Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-04-04

ldII Oh III al RNNANHHf a 20 hA@N-AFNNaf \
nd lookstoo much III a apology for what
i avail myself, General, OF this occasion 70
.gsure yoE I reciprocats The personal regard
would prefer we were friends rather than
Yours very respectfully
SAIL. r. CURTIS,
Major General"
1 stII have the original OF this letter.
Gen. CURTIS was a Mi son and I regret
to say, that when he afterwards testi-
fed, before a Committee Of Congress, as
to the inhumanities Of the Indians at
Pea Ridge, he did not deem it necessary
even to allude to my order or u cores
pondenee.
Upon the receipt Of his letter, | for
warded the correspondence to Little
Rock, where it was published, with the
following comments by myself:
1.-THE foregoing coir espondenee ispub-
lished. as relating ID matters OF public
interest.
In Teplv to so much Of the second par
Of General CURTIS letter, as de-
MES ., he use of savage allies on the
mart of the United StiItes,n I wish It to be
known by the people Of the Confederate
States at least
lst. That before HOPoI-uTH-THI VA
HoLA. the Creek leaier, took up arms
against Us, he sent agents TO Kansas and
was promised arms ammunition and
assistance there. ami that he 1Uds sup
nliad with them, and with wagons and
other supplies, by the military authOri-
ties in that State, and promised the CO.
operatiou of O large force of white men,
sufficient to conquer the Confederate
troops.
2d. That the sans, Chief is now in
Kansas, with a fOreti composed OF full
blood Creeks, KiekapOOs, Shawneess and
other Savage allies OF the United
States preparing TO make an expedl-
ton into the Indian country, q against
our troops, in cOneeft with the forces OF
the United States.
Sd. That Maior-G General JOHN Z. FIRE.
MONT. of the United States Army, when
he advanced to Springfield, had a body
guard of Delaware Indians.
4th. That l have IN my possession let
tiers from General JAMES ID. LANE ana
p. RmSARRUTH, agents of the United
State. seeking an alliance, notonly with
the Yankees and ether civilized Tribes
but also with the Comanches, Wlchltas
and other reserve Indians, sent TO them
last fall, and found in Hopoi-ilth-thli
Yahola's camp, and that the letter to b
Reserve Indians urged them to hght Tor
the United States, and promised them
arms to enable them to take revenge on
their old enemies, the Texans. 81,
5th. That the Ctiawas, q savage"
tribe of thievine and numbering Indians
on the prairie, weie last fall furnished
with arms by officers Of the United
States at Fort Wise, and encouraged to
ravage the frontier of Texas, their rule
being, as is well known, to kill and
SCALP men, women and children. They
soon after murdered q little boy, son OF
Mr.. COURTNEY, near Fort Cobb, and
killed two men Of Capt. BARRYis Texan
The CaddOes pursued a party
of them, killed Some, and brought me q
gun taken from them, q new rifle made
by IEMAN, a relative Of JAMES BUCH-
ANAN, at Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
They had five-shOoters, and mimic
balls; and those who killed BARRY's
men had cartridge boxes, bearing the
initials Q. S.
9Th. That the UnitedS States have never
waged a war without having Indian
allies: that the Cherokess, Creeks, ChOc-
taws and Chickassfws have often been
in their service, and have received hun
Greds of thousands of acres Of military
bounty lands Creeks and Choctaws
being used against the British and Span
iards in Florida, in the war of 1872, as
well as against other Indians. But it
was left for the United States, after the
Withdrawal Of the Southern States, to
arm and ineite against those Of their own
race, the savage Calawasi Comanchesi
Wichitas and Kieliapoos.
Swonder at General CURTIS, that he
should be ignorant Of these facts.
ALBERT PIKE,
Rrfe. Gen. ComufE. Dept. of Ind. Terry"
FoRr McCULLoCH, 18Th April, 1852.
AFTER the action, Of Elkhorn, 1 deter
mined that the Indians never should be
taken out of their country again, while
1 remained in command and they
neuer tOere.
In June, 1882, the Cherokee country
was invaded and the fuli-bloods or
Pins, of the Cherokees, including the
whole OF DREw's regiment, who did
what scalping was done at Pea Ridge, as
has been since the war charged on them
to their faces and in print by Major
BoUDINOT, aud not denied went over
to the United States, and 10ers tHlB1edi-
ately organized By them into Regiments
and actiUeH employed IN the field.
Some 2,400 Cherokees were so employed
until the end Of the war. To these and
other Indians, the United States last
year gave bounty lands. Forces of
C~herokees, in the service Of the United
States, were sent into Northwestern
Arkansas, and there, as I 10as informed
at The time, killed and sed5ped many non
coDlbatants. L beg the Editors OF Jour
nails in Arkansas TO invite testimony as
to this, if it be so.
When General STEELE, in the spring
of 1884. marched from Little Rock to-
wards Red river, he had Delaware In
dams with him, and it was stated at the
time that they also sealped. We hope
that the evidence Of this also may be
secured, if it is true.
Moreover, we know of no order Of any
Federal officer, prohibiting sealping; but
have heard that one was issued by Cen
sral TOTEM.
The United States were glad en4 hgh
to employ the Indians. They tried , de
it at the beginning, and 1 eheck-mated
them in the attempt. I traversed the
country in every direction, alone,
Or with an Indian escort, bearing the
Confederate flag, The Federal troops
had fed from the country the Federal
Superintendent and agents were afraid
10 enter it. The Indians who treated
with US, except part Of the Cherokees,
we're faithful to US TO the last and the
Comanches never broke the Treaty that
T made with them.
Let me add, that the Indian soldiers
we're far more easily managed, more
2bedient, more orderly, and less inclined
% do mischief, than any troops I ever
saw. never had to court-martial one
md 1 never saw one do an inhuman act.
The horror of the North at their en-
1loyment was either rank hypocrisy or
liter ignorance, wherever it existed.
It is for the Ibst to decide whether
imple justice requires it to exonerate
from the chilrge Of inhumanity. 1
hall believe it viii do Sc, until 1 know
he contrary. My General Order and
etter to General CURTIS were published
q the National 4tnfe1igencer more than
tx months ago, preceded by some re-
marks of the Editor of that journal,
which l should append here, if they con-
aimed fewer complimentary phrases as
o myself.
We hope, in conclusion, that the Post
yin regret, as it should, having been
etrayedinto a personal imputation upon
ne who is desirOus to treat with all
ourtesy every ore with whom he en-
ages in discussion. We hope its Editors
ad not seen the publication in the In
sHigencer as we cannot suppose that
hey would have reiterated a charge !
nown to them to have been disproved
Y ineontrovertihle evidence. ]
IESTRUCrION of LINDELL HO- !
TEL, ST. OUIS 9
This magnificent hotel, the largest in I
he United Statis, and probably in the