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Show IIXTAH VALLEY IXDIiX . AGENCY. ; LETTER I ROTI COU CBITCTIELOW ( TO GENERAL MORROW. Salt Lake City, Sept. 23, 1872- Col H. A. Morrow, Commanding District,- Dear S-'r: As I reflect upon our conversation of yesterday, relative to Iudian matters, and particularly those pertaining to aiy agency,- L deem it my duty, not only in justice to myself, but also to the publto, to make some statements in relation to what I have been and am doing as agent for the Uhtah Valley Agency, in order to carry out, in their letter and spirit, the liberal promises made, by yourself at tho council held at SpriogvUlo on the 2tst and 22d ultimo. - . J , As I assured you I would do, t furnished fur-nished the Indians of my reservation, twenty-two hundred, pounds .of' flour and twenty-five, hundred pounds of beef, to enable -them to -.reach their agency, where wo had at the time over six thousand pounds of flour, about oeo thousand bushels of wheat, now harvested, har-vested, a considerable quantity of corn, potatoes and other vegetables. We had at the agency a large number of cattle, to furnish them with a liberal supply of beef till the arrangement, then partially entered into, for a year's supply should be consummaoed.- - k So much for what was immediately available. Now, for what I am doing for the regular and continued supplies: 1 have purchased, and, made arrange-in arrange-in cuts for its transmission to the agency, agen-cy, six hundred sacks of flour; have entered into an agreement with a responsible res-ponsible man to furnish cattlo sufficient suffici-ent to yield eight thousand pounds of beef, or more, if needed ; I have also procured a responsible and good man for trader, who is able and determined to supply tho trader's establishment with all that is needed or demanded, both useful and ornamental, so that, the Indians need not go elsewhere to trade. I estimated for and have received re-ceived from the department a more liberal supply or Id dun presents, such as blankets, cloth for lodges, dresses, shoes and stookings, hats, traps, tobacco, tobac-co, culinary and agricultural implements, imple-ments, and various other articles pro motive of the health, comfort and satisfaction of tho Indians, than they ever bad before. I have procured and put in operation, during the last year, a saw-mill, and prepared for use, in the construction of fences and buildings, about fifty thousand feet of lumber ; also have the machinery tor a gristmill grist-mill and shingle machine, whioh I hope to have in operation this winter, so that the wheat produced upon tho Indian farm may be suitably prepared for their use. The mill house is in process of erection, and I doubt not that when the products pro-ducts of the farm and mill are distributed distribu-ted in every lodge, and those who engage en-gage in agricultural pursuits enjoy the proceeds of their own labor, the results will be most happy and civilizing in their effects. Many of our Indians last year engaged en-gaged in agricultural pursuits, and it is the testimony of men, who have known most about them and their farming operations, that they never before had so u:uch "stuff" as the produots of their own labor. They intended to stay on their reservation this year and farm, as they assured me last fall at the an-n an-n al distribution of presents, with which they were well pleased; but during my absence from the agency on business in this city, the White River Utes, with whom they are connected by family relationships and should be united on the same agency, oame to Uintah and by means of persuasion and by ridiculing them for working, calling them squaws, and telling them that "Washington" did not intend them to work, ana that "Americats" would work for the Indians, induced them to leave lor the settlements, or as it was understood at the agency at the time, for a council some distanoe south. Some of them assured my employees that they would return to attend their crops, : which they desired to be and were i planted for their benefit. The attractions attrac-tions of the settlements were toopower-: toopower-: fui for their sensuous natures. They remained and got into trouble by the conduct of some of their own number and friends, the consequence and results re-sults of which you, and the public generally, gen-erally, well know. I have just returned from the agency, where I went to ascertain whether whe-ther they were fulfilling their part of their agreement with you ht the council. coun-cil. I found most of them at the agency, and some of them at work helping to take care of their crops, all in tine temper and well pleased with their crops and the supplies whioh 1 assured them I was procuring for their comfort and benefit. On my way out I met four of my Indians returning re-turning to Spanish Fork with fourteen horses stolen and given up to my Indians In-dians by some White river Utes. Both Tabby, the Uintah, and Douglass, Doug-lass, the W hite river chief, demanded and secured the surrender and return of those horses. I feel assured that the forty horses stolen in Sanpete county were takes by a band of Shev-erets, Shev-erets, who oame to the vicinity of the agency some time before our Indians arrived, with, as I was assured by my employees, a band of three hundred horses, and after making arrangements, getting supplies, &c, represented themselves as White river Utes, left; having increased their number of animals by all they could find at the agenoy, some of them being Indians' horses. I desire, through you, sir, to assure any who may have suffered in any way, in body, in mind or estate, of my sincere and hearty sympathy, and shall most gladly do all I can to aid them in securing all possible indemnity for the past, and security for the future. I embrace this opportunity to assure all persons interested, that I am the only, proper, and responsible person to whom they can apply in matters pertaining to the Uintah Valley Indians or agenoy. I am prepared to and will gladly furnish information with regard to the mode of obtaining remuneration for stolen property. I understand that it has been asserted assert-ed that the promise made by you, on behalf of the government, to the Uintah Utes, would not be carried out by me ; that I am about to leave for a visit to my family in tho cast, and would not redeem the pledges you gave. Sir, I have been in positions of trust, and even danger, both oivil and military, but I have ncvor before, to my knowledge, been accused of deserting desert-ing my post till my duty was discharged. dis-charged. The department kindly granted me leave ofabsenoe for two months to visit my family, from which 1 have been absent nearly two years ; but I beg to assure you, sir, and the public through you, lhat your promises pro-mises shall be made good, your pledges shall bo redeemed, if an unremitting and zealous devotion of time, and effort ef-fort on my part can accomplish it. My red "children," though some of them havo tpoken harshly against me and accused me unjustly, as I and others know and feel, I do not blamo; they havo not nor do they now fully understand under-stand what I havo been and am doing for them ; how I have plead, and shall cootinuo to plead and work for them until I compel even the most rebellious rebel-lious of them to call mo a kind"father." The Indian department has kindly, liberally and promptly placed ample funds at my disposal, which shall be expended according to my best judgement, judge-ment, and I am now iu this city and tdiall nut lcavo it until I can secure tho object desired, I thank you, dear sir, for your kindly expressed cuutidctico in myself, and especially for your intercut and efforts on behalf of Indian affairs iu this Territory. Ter-ritory. I rcgrot tho necessity, as I think, for this oL'truaioo of myself upon you and lliu public notioc, but tho intotL-at in Indian mutters and especially those of my agency, at this lime, must be aiy GXUC. With your permission, sir, and the ' consent of tho press of this city, I will submit a copy of this communication for publication. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, respect-fully, your obedient servent, J. J. Critchelow, U. S. Indian Aeert Uintah Valley Agency. |