Today in History:

359 Series I Volume XLVIII-I Serial 101 - Powder River Expedition Part I

Page 359 Chapter LX. THE POWDER RIVER INDIAN EXPEDITION.

[Appendix E.]

SAINT LOUIS, January 8, 1865.

Major-General DODGE:

Your letter of 6th concerning Ford's expedition and General McCook's suspension of it received. I telegraphed you the other day that you must do what you thought best, and that General McCook had no authority to give any orders on the subject. Did you not receive my dispatch? I send you to-day a letter from General McCook giving his reasons for his action and against the campaign of Ford's. As I said before, you must yourself judge and act on the matter.

JOHN POPE,

Major-General.

SAINT LOUIS, June 3, 1865.

Major-General DODGE,

Fort Leavenworth:

You must do as you think best about Ford. General McCook had no authority from me to interfere in any manner with your troops.

JOHN POPE,

Major-General.

[Appendix F.]


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, Mo., July 1, 1865.

Bvt. Major General JOHN B. SANBORN,

Saint Louis, Mo.:

GENERAL: It is the desire of the Government to settle the Indian difficulty this season. You will therefore push your troops into their country and fight them wherever and whenever they can be found. You will allow no outrages of any kind to be committed on our part. We must fight them honorably, captured their villages and property, and at the first opportunity make an information treaty with them for a cessation of hostilities, appointing a place where I or some one else designated by the Government can meet and confer with them. My idea is that these Indians must be punished and made to ask for peace, and that treaties made must not be on the grounds of paying them for keeping the peace, but with the understanding that it is for their safety and their only means of preservation. Keep your troops on the move, and so long as these Indians insist upon hostilities give them no rest; but the moment you consider peace can be made make an effort to get the chiefs together for that purpose; and when hostilities do cease see that we, on our part, live faithfully up to the conditions to which we agree. Colonel Leavenworth, Indian agent for the Comanches, is now trying to get an interview with them, and you will learn success he has had by the time you reach your district. Brevet Brigadier-General Ford will turn over to you my former instructions and orders in relation to trains, &c., also instructions for putting up hay. You will carry out the arrangements made with General Carleton in regard to escorts, &c. Instruct your chiefs of staff department to keep a full and proper amount of supplies. This must not be neglected. Yon will probably have about 7,000 troops to supply. Keep me informed by telegraph or otherwise of all matters of importance in your district.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General.


Page 359 Chapter LX. THE POWDER RIVER INDIAN EXPEDITION.