The Portland daily press., 1875-07-14
INDIANS.
An Open Letter TO the President from
Prof. Marsh

An Open Letter 10 the President from
Prof Marsh.
NEW YORK, July 13.-The Tribune to-moI-
row publishes the following letter from Prof.
Marsh of Yale College to President Grant:
SIR:-Iu the two interviews had with you
on Indian affairs, L was impressed with your
earnest desire to do justice to the Indians and
with your broad and philanthropic views on
the whole Indian question. This must be my
excuse as private citizen for again coming
before you with statement of wrong com.
mitted on the Sioux Indians, mainly under my
own observation, during a recent visit to their
country. My visit to this region was wholly in
the interest of science, with no intention or
wish to investigate the Indian affairs The
frauds I observed were brought to my knowl-
edge by Red Cloud, who refused to allow my
party to enter "the bad lands,'' until L had
promised to submit his complaints to you in
person Since our interview upon this subject
have been informed by the Commissioner
of Indian Affairs of the appointment of COM
mittee to investigate the affairs at the Red
Cloud agency and am invited to lay state
ment OF the facts before them. This am
quite ready to do whenever the committee re-
qaest it. I must decline, however, to give my
statement to the interior department alone, for
the following reasons First, I have no conf
dence whatever in the sincerity of the secretary
of the interior or the commissioners Indian
affairs when they publicly announce their wish
and determination to correct the present abuses
i
reason to know that they have long been aware
of the abuses and have made no sincere effort
to reform them. Second, in all my intercourse
these two officials their object has manifestly
been to find out not so much what the frauds
actually were as the extent of my information
concerning them, SO as to prevent by every
means in their power all publicity or exposure
of them. The evidence now in my possession
reflects unfauorably on Secretary Delano and
Com missioner Smith.
81 - -
lay before you, to whom in accordance with
my promise to Red Cloud 1 made my first
communication, the accompanying statement
in detail in full confidence that the evidence
presented will meet with the consideration its
| Importance demands. In the statement which
| accompanies this letter L have given the results
| of my investigation into the affairs of the Red
! Cloud agency, the largest and most important
| in the west. These results clearly indicate
| both Encouragement and fraud, especially in
| the following particulars:
| 1st-The agent, j. j. Saville Is wholly I'M
fitted for his position and guilty of gross frauds
1 upon the Indians in his charge.
| 2d-The number of Indians at this agency
has been systematically overs stated for pur-
| poses which can only result in fraud.
| 3d-The last issue of annuity goods, which
l witnessed, was a suspicious transaction, and
| in part at least fraudulent one,
4th-The beef cattle given to the Indians
have been very inferior, owing to the sys-
|
| beef contractors
5-The pork issued to the indians during
my visit was not suitable for human food.
6-The flour was very inferior and evidence
| OF fraud in this article is conclusive.
| THE sugar and coffee issued were not
| good, although better than the other supplies.
8-The tobacco observed was rotten and of
little or no use to Indians.
| Gin consequence of fraud and mismanage.
ment the Indians suffered greatly during the
past wir ter for want of food and clothing.
l0-The contract for freight from Cheyenne
| to Red Cloud agency was fraudulent, as the
true distance is 145 miles, while the contractor
was paid for 212 miles,
would especially call your attention to the
evidence of fraud in beef cattle as presented in
| the accompanying statement. The subject l
| investigated with great care, as beef is the
principal article of food of the Sioux Indians,
aud the frauds, 1 observed. have caused great
suffering among them, as well as great pecu-
mary loss to the government.
The statement have prepared is supported
| in all its essential parts by the testimony of
| officers Of the army, who were with me on my
| expedition or were at the Red Cloud agency.
Among these officers are several personally
known to you, and all are gentlemen of high
character Should any part of my statement
be seriously questioned, trust that you will
allow these gentlemen to be heard
If the commanding officers of all the posts
| near the Indian agencies or other equally trust
| warthy and disinterested observers there could
likewise testify, 1 think in wonld be found that
| L have but family indicated the corruption per.
| vading Indian affairs.
| (Signed,) Very respectfully,
Your obedent servant,
| y. @. MARSH.
Yale College, July 10th, 1876