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Show thesegoods should be forwarded by mule trains insteadof by oxen,ia considered a good one, and by adopting this course, and by greater cam in the shipment from the frontier, I think that all cause for dissrttisfactiou cnn be avoided. Agent Head is of the opinion that ultimately the bands of Utes, now in New Mexioo, mu he concentrated witb the Tabequaebes to advantage. Agvnt Oakes's report as to the Grand river and Uintch bands is very brief and nnsatisfactory, his aonnexion with tbem having been very abort. He bad charge of a small n u m b of friendly Arapahoes at Camp Collins before being appointed to this agency, but the Arapahoe8 left him and joined the war parties to the wrth in the early spring. He reprewnts the Indians of his present cbarge as very penceable and friendly, and anxious to go upon a reservation. At the latest dates he was engaged in exploring the country in search of a snit-able place for snch reservation. A new agent has been appointed by the President to the Upper Arkansas agency, heretofore filled by Mr. Colley, until it was finally broken up a year ago Inst summer by the Indians of his charge joining witb the northern Sioux and others in hostilities against the whites. The various circumstances leading to this disastrous occurrence were detailed in the itnnual report of last year, bat ' no official account has ever rencbed thia office, from its own proper sources, of that most disastrous and sltamefnl occnrrenoe of' all, the massaere of a large number of men, women and children of the Indians of thia agency by the troops under command of Colonel Chivington, of the United States volunteer eavalry of Colorado. Certain facts are apparent from the documents accompanying the re-port of last year, and others have been detailed in a report to Co n g~s sa,n d these show that di~riagth e spring and summer of last year persistent efforts were made by a part of these Indians to make peace, which efforts were repelled by some of tbe military &?en, ; and that when aeveral hundred of them had come in to a place designated by Governor Evans as -a rendezvous for those who would eeparate themselves from the hoetile parties, theee Indians were set n on and bntchered in cold blood by troop in the mrvice of the United States. $he few who escaped to the northward told a story which effectually prevented any more advances towards peace by sach of those bands as were well disposed, ex-cept that during the last spring Roman Nose, an Arapahoe cbief, sent word to an officer at one of the posts that he was anxiona to obtain permission to live with his people in a locality in the vicinity of the Little Chug river. Governor Evans advised this office of the fact, and some correepondenee took place npon the subject, but before any interview could be had with thc chief, General Don-n ~ r ' sc amoaien commenced. A co~~siht~blenmonnmtoofn ey had knexpended at thelastmsntianedapcy for pr l iuj~~rnhut ildiugs, and for an extenei~auceqwin,o r diteh,fur thc purpose of inllrrii:itl.r the lauds fdr cultiration. 1Iow far tlrin exuenclirure has bten made nna&ilaile for agency purposes in future by dam%& done by the Indiana or others vre have no means of knowing at present. Several bands of these Ara-nahoes and Cheveunes went south &d &t, and took refi~eea mone the Kiowas ind 0omanches:of Agent Leavenworth's ;herge, and were rep&ented at the council which was held at Bluff creek, in southwestern Kansas, in the early part of this month. That commission, tihe history of which is more particularly given nnder the head of the Central Superintcndency, after being in session ahout a fortoigbt, had succeeded, as stated in another part of this report, in ne-gotiating a trcat,y with the Arapahoes and Cheyennes of this agency, numher-ing 2,800 ; and they have agreed to use their utmost endeavors to bring in those of the Upper Platte who have been associated with the Sioux and other hostile Indians in the northwest, having already sent ont runuers to illform them that neace had been offered them. The Anaches. too. leavine the Kiowas and ~omancherh, ad given their assent lo this rrmty, atld confedelated with the Ara-pahoes and Cheyennes, tho new combi~~utiobne ing de~iguateda s ' thc confrd- |
