The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-07-31
BEL AIR. MD. FRIDAY MORNING. JULY 81 1865.

issuing it to the Indians, and it smelt like
|carrion-fike decomposed meat, Some of
the Indians refused to eat it, saying they
could not, it made them sick-that it was
only fit for hogs, and that they were not
hogs. The quantity of food issued them
per day did not exceed eight ounces per
head-man, woman, and child.
Joseph A, Hansell, of Company *, 9th
Iowa Cavalry, says: | am soldier in
Company K, 9th Iowa Cavalry from some
time in October, 1868 to May, 1864, L was
stationed at the Crow Creek Agency. I
know of the Indians eating wolves that had
been poisoned by the soldiers. also know
Of their eating mules that had died with
the CHAMBERS and they picked up and ate
the corn scattered about where we fed our
horses. smelt the odor arising from the
vat, as described by DIR. Haynes in his de-
position The entrails, head and feet were
thrown into the vat. The flour was third
rate, and very poor at that. l think they
had no sugar or coffee, and noiyegetables
excepting few beans. 'as'T 81
Senator Nesmith says. Another great
cause Of complaint is the worthless quality
of the goods which are bought in the Attain
tic States, and sent out for distribution
among the Indians. The contractors are
guilty of the most outrageous and systemat-
ic swindlmg and robbery. There is evil
dence also, that persons employed in the
department to make the purchases are &C .
completes in these crimes. The prices
charged were f'oin so to 100 per cent.
above the market value of good articles =
| They are, rs a general thing, worthless and
deficient in quantity. Among them were
''steel spades" made of sheet iron ''chop-
ping-axes,' which were purely cast-iron :;
chest brogans," with paper soles 'blank-
ets," made of shoddy and glue, which came
to shreds the first time they were wet, &C.,
&c., go. These villainous purchases are
generally sent by the most expensive means
of transportation, and small proportion
is received by the Indians. The purchases
of1964 were all shipped via Cape Horn and
San Francisco to Salem. Salem was the
proper destination of no part of the goods
The absurdity of shipping goods bound
for Warm Springs or Umatilla, up the Will
annette River to Salem, thence down the
river to Portland again, toward their final
destination They have been transported
from San Francisco alta cost of about SIS
per ton, and now the most economical way
to get them to their destination, Siletz, will
probably be to ship them back to San
Francisco again at like cost, and thence di-
rect to Siletz, at cost of SIC per ton. The
only other alternative is to transport them
on pack mules from Salem to Siletz, which
probably will not cost less than s100 per
ton. s-t
Agent Wilbur, in charge of the Yankee
reservation, in a report upon this subject,
says; The goods furnished from the At
lantic States have been of an inferior quail
~, often damaged, and short in quantity.
think, in justice, that the Government
owes the Indians of this agency over $780,
900 for deficiency in quality and quantity
of goods purchased and previously distrib-
uted to the Indians of the Yakama nation.
Col Jessie III. Leavenworth of the and
Colorado Volunteers, says: There lisa band
of refugee Indians called the Caddoes, who,
when the Rebellion broke out, were driven
from Fort Cobb up north and came in al
most to Fort Lyon. They were loyal !;
they were halfcivilized they lived in
houses and a better set of men / never
met in my life--well disposed, kind heart
ed. They are like the Pueblos of Mexico.
They were more than halfcivilized. Their
women dressed in long dresses, the same as
our American women do. They make
good bread. Everything was neat and
Clean about them. They lived at Fort
Larned." r.. 5- --e,,,,r-r 5,it u. fssH
Gen Pope, speaking of Christian Mission
work, says: The Christian missionaries
and instructors have never had fair OPP
portunity, for reasons set forth in the print
ed letters and reports. have no doubt if
proper persons land by proper persons
mean those who would be honest and not
try to defaud the Indians or the Govern
ment and they should be acquainted with
the Indian characterl were appointed
agents, and if officers from the regular
army, with troops from the same, were
stationed at, the posts near the Indians /
think there would be no difficulty. Most
of the Camanches, think, are friendly dis
posed. think ifproper men were appoint
cd and proper steps taken, peace would be
had with all the Indians on and below the
Arkansas, without war. l believe that if
Col Bent and myself were authorized, we
could make solid, lasting peace with
J those Indians l have more confidence in
| the influence of Col. Bent with the Indians
than my own.