New-York tribune., 1879-01-02
THE REPORT OF LIEUTENANT LEE.

WASHINGTON, Jan. LIN addition TO the
report OF General Sheridan the General OF the Army is
furnished with copy o: the report Of First Lieutenant
Lee 9th Infantry and recently agent for the Spotted
Tail Agency and large number OF briefs and ex-
tracts from reports of army Ulcers aud Others relating
10 frauds and misman in the Indian Service
The report of First Lieutenant Lee which dated No
vember 2s. last, explanation Of how affairs
conducted at spotted Tail Agency previous TO the time
a military officer was detailed as agent It
says that Z. \. Howard there in charge az
agent; that he had instilled into the minds
OF the Indians almost every possible prejudice against
the military, but that when the change made 1t WAS
done suddenly that the good effect speedily ap
parent. Lieutenant Foot, who preceded Lee as acting
agent found, when e relieved Civil Agent Howard the
supplies reduced TO a starvation minimum. and after
getting supplies from the military feed the starving
Indians. his first Official act 10 take a
census and he then found Howard had been issuing
paper 10 9l70 Indians. when the actual number was
only 4.775. Lee took charge OF Spotted Tail Agency
March 3, 1877 BY treaty aunuities for the indians
should have reached them the 1st OF August Of each
year, but they did not arrive until md-Winer thns
causing much suffering and this has been generally the
case.
Lieutenant Lee then gives history OF the McCann
frauds, which had been reported early 1879, and
says, notwithstanding these frauds, McCann received
the contracts for very large portion Of the transpora
ton for ST.
Lee then relates minntely the McCann and Davis
frauds shows the methods OF inspection states the de-
fcicncics that occurred account of them; he
reported the facts TO the Indian Bureau and that finally
he received telegram from the Acting Commissioner
saying. We trust McCann longer"
Lee then shows how the method Of doing business
in Indian Bureau left the agent in the dark
the quantity of supplies turned to contractors fol
delivery the agency ana tnat he could only get at h
information by communication with the military al
Omaha. He good bad and indifferent beef cattle
had been received at the by Howard and that
/ when the military took charge the average weight
suddenly dropped from $50 pounds 10 500 pounds per
head gross He then says the greatest difficulty an
agent has 10 contend with is the system OtdOng bus
ness. agent the Of the contractors and
owing 10 the lIregularIty OF supplying the is
requirements Of the contract He then proceeds TO show
that opposition to his recommendation the beef con
tractor takin: care OF he herds had succeeded
in obtaining a suDpc mental contract at Washington
to deliver all the bce' by the middle Of December 1917
or the Missouri Kv,r and the agaut was TO slang i'
and freeze II. Lee protested that IL had no facilities
for the beef that the winter happened 10
be an open IL would be total OFs, aud nnaY was
author zed hold the herd during the WINTER lie then
prOcecds Ia review the system Of management, and
shows while the head OF the Bureau may do s best
the cOrrupOns that have occurred VIII un4ucsuOnIbY
again and only be remetied by more bust
ness-lke system.