OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF TEE COMHISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 47 during the last spling, assured this office that the Indians had promised him to keep away from the'emigrant road, and abstain fromhostilities; but it was only by great efforts, in which the agent was assisted by Hon. J. R. Doolittle, then acting as one of the congressional Committee of Investigation into Indian matters, who was furnished with special authority from the department for the purpoee, that a collision between these Indians and the military was prevented, and an arrangement was finally made by which a formal conference for treaty purposes was agreed npon, to-take place on the 4th of October, instant, and for which purpose a mixed c'ommission of civilians and military o5cers was appointed to attend on the part of the government. This commission comprises the agent, Colonel Leavenworth; the superintendent of the Kansas tribes, Thomas Mnr-phy, esq.; James Steele, esq., detailed from this office; Brigadier General Sanhorn, commanding themilitary district; and &fajar Bent, an old resident of the Indian country. Major General Harney, of the commission to the southern Indians, was also present as a commissioner with this party. The party from Leavenworth left that place late in September, taking with them a large amount of goods provided for these Indians under the treaty, hut which had been re-tained pending the question as to their connexion with the hostilities npon the plains. The Kiowas had in 1862 an estimated population of 1,800, the Comanches 1,800, and the Apaches 500, making 4,100 in all, included in this agency. With these Indians are a large number of Arapahoesand Cheyennes, parties to the treaty of Fort Wise, although a portion of them fled northward after the Sand Creek massacre, and joined their people connected with the Upper Platte agency. Several communications have been received from the commission m rate to, and since their arrival at the place of rendezvous, which appears to have been finally fixed at a short distance above the mouth of the Little Arkansas river; and, under date of October 23, General Sanborn telegraphed that a treaty had been concluded with the Arapahoes, Cheyennes, and Apaches, and that the Kiowas and Comanches had sent out runners to bring in several white captives which they held, and that on their return a treaty, the terms of which had been agreed upon, would he concluded with the last-named tribes. By later advices, which have just been received, I learn that the prisoners alluded to had been brought in, and a treaty had been concluded with the Kio-was and Comanches, the Apaches preferring to join with the Arapahoes and Cheyennes, by which they have agreed to accept a reservation south of the Arkansas river, and leave unmolested, so far as they are concerned, the great travelled routes across the plains. So soon as I am in possession of all the facts I will lay this treaty before you, with a special report.* NORTHER3 SUPERINTENDENCY. As constituted at the date of the last annual report from this office, this sn-peridtendency comprised the various bands of Chippewas in Minnesota and Wisconsin, together with the Sioux and Winnebagoes who had been removed tp the reservation at Crow Creek, in Dakota Territory; the Winnebagoes, how-ever, having already migrated to the Omaha reservation, in Nebraska Terri-tory. The headquarters of the snperintendent were at St. Panl, Minnesota, Clark W. Thompson, esq., being the incumbent of the office. Early in the last summer changes were made, by which the agencies at Bayfield, Wisconsin, for the Chippewas of Lake Si~perior,a nd at Crow Wing, Minnesota, for the Chip-pewas of the Mississippi, kc., became independent, and reporting directly to this ofice; and the Sioux remaining at Crow Creek were transferred to the Da-kota superintendency ; and the northern superintendency as now constituted. |