The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-07-31

What Indian Hunters Say
about the Red Men,

Mr.. Vincent Colyer, Secretary of the In
dian Commission, has presented report
containing the testimony of General Pope
Col. Kit Carson, and several other well
known Indian hunters, who have had every
facility for studying Indian habits and
character. We give few extracts =
Col. Bent says: Having been living in
Colorado Territory for the last thirty-six
years at Old Fort, / have had considerable
experience in Indian affairs. Since have
been there nearly every instance of difficult
ties between the Indians and the whites
arose from aggressions on the Indians by
the whites. +, ..-.-5-s q, a.
Col. Kit Carson says: have heard read
the statement of Col. Bent, and his sug-
gestions and opinions in relation to Indian
affairs coincide perfectly withmy own. I
came to this country in 1926, and since
that time have become well acquainted
with the Indian tribes, both in peace and
at war. think, as a general thing, the
difficulties arise from aggressions on the
part of the whites. From what I have
heard, the whites are always cursing the
Indians and are not willing to do
them justice. In relation to the war
with the Cheyennes, have heard itpublic-
expecting their troops would be sent to the
Potomac, determined to get up an Indian
war, so that the troops would be compelled
to remain, know of no acts of hostility
on the part of the Cheyemes and Arapahoes
committed previous to the attacks made
upon them.I ] know all the chiefs and q
great many of the braves l know them to
be kind-hearted. I know there are bad
men among them; but know the Chey-
ennes so well, that am srtisfied they can
rule those bad men, and there is no neces-
sity for this war. If the soldiers are stop
ped from hunting the Indians, will guar
antee peace in thirty days, and will not
ask $4,000 to do it with They want to
know that their Great Father will protect
them. They want some men that they have
confidence in to say that they shall be
righted. They never came to me with
complaint that did not right if possible.
Mr.. Wolf, of Colorado, says: That he
has known Government officers when on an
Indian expedition, to stop pursuit and send
back ambulances under escort to the Fort,
for ice to cool their champagne with.
Samuel G. Haynes, Assistant Surgeon of
the 9th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry.
says: The Winnebago and Santee Indians
were fed as follows, at the Grow Creek
Agency in 1854: a large vat was con
structed of cottonwood lumber, about six
feet square and six feet deep, in connec-
tion with the steam saw-mill, with a pipe
leading from the boiler into the vat In
to the vat was thrown beef, beef heads,
entrails of the beeves, some beans, flour
and pork. think two barrels of flour
were put into the vat each time, which
was not oftner than once in twenty -four
hours. This mass was then cooked by
the steam from the boiler. It was dipped
out to the Indians with long-handled
dipper made for the purpose. l cannot
say the quantity given to each. 1t was
of about the consistency ofvery thin Cruel.
The Indians would pour off the thinner
portion and eat that which settled ut the
bottom. was often there when it was
being issued, and it had very offensive
odor it had the odor of the contents of
the entrais of the beeves. have seen the
settings of the vat after they were through