Year: 1875

WASHINGTON Oct. Is, 1875.
The. Joint Commission appointed TO investigate
charges Of ismanagement and fraud in the Indian
vice, especially at Red Cloud Agency have submitted
duplicate repors-one to the Board OF Indian Commits
sioners and the other the President This dual pres
cntaton Of the facts and findings is in consideration
OF the in which the members were appointed,
the three originally constituting the Commission having
been nominated by General Clinton B. Fisk President
of the Board and the two additional members BY the
Executive


There has long been q popular impression that the
funds appropriated for the maintenance Of the In
dians the reservation have been in part diverted
from their beneficial purposes and that white
have cheated both the red and the governments
Making all due allowance for the unreliabity Of
and for the celebrity with which, suspicion
suggestion freely crcuates the Irregularities
and wrongs that have been brought TO light found
sufficient Justify this want Of perfect public conf
denca The individual investigations Of the HERALD
correspondents who have visited the Indian agencies
have revealed some OF the hidden things in their mis-
management and good results have already followed
such exposures Complaints OF general mismanagement
have however become chronic This remark applies
with peculiar force TO Red Cloud Agency, especially
since a HERALD correspondent called atten-
ton TO the evils which Professor Marsh subsequently
saw and formally set forth In his communication to
the President The investigation Of which the present
report the result instituted in consequence d.
rectly Of the Professors charges which he eommuni
Gated to the President and published 70 the country
Besides the charges mainly against the agency q
Der or collateral matters have brought the at
tention Of the Commission in the Of their in
quiries and they have taken this opportunity 70
press general views upon the Indian question.
They have examined all the charges and traced the dis
covered evils TO their several sources and
have given their conclusions impartialy from
the evidence Wherever they have found any
fraud appearance Of fraud they have ex-
posed IT, 1t win be from the result
that the Commissioners have taken some scaps and II
they feel justified in smoking the pipe Of with
any one whose official business relations with the
Indian service have been called in question 1t is be-
cause has the gauntlet ofthe investigation and
come out unscathed Their report Is elaborate, and
shows that in dscharging the difficult and sometimes
delicate duties devolving upon them the Commission
have exhibited industry collecting testimony and
keen analysis in sitting IT, Those whom they have
censured win dissent their deductions while their
suggestions will renew discussion or proper Indian
policy TO be followed by the government


,In a accompanying the copy OF the report sent
70 the President Professor George w. Atheron says.
'.rho Commission has acted throughout as a single





joint Deliberations aad express united judgment
For this have tho request OF the three
bers nominated by the Board OF Indian Commissioners,
Joined them in signing the report which they
have addressed TO that body and Of which
tho one herewith transmitted is copy. 1t
may be proper 70 say, however, that In
case my conclusions any important point differed
from these the other members Of the Commission
should have deemed my duty 70 submit TO you a
separate report But the Is the course which
have adopted seemed in accordance with the
spirit Of your Instructions and viii your
approval The Hon Timothy o Howe, to whom, Jointly
with myself your letter Of invitations was addressed
been present with the Commission during only snail
part Of its Investigations He was not present al any
during the preparation OF the report his name
consequently does not appear among the signerz


INTRODUCTORY oBsERvAross


The Commissioners say by way Of introduction to
their report that Professor O. Marsh, OF Yale Col
Iege gentleman Of deservedly high reputation in tho
scientific world while upon geographical expedition
TO explore the Bad Lands south Of the Black Hills in
September, 1874 was detained by Indian opposition
several days Red Cloud Agency During that deen-
ton there issue Of cattle and annuity goods came
incidentally under the Professors notice, and som
samples Of very inferior 6our and tobacco we're
placed in his hands by the chief or the ogaala band





fore the President order that be might how Inn
perfectly the benign purposes Of the government were
carried the quality Of the goods and provisions
issued at that agency The Professor all times alive
20 Whatever might affect the interests and good faith Of
the government, having some leisure at command to
look into the administration Of affairs At that point
besides possessing strong motive TO concilate the
Indian chiefs in furthersnce of his expedition
by exhibiting just sympathy With their com piaints
promised 70 make due presentation person Of their
grievances to the President This he did in a
personal interview, and more fully in his
letter OF the 10th OF July in which bo
gives expression 10 unfavorabe impressions that
he derived from his interviews with the Secretary or
the Interior aud the Commissioner OF Indian Arairs
on that subject The effect produced upon the public
mind by his letters seemed TO demand that ofical In
vestgation be made into their subject matter Az this
might involve the integrity Official diligence Of tho
Secretary Of tho Interior and the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs IL was manlfestly improper for them or
either OF them 70 select the persons who should
on the Commission Accordingly, the Secretary OF the
Interior requested the President Of the Board Of Indian
Commissioners 70 nominate three suitable persons for
that duty. Thomas @ Fletcher, Of hissouri Ben
jamin w. Harris OF Massachusetts, and Charles Fauk-
ner OF West virginia chosen in pursuance Of this
request Investigate the affairs at Red Cloud Agency
The President afterward added 70 the Commission the
Of Timothy o Howe, Of Wisconsin, and George
w. Atherton, or New Jersey.


Adopting the etter Of Professor Marsh % their start