The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-01-08


men Of the army and to reduce the unnecss-
| sary expenses brought upon us. The report |
| giving an exact exposition of the Indian |
| management at Spotted Tail Agency was |
| obtained since the date of the annual |
| report, but the facts were we'll |
known to me-in fact was instrumental, to |
| some extent, in the detection of the McCann |
| frauds. His report is submitted, hrst for the |
| reason that it gives a fair and Comprehensive |
| idea Of management, and, 1 believe, may be /
/ assumed as fair explanation of what has oc- |
Cured at many of the other agencies and pro |
duced the hunger and discomfort described |
| in the accompanying briefs. In this |
| connection also call attention to a brief cor
| respondence from Lieutenant Dougherty, re- |
1 lative to an attempt to force upon him, since |
| he has been as agent at Crow Creek, employees |
| of bad character, and to the loose |
and criminal manner in which |
Indian goods were shipped without bills OF
| ladiDg or invoices. This is true also, for the |
Cheyenne and Brule agencies, onS the |
| Missouri River, well the Crow Creek,
| whose agent DIR Livingstone has been, re-
Gently indicted on about l24 charges and about
| as many more that were thrown out under
| the statute of limitation. The attention of The
general of the army is expressly
called to the reports on the Stand
Ing Rock Agency under the management of
Agents Burke and Hughes. Look at the Man
| din, Arickeres, Gras Ventres, Assinabornes,
Piegsps and Crows, in Montana Territory
At the latter agency fraud has been ram
pant. although to the best OF my recollection
the agents have been changed at least five or
six times in the last seven years.
Then come down to the Shoshopes
! Bannocks, Northern and Southern Cheyennes,
Arappahoes Kiowas and Comanches, Utes and
Southern Apaches, and ask them why they
have gone to war, or have been hostile or tur-
| bulent for the last six seven years, and
the answer VIII be lpsufficiency of
} food, irregularity In It's supply, and broken
promises. The present Indian commissioner
is, doubtless, honest. He has discharged num-
Der of agents for malfeasance in office. Com
t missioner Smith, who preceded him, was
l honest man also, so far as i know, and like
wise the commissioner of Indian affairs before
| him, and so on back. Tney all did well
4 they knew how. But. fear
e with all these precautions of hons sty,
t that this system and manner of keeping ac
| counts are too loose for the government of the
f people who can not read or write, and so pecu-
r liar and primitive in their habits as the
n Indians. 1t will be seen even by extracts
s from the reports to the board of Indian
|. commissioners, well as to The commissioner
of Indian affairs, herewith attached, that they,
t. | too, support me in this conclusion. Then
It with all these facts before us, and to the
best of my belief in the possess
= sion of the Indian bureau, what was
l. the object of challenging the conclusions in
e my report and giving a letter to the public be-
II fore 1t had been sent to the Honorable secreta-
r ~ of war. to whom it addressed. Surely the
u officers who guard the agencies, and who are
r held responsiblesfor the protection ef aud
property of the settlers, should have the right
d to report 10 their superiors the causes oi
n troubles without the danger of being lectured
into silence by the honorable secretary of the
r interior.
Let us now come down to the matter OF the
" | removal of the Red Cloud and Spotted Tai
g. Indians, and their return to points further
| west last fall. In reference (
e this matter, make no accuse
M tions against the Indian Bureau.
n simply stated 1 had hopediche agencies o
70 these Indians, of Red Cloud and Spotted Tail
a. would have been retained on tie Missouri
g River where they would have been fet
is and looked after at com larativel!
small price, but this would not haue suited tn
traders and COZ tractors, who, fear, laboret
systema' ically last summer and fall to worl
up the result which has been attained. Ant
=; now these Indians wors
Of ground than the Missouri River bottom
- and treated at point beyond the river line
- - | of transportation. For instance. Red Cloud
~ band, where the expense of feeding will b
~. five times as great as on the Missouri River
. | In addition these Indians are now locate
-, near the road to the Black Hills, and are o.
,d the extreme western limit of their reservation
-, and where contact with whites is liable t.
&c frequently occur, and doub If, in the pres
a., ent frame of mind of the Red Cloud Indians
= the two races can live so clos
as together without fighting. He does not charg
Nd any thing the Indian bureau. that
mt will be again seen that the honorable secre
nd tary puts The charge into my mout
or which / never made, and gives theI
o. to the public in the way. The geners
no urges again, as in his annual report, that tn
to removal of these Indians was unwise, an
to quotes letter from General Crook in supper
Mt. of this view, and continues, 81 di
,,,r not zsay the Indian Bureau ha
M. anything to do with 1t. 1 utterl
ble disclainied any intention OF criticising an
on action of his excellency, the president, b
lief could not well help himself. In m
I'VE report only expressed my regre
IN at what had happened. Is
nd | not strange when we consider the inadequac
The Of our military force that should, In commo
nm with other officers, call attention to circun
,ad | stances like these that are liable to invoiV
erv trouble and disaster.
ion Before closing this communication desil
a to call the attention of the general of the arm
nv to that portion OF Lieutenant Lees repor
bv which plainly shows that the fl
of ures made in Washington OF SUI
alta plies sent 10 the agencies may sho
- a different result from the supplies receive
In and which may account for the discrepans
ave In the reports of the commissioner of India
vav affairs, I'D the report OF Msjor j. X. Misene
de- | at the Southern Cheyenne Z gency. aud til
ned of Captain A. II. Baindridge at Fort Hs
to agency. N CONCLUSION oesire 70 say 'nat
us my annual report, and in this report, n
In object has been TO speak in Il
ow interest of the Indian, and
the the best interest of life, property and develo
of ment -on the frontier Of the lives
re the officers and soldiers and the best econon
erv In the administration of my command
i of large amount OF documentary esiaehee
ave submitted with the report, the substance