Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-23
MISSOURI, RIVER SETTLERS.

gardinE the Ordcr for their Removal.
Early in the month of March the Press
and Dakotaian announced. upon what 1t
considered reliable authority, that an order
had been issued warning settlers along the
Missouri river to leave their homes forth.
with or be forcibly expelled and their prop.
perry confiscated. We gave to the subject
considerable attention, as it seemed to Us an
outrage upon q hard working class of Dako.
to citizens. The matter finally received 90
much publicity that the military authori-
ties made an investigation and reported
that no such order had been issued. Mean
time great anxiety existed in the upper
country v g the probability that the whites
were to be cleared out Of that region, and
In order TO obtain further information upon
Q subject of such vital importance to many
up river readers of the Press and Dakota.
ian q letter was addressed to Delegate
Bennett, from this Office, requesting him
to obtain information relative to the alleged
order. In compliance with the request Del.
egate Bennett laid the matter before the In
dian Office and 10 reply thereto the Indian
commissioner addressed to him the follow.
log letter:
DEPARTMENT OF TIE INTERIOR.
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Washington, March q, 1879.
Hon. G. G. Bennett, House of Representa-
tires SIR In reply to the letter of W..
8. Bowen, Esq, of Yankton, Dakota, left in
this Office BY you this morning, relative to
department instructions for the removal of
settlers and wood choppers from the Chey-
enne river agency, Dakota, I have the honor
to state that an examination of the files and
records of this office fails to disclose the fact
that any instructions have been issued for
the removal Of persons from the country re-
ferred to above.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
E. A. HAYT,
Commissioner.
Notwithstanding the positive terms of the
foregoing letter We still felt that We had not
been led astray in giving publicity to the
statement that settlers had really been or.
dered out of this portion of the Indian
country, and our next step was to procure a
copy Of the order itself. In this We have
been successful. Here is the order:
CHEYENNE AGENCY, D. IT,
February 18th, 1879.
Sergeant Putrick Miller, U. S. Indian
Police: You are directed to proceed, accom-.
panied by one private of police, along and
up the Missouri to the mouth of the Moreau
river, and to caution all white persons whom
you may find on the banks, islands or tribu'
taries Of the Missouri, that they are tres.
passers upon the Sioux reservation, and that
unless they Immediately leave said reserva
ton, they will be forcibly removed there
from. and will be liable besides to hav,
seized and confscated any wood, hay o.
other property found in their possession.
Persons engaged in cutting wood for tn.
military are however not to be molested
but their names will be taken and reported
at this Office.
[Signed] THEo. ScHwAs,
Capt. 18th Init, Act'g U. s. Indian Agt.
The order, it seems, was really issued
from the Office of the agent at Cheyenne
agency, as above indicated, and We are re
liably informed that a duplicate order wa.
sent to points below within the Jurisdiction
of this agency. That Capt. Schwan acted
without authority is pot fer a moment to BE-
presumed. He is not that kind of q man
His reputation is that he obeys all orders
strictly to the letter, but never oversteps hit
authority. The order has not been enforced
and We have information that it probably
will not be. What We desire to prove il
that We gave currency to no sensational and
b~aseless rumor-that the order was really
Issued, IS stated by the Press and Dakotaian