites.
You know that that Is not very pros
porous country from a financial stand
point and large body of troops sta
toned there would be a boom to busi-
ness. 1t is possible that the settlers
may try to keep up the disturbance
simply so the troops will be kept there
to give them business.
There has been little or no anxiety
in Washington over the affair, as the
situation is thoroughly understood
there"
|
General Schofield in speaking of his
plans, said that he will go out of town
on visit Sunday, and will return for
the monthly meeting of the army board
of fertilization on Tuesday. Then he
will make a tour of the large army
, posts along the eastern coast.
He has just returned from two
months tour of the western posts.
He travelled in a special car, and in
company with his wife and eldest son.
He made run up to Alaska. He ex-
pressed himself as pleased with the
conditions of the western posts.
1t is understood that the date of the
generals retirement on account of age
is about a month ahead.
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