Year: 1861

gentleman travelling through the country, he en- tered the Cherokee country at Evansville, attended by an escortithat required heavy outlay for fer rage and hosse. shoeipg alone; and this outlay had to be made from his individual funds. Tine un paralleled rains of the last days of May and the early ones of June, put several insignificant streams beyond fording. And it is due to the ferrymen to say that they did not abate any very considerable amount of their charges on account of the cause of the South. He began his mission badly pre- pared, with such an outfit as would have made the trip comfortable. Time was the great considera- ton in question. The whole northwest of our State was exceedingly anxious for amicable rela tions to be established with the Cherokees. Every mail brought quantities of letters to the commis- sioner urging him to hasten to the Cherokee Chief and secure his friendship to the South. He obeyed and made his overtures to Mir. Ross at the earliest possible time.

 From Tahlequah he proceeded to the Creek Ma ton and was there brought to halt, because of the absence of two delegations, one of which had been sent by the proper authorities to the council with the wild tribes already mentioned and the other to Montgomery to confer with our govern ment. There was no way of avoiding delay, for the Nation would not act until the return of the delegation named. But the treaty was accomplish ed, although for days and days it seemed utterly hopeless. There were but few friendly faces turn- ed towards at Kuf-ko Hapo, Flea Camp, and for a long while we considered our expedition q failure.

 ftap ba cI nf tIn tpoat tipc wifi taws and Chckasaws and Creeks at the North Fork, we had but little further trouble in making negotiations. The weather in the meantime had become intolerably hot, and our animals suffered greatly. At places it was difficult to find water, and we had to content CD ourselves on very poor article and very little of it. It is needless to say that no set of Americans carry than a weeks supply of liquor on an expedition. We had, at the Seminole Agency, been out more than two months. Blessed be virtue, though it be com pulsory-in many instances.

 With Gen. Beauregard in the north of the Con- federacy and Gen. McCulloch at another point in the northwest, citizens of course feel as secure from injury as they did in time of peace; but had the mission of Capt. Pike proved failure, there would have been fleeing to the mountains equal to that at the destruction of Jerusalem. The aboli- tionists would have had foot hold, and with In dians their allies, would have produced such scenes of desolaton and blood as the world has not witnessed since the days of barbarsm. It ought to rejoice the hearts of all people that the In dians have proved true.

 The Shawnees, Delawares and Kickapoos did not attend the General Council here on the l2th inst. They are under the influence of the North, and, at the first demonstration of unfriendiiness, must be attended to. They were at Council Grove, and of course gave in to the take-no-side agree ment that was entered into there. Still, Capt Pike has made provisions for them in the treaty with the Reserve Comanches, Wichitas and other bands, that when they shall manifest desire to settle and be at peace, they shall have Reserve dans already settled.

 We have been in disagreeable suspense here for several days on account of an expedt ton under Ma Bufleson, which, it is said is in pursuit of In dians to the westward. If we should unfortu- natey come upon the squaws and children of the

 

 treating, it will be an event to be regretted, equally to that of Maj. Van Dorn's attack on one of the same bands, the No-co-nis, few years ago. when it had come in for similar purpose. I know not how others may regard the attack of Mai Van Dorn. Doubtless he deplores it. For myself would not wear laurels gained upon such an occa- sion; poison-vine would be more beftting.

 A clause of the treaty with the No-co his and the other bands of the wild Comanches, provides that Texan troops shall be stationed in the Leased District. There is an enmity between the Texans and Comanches which renders peace i'm possible when they in proximity. It was the knowledge of this that induced the proviso. Forts risoned with Choctaw and Chickasaw troops; and under proper officers they would be the most eff cient that could be put in the country. I have been led to this conclusion from observing the movements of our escort of Creeks and Seminoles. This is command of sixty four men, mostly full bloods. They are orderly and obedent-better be- haved in every way than any like number of vol unteers have seen among our own people. It is an honorable commentary on the labors and efforts of our commissioner that he entered the Indian country with but little prospect of his overtures being entertained, and that he left it with guard composed of the best men of the Nations whence they came; and another matter that will bear re- mark is that more troops have been offered in the Creek and Seminole Nations than were asked for It is pity that the Cherokees were prohibited from having chance.

 It is criminal folly to attempt to subjugate the Comanches of the prairies when they can be induc- ed to settle and become peaceable. No honest man can sit down with the statistics of the Indian wars in this region, and arise from careful examina- tion, without the conviction that every Indian kill ed has cost the of not less than fifty thousand dollars, to say nothing of the lives lost-the fami- lies of the frontier peope-and the desolaton that has been caused. It would be well to buy the wild men into peace on their own terms. Who gained anything but disgrace in the Florida war? How were they got out at last after years of frghtful expenditure! They were bought out. And they are now our friends. Some of the escort with us are the very men upon whom the U. s. govern ment spent treasurics in trying to kill out.

 have no time for details of the trip, and all though '' these few lines' may take up some space the interesting part of my note must be left out.- We are in the mids of thousands of gentlemen and ladies so nearly naked that it won't do to talk about, squealing horses and all the pomp and cir cumstance of wild Indian treaty. They are honest to astonishment to those who know nothing