Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-12-12
The MINNESOTA indians.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE president to-day
sent the following message to the senate: in
compliance with your resolution of Dec. 9Th,
1867, requesting the president TO furnish the
senate with all the information in his possession
touching the late Indian barbarities in the state
OF Minnesota, and all the evidence in his pos
session upon which some of the principal actors
and bad men were tiled and condemned to death.
nave the honor to state that on the receipt of
said resolution / transmitted the same TO the
secretary Ut the Interior accompanied by nOle,
copy of which is herewith enclosed marked
"A, and in response to which | received
through that department letter of the commits
sioner of lndiln affairs, copy of which is here
with enclosed, marked "B"
II further state that on the Stb day of NOvem-
Der last | received long geographic dispatch
from Major General Pope at St. Paul Minnesota
simply giving the names of the persons sentenced
to be hanged. | Immediately telegraphed to
have transcripts of the records in all the cases
forwarded to me, which transcripts did not
reach me until two or three days before the pres
ent meeting of congress. Meantime / received
through Geographic dispatches and otherwise
appeals in behalf of the condemned, appeals for
their ex' cution, and expressions of opinion as
to the proper policy in regard to them and the
Indians generally in that vicinity, none of which,
as | understand, falls within the scope of your
inquiry.
After the arrival of the transcript of records,
but before had sufficient opportunity to exam
inc them, received joint letter from one of
the senators and both of the representatives
from Minnesota, which contains some state
nentS Of fact not found in the records of the
trials, and for which reason | transmit a copy
marked C. | also for the same reason enclose
printed memorial of the citizens OF ST. Paul
audi eSSed to me, and forwarded with the letter
aforesaid. Anxious to not act with so much
clenency as to encourage another outbreak on
the one hand, nor with SO much severity as to
be really cruel, | caused careful examination of
the records of the trials to be made, first order
ing the execution of such as had been proved
guilty of violating females. Contrary to my ex-
pectatiOns, only Two of this class We're found
then directed further examination and clas-
sification of all who We're proven to have parici-
pated in maSsacres as distinguished from partic-
lpation IN battles. This class numbered forty
and included the two convicted of female viola
tons. One of the number is strongly recon-
mended to the commission which tried him for
commutation TO ten years Imprisonment
have ordered the other thirty nine to be executed
on Friday, the l9th inst. The order was, dis
patched from here on Monday the 9Th inst, by
a messenger to Gen Sbey, and copy of which
is here transmitted marked D.
An abstract of the evidence as to the forty is
herewith enclosed, marked "E." To avoid the
immense amount of copying, lay before the
senate the original Transcripts and records rs re-
ceived by ne. This is as iull and complete re-
Spouse TO The resolution as it is in my power to
make ABRAuAM JINco1N