The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-30
F FlRST EOITlO N
GENERAL HANCOCK HEARD FROM.

General Hancock
TO the Editor Of the 7Tibtssc--
have Observed iau s9 from Colonel e. w wynSoop,
" = Indian Agent dated septemiber a. lse. snd sn,
which certain statements made In reference TO the
sprii under my command, which consider REQUIRE
do not entirely coincide with the facts they oc-
Colonel wypkoop asserts that expressed deter
minaton 70 destroy the Indian village the same night
On the night in ouestjon alter the Indsns had trea.
Cherously abandoned their villages without holding
mybelietuat would be justified in destroying
tr bnt assoy II stated to y Officers SAu at tnG
TINE the % o6d S Wnd RSS 'he@ Fdsr ar 'ee e
develUpmen!s as TO the conduct OF the indians
suance OF this determiuat oL on my part, h sd the
villages rieidly guarded from all depre6 atoms for
decided to burn them upon hearing Off tally OF the
ton on the smoky Hill, by the Same Goy portion OF
the sam e) Ind,s who had deserted them ,, ,.o,.
GGncernng me kilpE 10 tne @ SIX SaeS ennes al GIN,
NOT killed as ne states, "beora any word had been
April had received from General Custer the report
nS1s 9 hs g az gO sa %ch vi Sed men @ 9S % Gs &
This AFT .ir however. not an attack by the
were first discovered by our so ders who were In
steal up TO the herd belonging to the command for
surrender by the guide and Interpreter. who was
with the command but reu ing To do So and firing
contest were Fiilled. several OF our men We're
These lac concernlog this matter from ihe Off
cial report ofthe commanding officer OF the detach-
ment which was engaged with the Indians on that
occasion our troops ~ Cimmaron Crossing did not
- Fork uhe same day., being sixty or seventy miles
distant from that point f61 small bard Of Indians
who had left the villages on Pawnee FORK, ana had
Station, as they had ample time to have traveed it9ePS
from that pon m 10 me S.mm9 a. on CTossnE, from tue
could not have kntwn ofthe burning oftneir villages
/ do OF consider It question for argument as to
sacres and burnings at Lookout Mail station on the
Smoky II i'll were The anne or portion Of the same
Who crossed the smoky Hi about egGt Sndred sSo s1
srPpea aaS qr aye var ven al OF the re-
subject only made that fact more ndisputaole me-
hundred (sOOl strong anywhere within reach of
s 10 % wSetber there were Pswnees emong tneh
or not only stated tate in I'm, my official report Of
at one OF the mail stations that they were Cheyeanes
tained in one OF General Gus ers reports to me and
is of quence whatever as evidence that the
the Smt ky Hl were not from the villages on Paw
PaInees among or ohe fnas enms
existing between that tribe and the Cheyennes and
{ e Indians themselves.
su OF indians after they had abandoned their vii
ges Pawnee Fork, did not state that the "Chey-
ebnes had turned soutn but reported that such was
the opinion OF Captain West, VINO was with him
TReV %RS S R hs any
tU that etect, and long General Custer
ist-it near the head waters OF Walnut creek, but
and The Trail continued hortnward from that river
s,sement in my letter 10 General Grant that il was
Impossible to distinguish with certainty the lodges Of
(Coonel MynKonp) an Inventory Of the property
Icertaniy did furnish such an Inventory to Colonel
WSIkoOp OF bis IN orTat,on' u was ,aken by my
max an Of 9e s % Ss
he
oLe in question, presume, from the best Information
two vilitgts, said to be a small ravine which W Is
rniuteo TO as ha Wing the Sioux upon side
OF ana the Cheyennes uPon the Otuer; Out, when
;! peIsonAl rxs uiaation OF the grouud, found
my satisfaction, where the line of separation be-
sTcS marxed ditierence in the lodges on either side
of the rayne IN OF n t9e manner OF their
Taking these facts into consideration was con-
Cheyennes could not be correctly ascerained, either
from the evidence was ess6led 90 collect on the
fore Tue ement in reie:ence to this matter
Eo,p. in his letter OF September I4th. referred to-
reume the estimate was AN appToxinate ma one. and
which g ruld obtain.
chiefs Of he Dog soldiers (Ch yennesi at Fort Larned
was "a pisht" that such Thing was heretofore gn
fact alone calculated, 10 certain degree - make
Ine tounci in question held after dark. for the
Ps had dayed coming into o Ied @
re as hey had promised 10 do through their agent
to he troops to m rch Arly on the following morn
Ing Not the slig htest objection was made to al
the time, either by the InIians or their agent, u
mold ng Inc council after nighlsll. and Colonel wyn
ops letter Is the first ntmatlOn have re-
ceived of such ground OF com plaint against me.
most unfortunately am unacquatnted with the
good medicine for holding uncil and II
seems to have been especially my misfortune not 10
have known that It was bad medicine" or against
"Lheir medicine" as Colonel WynkOor informs US
for the Dog SOdiers to meet In council after
Colonel Wynk oOp should have informed me at the
time of this objection,
referred to held az Fort Larned, 1 would rs
suTedly have selected q more propitous hour. IT
took upon myself the wnOle conduct of affairs" OF
that Occas on. II was becau'e Colonel WyDkoop de
clint d D. speak. He oneIed the opportunity bu
did not accept IL. WAS charged with the cOuduc o
the expedition. and was directed 10 explain the View
OF the military aui hOIit e5 TO The Indians, and
therefore, called upon TO address Them Rt consider
IL y as iheiievtd by me at this time. from variou
convers tons whlch had WI lhem, that the India
Agents Colonel WynkOop Included, were acting IL
pe, Iect harmony with my Views
have written this letter with no desire to ente
into o discussion In the public prints the event
connected with my administration of etfaits while
was In command of the Department OF the Missouri
but simply 10 correct certain OF the most erroneou
BtatFments in Colonel Wvnkoops letter TO the Super
inIendent OF Indian Affairs. -
My official report OF the expedition TO the Plains
last 81 ring under my command Iecites in detail a
OF the events connected herewith.
Jt has not, regret however. been othcially put
nshed therefore feel called upon 10 furnish thi
reply to uOItions OF Colonel WynkoOps letter. AS tha
lt eT has found a place In your columns have see
IL In no other papeT) trust you VIII, In Justice
myself. accord the same courtesy to this. am, 81
very respectfully, yonr ooedient ;Sryant, ,,co,,,,
MAjOr-GenerRl u. y. A.
Headquarters Fifth Military District, New oFiean
La, Lee. ~, 1867.
THE FENJANS nv AAfEpJrA