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Show EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 17 open the aafe, aud scatterihg the papers to the winds, and both bands had %eineb everything they conld find, robbing stores, shops, dwellings, and schoole, and destroying everything they could not nse. The prisoners, after being &ken to the camp at Gull lake, had been liberated through the influence of the chiefs of the Pillagers. There were, at the camp at Gull lake, at least three hundred warriors, who were being supplied with provisions from the agency, and who pretended that they were waiting for the commissioner, and only demanded that charges preferred against their late agent should be investigated. I also learned, while at the fort, that the Mille Lac, and, perhaps, the Smdy Lake and Pokagema bands,.hd not yet joined Hole-in-the-day.' With a view to detach these h a ~ ~fdrosm his interest, Messrs. Whitehead and Howard were . 1 despatched with a message to them, advising them of my presence i n the country, and that I desired to hold a council with them at the fort. This mes-sage had the desired effect, and resulted in a council with the chiefs and some fifty or sixty of the. headmen of the Mille Lac band. At this cdnncil the entire strength of these bands was alienated from Hole-in-the-day, and their friendship and good will secured. I feel confidekt that this diversion of nearly one-half.the followera upon whom Hole-in-the-day doubtless relied, went far in enabling us findly to effect a settlement of the Chippewa difficulties without a resort to arms. The day following my message to Hole-in-the-day, he sent me word that he would notmeet me at the fort; and, upon being requested by Mr. Idorrill, (whom I had appointed special agent, in consequence of the death of late Agent Walker,) to name a time and place of meeting, refused to reply. Judge Cooper, of St. Paul, a special friend and attorney of Hole-in-the-day, was in the vicinity at his request. I requested him to visit the Indian camp, hoping that, through his intimacy with the chief, I might be able to effect a council and settlement with-. 6nt further difficulty. The judge bad preceded me to the reserve, had met the chief in consnltation, and I was led by him to believe that ' the Indians were very penitent, aud anxious for an adjnstment of thedifficulties. He was per-mitted to pass freely to and from the Indian iamp during eight days, hut effected no meeting, although several were appointed. That it was a mistake to allow any one, except the officers of the government, to visit the Indian camp, I have very little doubt. After Judge Cooper left for home, Superintendent Thomp-son, who had all along rendered me effihient aid, visited the hostile camp and met Hole-in-the-day, who informed him that they cared nothing about the in-vestigation spoken of, but that they wanted another treaty, providing for their removal from the vicinity<o f the whites, and that he,. the chiefs with him, and a , few others, not exceeding thirty or forty in number, would meet me in eonncil at Crow Wing the next day. To this I assented. I had previously placed one company of the troops at my disposal at the agency and another at Crow ' Wing. The other was stationed at the fort. Some days prior to the proposed meeting at Cmw Wing Hole-in-the-day had moved his camp to a point about two miles distant from that place, on the mad 1-2 . . |