172 and attack the forts- They report that one of the Boys has been sold to a Chickasaw Trader by the name of Brown, and that the other has been carried North. I shall write immediately to the Chickasaw agent about the boy. Whilst at Fort Belknap on the 22d March I made every Enquiry possible about the murder of Messrs Stem and Lepperman. It is now believed that it was com- mitted by a party of Kickapoos. Lieut Tree had gone to their na- tion to try and effect their arrest and in connection with Special Agt Hill & Maj Merrill, a reward of $500. was offered for the murderers. Had there been an Efficient force at Belknap at the time, the murderers might have been caught, but the force (one Company of Dragoons), was deemed only sufficient for the de- fence of the Post as there was a larger body of Indians near, consequently they were pursued but a short distance Since the removal of the Troops last Fall, the force on our Frontier has been entirely too small to hold the Indians in check and should the Indians make any hostile demonstration, could give but little protection to the settlements- At the time I was at Belknap there was not more than 50 men for active duty. The company of Dragoons from Phantom Hill was on the march to strengthen that post, but when they arrive the force will not be very efficient, as the companies are not full and the Horses are very inferior--during the past Winter there has been but one Company at Ft Chadbourne, and that not a full one, on my ar- rival there was not more than 20 men at the post, and they in command of the Surgeon, the Officers being absent. With a force so insufficient, not only the frontier settlers but the Posts them- selves are at the mercy of the Indians should they become hos- tile, the Indians being perfectly aware of the weakness of the Frontier Posts, and having been permitted thus far to depredate with impunity I am only surprised that their depredations are not more frequent. We have only 4 companies of Dragoons and 2 of Infantry to protect our whole frontier from Red River to the Colorado, and these Companies short of their full number, and badly mounted, and I do not believe there is more than one offi- cer on duty to Each Company. The conesquence is that when a depredation is committed there is no force in readiness to pursue the Indians I would respectfully suggest that your Excellency would bring the state of affairs on our frontier to the notice of the proper Department and urge such changes in relation to the In- dians as well as the Military service on the Frontier, as to give to both more Efficiency
Powered by FlippingBook