The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-05-01
THE REPORT OF CHIEF CLERK BEEDE.
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, CENTRAL
aUPERINTENDENCY,

THE REPORT OF CHIEF CLERK BEEDE.
| OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, CENTRAL
| SUPERINTENDENT,
| LAWRENCE, KAN, April 4, 1878.
Enoch Roag, Superintendent, Laurence, Kdn.:
| Referring to thy communication of 18th ulti-
mo, directing me to proceed to the Cheyenne,
Wichita and Kiowa agencies; confer with the
| agents thereof, and adopt such means as may
seem most practical to convey to the Indians Of
the latter agency
l. THE INTENTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT
| in relation to certain prisoners, of the Conan.
che and Kiowa tribes of Indians, as set forth in
the letter of the Hon. Secretary of the Interior
| to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, of the
| LIST ultimo, and to make report of the conduct
| and behavior OF said Indians, etc., l have to
| state: left this city-for the service assigned
neon the 18th ultimo, and took stage on the
following day, at Wichita, Kansas, for the In
| dian Territory, arriving at
| THE CHEYENNE AND ARRAPAHoE AGENCY
| on the north fork OF the Canadian river on the
| 21st ultimo. The Indians of this Agency being
| all absent on their winters hunt, save a few
| lodges, com pos ed mostly of women and chill
| dren, examined the commissary stores, with a
view oil ascertaiDing If the supply sufficient
| to meet the necessities of the Indians upon
their return from the plains, and to subsist them
| during the remainder of the present fiscal year.
| found on hand about 1926 pounds of bacon,
ls5 900 pounds flour, 10 600 pounds coffee 10000
sugar, 900 pounds soap, 900 pounds salt, no sal
eratus, ian article invariably called for when is
| sues are madc)
| i may state that, in addition to the amount of
bacon report I'd above, there ia lot in store at
| the Agency, being rib sides, and not receipted
| for on account of it's inferior quality, clear
sides" being the kind required by contract
Without this, there is a large deficiency in the
amount required to subsist these Indians during
the remainder of the present year Other sup
plies, except saleratus as above stately are
deemed sufficient for the time indicated. large
portion of the annuity goods for the Cheyennes
and Arrapahoes having been directed TO Camp
Supply, instead of Upper Arkansas Agency, via
Wichita, Kansas, have not yet reached the Agen
cy. This failure has been a source Of dissatisfac-
tiOn among the Indians. visited
THE ARRAPAHoE SCHOOL
at ths agency, which, though smaller than usual,
on account of the absence of the Irdians, is in
flourishing condition, and the children are pro-
crossing finely.
On the folio wing day, visited the
WICHITA AGENCY
on the Washita river. Remained there over the
Sabbath, and on the following day, the cath,
called a council with Mow-a.way and Tab-er
nanied, leading Comanches, OF the Cochi-teth-
ka bands, and woman's Heart, of the Kiowas,
who being camped within few miles of the Wi
chita agency, met me with delegates from their
respective bands, and also Tosh-vi, chief of the
Pen e-teth-ka band, with them. Iagreed
TO CALL A GENERAL COUNCIL
of all the leading chiefs of the Kiowa and Conan
che Indians, at their agency, on the 9th, for the
purpose of learning their feelings and DISPOSE
tion towards the government, and particularly
towards the people of the State of Texas. l at
this time carefully avoided giving them any in
timation of the real direct object of my visit
among them, but in answer to their repeated
question, relative to the
RELEASE OF SANTANA AND BIG TREE,
Kiowa prisoners, and the large number of Co.
manche women and children held as prisoners
by the military, told them that was a subject
upon which they might properly ques ton me at
the proposed council. While there, examined
the affairs of the agency as thoroughly as my
limited time would allow, and conferred with
many of the Indians, especially the Pen-e-teth
ka Comanches, whom visited at their camp
Except the latter, the Indians of this agency
seem to manifest an increased interest in farm
ing, and the agent ia assisting such desire it,
to cultivate the soil, and 1oshen, has signifed
his intention to cultivate some land this season.
The interests of these Indians are promptly at
tended to, and am informed that there are now
nearly fifty
SMALL INDIAN HOUSES ERECTED,
under the agents supervision, on the resesva-
ton. Two schools are in successful op Grafton,
under the care Of efficient teachers, and the new
mission school house, to which the Caddo sch DOL
was to be transferred, on the 3lst ulti mo, is
credit to the agency, and explains to some ex-
tent, the expenditures of money by agent Rich
ards. Meetings for divine worship are held in it
on the Sabbath, attended by the employees aud
scholars of the agency. The subsistence stores
for these Indians is already exhausted, and agent
Richards is supplying himself by borrowing
from the Upper Arkansas and Kiowa agencies, an
expensive method, considering tho cost OF trans
portation in the Indian country, also diminish
ing the necessary supplies of the latter agencies.
1t should be remembered that agent Richards's
estimates are for actual necessary subsistence
for Indians always present, and calling for
rations weekly, and If any deductions are made
from the estimates from either of these agents,
they should be of those whose Indians are alb
with subsistence. And it should here be remem-
bered that the ration upon which the estimate is
based is entirely insufficient to subsist an Indi-
an hence the wild Indians prefer to hunt rather
than be compelled to subsist on the scanty allow
ance afforded them by the government.
Invent to
THE KIowA AGENCY
on the 18th ultimo, and on the following day ex-
amined the commissary stores. They are proba-
bly, sufficient for the remainder of the fiscal
year, but portion of the new purchase should
be delivered at all the agencies early in July
The 27.h being the day fixed for the issue of
rations, / found it necessary to postpone my
council with the Indians until the day following,
at which time the leading men of the
kIowAs AND coMAYCaEs ASSEMBLED
in the commissary building of the agency, and
carefully review ed to them portion OF their
history for the past two years, and particularly
alluded to my visit to the Kiowas at their camps
at the west end OF the Wichita mountains, in the
month of February Of last year their promi-
ses OF peace and friendship at that time, and
their conduct afterward the "peace council
on the Washita the earnest endeavors of their
civilized brethren of the Ckerokees, etc :, to re-
strain them from committing depreda tions and
crime and to encourage them to abandon their
wild pursuits to live in peace, and follow the
white mans road. / reminded them OF the
warning of Black Beaver, Delaware Indian,
That If they did not cease raiding, the soldiers
would carry their women and children into CAP
tiyity before the leaves fell in autumn that his
words were spoken in truth; they remembered
the entreaties OF that council, at the close OF
which Kicking Bird had promised me, II would
delay military operations against them for ten
DAYS. to return all the captive prisoners held by
the Kiowas, to the Wichita agsncy, which prom
Use he had faithfully redeemed. Yet come OF
their young men, not present at said council,
had continued their depredations In Texas, from
whence they were driven by the military, who
had captured more than hundred OF their wo-
men and chill dren. For these
OUTBREAKS OF THEIR YOUNG MEN
the tribes are hello responsible. / told them oil
the disposition Of their great father 10 treat them
kindly but that heretofore, whenever his heart
had become softened until he was inclined to re-
lease their chiefs, Santanta and Big Tree, their
young men had been guilty Of new depredations
and crimes and sometimes their great father had
become discouraged, doubling the honesty OF
his ch ildren. and he had from time 10 time post
poued their release on account OF their own mis-
conduct that now his heart was becoming
softened again, and as they had delivered the
white prisoners held by their respective tribes,
and promised to remain in peace, do no more
raiding, but maintain friendly relations with the
government and people OF the United States, In
GLIDING the State of Texas, their great fathers