must all be killed.

Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Roman Nose, American Horse, Black
Kettle--these were names of great Indian generals who proved
their ability to fight. At times they brought into the open
country, which as yet remained unoccupied by the great pastoral
movement from the south, as many as five thousand mounted
warriors in one body, and they were well armed and well supplied
with ammunition. Those were the days when the Indian agents were
carrying on their lists twice as many Indians as actually
existed--and receiving twice as many supplies as really were
issued to the tribes. The curse of politics was ours even at that
time, and it cost us then, as now, unestimated millions of our
nation's dearest treasures. As to the reservations which the
Indians were urged to occupy, they left them when they Iced. In
the end, when they were beaten, all they were asked to do was to
return to these reservations and be fed.

There were fought in the West from 1869 to 1875 more than two
hundred pitched actions between the Army and the Indians. In most
cases the white men were heavily outnumbered. The account which
the Army gave of itself on scores of unremembered minor
fields--which meant life or death to all engaged--would make one
of the best pages of our history, could it be written today. The
enlisted men of the frontier Army were riding and shooting men,
able to live as the Indians did and able to beat them at their
own game. They were led by Army officers whose type has never
been improved upon in any later stage of our Army itself, or of
any army in the world.