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Show REPORT THE COMMISSIONER OF IKDIAN AFFAIRS. DEPARTMENT OF TEE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, Washi~tgtonC ity. D. C., O~tOber3 1, 1SiO. SIR: Since the date of the last annual report of this office, onr rela-t., i-n ns wit.11 the various In(lism tribes hare bee11 as favorable as could be ~ ~ -~ ~ expect.ed; 110 serious outbreaks or delnonstr;~tionso f hostility, threat-enins to involve any tribein a war vith the Go\-ernment, hare occnrred, and it ina,y be trnlfasserted that qniet l~avg enerally p;,erailed among them. The exceptions, I am pleased to obscrre, are !-el:\- SVIX-, aallcl ~ ~ i t h these the prospect is, that by judicioos itlanagemet~t, :L Illore i~opeful and promising condition of affadrs will exist in the future. Those with whom we have had, perhaps, the greatest trouble are tile l'iegan In-dians, a band of the Blackfeet nation, who range in Montana and across into the British possessions. I t is, without doubt, true, t,hat me.mhers of the Blackfeet, in the summer and antumn of the past year, had been guilty of frequent drpredations upon the property of citizens of Montana, aud had committed several murders. Excit,ed ilud indig-nant, the eit,ieens of t.be Territory demanded that thry should be allowed the privilege of organizing an armed lxarty to l~unish the ofinders. This denlaud, for rarious reasons. could not ~ i t h1)r oprie.t.yh e acceded to; but in order to afford them protection against the marauders, the small military force tllen in Montana, upon representations made to the War Department of t l ~ ae xigency of the ease, was largely increased, and in the winter following a campaign was undertalien against them, but principally against the Piegan band of the nation, who were, it seems, the greatest offending parties. The co~umnnd, which was under Brevet Lieutenant Colonel X. M. Baker, of the United States Cavalry, attacked a camp of this band-Red Horn being their chief-on the 23d of January last, on the Marias Rirer, the result of which was the killing of 173 of their number, among whom were, it is reported, many women and children. As the condnct of the military on this occasion has been severely animadverted upon hy a part of the public press, and by persons in an official ea,pacity, as well as by private individuals, it is but iust to the officer in eommaiid that his version or statement of t i I sl1o1I1I I I i n r t i n i r H e retn;~rlis, i n a ivporr to G~III.I.Y;Il~,v r~ust~h~at, of rllr nlrmbrr liilltcl, 120 were alnle-bodit~ ll nm. and 5:i \willen and el1ilr1rt.1:1 r l ~ n ro f c:~pt i re~:~. frrr\varti rthlen$e~rl,l ~erew rn: 140 women i ~ t ~cldiil dren ; an11 llr tlrc.lares his Iwlief t h ~etrr 1.y etfiorr W;IS ~ ~ ~ nbcy lheis oflieerr nnll lncli to $;are tbe nut1 conil~nt-nnls,: 1111[111 ;1r tl~eliillincnfr l~e\r omm a11t1c liil~lre!r~a s ncci~le~~ort tu~nl. avui~lnl~le.h l t l~o~i'gtltle~ C O I I J C ~ ~ I I ~ I I C\PySe w ~leplor:~blt.,)etht ey vrr.re effecti1.1l i n con~l)l~re9ly1 1bcIlii11tgli u T I I ~ ~ ~ IaInZd, fll(. ~11111.eI lilTinll has since not only h e n quiet, but even solieitousto enter into arrangements |