OCR Text |
Show IXDI V MATTERS IX SiXPETE. Correspondence between General Morrow and Dr. Dodge. Headquarters Mil. DisL of Utah. Mount Pleasant, Sept. 7, 172 Dr. GVo. IK Dodge, Special Indian Afjcn, Suit Lukt : Dear Sir: All the facts 1 have been able to collect, and they arc many, point conclusively to the Utes, from the Uintah and White river agencies, as having been the principal, if not the exclusive, agents in committing the depredations in Sanpcto and the adjoining ad-joining counties. These Indians came to the settlements early last spring, and remained in them until 1 arrived with troops. Their conduct towards tho citizens was arrogant, domineering and dictatorial. Indeed, it assumed finally the air of a conqueror towards a subjugated community. They entered private dwellings at all hours of the day and night, and compelled the women wo-men to cook meals lor them "at all hours," often prescribing the dishes ihcy wished served. In addition to this they wero impudent beggars. 1 am not sure but it would be more proper to say they were impudent rob hers, for their demands for food and presents were usually made with the weapons in their hands to compel obedience obe-dience to their exactions. After plundering plun-dering the people in their homes, they entered upon a systematic courso of horse and cattle stealing, whioh resulted re-sulted in tho loss, to the inhabitants of Sanpcto alone, of more than 200 head of horses aud as many head of cattle. To prevent this, an attempt was made to guard tho herds more closely. This was not to bo submitted sub-mitted to by the Indians, who killed two of the herders, and wounded several sev-eral others. This state of things had gono on until one of the highways of travel between Sanpete county and tho settlements on Utah Lake had to be abandoned, and the people went armed to their fields and about their villages. Patrols were established, and when oolonol Hough, of my command, arrived ar-rived at Mount Pleasant, be found almost al-most a reign of terror among the people, peo-ple, who welcomed his soldiers as deliverers. 1 think I may say with truthfulness, that there is not another American community in the nation which would have endured half tho outrages these people endured, before rising up as one man to drive out the savage invaders at the point of the bayonet. On any principle of self-defense, self-defense, they would have been justified in doing this. Now, sir, I have given you a plain statement of facts, and I desiro to invito in-vito your attention, and through you, the attention of the Indian department, depart-ment, to the justice and propriety of making this people some recompense for their losses. This may be done, 1 believe, Iroui tbo appropriation made by congress ibr these tribes. It iBonly an act of simple justice to the poor peo pie who have suffered so severely that it should be done. It is some time since I had occasion to examine the subject, but I believe there is a law of congress, of 1834, which authorizes compensation to bo mado in oasos like the present, and prescribes the manner man-ner in which it shall be done. If this cour.-c is pursued now, it will not only be proper in itself, as an aot of justice to tho people, but it will also teach the Indians that they cannot commit depredations with impunity. I am. sir, your otndt. servt., Henry A. Morrow, Lieut. -Col. U.S. Army, Commanding. Office U. S. S. Indian Agent. Salt Like City, Sept. 16, 1S72. Lieut.-Colonel H. A. Morrow, 1 Com. Military Dist., Utah, Dear Sir, Your letter of date - "Mount Pleasant, Sept. 7th, 1872," is before me and contents carefully con- ; sidercd. Bodily ills and official duties have prevented an earlier reply. I fully concur with you in all the state- mentsyou hive thorsjn made. I have i ) for a long time been satisfied that the . Indians of tho Uintah and White River reservations were the principals or largely concerned in tho depreda-' depreda-' tions in San pew and adjoining coun- ties this summer. I feared such re- , suits in their first appearance in May last. Both myself and the hon. secretary of the interior, who was in Salt Lake ; about that time, deemed it of the greatest importance tha1; they Bhould ! be returned to their respective reserva-tions reserva-tions as boou as possible. Certain ' charges made to him against the f Uintah agent, caused him to order me j to visit the camps of these Indians as soon as practicable, and ascertain the 3 cause of their leafing fheir agencies, and to request them to return. held a council with them the 5th and 6th of , June, at Pairview, Sanpete county, at which they gave the following as the reasons for leaving their agencies: 1st. To visit their friends, the - Mormons, to exebanga friendly greetings, and trade with other Indians; to worship the Great Spirit near the resting place of their fathers; i and to receive com pcDition for the use q of their lands, now occupied hf Mormons Mor-mons and miners. 2d. The Uintah Indians urged still n further that they had no means of sub-e sub-e sistence at the agency. 3d. That the agent and his employes ' treated them harshly, evpn preventing D them from laboring when they asked the imvileeo 4th. Ihat the agent did not give them tho goods and pro7isions that government provided for thera. 5th. That government had not carried car-ried ont the promises made to them in the Spanish Pork treaty. I made a minute of all the procced-dings procced-dings of this council, and assured the Indians that their statement of grievances griev-ances would be forwarded to Washington Washing-ton as soon as I returned to Salt Lake, and that I would furnish them provisions pro-visions to enable them to return at once to the agencies. I gave my official offi-cial order to Amasa Tucker, bishop of Fairview, to issue to them 4,000 lbs. llour and 2,000 lbs. beef. The Indians assured me that they had not finally abandoned the agencies. They only wished tho assurance that they would be kindly treated and fairly dealt with and they would return, though they desired to visit for a few months before they returned. I could not consent to this, but promised to do all in my power pow-er to have their wants supplied in the future. I also issued a quantity of ammunition and a few articles ol clothing. Having done all that was immediately necessary lor them, I left hoping they wouid return to theiragen-cics theiragen-cics and give the government and settlement- no farther trouble this season. However, on my return to Salt Lake, about tho middle of June, I found they were dill in Sanpete valley, and that they did not intend to return to thmr agencies until autumn. I there fore sent an ofEcial order to them, through bishop Tucker, to return to their agencies at once, renewing my assurance that government would do everything consistent with right to redress re-dress their grievances. This order was issued Juno 2oth. The Indians de elincd to obey. Tho first day of July a council wjs held in my office in Salt Lake city, composed of general B. II. Oowen, assistant as-sistant secretary interior; Hon. John G. Delano, ohief olerk interior; Hon. J. N. Turney, civil commiisionor Indian In-dian affairs ; G. L. Woods, governor Utah Territory; Hon. J. B. McKean; ohief justice, and C. M. Hawley, asno-ciate asno-ciate justico U. S. court, Utah Territory Terri-tory ; lieutenant colonel Ii. A. Morrow, Mor-row, aorumander military department of Uth Territory, and niynelf, at which the condition of Indian affaira in this Territory was full? diwusscd; the result of which wad tho iuibg of iosiructiorH to me to proceed Bt once to tho Indian camps acd make provision pro-vision for their "immediate return to their aencie, t caceably if pusib!e, o'.herwi-c to call on the military to force them back." The nrzi morning 2d July), 1 Blurted again for the scene ot trouble, and succeeded in holdiDg a council at iNephi, on the 5th, with Tabby and Douglas, with several of their counsellors, at which I was assisted by judjje Bean, of Provo. Every argument that I urged to induce them to return to their agencies was stoutly resisted, they stating, in addition addi-tion to the reason already assigned, tha', as the Spanish Pork treaty wss never ratified, th-Tffore, the land ot Utah, occupied by them before the coming of the white man, was theirs, aod that the white man was only occupying occu-pying it by thir permission. They also urged that they had the night previous pre-vious received a revelation from the Great Spirit, that they mipht remain away from their agencies two months longer, when tho "voice from the West" would appear to them, and give them instructions about their future fu-ture course. Of course I could not admit these reasons, aud to conclude the matter at onco, I gave them ten days i to prepare to comply with my request; ! giving them 1,000 pounds of flour and two beeves at the ?ame time. I also promised to subsist them at the agency until Lhc aent could stock the same with his winter's supplies. They agreed to these terms. 1 at ouco returned to Salt Lake City, and contracted with Mr. Chas. Popper to send forward 100 beef cattle and 50,000 pounds of flour. All the cattle wero at Heber City, tho point agroed upon with tho Indians, ' within ono week from this time, also 6,000 pounds of flour. Soon alter 10,- 000 pounds more was in readiness for distribution. On the 14th of July I visited the Indian camp again at Fountain Green, that I might mako every provision pro-vision lor their return trip. This time 1 was accompanied by captain Nugent, of your oommand, agent Littlefield, of the Whito River agency, and judge Bean, of Provo. Tho loth tho Indians Indi-ans met us in council, when they manifested mani-fested decided hostility to am arrange ment whatever for returning to their , agencies. Tho Indians returned to their camp very angry. Tho 10th we met a largo band of Eik Mountain Utes, .Navajoes, and Kapotas, who were so insolent that I found it ncacs-sary ncacs-sary to issue an official order forbidding the citizens furnishing them any supplies sup-plies whatever, hoping they would thus be compelled to leave; but no I They all interpreted the presence of a military mili-tary officer with me, as a declaration of war against them, and they determined to resist. We turned back from here, feeling that we had no alternative but to turn them over to the military. At Fountain Green I was overtaken by a telegram from bishop Seelcy, of Mount Pleasant, stating that Tabby and Douglas had concluded to start atonoe for their agencies. This fourth promise prom-ise they did not carry out. The most of these bands became more and more insubordinate, until the uhiefs gave notice to tho bishops that they could no longer control their people. peo-ple. Telegrams to this effect were immediately sent by the bishops to mayor Wells, to you, and to myself. There was, evidently, but one course to pursue, which was to call for tho military mili-tary to protect the citizens, and compel the Indians to obedience. I at oucc took the necessary steps to hasten the preparations for this new departure telegraphing to the Hon. secretary of the Interior to call on tho War department depart-ment for the necessary order for employing em-ploying troops ; also making a requisition requisi-tion upon Gov. Woods for the same, and communicating my action in the premises to you at the same time.fiThe results are well known to you. The promptness on tho part of government govern-ment and your decisive and politic courso, has brought tho Indians to accept ac-cept the terms of tho government, without bloodshed. I can but congra-tu!ap congra-tu!ap you, sir, the government, the uiizeos and myself, on tho success of your expedition and negotiations. I beg you to accept my grateful acknowledgment acknowl-edgment lor so cheerfully undertaking, and so successfully carrying out, that part of the programme belonging to me. I should not have imposed thus upon you, but for my serious illness at tho timo. I most heartily join you in 1 recommending that a deputation of the most able of these Indians be al-! lowed to visit Washington, for the purpose of laying their grievances before be-fore the President and Indian bureau. I trust this will bo granted, and that the President will permit persons who comprehend the condition of Indian affairs here to accompany them. Your reference to the great losses on the part of the citizens ot the disturbed dis-turbed district is eminently just, and I shall do everything in my power to bring such relief to the sufferers as the law wiil allow. Those who have met with losses should lose no time in laying before the agent all tho faots in the case. They should not only give their own names dearly: tho number of horses or other stock they each have lost; the amount and kind of other property stolen or destroyed ; but should obtain the certificate of two or more responsible persons, of known veracity, ft ho a;e not party concerned, to the effeot that their olaims a.'c just and true, and that they have sustained such losses at the hands of certain Indians, In-dians, giving their individu.il nanus, and the names of their tribes or bands, as government requires rpec'fic, and not general statements in such oases. Simple justice requires that they should receive back their property in good condition, pr jts value. It is also simple sim-ple justice, that the government should only be required to pay the losses that are dearly proven to come under the laws made and provided for such cases. Where there aro annuities due such Indians as have committed these depredations, dep-redations, sound policy would dictate that the portion of goods properly due the depredators, should be taken to pay such losses, and thus they be taught that they cannot commit such aots with impunity. No efforts will be spared on my part to make good our mutual promises to the Indians and citizens. Though still needing rest, I am ready to move as Boon as your forocs can accompany me, to make an effort to recover the rest of the stolen horses, and to apprehend appre-hend and bring to justico tho thieves. I have carried this reply to your let- tor much beyond what I desired. However, How-ever, tho peculiarity of the ciroum-i ciroum-i stances seem to necessitate all I have written. I trust the publication of your letter, with my reply, will remove from the minds of the people, any impressions im-pressions they may have entertained, either of neglect on the ono hand, or of too great scvority on the other hand, ( on tho part of tho Indian agent of this . district, or of any other government : official, who has acted a prominent part in these matters. Tho agent has ' neither been indifferent or idle, but has i worked indef'atigably. At let me not say that. He has worked to weariness . and sickness, and worked when weary and sick, as you very well know. II peace and prosperity is tho result, hU joy will abundantly compensate for all this. I remain, dear sir, very roipcctfully, , your obedient servant, Geo. W. Dodoe, U. S. Special Indian Agent. |