The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-11-22

GENERAL NILES STRATEGY.
How He Operated Against the indisnS
HE Kindness.

HE Kindness
"Few people have any idea OF the
strategy employed by General Mics Id
his Indian campaigns. says MAJOR
Girard. who is now stationed at fori
Sheridan. but who was with Generai
Niles on many campaigns against nos
tile Indian tribes of the Northwest.
Here is a. little incident showing
that he knew how to deal with them,
and that in an emergency ne WAS
ouick to think and act, and that ms
measures we're effective. Upon the
Frenchman's creek, near the British
line. one band of 100 men we're so
nlaced that every one felt a trlfie UNI
comfortable Within 20 miles OF our
camp was band of 1000 warriors,
armed and anxious for a fight. Inc
chief of the tribe came to our camp
for confiab with General Miles. See,
inc that satisfactory and peaceful
settlement of the difficulty could be
made. and knowing that the Indian
forces far outnumbered ours, and that
they were nearly as well armed, Gener-
al Miles ordered Hotchkiss gun TO
be loaded and trained on rock a mile
away. AT his command the gun was
fred. and. of course, the rock was
shattered, the pieces flying in all di,
rections. The astonished chief went
back to the camp and told his war
riors that it was best TO leave Bear
Coat alone. as his guns shot twice
once at the muzzle and again mile
off
"He utilized Indian against Indian,
and did not rely on any particular
| tribe or man. In his band of scouts
were representatives of all the tribes
-Blackfeet, Sioux, Grows, Arapahoes,
Neg Perces, etc.-and in every lndlan
camp within 500 miles he had his
spies, whose duty it was to report the
course of action decided upon at the
war council. Consequently he was
enabled to anticipate the movements
of hostile party and meet them al
such point that the advantage was
all on his side, and victory was com
paratively easy.
Zone time, in the garrison at For,
Keogh, the cry arose that big noun
tain lion was in thicket near the
most. and we banded together ano
went out on a hunt for the animal.
We had been searching for some time
without success, when | noticed thai
, General Miles, who had wagon, hae
remained some distance behind
, and was not apparently as much In
terested in the hunt as were the res
of us. OF a sudden the post trader
who had been an army officer and wal
thoroughly good fellow discovered
the lion in the thicket. Being de
i termined to have the hide he boldl.
advanced gun in hand straight to
ward the crouching animal. H'
i fred number of times seemingl.
without effect for the lion did no
move. An investigation was mad
, and it was found that the supposed
, savage lion was simply stuffed
, figure. General Miles had caused
it to be placed there and greatly en-
, loved seeing the rest of us exhibit on
E various degrees of bravery. The who'll
l Joke was ON the post trader and whel
E we were back at the post he did tn
/ proper thing under the circumstances
During a campaign General Mile
y sent young and inefficient officer t
!. ascertain the exact location of 200
I Sioux Indians who were supposed
n be hunting buffaloes in the neighbor
4 hood. The officer found the Indian
d but instead of carrying out orders an
v reporting immediately to Genera
d Miles, made little war on his ow
J, account, and was drawn into run
n ming fight. Soon surrounded on a
J. sides, he began to realize that b
% had made mistake, and sent order
for aid. General Miles immediatel
n ordered boots and saddles an
d sounded. and started to the rescue
l. We started on rapid trot, b 1T becon
If ing anxious, urged the general
IN order more rapid pace. Said hi
ID eff l wear out the horses at the frs
rs we can't do anything when we arriv,
. The horses were kept at trot, wit
an occasionally gallop, the whole
} miles. Arriving at the scene of &C
1 ion, he deployed the command in
three lines, made mounted charg
and soon had the Indians scattered f
and wide. We camped halfway bat
to the main camp, and Gener
Miles sent for the young officer al
! talked to him kindly but firmly, al
relieved him from command of Il
scouts-a very light punjshmer
But General Miles was always as
pient as he could be and mainta
the strict discinline for which he'W