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Show Every species of fraud and deception was resorted to to mislead them. They were gravely told that the government was at an end; that they would never be pdd their annuities; that this city had been captured; that the United States . government was overthrown; and, in short, that their only hop'e for the security resulting from a firm and stable government lay in joining their fortunes with the so-called Southern Confederacy. The withdrawal of our troops from their country, the complete interruption of f-coknication, and the assurances made by traitorous agents, gave an air of plausibility to these ridiculous stories, and resulted in the formationof a powerful secession party in their midst. As has been the case in all other localities so it was here; the secessionists were violent and aggressive, and hesitated not in resorting to cruel and forcible means to crush out every seqtiment of loyalty. For many months the loyal party steadily resisted the tide of treason setting in upon them, and at length were compelled to resort to arms in defence of their persons and property. In December last, I leaned that a very considerable force of Indian warriors, composed of Creeks, Seminoles, and a few members of all the other tribes, except, perhaps, the Choctaws and C/hic.ka saws, had twice met in battle and defeated the rebel forces, who are represented to have greatly exceeded them in numbers and in military equipments. About this time, in com-pliance with repeated suggestions from this office, it was determined by the War Depastment to organize and send into the Iudjan country a force, composed in part of 4,000 volunteers, to be raised from amongst the loyal Indians of the central superintendency, to protect the loyal Indians, and enforce the authority of the United States government in the Indian territory; and orders were accordingLy issued to that effect to Major General Hunter, then in command of the military department embrazing that country. In compliance with instmc-tions received from you I reprtired to Kansas, in January last, for the purpose of rende~ingGeneral Hunter suc11 assistance in the execution of the orders above mentioned as might be in my power. On arriving in Kansas I learned from General Hunter that the rebels, being largely re-enforced by troops from Texas, had fought a third battle with the loyal Indians, resulting in the defeat and complete overthrow of the latter, who, with their old men, women, and children, ?.... had been compelled to flee for their lives from the country, and to the number of from 6,000 to 8,000, under the lead of 0-poth-lo-yo-ho-lo, a very aged and influential Creek, had taken refuge near the southern border of Kansas, and were being fed from stores provided for the army of General Hunter, who, upon learn. ing their disastrous condition, instantly detailed officers to go to theirassistance,, and was doing everything in his power to alleviate their sufferings. I t wonla be impossible to give an adequate description of the suffering endurea by these people during their flight, and for several weeks after their arrival. When it is remembered that they were collected for the journey, with scarcely a moment for preparation, amid the confusion and dismay of an overwhelming defeat; that their enemies were close upon them, flushed with victory, maddened by recent defeats, and under their well known code of warfare would spare neither age nor |