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Show I XVIII REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. In the month of June last the situation, which had gradually grown fronl bad to worse, was reported to he so alarming, and the danger of an 0ntbrea.k amongst the Che.yenne Indians, who had heard that it was contemplated to disarm them, so imminent, that I became convinceil that any further delay on the part of the Government to take active meas-ures would result in a conflict between the Indians and the whites. Accordingly, by letter of the 25th June last, I recommended t,o the De-partment that steps should at once be taken to place a sufficient body of United States troops upon and in the neighborhood of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation, for the preservation of peace; that the agent shontd be relieved from duty by a special agent to be temporarily de. tailed in his place; that all leases or pretended leases of the reservation lands for grazing porposcs entered into by the Indians with white men should be disapproved and annulled by the Department, and the cattle removed therefrom; that the Indians should be disarmed, and that all white men present on the reservation, and having no legal rights there, should also be removed. Upon this recommendation, which was concurred in by the Depart-ment, the War Department promptly concentratetl all available troops in the Indian Territory. On the 10th Julj laet the President dis-patched General Sheridan to take command, and at the same time directed hin~to hold a conference with the disaffected Indians, inquire into their grievances, and inform himself generally as to their condition. United States Indian Inspector Armstrong had previously bein directed by the Department to proceed to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency to aidin investigating the condition of affairs. As the practical outcome of Gencral Sheridan's investigation (the re-port of which is already before the public), and in furtherance of rec- . ' ommendations previously made by this office, the President, on the 23d July last, issued a proclamation, declaring. all leases, agreements, or lioenees for grazing purposes theretofor6 made with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians to he void and of no effect, and directing the removal, within forty days of the date of the proclamation, of all persons, other than Indians, then on said reservation for the purposeof grazing cattle thereon, their servants and agents, and all other nnauthorized.l>ersons, with their cattle, horses, and other property. The civilian agent was removed, and a military officer, Capt. Jesse M. Lee, Ninth Infantry, was appointed in hie' place. These measures General Sheridan feels confident will end the difficulties, and there need be no further appre hension of an outbreak. At the present writing indications are in every way favorable to an orderly compliance on the part of the cattlemen with the President'a prociamation. Recurring to the general subject of leasi~lgI ndian lands, and in con-nection with the issuance of said proclamatiou, it is proper here to re-mark that on the 21st July last the AttorneyGeneral, in reply to cer- |
