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Show REPOW OF DAKOTA BUPEBINTENDENCY. HEALTH AND MEDICAL SUPPLIEE. The general health of the Indians is good; they complain of but little siokness; most of thoee who are tick dil, and from chronic disease. The mortslity has been small among adults, greater among children. Two Indians ha-re been killed by other Indians and one by accident. Nophysieisn has bsen furnished this agency. The tearher h a a h ~ dc harge of the few medi-cines on hand srd hsl cared for the sick. The medical supplies sent last November for the gear haw past ale still lgiog in the milroad depot at Rawlins awaiting transportation. Very reqectfully, your obedient servant, E. A. DANFORTH, United States Indian Agent. The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. OFFICE OF INEIAN AFFAIRS, DAKOTA SUPERINTENDENCY, Yankton, Oak., August 27, 1877. SIR: In compliance with your oirenlar letter of August 13, I submit the followinp re ort 5 w& appointed snperiotendent of Indian affairs, Dakots superintendency, in April last, and under orders from the Indian Bt~reau established mg office in Ysnkton, capital of Ds-kats Territory, during the same month. My first duty helng to visit the agencies already established,and to obtain suitable iocs-tirns forspotted Tail and Red Cloud, to heremoved from Nebraska, I commenced st Yank-ton sgene on ths east bsnk of the Misaaori, about 60 miles ahore Ysokton, and ended at ~tanding%ock,84m iles below Bismarck. Both benks of the river between thepointsnsmed, s distance of about 600miles, had been looked over for agencies thst now contain something over 8,000 Indians. I found myself called on to provide homes for 13.000 Indians on the west bank alone. I seleoted Yellow Medicine River, 970 miles above Yankton, for Spotted Tail, sod Moreau Rimer. 435 miles above Ysnkton, for Red Claod. 1 was unable to have Mores,, examined. The lacatioos finally decided on were Old Ponca agency, on the west bsnk of the Mia-souri, 60 miles above Yanktan, for Spotted Tail, and Yellow Medicine for Red Cloud. The lands on Ponea reserve, sbaot 96,OOU aorna, sre among the very beat in Dakots far eitber agrioulturs or stock-rsising.with enough timber, and, considerlog the water-fronts and bottom lsods on the Niobrers. Ponra, sod Missouri, this reserve is the best an the river. The location ou Yellow Medicine, being farther west, is subject to mare frequent and esrlier droagbt. The lsods are fertile, and should the rain-fall ever become sufficient, there is eoough farming land for the whale Dakots nation. I t has enough timber and sgaod permanent landing. The oldest established agency is Yankton, Rev. J. G. Uasmsoo, agent, 80 miles by water, ti5 by land, aboveYankton, being an the east bank of the Missouri. The reservehas hound-aries, and cuntsins 400,0(10 sere8 of good lend. All the agencies now below Bismarck might be consolidated on this withoot hardship, if the present system of feding is to he sd-hered to. Tha progress of many of the Indians on this azenoy is sufficiantlp marked to set at rest the question of our ,abiiity.to settle them in homes, and in the course of time to teach them religion and oivilized bahite. Greater advance has been made on thisagency than any other, but the Indisos have been quiet and fcee from conteot with wlld tribes for many gears longer than st the other ageoeiea. Progress hsa been individual rsther than general; but khere so many individuals have shaken off the idle, vicious wags of the wild tribes, and have received and profited by religious instruction and learned to work in shop and field, it is only a question of time snd perseverance when 811 will follow their example. The biehop of the diocese (Episcopal) has his residence an :his agency, with a church and sehaola for hogs and girls, all of which show suoosrsful work. The Congregationalists also have a church here in sucoesafui operation. The neat agency, Lower Brul.4, Henry Gregory, agont, is on ths west bank of the Mis. sauri-buildings 8 miles nbose Whits River and about 200 miles above Ysnkton. The great majority of the Indisns at this ageney hsve made little progress beyond becoming quirt. 1 must here aak the appreciation of the Department of that apparently small move in the right direction. It is really a great advance for Iudians to quit violence and habits which,frum our etand-poiot,are dangerous and vicious. In civilization progress is iodi-vidual and confined to a few, but the dis osition exists, and enough has been done to en. courage and justify further exertion. T R ~la nd8 me good, with timber enough; landing shifting. Noeood reason enn he given whg this agency should be kept up unless more poo-ple are located thereon. It should he broken up, or same other agency oonsolidated with it. |