OCR Text |
Show fully these Indians labored, and the unfortunate result. Assistance to such extent as is practicable must necessarily be given to this tribe to help them through another winter. Under date of September 15, 1864, this office was advised by Agent Furnas of the arrival upon the Omaha reserve of the whole Ponca nation. They gave as a reason, that they had no agent, and wete des-tilute of everything except the supply of meat obtained in their hunt. The Omahas having a surplus of corn to spare, were able to exchange with the Pon-cas to their mutual beuefit. A letter has been addressed to Governor Edmunds, requiring him to take steps to provide for the Poncas where they now are, and requesting informa-tion as to their departure from their own agency. I t is probable that a satis-facto~ yar rangement may be made fur their permanent occupation of aportion of the Omaha reservation. The Yancton Sioux, under the charge of Agent Burleigh, have contil~uedto be frieudly; the apprehensions lest they might become involved in tbe hos-tilities waged by other bands of Sioux against the wl~ites proving grouudless. Indeed, as I learn from the report of Governor Edwards, and still later from Agent Bnrleigh's report, a party of fifty Yanctons, under the diraction of' the agent., have performed signal service as scouts on the side of the government. Governor Edmunds recommends that this force he doubled ; and also that a force of fifty of the best Poncas be employed in the same manner, believing that great good will result from the measure. The suggestion seems worthy of favorable consideration. This tribe has, like the Poncas, continued ita fidelity to the government, notwithstanding the many difficulties and diecouragen~ents by which it has been surrounded, and which are fully detailed in the annual report of Agcnt B~urleigb. In the month of July, the annuity goodsdestined for them were consumed by fire on hoard of the steamer Welcome, at St. Louis. At the earliest practicable date, other goods were purchased in lien of those which had been destroyed, and were forwarded towards a point in Iowa, whcnce, in accordance with a suggestion from Agent Burleigh, they were to have been forwarded by teams to the Yanctonagency ; but, mostunfortunately, allother turn of ill fortune overtook the goods in the sinking of the steamer conveying tl~em up the Mississippi. At my last advices, however, the goods had been replaced by the Transportation Gon~panya, nd it is hoped that they may reach their destinatioli in time to supply the pressing wants of the Iu-dians this year. Agent Uurleigh's report furnishes an interesting statement of the steadfast friendship of the Yancton Sioux, attested not only by their refusal to take any part in the hostilities of their kindred tribes, but by real and valuable services performed in behalf of the whites ; and, in view of these things, aud of the efforts of the tribe to help themselves amidst their many misfortunes and discour-agements, I am induced to commend to your favorable attention his suggestion that a special appropriation be made by Congress for their assistance. In Jan-uary last, and again in March, Agent Burleigh reported the arrival upon the Yanc-ton reservation uf some thirty lodges of Sioux, being a portion of those removed from Minnesota. , They were in a state of destitution, a~.isingfr om the failure of their crops. At a later date, it appears that over eight hundred of the Winne-bagoes, removed at the same time from Minnesota, are stated to have been scattered along the Missouri river at and near several posts and agencies in search of food. As the Minnesota Sioux, and Winnebagoes, though located within the limits of Dakota, are still under the charge of the Northein super-intendency, I reserve such remarks as I have considered it my duty to make for their proper place under the latter head. Since my last annual report, the organization of the Territory of Montana, with boundaries extending eastward to the meridian of Fort Union, has included |