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Show sex, it may well be believed that their preparations for the journey were wholly _ inadequate. It was inthe dead of winter, the ground covered with ice and snow;<=: and the weather most intensely cold. Withoct shelter, without adequate clothing, snd almost destitute of food, a famishing, freezing multitude of fugitives, they arrived in Kansas entirely unexpectedly, and where not the slightest preparation . had been made to alleviate their sufferings or provide for their wants. Within two months after their ai~ivatlw o hundred and forty of the Creeks alone died, in consequence of lheir exposure and want. Over a hundred frosted limbs were amputated within a like period of time. From these facts some idea may be formed of the intensity of their suffering% On the 6th of February I was informed by General Hunter that he couldnot furnish provisions for these people beyond the 15th of that month, and that it was beyond his power to furnish them even a moderate supply of tents and clothing. About the same time I a160 learned by telegraph from you that the military expedition to the Indian country had' been postponed. There was no m0ne.y at my disposal legitimately applicable to providing for the wants of these suffering people. There could be no delay. I must act, and that kt once. With your approbation, I determined to purchase, upon credit, such supplies aa their most pressing necessities seemed to require, and for that purpose appointed a special agent, charged with the duty of making the necesssly purchases for food, clothing, and shelter, and delivering the same to Superintendent Coffin, who, with the agents of his superintendency, had,/ w ith commendable alacrity, repaired to the assistance of the fugitives. Congress at once authorized the annuities due to several of the tribes of the southern superintendency to be applied to the pur-pose of defraying the expenses thus incurred; and from the funds thus provided the fugitives have continued to be subsisted. The military expedition already mentioned was not entirely abandoned. It was deemed a matter of great importance that these fugitives sho111d be returned to their homes, and there protected, in time to raise crops during the past season, and no effort on the part of this office was omitted ' to accomplish that result. I An order was procured from the War Department directing General Halleck, then in command of the western military department, to detail two regiments of white troops, who, together with two thousand armed Indians, were intended aa a force to accompli'sh the purpose above indicated. The arms, with suitable ammunition, ware, obtained from the War Department, and delivered to Super-interident Coffin, for the uae of the Indians, as early as the 16th of April last, but iii-consequence of various delays (the cause of which is not fully under-stood) the expedition was not prepared to inarch until near the 1st of July last. About this time the expedition started, and penetratkd the country as far as .Talequah. I am not in possession of information sdciently accurate to at-tempt a detailid account of its operations. It is nnderstood'that, in consequence of unfortunate difficulties bongst the officers of the accompanying white troops, a retreat became neeessay. For such information as I have in rela-tion to this whole subject, I refer to the accompanying paperj relating thereto. |
