Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-06-15
Seminole Emigration.
EDITOR TRUE DEMOCRAT:

SU-HavnE noticed in various pape rS, published at New Orleans, S. Louis and o her places, articles referring to Billy Bowegs and the Florida Seminoles, who were recently emi- grated to iheIr country west, by Mi. Rector, superintendent of Indian affairs, and long in juttice U truth, l cannot lorbear giving state-
 ntut of fac,s. as they have come under my observatiol., and have been derived from relia- bic authority.
 Mi, Rector, superintendent of Indian affairs, for the southern pernceHdency, comprising the supervision oi the Cheroiess, Choctaws, Chcka- saws, Greeks, Sem poles, Wchtaws, and sev- eral other small tribes, was, in addition to the ordinary duties of his office, required to raise dele 5a.ion of Scminoes at the west, and pro- ceed With taem to Florida, for the purpose of eifec;ing peaceful removal of the hostile h. dlans remaining m that State. The govern ment has for the last twenty years been deavoriug to effect removal of these Indians, with bu; lttle success, and at an average ex- pense of not less than three millions year, and the object but little nearer consummtton than years ago. The result of the operations against the Indians, by the military contractors, and Experienced agents, had been such, as to ren- der removal almost hopeless those who had been remoyed, having been decoyed by treach. ery.,ald those who remained having been ot- .ered bribe,, ami made promises which were never fulfilled, had -one into the s~amps and everglades, and were so scattered and Secretel, that tiny irIJ secUre iu their positions, aud would probably nave ne.er surrendered to ally hostile force. The fist lJ.mi,ioi. ol wiling ress to olrn fife ally communications, was uuade hy Leu. ot BoNio.'a, and d negro spy, btIon. ..aI 10 nm who, after seeing whtc da5 raised near Mi. Rectors camp ar the Big Cy press, came in, apparently with much suspicion and cau.in, aud would only agree thas Bow legs should zee Maj. Rector, and tine delegation by beng accompanied by Jumper" Chief of the western Seminole, aud some ot Bowle.'s relatives, who were among the delegation.
 After a m'st q ii nit and tedious negotiation ot three or four months, districutou of many presents promise of indemnity for property left in Florida, which could lot be taken away and promise of liberal amount of money, (which has been paid to their full satslacl;ou) they at last consented to leave their country in Florida, and go to that provided for them west l hnd an article Tn a-recent number of your paper, copied from the N o. Crescent, in which Bowlegs Is represented as a worthless, drunken, vaSabond, and stating that while at New Or leans with his people, they would compare un- iavorabv with the inmates of the workhouse, etc. When the Seminoles were landed from the government steamer Grey Cloud, at the bar racks below New Orleans, Bowlcgs expressed q desire to remain there undisturbed with his people, until some necessary articles could be obtained for him, and then to leave as soon as possible. He was informed by Mai Rector that he was at liberty to go where he pleased, but recommended to abstain from "druk'' as he was in the vicinity of, and might fall in with the "thugs."
 But short time elapsed however, until. as he stated to his agent, he was more effectuailv beseiged by crowd of the "press gang" show house runners, etc, than he had ever been by the Florida volunteers and in spite of all remon. stra' oes, he was captured by them, taken into the city, and induced to drink by those who afterwards traduced him, until he finally had 10 be taken, by his agent, from a show house after some opposition on the part of the proprietors, and placed on board the steamer which was to take him and his people west. IL may not be known to the gentlemen of the press at New Orleans, who have written so much upon the 7" faults and foibles' of Billy Bowless, that his moral philosophy has been derived from his associations with men whose examples and pre- cempts were about as consistent as those of many in the city of the thugs"
 1 have referred more particularly to the state ments of the New Orleans papers, than any others. regarding the Seminole enigrants. As Maj. Rector, and their agent, Col. Rutherford, were with them at that place, and it might be inferred from the tenoro of those statements. that a proper supervision was not exercised, aud that the emigrating agents were derelict to their du ties which was not the case. Maj. Rector was in his exertions to acquire the con- hdence of the Indians in Florida He sacrificed all personal comforts, encamped for weeks upon tue borders of the swamps and everglades, that the Indians might have easy access to him, and appreciate his confidence in them, he ordered all obnoxious persons and intoxicating liauors out of the country, and the result has been an emigration of most of the hostile Indians who have so long been a terror to the people of Florida, and ar immense expehse to the gov The whole cost of this removal has. l understand, been not more than seventy or eighty thousand dollars. including bonuses, pre-. sents, cost of delegations, etc., an amount much