General IRVIN MCDOWELL, San Francisco: CHICAGO, ILL., June 1, 1878. I have just learned from Adjutant General of the trouble at Camas Prairie, and have notified General Crook as follows. Most of the troops in Department of the Platte have gone north of Black Hills, but we will assist you most cheerfully to the extent of our ability. The news from the north yesterday looks very alarming. P. H. SHERIDAN, "Gen. GEORGE CROOK, Omaha, Nebr.: "I think it would be well to inquire of the commanding officer Fort Hall, about condition of affairs there, and, if in your opinion necessary, send without delay as much force from Salt Lake or posts on the railroad as you can possibly spare to Fort Hall, to cooperate with the force from General McDowell's command, or to act independently if necessary for the protection of settlers on Camas Prairie or adjacent country. "Please acknowledge receipt and telegraph action. "P. H. SHERIDAN, "Lieutenant General." Received Headquarters Military Division of the Pacific and Department of California, June 1, 1878.* Campaign against the northern Cheyennes in 1878 and 1879 In his annual report dated September 1879, Col. N. A. Miles stated that beginning in November and December of 1878 some of the northern Cheyenne Indians broke away from the reservation, and, while moving northward through the settlements of Kansas and Nebraska, were resisting the Federal troops and committing serious depredations. Gen. George Crook explained in his annual report that all available soldiers were at once dispatched to intercept the Cheyenne Indians who had abandoned their reservation, or were directed to drive them back to the grounds reserved for them. Gen. John Pope described the participation of Federal troops in his annual report for 1879 as follows: "The remainder of the northern Cheyennes at the agency in the Indian territory have been very restless and discontented for a long time, and, under Little Chief, are, in my opinion, ready at any favorable time to break away to the north. I do not consider their feeling or status at all satisfactory, and I am omitting no precautions which I have the right to take to provide against an outbreak. The force of cavalry in this department is wholly inadequate for anything like complete security against the Indians in the Indian territory. I have repeatedly urged an increase of cavalry force, and stated in full the necessities of the case, but thus far it has been found impracticable to furnish it. "The bands of outlaws and horse thieves who have always infested the Indian territory have of late greatly increased in numbers and boldness, and, under the orders of the War Department, I have three cavalry companies, scouting the eastern part of the territory to hunt them down if possible. Most of the inhabitants of that region, however, are in such a state of terror of these outlaws, that no information concerning these bands, or individuals of them, can be procured from them, and the troops will have a long and difficult task before them." 5 Campaign against the Ute Indians in Colorado and Utah, from September 1879– November 1880, inclusive. The difficulties with the Ute Indians was occasioned by two principal factors: The lands allocated to them for their reservation contained valuable mineral deposits which certain white men endeavored to exploit; and some of the Utes refused to remain within the boundaries of their reservation. The assignment of Federal troops resulted from a request to the General of the Army, W. T. Sherman, from the Secretary of the Interior, who in turn was alerted by the Indian Bureau. 4 Ibid., 1878, pp. 128-129. 5 Ibid., 1879, p. 80. Gen. P. H. Sheridan reported the Ute Indian difficulty as follows: "The recent and unexpected outbreak of the Utes at the White River agency seems to have been brought about, as far as I can ascertain, by local causes. The Indian agent wished them to engage in farming, and many of them were uncompromisingly hostile to anything in the way of labor which might assist in making them self-supporting. As soon as a knowledge of the trouble was communicated by the Indian Bureau to the military authorities, a force which was deemed more than sufficient by the agent was sent from the nearest post, under command of Major Thornburgh, 4th Infantry. Before the troops reached the agency, the agent, Mr. Meeker, and most of his employees, were murdered by the Indians, who then came out and attacked Major Thornburgh's force at a point 18 miles distant from the agency, killing Major Thornburgh and 12 of his men and wounding 42 others, officers and men. The ground selected by the Indians for this attack was exceedingly favorable to them, and they succeeeded in beleaguering the command and held it until it was relieved by Colonel Merritt's command, which was thrown forward with great rapidity to its rescue. The troops under Colonel Merritt then pushed on to the agency without opposition, where they discovered the dead bodies of the agent and his employees. At present a large column of troops is held at White River agency, another large column is being organized at Fort Garland, and still another in the Animas Valley, pending the action of the Indian Bureau, through its special agent, General Adams; and these troops will be held at these points, awaiting the result of General Adams' negotiations with Chief Ouray for the surrender of the murderers." 16 Campaign against the Apache Indians in Arizona and New Mexico in 1885 and 1886 Contributing in some measure to the conflict with the Apache Indians was the occasional misunderstanding between representatives of the Indian Bureau and local United States Army personnel over their respective jurisdictions involving the Indians. The well-known leader of the fugitive Indians was Geronimo, who skillfully led his group several times across the border into Mexico while pursued by Federal troops. Police control over the Apaches was vested in units of the United States Army. The administrative arrangements were alluded to by Gen. George Crook in a communication to the Assistant Adjutant General in San Francisco, Calif.: "Sir: I have the honor to forward herewith copies of telegrams from Capt. Emmet Crawford, 3d Cavalry, of the 18th and 19th instants, and my reply thereto, and referring to these papers, to report that the present military police control of the White Mountain Indian Reservation is in accordance with the terms of an agreement entered into between the Secretary of War and Secretary of the Interior, July 7, 1883, which states that 'the War Department shall be intrusted with the entire police control of all the Indians on the San Carlos Reservation.' In accordance with the terms of this agreement and the instructions of the Secretary of War, Capt. Emmet Crawford, 3d Cavalry, was, by General Orders No. 13, series 1883, Department of Arizona, placed in charge of the police control of the reservation July 24, 1883, and is still in charge' ***** Under date of April 20, 1886, Capt. William A. Thompson of the 4th Cavalry, in the Department of Arizona, United States Army, issued, in part, the following instructions for the information and guidance of troops serving in the southern portions of Arizona and New Mexico: "The chief object of the troops will be to capture or destroy any band of hostile Apache Indians found in this section of country; and to this end the most vigorous and persistent efforts will be required of all officers and soldiers until the object is accomplished. "To better facilitate this duty, and afford as far as practicable protection to the scattered settlements, the territory is subdivided into districts of observation as shown upon maps furnished by the Department engineer officer, and will be placed under commanding oficers to be hereafter designated. "Each command will have a sufficient number of troops and the necessary transportation to thoroughly examine the district of country to which it is assigned, and will be expected to keep such section clear of hostile Indians." " 8 • Ibid., 1879, p. 44. 7 Ibid., 1885, p. 180. 8 Ibid., 1886, p. 166. Campaign against the Sioux Indians in South Dakota from November 1890 to January 1891, inclusive The last major Indian war involved the Sioux Indians in South Dakota, terminating in 1891. The disturbance affecting the Indians was due to several conditions. Reduction in the size of the reservation, and the subsequent division of the remaining portion into several other reservations caused considerable discontent. Perhaps even more disquieting was the appearance of a pretended prophet and Messiah, an Indian named Quoitze Ow, but commonly known as Jack Wilson. He prophesied a great change in the condition of all Indians with the result that they would be freed from the domination of the white man; that game in abundance would again appear in their country; and that all persons, regardless of color, who opposed this transition would disappear. The Indians became excited. The belief inspired such fanaticism that many left the reservation and congregated in the Badlands of South Dakota. Gen. Thomas H. Ruger reported to the Adjutant General of the United States Army in Washington, D. C., that "interposition by military force was necessary to support the legal authority of the Indian agents and check the disorder to prevent an outbreak otherwise probable. The state of affairs not improving, orders were received directing the use of military force for the preservation of order and prevention of hostilities." 9 General Ruger, in the same report to the Adjutant General, explained that "by telegram of December 10 the division commander instructed me [General Ruger] to 'direct the commanding officer at Fort Yates to consider it his especial duty to secure the person of Sitting Bull, using any practical means. The [Indian] agent at that post is under his direction, and orders for any purpose of this kind or any purpose affecting the police control and government of these Indians." 10 At least two of the agents, Palmer and Royer, reported the serious conditions to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs who in turn communicated this information to the Secretary of the Interior. The latter official expressed his belief that the best plan was to send a force of soldiers sufficient to arrest and overwhelm the Indians. Gen. Nelson A. Miles stated in his annual report that not until the civil agents had lost control of the Indians and declared themselves powerless to preserve peace were any troops ordered to the danger points. Ibid., 1891, p. 178. 10 Ibid., 1891, p. 181. 61734 0-55-5 Carson Valley expedition, Utah, May 14 to July 15, 1860. Attack on and murder of emigrants by Bannock Indians at Salmon Fork, River, Idaho, September 13, 1860. 61: Navajo expedition, New Mexico, September 12, 1860, to February 24, 90: Apache Indian War and troubles in Arizona and New Mexico. -66: Civil War, April 15, 1861, to August 20, 1866. Actual hostilities iced April 12, 1861; ceased May 26, 1865. Indian massacres at New Ulm and vicinity, Minnesota, August 17 to 23, -67: Sioux Indian War in Minnesota and Dakota. 69: War against the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, and Comanche Indians sas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Indian Territory. 68: Indian war in southern Oregon and Idaho, and northern California vada. 81: Campaign against Lipan, Kiowa, Kickapoo, and Comanche Indians xican border disturbances. 69: Canadian River expedition, New Mexico, November 5, 1868, to y 13, 1869. Yellowstone expedition, August 28 to October 25, 1871. Yellowstone expedition, Dakota, July 26 to October 15, 1872. 73: Modoc campaign, November 28, 1872, to June 1, 1873. Yellowstone expedition, Dakota, June 4 to October 4, 1873. -75: Campaign against Kiowa, Cheyenne, and Comanche Indians in Territory, August 1, 1874, to February 16, 1875. Sioux expedition, Wyoming and Nebraska, February 13 to August 19, Black Hills expedition, Dakota, June 20 to August 30, 1874. Expedition against Indians in eastern Nevada. September 7 to 27, 1875. Powder River expedition, Wyoming, November 1 to December 31, 1876. 77: Big Horn and Yellowstone expeditions, Wyoming and Montana, y 17, 1876, to June 13, 1877. 79: War with Northern Cheyenne and Sioux Indians in Indian Territory, Wyoming, Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana. Nez Perce campaign, June 14 to October 5, 1877. Bannock and Piute campaign, May 30 to September 4, 1878. Ute expedition, Colorado, April 3 to September 9, 1878. Snake or Sheepeater Indian troubles, Idaho, August to October 1879. 80: Ute Indian campaign in Colorado and Utah, September 21, 1879, mber 8, 1880. 91: Sioux Indian disturbances in South Dakota, November 1890 to 1891. 96: Troubles with renegade Apache Indians, under Kidd and Massai, ona and Mexican border. Bannock Indian troubles, July and August 1895. Chippewa Indian disturbances at Leech Lake, Minn., October 1898. 99: War with Spain, April 21, 1898, to April 11, 1899. Actual hostilities on August 13, 1898, pursuant to the terms of a protocol signed on the s day. Including hostilities in (a) Cuba, May 11 to July 17, 1898; o Rico. July 24 to August 13, 1898; (c) Philippine Islands, June 30, April 11, 1899. 1898-1902: Cuban occupation, July 18, 1898, to May 20, 1902. 1898: Porto Rican occupation, August 14 to December 10, 1898. 1899-1902: Philippine Insurrection, April 11, 1899, to July 4, 1902, in all parts of the Philippine archipelago, except in the Moro Province. 1900-1901: China Relief Expedition, June 20, 1900, to May 12, 1901. 1902-3: Philippine Insurrection in the Moro Province ended July 15, 1903. 1903-5: Philippine Islands, encounters with hostile Filipinos in which battle deaths occurred among the United States Army personnel. 1905: Porto Rico, encounters with hostile Porto Ricans in which battle deaths occurred among the United States Army personnel. 1906-7: Philippine Islands, encounters with hostile Filipinos in which battle deaths occurred among the United States Army personnel. 1906-9: Cuban pacífication, September 29, 1906, to April 1, 1909. 1909-13: Philippine Islands, encounters in which battle deaths occurred among the United States Army personnel. 1914: Philippine Islands, battle deaths occurred among the personnel of the Philippine Scouts. 1914: Vera Cruz, Mexico. April 24 to November 26, 1914. 1915-19: Mexican border service, including: (a) Raid on Columbus, N. Mex., March 8-9, 1916; (b) punitive expedition, March 15, 1916, to February 5, 1917; (c) the Parral incident, April 12, 1916; (d) raid on Glen Springs, Tex., May 5, 1916; (e) raid on San Ygnacio, Tex., June 15, 1916; (f) the Carrizal incident, June 21, 1916; (g) bandit raids across Mexican border, May 5, June 15, and July 31, 1916; (h) raid near Fort Hancock, Tex., July 31, 1916; (i) engagement near Buena Vista, Mexico, December 1, 1917; (j) engagement in San Bernardino Canon, Mexico, December 26, 1917; (k) engagement near La Grulla, Tex., January 8 and 9, 1918; (l) engagement at Pilares, Mexico, on or about March 28, 1918; (m) engagement at Nogales, Ariz., August 27, 1918; (n) engagement near El Paso, Tex., and Juarez, Mexico, June 15-16, 1919. 1917-21: World War, April 6, 1917, to July 2, 1921. Actual hostilities ceased November 11, 1918. WARS ENGAGED IN BY THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1897 37. The following list of wars engaged in by the United States since 1897 was taken from an article released by the War Department under date of April 10, 1920 (corrected June 1939). 1 With the exception of hostilities in the Moro Province, which terminated June 15, 1903. Feb. 5, 1917 July 2, 1921 THE MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES WHICH TOOK ACTIVE PART IN THE HOSTILITIES DURING THE PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION AND BOXER REBELLION 38. Volunteer organizations which served in the Philippine Insurrection: |