The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-02
Report of the Commission to
Secretary Schurz.
FEELING AMONG THE INDIANS.
Character OF the Country Chosen by
the Tribes.
PERTINENT SUGGESTIONS MADE.

The sieux Commission has msds tho following re-
pert to the Secretary OF the Interior:-
wAsHiSGroS. d. G., August 81, 1878.
The Honorable CARL scHURz Secretary OF the in'e-
rior, Washington, ID. Z. -
six-ws have the honor to report that, under an
act Of Congress approves June 20 1870 ana IN ooeai.
to instruc tiors from tho Inferior department
asted Washington June IS. 1875 the CommissIeners
appointed under The aforesaid ACT convened fauK
ton, D. T., July Present-Colonel ID. : Stanley U
s. A.. Mr.. ). NJ. Hawerth, Rev A. l. Riggs, Mr. Z.
K Hayt, Secretary.
for the commission. Upon the 5th OF July the men,
bers proceeded to the old ronoa Agency now occupied
by spotted raiil accompanied ~ the Honorable Com.
BruIe tribe, under Spotted TAIL had been duly nou-
ded OF the coming OF Tie commission oy 'her agent,
Lieutenant James n. Lee, United States Army, and
met in council the afternoon OF the 9th The
council opened BY the Honorable Com issioner,
Nr. Hay who fully explained 10 the Indians the
law the delays ewing atcness OF the appropri
aim and inc Importance OF settling the Brucs near
the Missouri. thus avoiding the expense OF overland
SPOTTED rAIL's COMPLAINTS
Spotted Tail osnE the AUTHORISED speaker Tor the
lndians. followed in speech III which he went over
long isi Of promises made 10 him and his people by
iormcr government agents aud commissioners and
so long this summer upon tho Missouri; claimed
this had caused many deaths 10 his camp. He
IN Washington last tall mat hs people should sete
place oil their choice, which place he described
tue o. ne o n,.ssnr nv his CAMPS
twenty miles east Of the Missouri In ten days and set
ting for the place Of his selection; made threats
that he would bura ny tho present agency building
rather arrogant and dictators, and was opposed
10 tho Commission visting and examining tho coun-
try he had chosen. HIS speech summed up meant that
be would not eetile upon the Missouri and that he
would sst.le nowhere but on tho south fork. II was
evident that both tho and words OF Spotted
TaiI's speech were Ter the Indian popuiace.
General Stanley spoke on the part OF the Commis-
sioners s.rsiully explaining 10 the indians the nten
homes, The desire 10 have them contened the neces
sity for economy and finally the intention OF The Com
vtatt EAek fIh-
Standing spotted Tails objections. This ended the
council The Comuission looked over the country
looked Into the valleys q the Niobrara and Ponca
nvers The country Is comparatively destitute OF
a.. sn say s OF non .ay 10
nvc hundred, could ever become selisupportng there
AT RED CLOUD.
cn tho I'm OF July The COMMISSION took the steam
coat Tor Red Cloud Agency, at which place they
the 10th. Dr. Jamos IRWIN. the agent, bad
nonsd Red Cloud Chiei Vt the Ogaiiaiias. OF the
ing Of the Comms sien and upon she evening OF the
llih council was held at The agency, al which
nrst tho honorable Commissioner OF Indian Affairs,
saa after MIN General Stanley Cd part Com.
missioner fully explained TO the Indians the object OF
vGnsses or their ocaug far from the Missouri River
end the Intention Of tAs 70 thoroughly
examine any country they selected tor their homes
The che Red Cloud had been instructed and
the represen tattvs Tor The tribe. He made very
digniAed reply, without any show OF bad temper He
spoks OF ns many aea,hs that had rssutsa from In o.,
stay White Earth River and expressed the great
ana tor o. nsn ,as
from his wallet pampnlst containing the account Of
proceedings OF abe dslsxa,ion IN wssnisg,on
last fall. poinicd oat Inc promise OF Tho Pres
ident 81 shs ususd STATES, that, provided shs
Ogaiallas vent 20 The Missouri for their goods
provisions ibis last winter, tacn this sprsng they
would bs allowed 70 select any location within their
reserve for their permanent home Inaccordancs
vMh this they had unspImousIy sslectsd Big White
Gay Creek, and this place, and this alone, would
satisfy thols~ Aitcr ths addresses were made By
Commissioners Hawortn ano riggs This ended the
Council
-,r gxAmlxArox or THE COUNTRY.
Tho Commissioncr OF indian Affairs, Mr.. Hayt, left
for Washingion on the l2sb, and upon the 1871 The
Commission. having procured sscort sad sraDsporta-
tor and bsi6 themselves handsomely ntted for the
third cavsiry, commanding post a. Rcd Cloud
10 examine The country CHOSEN by these
days and baf were spent In making sixty-Avs
miles 10 Tho traders stores ut tho forks Of White
Earth Rivor. The road follows shs Yellow Medicine
CSesk ost of the way and loads southwest There
IS some gsoi srss,ng lard on the Yellow Medicine,
but tho land Is Of the BAD Lands kind, full alKa
The water Is alkaline and bid No timber Tor build
Ing Alter noeping tho third day ~ tho crossing Of
- "s a. ,s zen H,qS Ry.r .aS
upon that stream. Inc contrast between these I've
branches sf wnns Earth River Is worry great. The
ana good water. Is easily ioraable at eli
Voints- The north fork or main river
mas bed OF auckland, Is di1lcut to cross,
aud The water ~ the very worst found In any
liver OF the great Plains, being strongly charged with
various alkaline salts and carrying such quantity Of
fne irnpalbabe powdered earth, gathered the pad
lamar, that tho running water resembles ordinary
whltcwash and differs from tho muddy streams OF
the Missouri basin IN the fact mat does not
scttIs when dipped up. but rcmass Did and unit
for Animals VII not drink u II they con md
other water and wells dug the W hite River bot
tom furnisn unwholeselDc water This deficiency OF
M use rs insurm ountabe oDcctlen to the
valley Of the main White Earth RIVER AS homo for
Ipdisla Tho main camp oil the 0gallallss under Red
Cloud near who're we campcd the night Of the
third day out, seveny-nve miles IRON their agency.
q ~ H. D,wr th,s
trre has been. and Is as close W the present Red
Cloud Agency as wood, water and erase combin ed
could be Iound for their use and the subsistence oil
their anmas and Tor the last niue months they
packed out their substance IRON their agency on
the Missouri River The best way they could. THIS
fact alone shows that with ie ard IN the means OF
deportation and little organ zation these Indians
soon be educated to do their own carrying busi-
ness oncc solve this vexcd subject oil usns-
portation. Following up tho valley Inc fourth day,
we found valley varying from onstoar 10 toree-
four,hs OF q mile wide with goodiy proportion Of
lard adapted 10 cultivation very nne grazing lands
but with very little timber CamIed the fourth night
about thlry miles ~ tho valley above tho mouth OF
the South Fork. Al tins point The pine timber sets
and continues on both sides oil the South Fork Tor
soout orty nvs milef. The pine Is found ~ all tho
rvpcs Loading into the valley Of the south Fork ana
Us IN sufoent quantity to last community Of the size
81 spotted Tails Dand OF Sioux Tor many years IN
growing does rsvincs and canyons, be got
cot only by hard labor but n viii answer ALI pur
poses OF building and fencing Tor tho Indians A. a
point below The middle OF This stretch or belt OF pno
t,moef . strong creek OF water about miles long
puts into tno south Fork IRON the southeast Inis
creek called The Rosebud, Is where Spotted Tail said
the Brues wanted their agency.
rBE KosEBCD
The Rosebud has scarcely any valley, and NJ its
moath the valley Of the South Fork Is also very
row. Therefore tho point seeo~d by spotted Fail
deemed uasuiIabie But the Commissioners saw the
country sufficiently TO convince them that AT some
point within ave miles soove below the mouth OF
kosebud good ana superior site Tor agency aud
mnit ry post may be foonu. The Com rec
ommend that the agency Tor tho Bru!6 Sioux known
az spottd rss Indians be established mere, and that
u be named tns Rosebud Agency. The road tnenc
to thc Missouri River, at point below the mouth OF
White Earfn RIVER, Is over an easy country for
wsgonf. and would DO about seventy miles Tho
march OF the commission westward IRON The Rose
bud Was along tho course OF the south FORK ior
eighty miles. fnus ~ secured that the Souh Fork
was cxan.iped from It's mouth 10 It's source, dts
tsncs Of $50 mlles The Commissioners were
greatly surprisoc with the favorable character Of the
vaIiyy II Dsst DO described as hrst class graz
log country. For twenty miles above ana below the
mouth OF INC Roscbud timber Is abundant aud settle
ments will al FIRST confined to this reaion but rich
pasture lands extend the entire length oi the stream
fsu In ~ a or