ties were made, to promise them their moneys and to convince them that the Confederate States cannot maintain themselves, protect the Indians, nor secure them their moneys; and persons from some of the tribes have been in Kansas, holding a council with General Hunter. The Kansas Indians also have been operating upon our own Indians and sowing discontent among them, until all that was effected this summer is in a fair way to be overturned.

The Congress have now ratified the treaties, with amendments, and has appropriated the moneys to be paid under them. I have procured the moneys for the payment of the troops and other expenses of the Quartermaster's Department, and &25,000 for the purchase of arms; and as soon as the moneys under the treaties are ready to send out to the superintendent I wish to proceed to the Indian country. It will be of no use for me to go there without the money. It should be there, ready to be paid over the moment each treaty is ratified. This, I think, will go a great way to settle the existing discontent, remove suspicion, and keep the Indians in our service. But I wish particularly to represent that it is absolutely indispensable that a force of our own troops should be placed in that country, of at least three regiments, well armed and efficient. Since the disbanding of Colonel Drew's regiment there are but three Indian regiments, averaging, perhaps, 700 men each, and only partially and indifferently armed. Of these the Cherokee regiment of Colonel Stand Watie, composed of original Southern-rights men, mostly half-breeds, and which would cheerfully have fought the discontented Creeks, has been all the time under General McCulloch's orders, and is, I think, on the neutral land between Missouri and Kansas. This leaves me two weak regiments only, badly armed and poorly supplied with ammunition. I have received authority from you to raise and receive two regiments of infantry and two companies of artillery as soon as I can arm them; but to raise these troops will be a slow process, and, unless arms are ready to be furnished at once, almost a vain attempt. The people of Arkansas have been so dealt with, chiefly by their own authorities, that they will not enlist unless they are sure of arms. The Chief of Ordnance has directed two batteries to be furnished me at Memphis, and I have made a requisition for them; but I imagine it is quite uncertain whether I shall get them or the eight fortification guns for which I have also asked.

I hope I do not exhaust the Secretary's patience. This detail was necessary to an understanding of the condition of things in the Indian country. It is necessary to end the insurrection at once. Crescit undo. It grows by delay to apply the remedy, and cannot by put down by Indian troops alone. With great deference I ask leave to suggest the steps necessary to end it.

A regiment of infantry lately added to General McCulloch's command, and for which I applied while it was raising, may very well be spared by him and transferred to my command. If it be possible 2,000 stand of good arms should be immediately placed at my disposal to arm two additional regiments of infantry. In the mean time Colonel McIntosh, in command at Fort Smith, could be ordered to march his command of five companies of cavalry, now in winter quarters on the Arkansas River, into the Indian country, and operate against the insurgents as efficiently as possible.

There is no ammunition at Little Rock for cannon or small-arms, and a supply should at once be placed there, that it may be at hand when needed. The two batteries of field artillery and eight fortifica-

46 R R-VOL VIII