The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-09-16
Commission Sketches

Ex-Gov. NEWTON EDMoNDs,
of Yanton, Dakota, is 81 years old.
He was born in New York, removed to
Michigan in 1882, and to Dakota some
Is years ago. He was governor of the
territory from 1868 to 1866, and in 1865
and 1866 was u member of the famous
Indian peace commission of which Gen.
Sibley, Gen. Curtis, and Col. E. B.
Taylor were members, and by whose
efforts peace was secured with the Min
neconjons, Ogallalas, Yanktonnais, Prai-
RE Crows, Saresacs, A~ssiniboines, and
other tribes along the Missouri river,
the councils being held by the commits
sion at various points, extending from
Fort Rice to the mouth of the Yellow
stone. Upon starting out in 1866, some
of the members of the commission ex-
pressed themselves strongly in favor of
taking a military escort with them, but
Gov. Edmonds opposed the proposition
on the ground that a peace commission
had no right to go among the Indians
armed, and finally brought his fellow
commissioners wei to his own view of
the matter. At one place, about so
miles above Fort Union, the commits
sioners met and made a treaty with a
large band Of hostile Indians who had
in their possession nearly 1900 head of
horses and mules which they had taken
from Gen. Connor's command on the
Yellowstone, in 1854. For several
years past, Gov. Edmunds has been out
of public life, engaged in banking at
Yankton. Last June he was in WASH
ington on business connected with the
closing of the Fort Pierre route to. the
Black Hills, at which time President
Grant told him that he would appoint
him a member if the appointment Of a
commission to visit the Sioux this year
was authorized by congress, and o o
after his arrival home the appointment
was received.
No man on this side-of the continent
has done more towards civilizing the
Indians than
BISHOP H. b. wHIPPLE,
of the Episcopal church, who was made
bishop of Minnesota in 1860, to which
State he at nee removed, and located
at Faribault, where he has continued
to reside. He was born in New York,
is "a years of age, of striking appear
ance, and remarkably winning man.
ners. 1t has been charged by some of
the papers that he is an impracticahle
man, and that his schemes for the i'm
provement,of the red man are of a Wis
ionary character. A more unjust
charge was never made, as is demon
strated by the present. condition Of the
Chippewas, at White Earth reservation,
northern Minnesota, which reservation
has been the Bishops particular charge
for 16 years past. But he has not con-
tented himself in laboring for the In
dams of Minnesota, but has worked
earnestly and with unflagging zeal with
both pen and tongue in the interest of
the entire Indian race, constantly urg-
ing the government to adopt a more
humane and just policy than that which
has at times. prevailed in its manage
ment Of the Indians. He has frequent
ly been requested to serve on commits
sions sent out to treat with the various
tribes, but, for reasons best known to
himself, has invariably declined until
this year, when he concluded that the
emergency was Of SO grave q character
that he could not refuse to accept the
appointment as q member of this ON
mission when it was rendered him by
the President. He Is a man Of unusual
Judgment and practical sense.