The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-31

wards agreed to pay Wozencrsft $4,000 for
said contract as above mentioned and which
agreement was reduced to writing by Woven
craft, and read by him to Williams, which
Williams signed without reading supposing the
contents to be as read by Wozencraft. Upon
a subsequent interview at San Francisco, VIII
liams found the paper signed by him to be ii
accordance with the first proposition of Wozen
craft, (as aboye,) and not agreeable to the one
subsequently agreed upon, which he signed
believing it to be as read by Wozencraft to'
$4,000 that he Williams refused to comply
with said agreement; whereupon Wozencrat
said he should consider the contract void, al
he could do better. &C. s. lowell.
&C. A. STURGEs.'
With respect to Mr. Barbour, and the deliv
cry to the Indians of the cattle received from
Col. Fremont, and for which drafts were gwen
it would appear by the accompanying docu
ments that a very small part only went to tho
Indians--the agent, after receiving the cattle
from Colonel Fremont having put them in the
care of an Indian trader, named Savage, (sincC
killed in some ARRAY who converted the
greater part of them to his own use. The fol
lowing statement, made to me by the person
employed by Savage to deliver cattle to the
| Indians will show the nature and extent o.
this malversation
| Official statement Of Joel H. Brooks 10 SuPertn
tendent Bedle, dated San Francisco, Septem
Der 81, 1852.
Con or about the 29th August, 1881, ! wa'
appointed by Major James Savage the Indian
trader on the Fresno, to take charge of nine
teen hundred Il 800 head of cattle, that were
| al m ha InIi Dar n M
Johnson by Col. J. c. Fremont, on the river
San joaquin.
"My instructions from Savage were, that
when delivered cattle on the San Joaquin and
! Kings river, and to other more southern In
dians, | was to take receipts for double the
number actually delivered, and to make no
second delivery in case any should return to
the band and when to Indians on the Fresno, to
deliver one-third less than were recepted for.
also had orders to sell all beef could to miners,
which did to the amount of about Sl20 or
S 30 and to deliver cattle to his clerks, to be
sold to the Indians on the San Joaquin, at %
cents per pound and know that such sales
were made to those Indians.
In October, | received written order from
Savage to deliver TO Alexander Cooley seventy.
eight head Of cattle, to be driven to the mines
and there sold to miners and others. | was
also requested, III the same communication. to
destroy the order as soon as read which was
done, after | had read it aloud in the presence
Of Cooley, p. Rainbolt Jose de Soto, and Theo
dore McNabb. In November | received sim
liar order to deliver to Cooley four hundred and
fifty head which was done The best of these
were to be sold rs soon as possible, and the re-
mander to be herded by Cooley elsewhere.
A bout the last of November, or first of Deem
Dor, moved the cattle in my possession on to
the river Fresno, and delivered to p Rainbolt,
a person appointed by Savage to receive them,
eight hundred head. also gave to Savage re-
,eipts to the number Of seventeen hundred
head, which | had taken from the Indians
After the cattle went on the Fresno, none were
aver delivered to the more southern Indians
although | know that Tom Kit, the chief of
the tribe on the San Joaquin, frequently sent
after them. Some were sent to the Indians
working for Savage on the Coarse Gold
Gulch,' and others to stock his rancho on the
San Joaquin
"Utia had charge Of that rancho, and was
\ part of Savage's and have seen some of the
cattle had charge Of in their corral
81 give the above account to +. +. Beale,
of Indian Affairs and intend it
as an official statement
"JoEL Fl. Brooks"
With respect to Agent McKee's pecunary
operations | have but little knowledge, as his
accounts were required to be settled at the De-
partment here but many certificates were pre- ,
sented to me, which he had given out in the
name of the Government, believed to be about
$32, 0O0) and that over and above the appro-
priation made by Congress. | refused to pay
these liabilities, there being no appropriation
for that purpose. The following official cor
rcspondence applies to some of Agent Mckee,
operations and his replies are on file in your
Office Copies thereof | understand will be
embraced in the correspondence called for by
resolution Of the Senate of the 2Ist ultmo
Copy of letter from Major Vessels to Captain
Townsend, Il. 10, dated Benieia Barracks
March 81, 1852.
81 have had the honor of receiving from
headquarters Pacific division, copies of cOmmu
nications from the Hon. c. M. Conrad, Secre
tary Of War, Luke Lea Commissioner of In.
dian Affairs, and letter from Redick Mckee
Indian Agent all in reference to certain re.
marks contained in my report as commanding
officer of an escort attending the latter gentle
man on n tour among Indian tribes, from so
MONA valley to the Klamath river These
papers having been referred to me, will state
in full my reasons for introducing those re.
marks in my report, promising however, that
they were made officially, 40 an officer of the
Government, uniniuencod in any particular by
either private or personal considerations, and
pointed solely at the system If 80 it can be
called of issuing fresh beef to tho Indians, a.
it came under my notice No accusations were
made and if such inference is drawn by any
one, the matter suppose, is open to invcstiga.
ton and in such an event it would afford me
much qualification to meet with result alike
adgantag eous to the Government and credita-
BILE to all concerned. 1t is possible that, in
abiding 10 this subject have trespasscd be-
yond the bounds of my legitimate duties as
commander Of the escort and il such is the
fact | am very willing that every word should
be oxpunged, satisfied with having directed tc
it the attention Of the proper authorities.
An expedition to Clear lake, and thence
through the coast-range to Humboldt bay and
Klamath river, had been contemplated in tho
early part OF last summer and as the time ap
preached for it's departure, public attention tC
q considerable extent was directed towards it
II afforded pretty general topic for converse
ton but observed that the chief point of in
terest attached to it was certain herd Of bee
cattle destined to follow the march, and for tn,
use of such Indian tribes "a were willing L
treat. This, however, was previous to my being
detailed for that service; and ~ it was no con
Germ of my own, gave to it but little attention
Ga assuming command of the escort repeated
inquiries were made Of me as to the manner oil
furnishing beef to the lndians-whether pur
chased in open market on the hooC or con
tracted for in the usual way with the lowcs
bidder. Speculation, it was well known wa
rife throughout the country, and this seemed
to be looked upon as n grand speculation. o.
course, could give no satisfactory reply I,
questions Of that nature, as it was no business
Of my own; but from Il constant repetition O
the subject my attention was, and unwillingly
directed towards it. | heard tho belief repeat
eddy expressed that it was swindling trans
action that the herd of beef cattle controlled