The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-23
ANOTHER "HOWLING WILDERNESS
CAMPAIGN.

ANOTHER "HOWLING WILDERNESS"
CAMPAIGN.
The present attack on our army in the
Philippines had its origin. or at least found
its first pretext in the alleged order by
General Smith to make "a bowling wilder
ness" in the Island OF Samar, or, as it has
been put, to kill. burn and destroy"
General Smith has been tried by a court
martial upon this charge, but the finding
OF the court has not yet been made public.
At the opening Of the trial he admitted
that he had issued the order substantially
as charged. and the presumption is that he
justified il under the general order he had
received TO carry on a campaign OF re-
taliatiOn in the Standardization for the
awful massacre OF American troops at
Balangiga-and to reduce the insurgents to
complete subsection. 1t is presumed, also
that he maintained that severe measures
Of retaliation were permitted under the
laws of war, without special reference to
their character, and that in this case there
was nothing done that was not justihable
under the laws and usages of war. This
much is presumable from the fact that
General Smith admitted that he had given
the order, though. as already stated, the
finding of the court has not yet been made
public.
The insurgent sympathizers who are now
making such cutlery about this order
declare that none equally harsh and cruel
reality, history is full of precedents for it.
A notable one occurred during the revolu-
tionary war when Major General Sullivan
sent TO crush the operations of the
Tories and Indians on the exposed from
tier. The frontier then was in western
New York, and the offending Indians were
the Six Nations. General Sulivans orders
were issued by General Washington. dated
Headquarters, Middlebrook, May 81, 1873. -
Following are extracts from the order:
The expedition you are appointed to COM
mand is TO be directed against the hostile
tribes of. the Six Nations Of Indians. with
their associates and adherentS. The i'm
mediate objects are the total destruction
and devastation of their settlements and
the capture of as many prisoners of every
age and sex as possible. | would
country be occupied with all expedition
with a sufficient quantity of provisions,
whence parties should be detached to lay
waste the settlements around. with injunc-
tons TO do 1T In a most effectual manner.
that the country may be not merely over
run, but destroyed. After you have
very thoroughly completed the destruction
Of their settlements, if the Indians should
show a disposition for peace 1 would have
you TO encourage ii, on condition that they
will give some decisive evidence of their
n he faFin
cipal instigatOrs of their past hostility into
our hands. But you will not, by any
means, listen to overtures of peace before
the total ruin of their settlements is eff
fected. Our future security will be
IN their inability to injure us, the distance
to which they are driven and in the terror
with which the severity of the chastise-
ment they receive will inspire them. Peace
without this would be fallacious and tenn
porary.
These extracts show the spirit of the or
der. 1t not only gave the officer receiving
it a free hand to carry on a campaign of
retaliation and destruction, but charged
him not to listen to any Overtures of peace
before the total ruin of the Indian settle
ments was effected. General Sullivan's re-
ports to General Washington, dated Aug.
Is. Aug. so and Sept. 2s. 1779 show that the
order was thoroughly executed. He re-
ports the destruction of many Indian towns
and extensive growing crops, which, he
says, 1.-The men performed with the great
est cheerfulness.'' OF one town he says:
1T consisted of twenty houses. very neatly
built and furnished, which were reduced
TO ashes, and the army spent nearly day
in destroying the corn and fruit trees, OF
which there was great abundance" He
reported the destruction of about 40 In
dian towns and settlements, and said
Every creek and river has been traced
and the whole country explored in the
search Of Indian settlements. and l am
perfectly sure that, except one town, stu
ated near the Allegheny. about fifty-seven
miles from Chewnessee, there is not a
single town left in the country of the five
nations. nor is there any kind of sus-
tenance left for them in this country
Ii is significant that his reports do not
show that he took a single prisoner. Cen
eral Washington forwarded these reports
to Congress. with a letter dated Head
quarters. West Point. Oct. Q, 1779," in which
he congratulated Congress on General Sui
livan's having completed so effectually
the destruction of the whole of the towns
and settlements of the hostile Indians in
so short a time and with so inconsiderable
loss of men," No charges were filed
against General Sullivan, and he was not
court-martialed. General Washington was
not censured for having ordered the total
destruction and devastation" of the Indian
settlements. nor for having instructed
General Sullivan mot. by any means, To
| listen to overtures of peace before the total
ruin of their settlements is effected" The
modern Democratic party had not yet been
born. and there were no sympathizers with
enemies OF the American flag in public life
at that time.
THE FREEING OF CHA