inspection of his establishment. When he returns I will have to place him in arrest. The quartermaster's affairs I have not inspected sufficiently yet to speak fully, but he must be removed. Some of the officers here have been leading a life of idleness, and go to work with a very bad grace, and the worthless soreheads caucus in McDonald's and McKEE's tore for my removal. During the pendency of the contract nearly all the cattle killed, or a large proportion of them, were contraband. I have reported the date through Captain Peck to General Eaton. I find that the corn bought at Fort Scott by Insley has been (part of it) shipped down here and put in the warehouse of McDonald here to be issued on another contract, part of it hauled in Government transportation. I got the affidavits of the wagon-master and teamsters. I find that there has been a gigantic swindle by Coffin and McDonald in corn in the nation. I furnished seed corn to the Cherokees last spring, taken on South Canadian and Boggy. They raised nearly enough to do them. As the Creek refugees around Gibson were suffering, the President authorized the expenditure of $200,000. What do you think the rascals did? coffin telegraphed that McDonald & Co. could furnish corn at $7 and beef at 6 cents, or 3, gross. He was allowed to take a temporary supply. He sends agents all through the Cherokee country buying at $2 and $2. 50. If a man had 100 bushels they buy it all and issue half of it to him, and give one of his neighbors an order for fifty of it to go and get it. It is paid for in McDonald's and McKEE's checks, thirty days after date; 9,000 bushels were thus bought. Sometimes when there was no corn they give checks for the corn and checks for what they pretend to buy. The contractor was killing contraband beef, forbidding them to kill their own cattle, and buying a few of these, about a tenth of what the contractors killed, at 2 cents. I have stopped all these irregular beef practices. It has been a perfect pandemonium broke loose. God knows when they would have stopped. I shall straighten it all up as far as I have the power. My task is a thankless one, except the conviction of doing my duty. I am exposed to the hatred of a powerful money corporation, and I doubt whether the Government will stand by me, but the thing of all others that I cannot afford is that any one should think I was unable to meet or afraid of any responsibilities. I should be pleased to hear from you. Accept my profound esteem and regard.

Very respectfully, yours,

WM. A. PHILLIPS,

Colonel Third Indian Home Guard (Kansas Infantry).

FORT GIBSON, C. N., January 16, 1865.

Lieutenant WILLIAM GALLAHER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Indian Brigade:

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to make the following statement in regard to the number of cattle slaughtered for the use of the troops under my command, ordered to meet and escort supply train en route from Fort Scott, Kans., to Fort Gibson, C. N.: January 3, slaughtered at Flat Rock Creek two beeves, weighing perhaps 300 pounds each net, no brands; January 4, at Pryor's Creek, slaughtered one beef weighing 400 pounds net, no brand; January 11, at Cabin Creek, slaughtered four beeves weighing 300 pounds net each, no brands; January 13, slaughtered at Flat Rock Creek two beeves weighing 300 pounds each