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Show XI1 REPORT OF THE CUMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AVFBIRS. force, to which the objections raised by many to the increase of the Army would not apl i l~b, ecause it could be used only to supyress, prevent, or shorten the duration of any Indian disturbance. Added to the &my, it mould entail very little expense, and detract nothing from the prodtic-tive resources of the conntr3;. Moreover, the utilizing of a portion of ow population which we are now obliged to feed, and often to fight, wonld be an act of pnl>lic ecollonl>-, Under llroper officers, thjs corps nlight e1.m become a ralnable t rai~~insgch ool, in which, when not in active scrvice, the cclncation of those enlisted wuld be greatly advanced. In the light of past experience, this would seem to bc the only weapon L with wbicl~to terminate this perpetual warfare without largely increas-ing the Annj-, ancl thereby drawing from the efliectil-e industry of the eotu~t.ry. It should be distinct?) un(lerstooi1 that the Indian auxiliaries ~~oulil bc entirely under control of the War Deparhnent,, and that snch an organieation sllould not snbtract one man from the number of en-listed men in the Army as at present 1x01-ided by law. In view of the necessity of i>roteeting white men from hostile Intlians, the Army is in-suficient in nlnnbers. An addition of throe thousand Indian auxiliaries wonld give it only the support it greatly needs, and enable it to cope snccessfnll~w it11 the enemies of our peace. THE OUTBREAK OR THE BANNOCBS. The delay in carrying. o11t the provisions of the treaty of Jnlj- 3, 1868, for lack of any sufficient approl~riationo f money, and the sniall quantity of supplies fiunished to the Bannocks by the government, haw forced these Indians to oont.innc their nomatlic life to the present time. It is not possible for them to settle upon the rescrration which has hen set apart for them until snch tune as snflicient funds are appro-priated by Congress to snbsist them while doing the first year's farm work. If the1 stop hunting and colninence fanning they mnst be fed until their crops are gathered. No appropriation has ever been made for them suflicient for this purpose. Each wccessivt! year tbey hare been less snccessfi~li n finding game \vhen on the hnnt, and during the war 54th the Nez l'ercbs the>- were forced to remain upon their reserva-tion and accept the scant allowance of food which the goverrnnent had furnished for them. Excited by what thcy hcaril of thc war, irritated by wkat they estee~ned to be bad faith in thc issnance to them of scant rations, annog-ed by the encroachmenk of the rvhites upon their reservation, and cherishing a chronic dislike for the Shoshones, with whom they were associated at Fort Hall Agency (the friendly and peaceable character of the latter rather a g g~a~a t i nthge ir hostility to them), they became more and more restless until, di~ringti le summer of 1877, a Bannock Indian under the influence of whiskey and war-paint started out from the agency, armed ~ i tWh i nchester rifle and revolver, and shot and seriously wounded two |
