The New York Herald Newspaper, August 23, 1875, Page 4

4 RED CLOUD. -_-—_—+ The Indian Commission and the Charges | of Professor Marsh. VISIT OF SITTING BULL AND TURKEY LEGS. ——-——— Views of the Sioux, Arapahoes and Cheyennes. Speeches of Red Cloud and Little Wound. | FRAUD AND CORRUPTION. | racer : | Answer of Indian Agent | Saville. 1 MARSH'S CHARGES ANALYZED. Rep Croup Ispiax Ackycy, Neb., August 12, 1875. ‘The Commissioners appointed to investigate charges of fraud and other matters in connection with the ad- ministration of affairs at Hed Cloud and Spotted Tail Indian agencies arrived here on Saturday, and ure now engaged in what is really a weighty piece of business. Tastead of spending the usual season of vacation each at his own rural homestead, or at some fashionable water- ing place, they have come out here at no httle personal inconvenience, not to participate in any pleasant pas- time, but to devote the summer solstice to the personal observation and patient study of such matters as may tend to solve this intricate and important Indian prob- lem. The commission, as it is represented here, is composed of four members, each of whom vies with the other only in his endeavors to obtain such information and devise such means as may result in the administra- tion of even-handed justice to and by the government of | ‘the United States, its representatives at the agencies and the red men whom it is seeking to conciliate, civilize aud Christianize. At Fort Laramie they bad a talk with General Bradley and Licutenant Hay, both of whom Pro- fessor Marsh publicly quotes in confirmation of cer- tain of his statements. Captain Mix, to whom the Professor also refers fur testimony in the same connec- tion, was absent from the fort on the Black Hills expe- dition, General Bradley furnished the Commissioners a|military escort under command of Major Vroom, a dashing young cavalry officer. From Cheyenne to Fort Laramie, a distance of nearly 100 miles, there is no ne- cessity for an escort, because hostile Indians are seldom Seen in that section, and there is more or less constant traffic on the road; but from Fort Laramie to Red Cloud, nearly an equal distance, it is considered safer to have some protection against any roving bands of those Northern tribes who refused their assent to the treaty under which the remainder of the Sioux consented to accept this reservation as the limits of their home and hunting grounds. While the Commissioners are willing to give their services in the interest alike of the Great Father at Washington and the ‘noble red man,” they do not seem disposed to give their scalps to be dangled from poles at some future war dance as evidence to other Indians of some savage warrior’s prowess. Be- tween Fort Laramie and Red Cloud they met General Crook, commanding the Department of the Platte, re- | | { | | | | | | | \ | | | turning with a company of cavalry from @ trip to the | Black Hills. So, after several days of dusty travelling and several | nights of camping out on the open prairie, the “outfit” @f the commission, consisting of a few wagons and sad- dle horses, accompanied by the cavalry escort, came ‘winding along the valley of White River toward the Red Cloud Agency. The tepes of the Indians near the road- side and on the slopes of the sand hills which wall the | valley gave those members of the commission to whom the sight was novel their first opportunity of seeing Something of Indian camp life in its real character. Browned by the sun and covered with dust, the party alighted at the agency. All the Commissioners and their attachés are in excellent health and spirits, and seem to havo easily adapted themselves to the ways and means of “roughing it” on the plains, far from civilized settle- ments and lines of railroad. The four Commissioners who are here are ex-Governor Thomas C, Fletcher, of Missouri, chairman; Hon. B. W. Harris, member of Congress from Kast Bridgewater, Mass. ; Hon. Charles J. Faulkner, member of Congress from Martinsburg, W. Va, who was our Minister to France under Buchanan’s administration, and Professor G. W. Ather- ton, of Rutgers College, New Brunswick, N. J. So far as I have seen of these gentlemen and their doings—and I have been with them all the whilo—they are animated by one sentiment, and that is a de- | sire to perform the duties assigned them without fear | or favor, and with a proper appreciation of the inpor- tance of the trust confided to them. Each in his pri- | vate and public sphere has a well won reputation to | preserve, and all have the additional inventive of a pub- | lic confidence in their fuirness and titness for this special service which no unworthy motive could tempt them to impair, There have been rumors that Senator Howe, of Wisconsin, and Hon. Wayne McVeigh, of Pennsyl- vania, were coming out to join the party as additional Commissioners; but nothing authentic has been learned about them, and no word whatever has been heard from them thus far. Govenor Fletcher, Mr. Faulkner | and Mr. Harris originally constituted the commission. | They were appointed by the Secretary of the Interior upon the nomination of General Clinton B. Fisk, chair- man of the Board of Indian Commissioners, and they Teceived their instructions from the Commissioner of Indian AMairs at Washington, But inasmuch as Pro- fessor Marsh's charges implicate both the Commis- wioner of Indian Afuirs and the Secretary of the In- terior, it seems that the Presid@ht subsequently ap- pointed the additional Commissioners above named— | Sot because of any want of coutidence in those first ap- | pointed, but to relieve the Secretary from any suspi- cion of having appointed @ commission to vindicate himself und his department. Professor Atherton is the only one of the additional Commissioners who has ar- rived. NHWS PROM THR NORTHERN INDIANS, ‘The news of the arrival of the Commissioners acon Spread‘from lodge to lodge and from caimp to camp. Early on Sunday morning they received an informal visit from Sitting Bull, Old Man Afraid of iis Horse, and Turkey Logs, all of whom are woll known chicts. They said 4 messenger had just arrived with the intell: fence that Lone Horn and several of bis soldiers had been killed ina fight between tho Northern Indians und the Crows, The messenger also brought favorable Intelligence from the detachment of Sioux which has | fone from this place to invite the Northern Indians to come in wad participate in the coming Council for the Cension of the Black Hills, The Commissioners in- | formed them that the white men (the miners) who had | gone thore withuut authority had consented to come | back and await the conclusions of the Council, and Sit | Ying Buil replied that that would please bis people very | much. ! RED CLOUD AGENCY | fe located on & commanding site, in the White River | Valley, and Camp Robinson, tho military post, is a mile and a half above hore on the river bank, At this point the valley is from eight to won miles wide; the ascent on either side is crowned Ly white chalk bills, of irregular forwation, which give variety to the view, The agency Dulidings ure of wood, built in an enclosure 2002400 feet, surrounded by u stovkade ten feet yigh. They con- ist of a warehouse 100250 fect, with an 1.00x20 leet; a barn 100x20 feet; threo offices 16 feet square; four rooms, 16 feet square, tor employ house 16x30 feot, and the agent's 5x0 feet and two stories bigh = The boundaries of the reservation ‘were settled by the treaty of 1568, and embrace a large tract of country, including the luck Hills region Recently, however, for a consideration of the | value of $25,000, to Le paid in horses, cows aud | wagons, the Indians resigned their rights to the laud within Nebraska | vw INDI. AND THKIN CHIPS. ‘The tribes of Indians on the reservation are the Sioux, Arapahoes and Cheyennes. Tho remuants which now | femain of those once humerous aud vowerful peopls | quarters; a mess | are authorized to take part are divided into dit it bands, each band having its acknowledged chief.’ By virture of inheritance they claim this section of country as theirown, The white man had pushed them westward thus far, and here they are anxious to remain; so that, while they may move their tents with every moon, there is certain range which they are tenderly attached to as their home. Red | Cioud is chief of all the Sioux, Black Coal of the Arapa- hoes and Little Wolf of the Cheyennes. There is much difference of opinion as to the actual number of Indians at this agency, The Sioux claim about 10,000, the Arapahoes 2,000 and the Cheyennes about the same. In round numbers these are about the official figares upon which the supplies granted by our government are intended to be furnished. The Indians bave an intense antipathy to being counted, partly superstitious and partly politic; for an accurate census might materi- ally reduce their rations. One of Professor Marsh’s j charges is that the number is over-estimated by the agent for purposes of fraud; but, however that may be, it is | not easy to get at their actual numbers. Army officers believe the present estimate of about 14,000 as too high by at least one-third; and that is one of the points of inquiry on the part of the Commissioners. What are now known as the Northern Sioux are a company of several hundred.wild young men from these different bands, with Black Twin, Crazy Horse and Little Big Man as their leaders, who rove around the country | north of here hunting buffalo, antelope and deer, and | lighting their enemies, the Crows, They seldom come near the ageney; but they generally manage, if possi- to have representatives here on issue days. It is only a few years ago since Red Cloud himself was at the head of his followers on the warpath in the north, and at first refused to come into Fort Laramie to make the treaty now in force. Old Man Afraid of His Horse (which means that his enemies are afraid not only of himself, bat of his horse) was then grand chief of the Sioux, and Red Cloud, head soldier of the Ogallala band, was the great warrior of the tribe. Red Clond’s pertinacity brought him into prominence, He was at last won over by presents, and, having for the time over- shadowed his superior, he was recognized by our gov- ernment as the leader of the Sioux. He was a powerful soldier and is something of a statestiman—rather, I should say, more of a politician—for, while he is saga- cious, he is crafty, not over-truthful, disposed to double dealing, and does not command the full confi- dence of either his own people or the white man. Young Man Afraid of His Horse (son of Old Man Afraid) is now the most popular Indian on the reservation. If he chose w assume the place of chief the tribe would willingly sustain him, At present he is absent, en- deayoring to induce the Northern Indians to come into | the Council to be held with reference to the cession of the Black Hills region. Red Cloud belongs to the band known as the Bad Faces, Old Man Afraid has retired from active service. His long black hair has turned to iron gray, and time has ploughed deep furrows in his | features, He likes the whites, and has been constant in his attendance around the quar ters of the Commissioners, The chiefs of he other bands of Sioux are Blue Horse, Chief of the Loafers—those who hang around and beg about the agency; Fast Thunder, Chief of the Roasts—those who cook their meat; Lite Wound, Chief of the Cut-off band—some who bad cut off from the Ogallalas and gone south to hunt buifalo along the Republican River; Sitting Bull, Young Man Afraid of His Horse, Red Leaf, Day, White Cow Killer, Yellow Hair, High Wolf, Face, | Red Dog, Big Crow, Big Foot, Black Hawk, No Water, White Tail, Slow Bull and Long Wolf being the chiefs of the remaining bands, Long Wolf represents the balf- breeds and scattered Sioux. Among them are one or two families who claim kinship with the late Confeder- ate General Garnett, of Virginia. ‘The principal sub-chiefs of the Cheyennes are Black Horse, Two Moons, Big Ghost, Sitting Bear, Dull Knife, Elk Eyes, Old Bear, Turkey Legs and his brother, Calf | Skin Shirt. ‘The sub-chiels of the Arapahoes are Plenty Bear, Six Wings, Sharp Nose, White Breast, Sor- | rel Horse, Blind Bear, Shield, Feather on the Head, and Eagle Dress, who is also known as Crazy Bull. The | property of all these Indians consists principally of their personal effects and camp equipage, but especially of their ponies, of which itis supposed they possess from fifteen to twenty thousand, THE OMAUA DANCE, Yesterday the Commissioners had an opportunity of witnessing an Indian dance, The Omaha dance is a social festival, and none but good Indians and brave in it, The ‘occasion afforded an excellent illustration of the curious custom and barbaric splendor of the race. Face, chief of one of the bands of Sioux, was master of the dance. The Commissioners occupied seats under a canvas shade erected within the ageney enclosure. At the ap- pointed hour the shouts of the squaws and soldiers an- nounced the approach of the procession, The gates of the courtyard were thrown open and in the Indians | rushed, some on foot and some on horseback, the air resounding with their shouts. The squaws took up po- sitions on three sides of the enclosure, while the braves, who constituted the musicians and the dancers, | dashed into the centre. The drum was placed upon the ground, the musicians gathered round it and began to beat it with their sticks, while the dancers, dressed in all sorta of fantastic costumes, formed an outside circle in which they stamped and yelled, Red Cloud advanced and took a seat beside the Commissioners, under the shade, Sitting Bull, riding on a horse, was arrayed in all bis native grandeur, His body, bare to | the waist, was painted thick with yellow ochre, He wore green pantaloons covered with brass belis, and on his feet blue-beaded moccasins, His war bonnet, ex- | tending from his head down his back almost to the | ground, was a mass of eagle feathers crowned with deer horns, interspersed with other ornaments. His face ‘was painted with vermilion, and in his hand he carried 4 small edition of the Stars and Stripes. His horse was covered with yellow marks, which served to show the number of ponies be had stolen and of the men he had | Killed in battle, while a string of sleigh bells jingled | with the prancing of his horse around the circle. Sit- ting Bull is an excellent Indian, and a favorite with the President. The Man Who Strikes First, who is brother | to Sword, rode a horse whose back and flanks were | daubed with red. He wore blue pantaloons and a dirty | white shirt on the outside, His face was painted red | and yellow, he wore a splendid bounet of eagle feathers | and carried a lance in his right band. Tall Wild Cat was mounted and dressed in similar style, and carried | his gun on the pommel of his saddle, The older chiefs and head men of the different bands of Sioux sat on the | ground ina separate circle. ‘The dancers illastrated the | idea of perpetual motion, to the evident interest of all | concerned. Kicker’s face was painted green and red, & | ghastly combination; be swung his tomabawk in one | hand and & fan of eagle feathers in the other; he wore a | band of fur around his brow and bunch of eagie | thers on his ead, Guts had his body painted in | jow, with four hands painted in black, one on each | arm and two on his breast, His face was also painted | yellow with a black spot on either cheek. He wore a | parti-colored scarf around his waist, scarlet pantaloons | striped with blue, and carried a broadsword in hia hand, Long Dog was distinguished by his string of sleigh bells; hia Lair was painted gree das he daaced around he flourished a revolver in the wir. Charging Wolf, iu blue | pantaloons and cotton shirt, wore round his bead @ fancy sash with eagle feather, and carried bis tomahawk in his hand. Fire Crow had a @imilar headgear, brown | cotton stirt, scarlet pantaluons aud broad bands of fur around his arms. Wolf Road's body was painted yel Jow, like that of Guts, and was loaded down with bella. Young Crow had some idea of harmony of colors when he appeared tn green shirt and purple pantaloons; he had eagle feathers round his body, @ long fox tail was suspended from his cap, his face was painted yellow and bis general appearance suggested a tantastic “Heathen Chince’’ rather than a Sioux. Partisan Bear was nearly naked; one half his breast was painted red, the other half and his legs were painted brown, and ho wore beliind a massive bunch of feathers, formed like a | panier, The other soldiers who participated in the dan were attired in every imaginable variety of costume, with paint and bells and feathers and earrings and or- naments of shells in great profusion, in the progress of the dance Sitting Bull entered the circle, first on his horse and then ou foot, and recounted When the dance was ended some hix deeds of valor. presents were distributed and the father of American | Horse, who is the herald of the tribe, barangued the chiefs, tolling them to get ready tor the Council, THE COUNCH. WITH THK SIOUX, linmediately alter the dance the Council was held in the storehouse, within the agency grounds, Nearly one | | hundred chiefs and head meu of the Sioux wore present. ‘The Commissioners occupied seats at one end of the building, aud, sitting in order, beginning on their right, wero Red Cloud, Lite Wound, Conquering Bear, Red Leaf, Tali Lance, High Wolf, Old Mun Afraid of His | creek. | man who wants ty come out h During « pause | NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, AUGUST Horse, Sword ana Sitting Bull, who came in after the powwow had commenced, All these | sat on benches, while the other chiefs and head | men sat mostly on the floor around the room. While they were waiting for the formal opening of the Council & procession of the other soldiers who had participated | im the dance passed by the open doors, beating their | drums. There were several interpreters in attendance— | notably Jules Keoifee, William Rowland, Antoine Janis | and Leon F, Pallarday—so that there could be no com- | plaint on either hand on the ground of misinterpreta- | tion. Red Cloud expressed a preference for Louis Richard, but he was away in the Black Hills, Agent Saville and most of the employés at the agency were also present, In fact Red Cloud, when he arose to speak, first went near the door where several of the em- ployés stood and brought them in to witness what he had to say. Governor Fletcher, chairman of the com- mission, opened the Council by rising in the midst of those representative red men and addressing them as follows, Mr, Pallarday acting as interpreter :— GOVERNOR WLETCHER'S SPEKCH. We come here to see you and to talk with you, and we were selected for that purpose by the Great Father at Washington, not with the intention of making any treaties or bargains with you, or of getting you to agree to apything with us, but simply to talk with you. There are four of us here, Another (Senator Howe), a great white man, was to have been with us, but has not joined us yet; why, we do not know, We were sent here to talk with you and to learn from you if any per- son has ill used you in any manner, (How, how!) If the agent or any of the contractors who have been | employed by our government to furnish you goods and supplies have cheated you we want to lind that out. ‘And if we find that anybody has cheated you, given you bad rations or not given you enough, or has done you any wrong, we will have him punished for it by our law. (How, how!) We want you to talk with us as good friends, and tell us all about how you have been getting on and how you have been treated. The white man is very smart, you know; he will not only cheat Indians, but he will cheat white men, too, and we want ‘ou to tell us all about what has been done here. But it is only # few bad white men that would wrong you; the great body of the while men want you treated right, and we are here to represent them, You are men and so are we, and we want you to talk with us not only in Council, but us | one man talks to another about his aftairs, The Great Father and the white men want you todo well, want you to be happy, want you to be rich some time | Other, (“Ho You must learn the ways of the White man, You must learn to raise cattle and sheep, dnd then you will have great herds on the prairies that will be more ‘cattle and sheep than there are grass- hoppers on the plunsg When the Indian shall have his great herds of cattle and sheep them he will sell them to the white man to feed the white man as the white maa sends supplies to fecd the Indian now, The white men ure so many they have not got great prairies like these | to graze their cattle on; but they have to dig the ground to grow food for them, while here the cattle live om the open prairie. After 4 while, when the Indian has more herds of cattle, then he will send beef w the white man; when he has great herds of sheep then he ‘Will ake bis own blankets and he will seud his sheep and his wool to sell to the white man, and he will get in pay sugar, coffee, tobacco and everything else wants. Now,’ we want to talk with all of you, and w Want you to tell us freely all you know ubvut the man- agement of alfuirs out here, without fear of anybody. If we can do you any good we want todo it, That is What we came for; und that is all, (“How! how !”') RRD CLOUD's SPERCH. Red Cloud then replied as follows, Pallarday and Janis acting as interpreters: — ° My friends, you men that are sitting down here, do you ‘think that you will succeed im understanding What tell youy Muy the Great Father above look upon us all! ‘And what we are going to say, I hope you will look upon it well. You people that are here to-day have given ine this land that am ou at present, Aud you people who belong down yonder towards the sea, that country where you have been born and raised belongs to ‘ou; that is your country. I am one of the people who tell been gathered here from the four winds of heaven. But those old people you see around you here, the most of them have been raised im the country around Fort Laramie and on the River Platte, I have been working strong in years past against them—I mean the whites. ‘The builulo south and buitalo north, on both sides of us, that is the game that has brought our nation where it is | now. All those old people that were raised on the | Viatte called commissioners to come around and see us. They used to bring persons With them, | und give us guns and clothing, I thought if we moved our agency up here and would come injo this country we would succeed in getting more goods than we had been in the habit of getting there; but instead of that I succeeded backwards, and all the | time I get less of everything, Last fall when the annu- | ity goods came here ihere were only thirty-seven bales | of blankets for all these people, There were upwards of 300 of our people who did not get any; and everything else was short in proportion to the blankets, It is two | years since we have come here, and we have not got enough. We have had to divide with the Indians trom the North, and we have to divide with them still, and | that makes us short; so that the goods we get ure not enough for ourselves and them. Metore six months ex- | pire we are out of almost everything. When I went to | see the Great Father in Washington this summer he | told me that twelve months’ rations and twelve months’ annuity goods were seut to us 1 believe this myself, But 1 don’t believe whoever the Great Father has | to buy these goods and provisions to forward | to us here sends them out, 1 think there is | something wrong about that. When the goods ! those people to be away from there in five day | where we wer | eats good provisions, and I have usked Dut I want an old man about your age or a little younger, who has got a little gray hair on his head, ‘That 18 the kind of man I want.” He said, “All right, Red Cloud, go home, aud in about thirty days there will be an agent at your place.” Now, the question I want to ask, How is it? Iam notachild, I am look- ing for that agent to come, and I hope my Great Father 48 not going to deceive me, ‘That is all I have to say on that subject. That is what the next to my Great Father (the Commissioner of Indian Affairs) told me when I was in Washington, Iam going to lk to you now about our provisions, Over on the Platte, when Dr. Daniels was agent, we used to receive our rations every seven, cight and nine days, Here we would like to got them every ten days. I think if they were issued every nine or ten days they would last longer than if we drew them every seven days; I think we would save provisions by draw- ing them every ten days, instead of every seven days, which is the rule at present, We do not run around or go off anywhere, There are a great many of us here— the Ogallalas, the Wahashaws, the Cheyennes and the Arapahoes—a great many Indians here, and I wish, | after you get through, you would get in a wagon and go und see the number of Indians there is around here. Governor Fuxrcuen—We will do that, (How! how!) Rup CLovp—You Will see it is something like tho whites in the States, We have settlements like scat- tered towns; you have a good many women and chil- dren in those towns, and itis the same here with our bands and tribes, We are born all the same—the In- dians and the whites—born with five fingers on cach hand; born with face and eyes and ears, und mouth to speak. There is no difference in us at all; the women ard made alike, and the men are all made alike, they are all about the same. (How! how!’ and laughter.) Now as to those Black Hills, Our Great Father has got a great many soldiers, and I never knew him when be wanted to stop anything with his soldiers but he succeeded init. Tho reason I tell you that is that the people from tho States who have gone to the Black Hills are stealing the gold, digging it out and taking it away, and 1 don’t see why the Great Father don’t bring them back, Governor Fiwtcener—The Great Father bas ordered from now, and if they do not go he will bring them out with soldiers, (How!) Sitting Bull then arose, and, addressing himself to Oli Mau Afraid of His Horse, said to him:—“If there is anything that Red Cloud has said that you don’t hke getup und speak. These gentlemen have not come here for nothing.” But the old man made no reply ; ho sat in solemn silence, suggesting that sagacity for which he ig distinguished, and thereby assenting to Red Cloud's statements Governor Fixrcuea—If there are any others who would like to speak to us we will be glad to hear them, and to have them tell us all they wantand all they think about, The white man regards Red Cloud asa great Sioux, a great warrior, a wise man, and the white man listens to what Red Cloud says, unless somebody else has something more to say. If any have we would like to hear from them too. (‘How! how!) Old Man Afraid ot His Horse was invited to speak, but he declined, and Red Dog; about whom inquiry was made, was absent in the Hills. SPEECH OF LITTLE WOUND, Little Wound, however, came forward and indicated his desire to speak, He wore a cotton shirt, which a good washing might make white; a large silver cross around his neck, brass rings, with shell pendants, in his ears; blue pantaloons and @ blue blanket on his knees, He said:-— ‘As Old Man Afraid of His Horse won’t speak for him- self I will say a few words for him. Tam glad you have come here and come with the intention of seeing and hearing what is goingon. I understand you have come here to see about our annuity goods anil provisions— bacon, flour, coffee and bect—und I am glad that you have done it. Buck at our old agency on the North | Platte we built some adobe houses, We did not build. them for tun or to last for ouly a short time. There is ought up. Wien we were over there on the Platte we had Dr. Daniels for our Pather, and I told him often about our ideas and views with reference | to our agency. From there we came here and stick down to mark the land where to build the a : und we were promised thirty years’ provisions and an nuities. We all did not expect to live to see those thirty years, but our children would, and that is why | we were posted here; that is whut was told us when we | left there to como here. A little before we started from there we had councils, There were men | who came from the Great Father and had big talks | with us, and put their hands up to the Great Spirit | | above with us, und told us if we would come here they would build us big houses and fill them with provisions, provided we would move our agency here; but we have not seen that done yet, I want to say my’ Grent Father | Si things as rice and dried apples and sugar and cott tea and hominy—such things as you eat down yond but I dou’t sev any of them sent to us, and I dou'e see why we can’t live as well here as you’ do down there, trom the East come up to Cheyenne, there a portion of them is lost; and that I think i know imyselt. I have | no Jealousy against any one, nor do I wish to backbite | anybody; but what I see with my own eyes I wish to tell ‘The commissary man there (pointing to one of the employés) must not understand the weights. When he | gives rations to the old women and children he gives | them out by the shovel. That does not please me. My | father, sitting there (pointing to the agent), the young men you have employed at the herds have been drunk, and drinking for some time; and | understand some of the cattle have been stolen and traded off, As a Sioux | Indian I was brought up, with brains aud a heart, and | that is the way we are all brought up. ‘Those three men Sitting beside the agent (pointing to Dr. Suow, physician ut the agency; Mr. Gibbons, clerk, and Mr. Bosler, | brother of the’ beef contractor) are good men, 1 like | those men; they have fechngs aud a heurt; they are cinployed ‘here and they do what is right. The doctor | is 4 man who helps us wong a good deal; he doctors the women and children when they are sick and | dves very well by them. ‘The other mun is the clerk | here, and we have found nothing out of the way with | lun and everytuing has gone on all right, That other | toan (Mr. Bosier) isthe man who has brought cattle | here, and he has brought them here in time, | We have | nothing to say against him, Last winter Mr. Bosler came Very neur freezing im bringing cattle over, My | Father (pointing to Agent Saville), we don’t blame you | about our provisions and goods, because you don't buy them, They are bought by other purties east and sent | Ww you, but you ought to sve that they do well by us. ‘There is another thing I never did ‘lke, and 1 spoke about it when I was down east, and that 1s about the | soldiers being in this country, cainped ubove us on this | Itold my Father in Washington that we didn’t | want any soldiers here, that we didu’t need them, My | Father here (the Agent), I tell you to-day why the | Indians spoke about you. Las year you wanted to put | up wtiug here, and it did not please the nation, and | you camo very near haying good young men killed on Voth sides—whites and Indians; and since that the | Indians didn’t like that plan at all, and they have talked | ayuinst you, and that is the only thing that the Indians | did not like in you, Some yeurs ago we had officers tor | agents in this country beyoud here, on the Missouri | Kiver, and now that i3 a thing that we don’t want. I tell you now, and L have said It betore, that we don’t want any artuy olticer 4s an Indian wg ‘There are | plenty of meu in the country that you can get for | agents besides military men. We want a man close to | our Great Father's place, @ good man not anotticer, Wo | want some person WhO has the coutidence of the Great | Father in Waslington. We don't want as an agent any p to yet ric. We don't | want @ poor man as an agent, ‘That man that has been picking up boues in this country (Professor Mursl)y— | What is the reason he-did not oie bere with you? Governor Fiercuxk—Vrotessor Marsh told all these things to the Great Father and brought him the samples | of the things you gave him and showed them to him, | and the Great Father sent us here to seo about them. | Rup Crocp—My Father (to the Agent), lately I bave got jealous here. The reason why I got jealous was I went down to Spotted Tail Agency, and down there they | showed me # great deal of lumber, and the balf-breeds aud other people who are living with the Indians are putting up buildings, and so I got jealous, And the In- | dians themselves there have very uice houses too. | Mr, Haniis—Do your people want houses here? | Rup CLovp-—¥ea; some of the Indians would like to | have houses, but we cau't get lumber, I am going to | ask you a question now that you are all here together. | I went to see my Great Father and the Commissioner of | Indian Affuire this summer; there were a great many | persons present, and perhaps some of you were there, but I cannot recollect; I don’t remember secing any of | you there. There are 4 good many of us here who were there, We bad Mr. Hininan as our interpreter. What | | | Lhave been telling you to-day they questioned me upon | the same subject in Washington, and | told my Great Father then what I have told you here to-day, Aud he asked me if I had come with the intention of getting another agent. I kept still and did not say a word, and he repeated the question to me, and then I spoke to hit, and I told him this:—“My Great Father, you are sitting here with your people, You have told n vore when I came here that if my agent did not do right, and [ did not like him and the nation did not like him, you bad plenty more id you would give me another, You told me these words when I was in Washington before this, The reason why I have come here is that the agent we have got, it seems, | wnd myvelt don’t succeed in getting the necessuries for | my people, and that ts why I have come here to toll you, #0 that you can decide what to do about it,” Then he told me, “I will give you « father who will be abead | of all the fathers you 1 ever had.’ When be said that we shook hands together, wand all was right, It ‘wus the Commissioner of Indian Attuirs | bad this eon- versation with, 1 told him, “My Father, | don't want | @ soldier of agont, and I dou’s Want vrowsher as agent, | know this to be a iact, but 1 was bold so; I was gone for | 1 sald that tho Norihe | horses ople and Lain bere with my | when such things were promised io us. It seems that my Great Father decides to send us such stulf as we have been eating, and a great many small cattle—poor, small and lean,” We have never asked for any b@uns, 23, 1875.—TRIPLE SHEET. | universally believed by all, except those who are sup- | been to tind out, not so much what the frauds actually into send us such | P and have never asked for any American corn, We never asked for any pork—the pork is right yellow, and we never asked for that kind of pork. My Father (the agent) has told me that by gomg around and counting all the Indians in every lodge he could tell exactly how much rations to give and how much annuity goods they would have to re but it has not been done yet—we have not received cnough for the number of Indians that have been counted, Red Cloud told you that when you got through your business here you should go out and see how many Indians were here in our country; but after you see them you must not think that that is all of | the Indians, because there are a good imany who are not here now; about one-half of them have gone out hunt- ing. These young men you sce here, nearly all of them, are married men and have families, and they are almost in distress for want of lodgings. They have to doublo up, two or three families in one tent, in order to get shelter, We would like to have enough tents so that each family could have a tent. The blankets we get are not good. "1 was out south last winter after buffalo, and 1 traded for the blanket | have on me now, Most of those we got last winter have big holes right in the mid- die of them; they are burned where they are branded. ‘They told us when we moved here we were to get good clothes, such clothes as you wear—white shirts, trock couts und pants—but we don’t yet them. Now, my friends, I am going to ask you something. You ail uppear to be gentlemen and ince men, and I am very glad to see you. IWant to ask you this question in Tegard tu these poor people of ours who wre trading the beef hides that we get. We don’t get ull they are worth ; two and three dollars is wll we get, and [ ike you to tell us why we don’t get more. Another thing—in regard to our stopping of hunting in the south, When we sold our right to hunt we did not expect to sell the ground; at least that was not told us. We sold the right to hunt for $26,000, but not the ground. The reason why we accepted it was on account | of white people going in there and killing the buifulos | and throwing all the meat away; that is why we were iu such a hurry in accepting the offer. We told the Commissioners When we took this offer of $25,000 to buy us some wagons and horses and cows. I want to know now, if you can mform us what they cost. The wagons have not come; the horses and cows have. When we accepted it we were told they would bring us the ammount of $8,000 in cattle, wa; and horses ‘tor the Cut Off band (my band) and Ked Cloud $7,000 worth for his bund. The stock has come, but the wagons have not arrived I want to know if we have got the tnll amount of the $7,000 and the $8,000, We have received sxty-toor horses and sixty cows, We have louked at the cattle, aud they are not more than three or four years old, and frot tte size of should not think they would cost very toall—and could not have cost very much, *Some ot them are very wild and could not be broken, One of the horses we cannot go near at all; he will rush at usand bite us, There are tifieon young tnen of my people who have gone with the wtnissiouers to try to get the Northern Indians to come here to bold thi about the cession of the Black Hills, They went there with good intentions, 1 have wed my iifluence and have given twenty-five nts to ty the Northern Indians to induce hold the great Council bere, [wish I my Great Father about gmy giving these es; that lama poor man, and Tain using these tor him, The Commissioners have promised those young men & horse and saddle and bridle apiece for going alter the Northern Indians, but [ hope they are not purt of the sixty we have received (The agent here explained Uiat those Commissioners bad not promised each « horse and saddle and bridle, but bad told the Indians they would pay them for going.) Almost ull my young men ave gonu out to catch wild horses at the mouth of awoe Fork. When you see my people you may think they are very few, but you will know that most of them have gone oat ‘after ‘wild horses. About g {ug us rations every seven © amount is too small to last; it is small © n We yet ibevery ten days, I’ would like you to write to the Great Father and let him know this about the issue of our ra. | tious, that we would like to have them every ten days | instead of every seven days And [would like you to | send one man irom here to the cattle herd on Ule Nio- brara River and see them bring tle ini for issue, | ‘There will be cattle for issue here to-morrow, and I | think they will be the best cattle in the herd, and IL wish you Would send some one to see the remainder of the herd, The way they give the rauons here they just think we need only half a dollar's worth apiece, | Yhey must count us all for about halt 4 dollar's worth of rations each, and it may be lexs—a quarter of & dollar's worth, ‘Another thing—I have not seen it my: pelt, but have heard complaints by the women and children, that When the issues were given they would throw the corn nearly in their faces; they would issue it very roughly, and I wish you would see to that, ‘There wre a good many of the young men here who have been brought up ainong the whites, and the, derstand a govd deal of the English huguag hear the people at the issuing cursing a them « good deal, and we don’t like that, an 10 you will have it stopped, That is about all [have to tay; only here (in tne Warehouse) is the sugar and the flour, if there is any here now, and I would like you to look at it, Last wilter some of our people were stury- ing; When we got back trom Washington there were | some that were nearly starving, For myself I don’t | CHARGE 11.—NUMUEE OF INDIANS AT TINE AGENCY ovER- six or seven weeks, but 1 was informed of it by the peo- ple who were here. I hope betore you leave here you will bore a hole in these barrels of sugar and taste it, and see what kind of sugar it is; and that you will open asack of coffee und examine it; and if there is any flour like what we got hb look ut it; it was full of mice holes, I hope when you get back to my Great Father you will make a good report of this, and see that we get some white sugar instead of yellow sugar, and good provisions hereafter. Governor Fimrouxe—We want to talk with two or three of you by yourselves, and we will try to answer 4s best we can the questions you have asked. We want to talk privately with Red Cloud and a few others whom he may choose to bring with him, before we go away from here, whenever it suits their convenience. Red Cloud, Little Wound and other prominent chiefs then came forward and sbook hands with the Commis_ sioners, and the Council closed. COUNCIL WITH THB ARAPAHOKS AND CURYENNES It turned out that the Arapahoes and Cheyennes, who were not present at the council with the Sioux, de- sired to be heard in their own behalf, although they wished it to be expressly understood that they ull are friends aiid live here as one people. Accordingly a pow- wow was arranged for them this afternoon, The chiefs assembled in the agent’s oflice and Governor Plewher stated in substance what ho bad said to the Sioux, Black Coal responded for tho Arapahoes and Little Wolf for the Cheyennes, They said among other things, which are not material, that they wished to re- main in this section of the country, wished to wear clothes like the white men’s and wished facilities for } Taising stock and farming. THE VOX DANCR. Previous to the powwow there was a@ fox dance by the Ogallala Sioux. In its general appearance the scene was somewhat similar to that of yesterday. One essen- tial difiurence, however, was the use of firearms in the display of this afternoon, Most of the participants were those who had dancea the Omaha, and the fash- ions have not changed materially gince yesterdays The prevailing colors in the costumes were scarlet and yel- low. The wardrobe of some of the young warriors was extremely scanty, and while in some cases young men were covered from head to foot with feathers and all sorts of finery, in others tho only dress was a dirty shirt and arevolver. American Horse was grand mas- ter of ceremonies, and carried out the programme to the satisfaction of everybody. THR WORK OV THR COMMISSION, The Commissioners haye been hard at work examin- ing into the specific and general matters intrusted to them. But there are many obstacles to be encountered by this or by any commission appointed for a similar purpose. Ono of the chief of these, and one that showed itself at the outset, is the difllculty of obtaining trastworthy information upon which to form an intelli- gent judgment of the actual condition of affairs. It is posed to belong to the Indian Ring (of whoever that charmed circle may be composed), that there are irregu- larities and wrongs practised both upon the Indians and the government by interested parties; that the govern ment and its agents are imposed upon by the Indians, whose craftiness is characteristic, and whose dishonesty is proverbial; and that Indian agents are open to mis- Tepresentation by unsuccessful contractors and others who may be influenced by personal motives. If heads of departments, contractors, Indian agents, and aly those who are supposed to constitute the Indian Ring are really in collusion, in order to defraud the red men and the government for their own emolument, it {8 not an easy thing to expose a conspiracy of such magnitude, and so I say these Comn- missioners have undertaken to investigate an intricate and important subject, and thoy have set to work in earnest, with the evident intention, so far us their in- structions will permit, of making their investigation thorough and exhaustive, Already they have exam- ined nearly 100 witnesses, and no one knows how many more they intend to call, for they possess the ‘excellent virtue of keeping their own counsel, YROPESSOR MARSI’S CHARGES, ‘The specific charges of Professor Marsh are these:— I have no confidence whatever in the sincerity of the Secretary of the Interior or the Commissioner of Indian ‘Alluirs When they publicly announce their wish and de- termination to correct the ent abuses in Indian management, because I have reason to know that they have long been aware of these abuses, and have made } ho sincere effort to reform them. In wil my intercourse with these two oillicials their object’ has manilestly were, as the extent of my information concerning theni, so as’ to prevent by every means in their power ull pub- licity or exposure of them. The evidence now in an} ossession reflects unfavorably on both Secretary Del- ano and Commissioner Smith, In the statement which accompanies this letter I have given the results of my investigation into the as- fairs at Red Cloud Agency, the largest and most impor- tantin the West, These results clearly indicate both iismanagement and fraud, especially in the following particulars First—The agent, J. J. Saville, is wholly unfit for his position and guilty of gross frauds upon the Indians in | his charge. ond—The number of Indians at this agency has been systemutically overstated for purposes which cun ouly contemplate traud. Third—The lust issue of annuity goods, which I wit- nessed, ves = suspicious transaction, and, in part at julent. ‘The beef cattle giyen to the Indians have y interior, owing to systematic frauds practised by the agent and beef contractors, Fifth—The pork issued to the Indians during my visit was not suitable for human food. Sizth—The tour was very inferior and the evidence of fraud in this urticle is conclusive. Seventh—The sugar and coffee issued were not good, although better than the other supplies. Kighth—Thg tobacco observed wus rotten and of little or no use to the Indians. Ninth—1n coi of fraud and mismanagement, the Ludians sulleres ly during the past winter for want of food and clothing, Tenth—The coutract tor freight from Cheyenne to Red Cloud Agency was fraudulent; as the true’ distance is 145 miles, wuile the coutractor was paid for 212 mniles, ‘The Commissioners have taken a large amount of tes- timony bearing upon the allegations, and covering most of the points in Professor Marsh’s pamphlet, They have looked at the supplies and the mode of using them, and are still engaged in examining persons and papers in connection with the past management of affairs at Red Cloud Agency. Dr. Saville, the agent, was called before the Commissioners to-day, and previous to any oral cxamination presented the following answer to | Professor Mursh’s charges so far as they affect himself and his administration at the agency :— DR, Sav! CHARGK 1 —TH¥ INDI ANSWER, N AGKNT AT RED CLOUD AGENCY. Iu reply to this charge I will say in regard to Red Cloud's and Professor Marsh's opinion as to my vaeil- lating character, I huve noching to say, but leave it to the Comnissioners to apply to those who have had bet- ler opportunity of ascertaining as to my competen Professor Marsh had little opportunity and did not t advantage of what he had, to ascertain anything about imy method of dealing With Indians s to whether there ix uny system in ty management of affairs here, As tw the occurrence to which he refers in this charge which he an “act of folly,” I refer ty my letter to u Commissioner of Indian Allaire of October 1574. Upon referring to my abstract of is- I tind what Professor Marsh characterizes d is «clerical error, in the clerk placing the fig- cs Opporite the date of the Sth instead of the Ist of mber, as it she nore, that the wie do not and It the facts ed with the issue nd, ws a matter of fact, that all the je upon the first dates; but, as it will be ved, they are to date from the 8th to the Mth and from the 16th to the 22d, and so on, and that the issues de on cither of Lhe days between these two dates ; insues of beet are always made on diferent m the days fr dates rej suns of ott nt the vations, and that these of days for which the | uring the quarte | yur parts and ‘these the beef has always month's issue be entered on the abstracts, en issued ever any charge to the seven or eight days? 1s Further, in regard to the holding of rations, I refer w my telegram to the Commissioner of Indian Attars of October 19, 1874. In reply to the allusion to the re- port of Inspector Hevier I refer to may Vet Novem: | wer 13, 1Si4. Ln relerence to Professe Visit to this agency I refer to my month! missioner of Indian Aftuirs for November, 1874. Herctofor ten days, the Indians having tirmly KSTIMATE Twill state that this charge has been a constant complaint of ail taultinders ever since T have been at u suey, and there has been no time since I have e but what Ihave earaestly endeavored to ob- the correct number of Indians to be fed at the snd there has constantly been a resistance on | partot the Indians to allow their correct number to | be known, thas been the source of the greatest part | of the dilliculties which L have encountered in my work hore, For a detailed statement of this question I will | refer to my letter two the Commissioner of Indiwn | Aflairs under date of September 1873, also”) to my report of the number of Indidns_ receiving ; also to | , 1873; w letter of | r of Indian Affatrs, Jetober LY, | ission rations at this agency a report of veet braary 2, 74, to th Jom ta ission And tettors of February 14, Mai I874, wnd telegram of the sume date U : er of Indian Atfairs, and to corre with Major | Mears; also to letter of November 3, 1874, and the state. | ment of the uumber of Indians. by. actual count, made under date of Novernber 13, Lyd. 1 will farther reply that Professor Marsh ty incorrect in his statement that | “were in camp Within Jadians a short distance of the one ‘on the north side of White River." I stated tl ‘they were camped on & creek bee eed the Bad Lands, where he wished to go for bones, anf this statement I gave from information re- ceived from Indiuns, Professor Marsh's estimate of the number of Indians at this agency is purely conjec- ture, he having vo means of ascertaining the trath of any such statement, CHARGE 1. —I88UE OF ANNUITY GooDs, Professor Marsh’s quoting of the supposed words of Red Dog only shows his ignorance of Indian character and the situation of affairs at the agency, aud illustrates the worthlessness of all his observations while here, If ho had gohe w the other head inen who were receiving annuities and made inquiries of them, they would prob- ably have assured him Dog was getung much more than his share and they were getting much less than theirs, and that their complaints of the small num- ber of blankets were what would always occur under any circumstances, But, as a matter of fact, the Ln- dians did not get enough: goods for the number receiv- ing, and this fact was duly reported by me tothe de- be went, Iwill further say that this wflidavit of Louis tichards is @ characteristic One, and shows how easy it 18 (ur designing persons to obtain affidavits from such men as Richards about things of which they know little or nothing. Of the evidence in regard to the number of blankets issued, I shall present ny books and papers, bills of Jading'of the railroad and of the freighters at Cheyenne to the agency, and the testimony of the employés wha ussisted in iasuing them, and of Red Cloud and other Tudians who received the goods. I further state that my returns show that there were hiety- seven, bules is- sued, and not thirty-five, as Professor Marsh states, I can say that I have never observed that the stamp had injured the blankets, and have never heard any complaints in regard to it; but that 1s a question be tween the department and the contractors and lor whieh Tam not responsible. I will say here, in regard to the protest against the manner of the issue, that it has always been customary to issue goods of this kind in this umanner in one day, and that the Indians would not receive them in ang other way if 1 had attempted to issue them different) In regurd to the time of delivering the goods I w state that the lirst goods received at Cheyenne wad Be] ber 20. These were immediately louded, and the lirst received at the agency was October 6, the last blankets arriving at the agency October 26, and thoy were then withheld by order of the Commissioner of Indian Aifairs, which order was issued at my request in order to compel the Indians to submit to be counted, which I had been so long endeavoring to accomplish, CHARGE 1V.—PRAUDS IN BEER CATTLE, ‘The first statement in this charge which affects me are the words of Professor Mursh given as uttered uy me, and which convey 4p incorrect idea of what I said to him, Ltold him that Idid not remember distinctly the “tucts about the was that — there of eighty and two of them at least were yearlings, had not been received trom the contractors, And this indefinite statement Professor Marsh tortures into his positive statement which I corrected twice; once in presenco of Bishop Hare, when [accused him of pervert- ing my words, Yet after this correction he publishes thia incorrect statement as quoted trom me, On my retura to the agency | found the facts as follows:—Two of the eight cattle referred to by Professor Marsh were milch cows, one of them belonging to Mr. Reel, living near Cheyenne; the other a cow which the ‘herders had anilked ali’summer, and the remaining six were a part of thirteen head which I bad rejected, and which, in- stead of being taken, as usual, out of the corral by the Indians, had gone to the range with the herd, Some of these cattle were killed on the range a ae the case with the milch cows, but none of them were tssued to the Indians as beef, us I have never issued any such cattle to them. "As before stated by me under the head of charge first, the issue represented on the abstract opposite the dates of the Sth to the 15th should be opposite the dates of the Ist to the 7th, the issue there represented having taken place on the 2d of November, as is shown by ny books, the cattle which appear oh the papers as re maining on hand being # portion of those which had lett the herd, us reported September 28, and which had not yet been returped by the contractor, The reason that they were carried forward on the 8 was/that it had not yet been satisfactorily settled that they bad returned to the contractor's herd, and I carried them on my papers until this should be determined and tho cattle returned, CHARGE V.—PORK ISSUED AT THY AGENCY, Professor Marsh says the method employed in dis- tributing this article to the Indians was characteristic of the management of afluirs at this agency—:"Phe baz. Tels of pork were rolled out of the warehouse by one of the employés, the head of the barrels knocked ‘tn with an uxe und the contents turned upon the ground, The pieces of pork were then given to the Indians who were Waiting for it without being weighed or any other meas- ures being taken to insure & just distribution.” This tg a fair sample of the wiltul misstatements throughout all these charges, Professor Marsh saw one barrel of pork roiled out to 4 band which was large enough to receive 200 pounds. By their request the barrel was knocked open and they distributed it among themselves, All the rest of the pork was issued inside the warehouse through an opening into another room, into which the Indians came to receive rations. As Professor Marsh had wu opportunity of going into the warehouse and seeing the issue I therefore charac torize this statement, so tar as it represents it as being the usual manner in Which pork was issued, us, to say the Jeast, negligently incorrect. The pork’ was sweet and gi but Was prime mess pork, composed of shouk ders and sides, cut up and pee ie together, As the Indians use pork mainly for the grease, and did not uo- derstand how to cook this kind of pork, they cut off the fat and threw the lean away: As soon'as I ascertained this I stopped the issue and reported the tacts to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Subsequently when the Indians learned how to cook the pork they sought it with avidity and used it all up. 5 In regard to this I refer to my report to the Commis sioner of Indian Affairs, under date of November 13 and December 7, 1874. In these reports it will be seen that ‘the reasons given for the pork being untit for the use of the Indians is because it is lean, and not because the pork is of bad quality, CHARGE VL—VLOUR ISSUED AT THE AGENCY. Tn regard to this I have to say that the tlour, with a few exceptions, was put up in double sacks, and equal to the samples upon which the flour was purchased. I Will say that there was a part of the flour in the ware- house without the fMspector’s brand, the reason for which I gave in the correspondence with the Commis- sioner of Indian Affairs, and in explanation I will give the reasons in detail. In consequence of the appropria- tions not having been made until the last of the session of Congress the contracts could not be filled, or com- mencod, until about the Ist of August. Being out of flour at the agency I notified the contractors to im- mediately deliver flour, and on that notice flour was sent in by the contractor, which had already been manufactured, he not having time to make the flour and lmarkoit as required; that no inspector was appointed to inspect it, and I was instructed by the Com- missioner to keep samples of the flour, which should be sent to the agency for eee ih and if equal to the sample to be sent from New York that I should receipt for the flour. Under this press of eircum- stances I ordered the flour to be sent to the agency, although it did not comply with the particular clause relating to the marks on the sacks, believing that the exigencies of the ease justified me in so doing, I deny that any considerable portion of the flour was inferior to the sample, and for the evidence of which I refer to J. y. French, W. L. Coakley, inspector, and to others at the agency, who had the ‘andling and issuing of the flour, Talso refer toJ. W. French as evidence that Dr. Irwin, agent for the Shoshone Indians, said that the flour was good enough for him and his Indians, and I further state that I was not at Cheyenne at the time Dr, Irwin was there. Talsodehy that I told Professor Marsh, at any time, that any of the flour in- gpected by Barclay White was “very poor,’ but 1 stated that some of it was, in’ my opinion, in grade below that of the sample. ‘I further stated thas the flour was good tu quality, In explanation of the fact that flour was shipped ‘to the Red Cloud Agency Without inspection by Mr, Coukley, I will state that the flour having been received at the warchouse with the brand of a regular inspector upon it, the storekeeper 1 ferred that that inspection Was sufticient, and therefo forwarded a portion of this flour thus inspected to u agency; that subsequently an order came from Assist- ant Secretary Cowen that this tlour should be rein- spected by Mr, Coakley, and all flour shipped to the agency after the receipt of that order was inspected vy Mr. Coakley, Before [ received notice of the order tor the flour to be reinspected the greater portion of the flour inspected by Barelay White, and which had not been inspected by Mr, Coakley, had been issued to the Indians, Upon an examination of that in the ware- houses I found the proportion of that which I consid- ered inferior to the sample was 30 inconsiderable that I did not deem it necessary to report upon it. CHARGE Vil. —SUGAR AND COWPEE. I will say that the sugar and colfve issued at the Red Cloud Ageney Was a fair article of brown sugar and Rio coftve, samples of which | will present to the comumis- and verify them by the evidence of the em- ployés at the agency I will say that I value of tobacco, The samples of every lot of tobacco that has been issued since | took charge of this agency, whieh I will present to the commission that they may form their own com- clusions, CHARGE 1X.—SUPFERING OF TH® INDIANS DURING THM PAST WINTER, That there was some suffering among the Indians at this agency last winter is not denied. The winter waa excessively cold and the amount of clothing distributed tu the Indians was not more than ough for the number that were here to receive it. amount of | supplies, with the exception of beef, was not sutlicient, The reasons tor this short supply are mainly aturibute ble to the miluel of such meddlers as those who bring these charges. They are filling the newspapers ‘such assertions a8 that contained in charge 2—that wi there were 8,400 people at the agen a, by actual count, there are shown to have been over 12,000 people he ‘his constant ery of overestimate of the num bers and fraud, &¢., has had the offect to cause Congress to Teduce the appropriations for the sustenance of the Indians, while trom the destruction of game the number of Indians to be fed and clothed is i creasing every year, Unless Congress supplies the de- ficiency the same thing will occur next winter, for the ut of supphes now purchased will not be sufficient wed the number of Indians which are now and will bo at the agency during the winter longer than antl the last of February, Another serious evil arising trom this 1 the plea of these persuns to teach Thdians the want of supplies is due to the dishonesty of the t, causing them Ww become discontented and de ying the influcnee of the agent, however honesuy ad, and thereby defeat the purposes of bie poley of aching the Indian to become self-supporting. T have contined my answers to such portions of these charges as are direct and spoeitic, the greater portio ig assumpuions and inferences whi dior publications to intiuen wotdcem it necessary to reply ta exer thens in this © I herewith subunit my olticlai reports and letters bears ing upon the varius sabjects relorred to aud the evie deuce of disinterested persons who are inost tainiliar ‘With the tacts, Very respectfully, your obedient ser. a,b SAY! United diatos Indian Avonk