The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-09-02

a s Wssp , r spa said 20 belong 70 the Black
.r ss, nor n" am sir very respectfully your ODE
Captain and Acting Assistant, Adjutant General
In conversation which had with Colonel Wynkoor
on this subject while was at Fort Larned Informed
him that my instructions required 10 deliver the boy
to his nearest relations through the military authorities
and not through the Indian sgsnts
copy OF letter from Colonel Leavenworth, United
States Indian Agent for the Camanches and kowas Il
the Hon. n. g. Taylor Commissioner OF Indian Anairs
dated April O. 1867 states that he Colonel Leavenworh
was directed by instructions from the Indian Bureau ia
proceed 10 St Louis receive from Lieutenant General
sherman wilson Graham, the Cheyenne boy IN question
and to deliver him to Colonel wynkoop al
Fort IarDed. Upon his arrival ST. Louis Lieutenant
General sherman informed that the child
bad been sent 10 me- with instructions deliver him 70
the Cheyennes in the presence OF the agent These
structons would have been carried while pre-
sent al Fort Larned had the band of Cheye which
his relatives belonged BLACK Kettle been 10 that
try at the time. IL was reported to be IN Texas and
len the boy with the commanding officer Fort Larned,
with the instructions before referred Shortly after
sent against u which has thus tar rendered the
livery of the child TO his friends impracticabIe.
In the letter OF Colonel wynkoop, dated at my head
quarters, on Pawnes Fork, April 49, 1867 addressed 10
The Hon y. G. Taylor, Commissioner of Indian Affairs
he states that courier had arrived 10 my camp from
General Custer ehen in pursuit OF the Sioux and
Cheyennss from eawnee Ford with the inform alton
that the Cheyennes had turned and gone toward the
Arkansas river while the Sioux had continued north
ward. He followed the Sioux TRAIL and the last des-
patch from HIM General Custer the effect that the
Sioux, upon crossing the Smoky Hill road had Destroyed
D
Colonel Wynkoop then goes on to state, that there
was yet no evidence Of the Cheyennes having com
mltted any overt act OF hostility he made appeal to
70 preserve the village belonging that tribe as il
was distinct from that OF the Sioux
There is no evidence in General Custers report OF the
pursuit OF the Sioux and Cheyennes from the village
the Pawnee FORK which would so to prove that they
had separated or that the Cheyennes impl =.
Gated in the killing and burning OF the three men at
Lookout Station, on the 18th Of April and burning OF
the station on the contrary In General Clusters report
TO Brevet aor General A. j. Smith, commanding dis
sct OF ,ns upper Ar Apra ~ received after
cred In that connect on in reference to the Outrage at
Lookout Station on the Smoky HILL he says expressly
that after careful examination by himself and The Del
aware scouts who we're with him, IL was founi impnc
tcable 10 discover the slightest clue what tribe
nag committed the act. 10, but s:vs IN his report
marked Oh that the outrages were certainly CON-
mitted by the Indians who abandoned the village ON
of Indians about eight hundred strong who crossed the
Smoky Hill road on the 18th OF April, and reported
themselves to be sioux, Cheyennes and Pawnees they
all stripped and painted for at that time and
in addition 70 the previous killing and burning Look
out Station, they fred into Stormy Hollow Mail Station,
and of stock from that point belong to the mail
company threatened tho mail station east OF Stormy
Hollow and off stock belonging Union Pacific
Railway, Eastern district, few miles further north
My official report OF the operations Of the expedite
last spring shows concusvely that did
destroy the Indian villages until had learned officially
dams Sioux and Cnsyenoss, who had ache-ouslv left
their camps Pawnse Fork, ON the 14th Of April or
during the previous night
In nona Of the reports which were received from
General Custer OF his pursuit Of the Indians from
Pawnee Fork was there any facts gong show that
the Cheyennes had left the Sioux and gone South All
of the Information contained 10 the despatcnes of
General Custer at that time 70 the effect that the In
dams from Pawnee Fork Sioux and Cnevennnesl re-
manned together With probably few exceptional small
bands until they we'd at the Smoky Hil they
committed the murders and depreda i0us on the mail
ssS s1so %
that the village Of the Chsyennes dist from
of the Sioux can only that the villages stood
the same ground, and was unable after an inspection
which ! made in person to distinguish with any cor
tany the lodges Of the Cheyennes from those OF the
Sioux; nor could any Of the officers who we're with me
positively whore the line Of separation between tho
villages commenced although Il understood that the
Sioux the north SIDE and the Cheyennes the
II is not seen on what grounds 'ths Indians became
fully impressed with Che belief that General Hancock
had come for the purpose of numbering their women
and children, as had been previously done at Sand
creek" (See letter from Colonel Wynkoop to Hon
a. Tsyor, Of April is, 1861 Nothing which 1 said
to the Sioux and Cheyenne chiefs whom had met 1t
Larned on the 18th OF April nor at the meeting near
the villages the 14h Of that month could have led
the Indians to such conclusios or have given them
PREDECESSORS OF such murdorOus ncnAti0ns my part
for / had certainly assured them that my Intentions
we're peaceful and that had only marched into their
country for the purpose OF having conference with
the dideren, tribes that they might have lu and
lust understanding Of the views and intentions OF the
military authorizes 10 re,erence 20 uno ,a'uie conduct
ofave emgrarts passing through that country and the
treatment of frontier settlers. Such we'll known
20 Colonies Wynkoop and TO be the objects
che expedition and they constantly assured the
when In my presence, that intentions peaceful
and was not until aftcr hostilites on the smoky
Hill subsequent TO their abandonment OF the village on
Pawnes Fork, which compelled nae to destroy their
village. that the assertions were made that the Indians
had actually been forced into war (Seo Colonel Wyn
koops letter Of April II 70 Hon. N q. Taylor, Commas
soner OF Indian AflArsL
knew better than Colonies wynkoop and Leavenworth
that did not march TO the Plains last spring the pur
pose Of commencing war with the Indians, for
written 70 each Of them, Informing them Of my
Instructions aud Of the objects Of the sxpedi.
arrested called to account by past outragos and
depredaons unless upon he application OF the agents
themselves 10 his letters Of April q and a. the drst
from Fort Dodge the latter from Fort Larned Colonel
Wynkoop again reerates the atement that the village
Of the Chsyennes, Pawnse Fork, burned without
MISUNDERSTANDING he must surely have known when he
vas at Fort Dodge with me, from the reports which
had received from General Custer the contents Of which
made known to him. and these were the only poe
sbe Of information ~ that time, that the Chey
generally had not gone South OF the Arkansas
they the villages Pawnee Fork but had
fed north Of the smoky Hill with the Sioux and were
parties with the latter TO the murders and burning
Lookou, Station, and the other outrages committed
the Smoky Hill about the same time I consider the
evidences to the participation OF the In the
massacre Of Lookout Station and the depredatons on
the Smoky HILL after they had abandoned the village
Pawnee Fork, contained in General Clusters reports OF
bis pursuits Of the Cheycnnes and sioux conclusive and
beyond question, their conduct that occasion being
IN my opinion, only q continuation OF the ouirAges
which they had been previously committing against the
whites IN this department. ever since had assumed
command Of II In August 1865
To show the temper OF the Cheyennos towards ~,
and the feelings OF hostility which animated them DO
fore the expedition to the Plains last spring. Iencose
herewith reports Of former outrages psrpetrated
and fall, With evidence which u u considered
xes the guilt Of these outrages upon that tribe beyond
any question Of doubt, viz -
September 18th, lso6-A party Of savages OF four
horses and two mules: see copy 81 report from
Lieutenant Flood, sixth United States Volunteers,
closed marked III, also endorsement q report of
Lieutenant Joseph Hale dated November 10, 1885.
closed marked E2; also copy Of affidavit OF Mr.. H.
p. Wyatt the same subject, marked E3 copy OF am
davit n Mr. William Comstock, government giide and
interpreter ~ Fort Wallace marked "a and copy Of
statement Of John Smith, United States Indian interpre-
ter, marked E6.
september o. Is6S-Two employees OF the Overland
Mail Company murdered ~ Chalk Bluffs mail station
AZ evidence showing that the murders mmitted
by the Cheyennes transmit copies Of letter from Mr.
d. Street, agent overland Mail Company, marked y,
daied October % 1885, OF andavt from Mr.. William
Comsock United states guide and interpreter AZ Fort
Wallace, marked "a; Of an affidavit Of Mr. James wads-
wov b, driver on Overland Mail line, marked "a Of
letter from Captain ". ~ Koogh, Seventh Cavalry
CoSs aIlace dafe Oa~e ul~rc