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Post by historyisalive on Feb 8, 2015 6:01:21 GMT -5
HEADQUARTERS NORTHWESTERN INDIAN EXPEDITION,
Fort Rice, Dakota Territory September 11, 1864. All the Indians north of the Missouri, above the Big Bend, could easily be banded together to assist a body of troops to war against the Sioux. In my opinion it would be POLICY and economy for the Government to expend a few thousand dollars and get these Indians into a war with the hostile portion of the Sioux, and to assist them also with troops, till all the posts are permanently established.
With much respect, your obedient servant,
ALFRED. SULLY,
Brigadier- General
ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, DEPT. OF THE NORTHWEST.
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Post by dT on Feb 18, 2015 17:17:01 GMT -5
The policy of divide-and-conquer. The US military teaches this strategy at Westpoint. Officers in the US Army have studied military affairs for centuries. The same policy is still used today - consider how "friendly Iraqi's" have been used as advisors during the war in Iraq. It's no different. In fact, when the current generation of US Army commanders were preparing for Iraq and Afghanistan, some of them went and studied the tactics used against tribes like the Apaches. That was a "model for military strategy" that they studied.
The lack of unity amongst Native Americans - was a tremendous weakness that the US Cavalry was able to exploit easily. In fact, a lot of times I don't think that local commanders even needed any "high level thinking" about strategy. They realized that local scouts were essential to do their job better - to find and kill the enemy. So they simply identified whatever local Indian tribe was 'hostile' towards their current enemy. And they recruited scouts there.
dT
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Post by historyisalive on Feb 19, 2015 10:04:29 GMT -5
Pretty much. I read a report on the plans to hand over the Indian Dept to the War Dept. BIA against the War Dept. THey started ratting out each other. It actually said that up to that point 1870's no tribe ever started a war with the U.S. It was the policies and ill behavior of US Governors/Commanders/agents/contractors/missionaries that started them. The report was in Misc. files of course.
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Post by dT on Feb 24, 2015 19:35:53 GMT -5
Yeah, I would say that the so-called "Indian agents", and the various crooks that they dealt with, were responsible for a LOT of the real injustices and trouble. The problem was that on the "frontier" there was no-one who was policing the behavior of the white people. The frontier always attracted the free spririts and the worst kind of ruffians - who were escaping justice from their own society. Washington DC didn't care, because the "rough elements" were useful for expanding their power base .. which brought in all the money that came from the railroads, the banks, and the land. It BOILS DOWN to bankers, money and power - and it has not changed one bit today.
dT
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