For more than a year, with scant sympathy from
the military members, this commission endeavored to remove the
causes of friction by amicable conference with the Indian chiefs.
The attitude of the Army is reflected in a letter of General
Sherman to his brother. "We have now selected and provided
reservations for all, off the great roads. All who cling to their
old hunting-grounds are hostile and will remain so till killed
off. We will have a sort of predatory war for years--every now
and then be shocked by the indiscriminate murder of travelers and
settlers, but the country is so large, and the advantage of the
Indians so great, that we cannot make a single war and end it.
From the nature of things we must take chances and clean out
Indians as we encounter them."
Segregation of the Indian tribes upon reservations seemed to the
commission the only solution of the vexing problem. Various
treaties were made and others were projected looking toward the
removal of the tribesmen from the highways of continental travel.
The result was misgiving and increased unrest among the Indians.
In midsummer of 1868 forays occurred at many points along the
border of the Indian Territory.
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