New-York tribune., 1875-07-14
nation your noble policy Of peace. Very re-
spectfully, your obedicnt servant,
o. C.. MARSH
Yale College, July 10. 1879.
PROF. MARsTs STATEMENT.


the Sioux Indians In endeavoring to proptiate the
Indians and obtain their permission TO proceed with
my Marty / held several councils with Red Cloud
and his principal chiefs saw the issue of annuity
goods and provisions and had other cPportuniteSo Of
seeing the actual state of affairs at this important
Agency. / found the Indians in want Of food and
clohng greatly dissatisfied with their agent, j. j.
Savlle and strong in their belief that they were
Systematically defrauded of the goods and supplies
sent them by the Government. In one council
attended, by nearly all the prominent chiefs, Red
Cloud made specific charges of fraud seainst the
agent and contractors. and urged mo to make this
known 10 tho Great Father and to carry 10 him sam
plcs of the ratons the Indians then receiving
Mainly to gain consent Tor my expedition to pro-
ceed, made Red Cloud the promise he desired.
Soon after he gave samples of -four sugar coffee,
and tobacco to show TO you, assuring me that they
were the ratons he himself using, and fair sam-
pies Of those lately issued to his people.
In consequence of the promise thus made to Red
Cloud and his associates, their immediate opposition
to my proposed explorations ceased. Other dlicul-
ties were succcsSivcly overcome, the expedition at
last reached its destination and fully accomplished
its purpose. notwithstanding great suffering from
cold and open hostility of the Indians around us.
When about to return, We escaped large war party
of Indians in consequence of warning and assistance
sent by Red Cloud This act of kindness led me on
my return to the Agency to make further investiea-
tons there especially in the directions indicated by
the chiefs, and soon found reason TO believe that
their statements of mi5managcment Gnd fraud were
essentially true The information received also
from officers of the army and other trustworthy OBJ
servers familiar with the subject fully confirmed
this and proved moreover. that affairs at tins
Agency had long been in the same condition.
On my return 10 the East my profes Siona duties
ii f,re fulhlliup thp
ise made to Red Cloud but in April last, "a YOU will
remomber | gave yOu his message, showed you the
sample of rations he had nrustcd to me, and re-
Ceiycd from YOU the OF your wish TO do fuil
Justice TO the Indians and correct any abuses III
their management. | then regarded my mission
at an end. As matter Of cOuric3y showed
10 the Commissioner of Indian Afilirs tho same SAM
PIES and told him of varieus things saw at the Red
Cloud Agency that indicated bad state OF affairs
there; naturally supposng that such Information,
fIom a dlsinterested observer, would be kindly re-
ceived and existing wrongs he prevented i'll the
future, regret to say that the information Won
turcd to offer to this Official was far from acceptabe
the inferior raiions exhibited were plausbly eX-
plaincd and the DAMAGING facts had observed were
considered of little consequence Commissioner
Smiths manner Of receiving this information natu-
rally deferred me from giving him many other facts
of q similar nature then in my possession, and have
since deemed il best to withhold them.
THE INDIAN DDARI|s INVESTIGATION.
Subsequently | met the Board of ludian Commits
sioners in New-York at their request and gave them
more full account of the condition of things at Red
Cloud and other Agencies that | had visited.
again showed the rations Red Cloud had given ne,
and stated to the Commissioners that, while did
not vouch for these particular samples, had no
reason to doubt, from Ill saw AT his Agency, that
they fairly represented the supplies issned during
my visit. ! gave also detailed statement OF some
of the frauds in beef cattle and other supplies and
showed that these had resulted in great suffering
among the Indians during the past Winter In
answer to their inquiries POINTED ont to the Com
rnissioncrs tie great defects in the present system of
supplying the Indians with food and clothing and
how, in my opinion, these defects could he remcdicd
A few DAYS afcrwarl the following letter ap-
pearcd in the public press. 1t explains itself:
Drr,urNryT or TIE IYTErIoH,}
WASHINGTON. ID. C.. Nav 10
The Hon. CLINTON B. FISK, ffe'tde" B'afd V iRd'm
SIR: am desrous of appontinc n comm..ion from
put in circulation by Mr.. Marsh relative 10 tue Indian
service at Red Cond Agency. and write y@n to request
that yOu will consult with yoIr Board and name to me-
suc members of IL may be dcsignit d TO MAKE ne
Investigation would DE well to have tnc comm ,-on
consist oi thrco mnnbcFs ShOuld yen DC uhdole 10
designate them from your Board VIII you do me the
Comm sioneIsl dcsir 10 have the commission named
by yourself or tho BOud OF which } Jou are r.tSidclt
Surprising that this commission would he ap-
pointed at tool. measures TO obtain the test-
mony OF those who wc7c with me my expedition,
and others familiar with the facts | had Observed,
since felt confident. that all / had stated about
msinana cement of Indian affairs cOud be readily
substantiatcd by abundant evidence.
While the Sioux delegations were i'll Washington
in June last, had the honor Of meeting, personally
on his invitation, the honorable Secretary Of the
Interior. He informed me that he had long taken
deep interest in the Indians and had had great
pericnce in the management ot their affairs
He was especially interested in the efforts to
Chrisiianize and cyilizo these wards of
the nation. and he earnestly entrcated me TO aid
him in the enterprise His appeal in behalf of this
noble work of which much is said in the East
aud so little seen in the Wcst-Inovcd me deeply
but having no time and little inclination for such
professional philanthropy. was obliged to decline.
The state of affairs at Red Cloud Agency i'll NOyem-
ber last, to which | directed lis attention, he de-
clined to discuss but in the most solemn manner,
assured me that if | would give him all my informa
ton on this point, he would at once SEQ that the
abuses, if any existed, officially removed He
nanf tsted great that had not brought Red
Cloud's samples directly to hm--a service which
Red C.. .oud himself, who knew the honorable Secre-
tary. did not ask me to perform
In reply to the urgent request OF the honorable
Secretary for the information III my possession about
Indian affairs / informed him that whenever the
commission he intondel to appoint, any other
commission empowered to ascertain the whole
truth should he really would cheerfully cooperate
with it in every way in my power.
APPOINTMENT or AN INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.
A month later, or July 2, l read in the newspapers