, 1865-09-26
THE TWO INDIAN COUNCILS.
From the Northwestern
Peace Commission.


Capitalization anu Starting Of the
Co1n1nfssion-Kyho thc Commission.
CTS nre-Extent Of Indinn DAturbap-
cc*-Acttrtty Of The SavagesThe
Council to lie held nj Fort Su1Iy In.
stcud Of Fort Rice.
tFrpm or Own Correspondent
+ SrEAHEn GAL1rso, OMAHA, Neh1aska Ter.
Sept. ~, 1865 {
Tire Commission appointed by the President
10 treat with the Northwestern Indians, oi
which mention has frequently been made In
your telegraphic columns, starts up the Mis-.
soud River from this place this morning, on
the steamer Calypso. It Is designated by the
President board Of Commissioners to ne,
gotiate, under the Instructions of the secrcta.
r. Of the Interior, treaty or trcatics with the
several tribes Of Sioux and Cheyenne Iniiaus
Of the Upper Missouri, and any other tribes
In that region, who hare recently been en-.
gagged In hostilltiea with the United States,
hut who are now anxious to make peace" and
Is composed Of the following gentlemen j:
Newton Edmunds, Governor aud ex-oflclo
Superintendent of Indian Ai1airs Of Dakota
Territory, Edward 2. Taylor, Superintendent
Of Indian Aflaiss for the Northern superinten.
dency, Mai. Gen. s. r. Curtis, Henry W. Reed,
and 0uin Guernsey.
The Calypso was chartered at st. Louis to
transport tue Commissioners, their officers
&C., 10 Fort Rice, the place originally desig..
mated by Secretary Harlan for tho Council.
She left St. Louis on the 9Th instant, and
st. Joseph on tho 18th, reaching this place on
the 1sth-day before yesterday. Mr.. Gueru-
sey, with several officers Of the Commission,
came by the boat Gen. Curtis and Col. Tay-
lor, who hare been for week awaiting he.
arriyn1, join at this point. Gen. sibley will
join at Sioux City. and Gov, Edmunds and
Rev. Mr. Reed at Yankton.
Saye the nbsence of thousand pounds OF
tobacco, and several packages Of clothing,
blankets and jewclry, the presents have iii
reaehed here and ,sin be p5odn eed in due
eon's rcd children. Those which have not get
arrived from New York, the place OF put.
chnsc, will In part be replaced by purchases
here, and the Remainder will be reserved and
promised to the Indians as rcwnrd for good
behavior hereafter.
A military escort will be taken on board at
Fort Randall, if deemed necessary, for tho
protection Of the party.
Gen. siblcr, now at Sioux City, has des-
patch from Gen. Sully to Gen. Pops, dated
the 9Th, at Wood Lake, about midway be-
tween Fort Rice and Fort sully, stating that,
as steamers cannot go to Fort Rice n Octo-
Der, and with difficulty to Fort sully even,
he Inns notified them to assemble at Fort
6ully- This settles the question Of the place
Of meeting between the Peace Commission
ers and The bands, which will be at Fort
Sully, two hundred miles below Rice by land
The notification previously sent to the IN
18th OF October. They will now have to
make the additional journey 10 Fort SuIy,
which will delay their gathering In tho Coun-
ell until about the LIST of November. The
negotiations and debates In Council will then
occupy about ten days, SO that, II every cal
culation is fulfilled, If the water allows the
boat to ascend the river in time, and the saw
aees prove tractab'e, the Commission will
return at some time between The middle Of
November and the first Of December.
But there arc grnye doubts whether the
Indians can be collected in any considerable
number TO treat, or TINT chiefs can be gather
ed IN countil who really represent and con-
Of distrustful, defiant, and now actively fero-
cious saEagcs, who roam the plains or thc
northwestern mud central region, attacking
exposed trains and numbering cmigrants.
They nre now In the worst Of tempers, and
fear TINT the pretence OF council may be q
arises not alone from the consciousness Of
their own treacherous and bloody practices
when on the war path, hut to their UNDER
Standing Is reasonable inference from the
numerous acts of delibcrnte and cunning cru
city perpetrated by white men,. The whole
frontier teens with stories Of barbarlty, re-
voting and horrible. It is needless, and
would soon be disgusting to repeat these in
detail.
The most active, numerous nnd fierce bands
0rc the Cheyennes and Sfoux-many Of minor
strength and importance arc hostile, but the
Cheyennes are most widely spread and active.
While General saliy, on the Upper Missouri,
Yrt+h ali hmm ko@
is trying to catch, lill, OF drive them hover.
ing around him La scattered scouts, but giy-
Ing signs of larger numbers moving AT dis
tancc toward the Worthwhile he Is thus
attempting TO conquer or pacify the Cheyen-
mes In the North, Gen. Dodge to-day telc-
Ing Chcyennes daily on Powder river, many
hundred miles from Sully, and Col. Sawyer at
q point stnl more remote from the north
country, has Just held pArlcy with council
In which were chiefs representing every tribe
on the Missouri except one at The same time
that Gen: Connor, With = large force, is near
rounded BY aud fighting Cheyeunes, and the
oflcts5 from the Little Arkansas report that
the Cheycnncs and Arapahoes are there, and
hare been induced TO make md observe peace.
When we hear from each Of these quarters
the word that all the Chcyennes and other
minor tribes are in the immediate neighbos-
AA~NNA
better Idea Of the extent aud activity Of these
tribes.
Until recently, the officers aud employees
OF the Union Pacific Telegraph hare by pa.
ticnt dealing and much feeding managed to
escape the cnrnity Of the Indians, who had In
Of the telegraph stations OF poles, yet passed
them unhurt. Now their warlike fury turns
upon all that bears the mark Of civilized
white men, and the telegraph Is kept open
with difficulty. Orcr sixty miles ofWire, and
$500 posts have been required within q few
the Withdrawal Of troops at the coming OF
winter, the Company contemplate abandon
iug about one hundred miles OF the most e1-
posed portion Just this side Of South Pass.
1t is to stay this widespread and desu1tory
war that the Secretary Of the Interior is max
by troops or commissioners, In the Southwest,
the Central Region, and the Upper Missouri.
None of them will have more difficult and
delicate task than Gen. CurtIs' commission to
deal with the bands Of the Northwest. The
high character and long experience q the
careful instructions By Secrrtary Harlan for
their guidance in difficult questions, lead to
the hope thst spite Of a thousand dIscour.
aging circumstances, they may effect 4 peace
lasting and mutually beneficial.
Tie Fort Smith Councfl-A Full LlAt Of
Observation-Disclosures Of Commissioner
Coolcy-Kcsponse&o OF the Various In
diam TribcH-ONlclal Declaration Of
Tho Policy OF the Governmental Con.
<olidatctl Government for all the Iu.
dian Trfbes-SlaScry to be imrnedInte-
1y Abolish cd-Thc Kansas Indians to
he Removed South-Tho Indians Op.
posed to Emancipation.
From our Special Correspondent