Meeting of the
Indian Commissioners
in St. Louis.
OUR INDIAN TROUBLES.
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Meeting of the Indian Commissioners in St. Louis--Their Proposed Action Relative to the Reservations--Brigham Young and the Tribes at Odds.
St. Louis, August 7, 1867.
At the preliminary meeting of the Indian Commissioners yesterday Colonel Taylor, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, was elected permanent President of the Board, and A. S. H. White, of the Indian Bureau, Secretary.
A general discussion of plans for getting the Indians together was had, but nothing definite was determined upon.
It is probable, however, that an attempt will be made to assemble the Northern Cheyennes, Sioux, Black Feet and other northern hostile tribes somewhere on Platte river--perhaps Fort Laramie--and the Southern Cheyennes, Arapahoes and other tribes at Fort Sarah or some other point on the Arkansas river.
It is deemed important to meet these Indians at the earliest day possible, but as they only assemble in council during "full moon," the meeting cannot take place until early in September, as the next "full moon" will be in seven days from this date, which will not give the Commissioners time to communicate with different tribes. In the meantime the Board expect to examine the Western country with a view to select reservations for hostile tribes, and also with the further view to domicile, if possible, all the tribes west of Mississippi, hostile and friendly, in process of time. If they do not complete such selections prior to the Indian meeting they will continue it afterwards, being convinced of the necessity of making a thorough and personal examination of the territory to be selected. The Commissioners present are Colonel Taylor, General Sanborn, Colonel Tappan, General Sherman, General Harney and Senator Henderson. General Terry, at last accounts, was at Red Wing, Minnesota, and will join the Commissioners somewhere on the plains.
The Board held another session to-day, but excluded all reporters from their meeting, and nothing is therefore known of their proceedings.
An Omaha despatch says that the Crows and Sioux and Shoshones have driven the miners away from South Pass, killed one white man, and two others are missing.
Washakee has notified Brigham Young to recall the Mormon miners from the new diggings, as the country belongs to his tribes. Large bands of Sioux crossed the Black Hills on Friday last, going east. They were struck by Mr. O'Neil's engineering party and one Indian killed.
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General Sully's Special Commission on Their Way to Washington.
Fort Sully, Dakota Territory,}
July 24, 1867.}
The Special Indian Commission to visit the Northwest Indian tribes, of which General Sully is President, is now on its way by land down the Missouri river, en route to Washington. They expect to reach there before the 1st of September.
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Outrages at Plain Creek Station, on the Pacific Railroad--A Train Thrown from the Track by Indians--Several Persons Killed and Scalped--A Boat Fired Into at Fort Rice.
Chicago, August 7, 1867.
A special despatch from Omaha to-day says that the freight train on the Union Pacific Railroad was thrown from the track last night at Plain creek station by the Indians. The engineer, fireman and brakemen were all killed. The merchandise was burned. It is also reported that three or four of the men at the station were killed. This outrage is supposed to have been committed by Spotted Tail's band, who have been feeding at the public expense for some time.
The steamer Silver Lake, arrived here from Fort Benton, reports that she was fired into by Indians forty miles above Fort Rice. One of the crew was wounded.
Another despatch from Omaha says the Indians attacked the freight train near Plain creek last night, and threw it from the track by piling ties upon the road, and killed and scalped seven of the train men, and set fire to the train, destroying it entirely, and threw the slaughtered bodies into the flames.
Source:
Unknown, "Our Indian Troubles," New York Herald, Thursday, 8 August 1867, Page 5, Col. 4.
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