OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF TIIE A grist and saw mill has been completed and is in a successfnI operation. This, as well as other work on the reservation, has been retarded by the incursions of the Sioux, the workmen, on two occasions, having been plundered of their tools. The treaties with the Sacs and-Foxes, Delawares arid Kansas In-dians, were ratified by the Senate at its last session ; the first without amendment, and the last two with certain amendments which have been since assented to by the proper authorities of the respective tribes, and the necessary steps have been taken for the survey of their lands, which will soon be subiect to diwosition under the stioulations of said treaties. L The difficulty growin out of trespasses or intrusions by white citizens upon the lands o 8 the Miamis, Osages and Cherokees, seemed to demand prompt action in order to protect the rights of these Indians in accordance with the obligations of treaty stipulations; and espe-cially in regard to the Cherokee neutral tract, it became necessary to employ a military force to remove the intruders who refused to abandon these lands after due notification. Represehtations were made in behalf of said intruders that they were misled into the belief that they were settling upon the New York Indian lands, and that they were deceived by the map prepared by the former surveyor general of' Kansas. In reply to these representations, they were advised by this. bureau that the error was not made by actual survey, but by an incor-rect protraction upon said map; and they were informed that a dis-regard of law and treaty stipulations bad induced Congress to pass the act of June 12, 1858, which required the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to remove all persons from any tribal Indian reserves, who should be found thereon in violation of law ; consequently, this office had no other alternative than to enforce the imperative provisions of law, when the milder means of persuasion and notification had failed to induce them to abandon the Indian lands. -& Notice to the intruders upon the Cherokee lands was given as early as the winter of 1859, requiring them to abandon the lands by the first of April, 1860. No attention was paid to the notice, bc~t the settlers went on and planted their crops as usual. The newly appointed agent for the Cherokees, failing to reach his agency until May, he went. upon the reservation in August, and again notified the settlers ts abandon the reservation within thirty-five days. To this notice they paid no attention, and on the 10th of October last, the agent accom-panied by fifty dragoons, under the command of Captain Sturgis, went upon the reservation and again insisted that they should go off without furtl~urt rouble. They refused, whereupon the agent on the third day after his arrival, commenced the burning of a few cabins. Subsequently, the settlers convened and proposed to theagent if he would desist, they would quietly abandon the lands by the 25th of November, unless they could prerail upon the department to allow them to remain during the coming winter. The agent ceased his ope-rations, and the department, upon application of t,he settlers, through their agents, agreed that they should remain during the coming winter. From the report of the agent, to which I respectfully refer you, it appears that the only reason the settlers gave for not heeding the |