The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-01-03

Ra,,erteo or slau Secretary % War.
/ The most Important part Of the Report from The
Wiz pSpaIiihehk i that which refers to our Indian
feInlion3 Alter speaking Of the iacufsiona made
By The Indians Of New Mexico, and the protection
! st-eaby tie q, s. troops, the Rsppfs says.
n September movement was made agaiEHt
ne Indians, IN their stronghold at tie Ca
Non Of Cheie, which fesulted in treaty with that
nation, on teyDm simier TO those granted to othsr
tribes npoR our rcntieTs, and the Of seve-
raj eaptivee.' =, g
wfih.re regard to the Florida Indians, The Report
Ftates thar in May last orders were issed from The
Department to open. communication with them in
order 20 ascertain their feelings in respect to emf
grafton. g
seWlilst the officer charged with the Instructions
was endeavorng TO obtain interviews with the sew
eIa chiefs in the vicinity Of Charlotte Harbor acts
OF violence and murder were committed by IA small
band 81 the tribe upon the settlements on Indian
river and Pease creek which had the efeer 10 frus-
;fate, for time, any effortat negotiation. sOnsre-
cetvlDg intelligence Of these otFages from sons Of
the inhabitants who had fed from The scenes of vios
ienee, arrangements were Immediately made by the
Commanding ofiicersat st. Augustine, Tampa Bay,
and Key West, to afford that protection within thelr
means which the circumstances demanded. Prompt
measures were also taken by this Department to
send remioreements to the troops in Florida, witha
view 10 control the Indians, in case it should APP.
pear, as this Department did not then suppose that
these outrages had been dictated by general feel
ing Of hostility on the part of the several tribes
Ihe number Of troops thus collected in Florida,
within the month Of September, was upwards of
seventeen hundred, officers and men, force deem
ed sufficient to give confidence to the inhabitants
/ and TO promote the emigration of the Indians
- Upon renewing tile efforts to negotiate with the
Indians, the principal chiefs, with their sub chiefs
and warriors, were met in council. They at once
agreed to deliver upthe offenders tive in number
| whom they represented as. having committed the
murders without the sanction or knowledge of any
chief, and in opposition to the wishes of the Indi
\ ans. Three of these have since been surrendered.
vi the remaining two, one in attempting to escape,
was killed BY the Indians; the other effected his es-
cape, but his early capture and surrender have been
promised by the chiefs. On the subject of emigra-
ton, the Indians requested time forideberation,
/ and meeting in council has been arranged for a
subsequent day. The policy which has been pur-
sued, and which will probably be continued for The
removal of these Indians 10 their brethren west OF
the Mississippi, will be seen ia the correspondence
which accompanies this report"
The effective strength Of the troops in Texas was
greatly reduced during the past spring and summer
by the ravages of the cholera and this retarded in
some measure, contemplated military movements,
having for their object the establishment Of line
of posts for projection of the frontier settlements
against the attacks of hostile bands.
The frequency of these attacks, and the diff
culty OF covering so extended frontier with the
very limited dsposable regular force dstrbu ted in
small commands at points remote from each other,
made it necessary for the Commanding General in
Texas to avail himself OF the authority, previously
given, to,caliupon the Executive of that State foe
4 three companies Of mounted militia. Orders hayr
4 been given for the discharge of those additional
accompanies, and also those in New Mexico as soon
as the exigencies under which they were called
into service shall have ceased to exist and it is
| recommended that appropriations be made by Cons
gress TO pay them for the time they may have been
| employed. No recent disturbances in Texas have
been reported, and from the proffers Of peace which
have been lately made by the Camanche nation,
through their newly-elected head chief, with mani-.
esatons of the most friendly dispositions towards
the United States, and determination by them to
abstain from any further depredations upon our
citizens it is believed that the regular troops in
| that country will be sufficient for any emergency
likely to arise. The operations in New Mexico
and Texas, have resulted in the recovery of many
| OF the captives previously made by the Indians,
several of whom have been restored to their homes
in Mexico, agreeably to the provisions Of the late
treaty with that republic
In respect to the establishment of military posts
the route to Oregon required by the act of 18th
Of May, 1916, the Department was, by the demand
forrtroops during the Mexican war, prevented from
efecting much beyond the selection of tho first
station on Platte River, now Grand Island known
! as Fort hearny.
+" Within the last spring arrangements were made
to place the regiment Of mounted riflemen, origin
ally designedfo for this service upon the route Early
in May, the regiment moved from Fort Leaven-
worth, land proceeded via Fort Kearny to Fort
Larasiie, and, after establishing at that point the
second military station, continued its march in the
direction of Oregon. By the last intelligence re-
ceived, the regiment had passed beyond Fort Hall,
on the upper waters of the Columbia River, and
doubtless, this, it has reached its ultimate des-
tination, after having established the intermediate
station between Fort Laramie and the Pacific and
giving escort to a large number of emigrants."
The report recommends the erection of fortifea-
tons for the protection of harbors on the Pa
cifc as may be indicated by the Board of Engineer
officers at present engaged in making examinations
and surveys for these Objects.