mutual agreement between these two officers, and I beg to assure you that whatever the may conjointly agree upon in this matter I shall be prepared to confirm.

I must, sir, in conclusion, take this opportunity to express what pleasure I have derived fromte very cordial and friendly feeling which had ecisted between the troops of the two Governments during the time of the joint occupation, and I have on all occassins received from Captain Bazalgette the assurance of having always experienced the utmost courtesy and friendliness on the part of Captain Pickett.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

JOHN D. S. SPENCER,

Captain and Senior Officer.

HEADQUARTERS,
Fort Steilacoom, Wash. Ter., January 25, 1861.

Captain JAMES A. HARDIE,

3rd Arty., Actg. Asdst. Adjt. General, Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter.:

CAPTAIN: The copies of communications from Acting Governor McGill and otehrs relating to Indian affairs on the Sound have been received. I have the honor to report as follows: Early in December last a man by the name of Ferguson, kiving near the mourh of the Skokomish, reported to me that a white man had been killed by an Indian. He informed me that the Indian agent, Mr. Simmons, was then at the reservation, near the mouth of that river. I told him that it was the duty of the agent to make an official report to me of an occurrence that would require military aid, but that I would attend to it. The Massachusetts being about to proceed toSan juan Island with Lieutenant Casey, of lthe engineers, and a surveying party, I directed that shae should go by the way of the Skikomish River. I directed Lieutenant Casey to confer with the agent and investigate the matter so far as he was able. It appears that a white man by the name of Carter living near the mouth of the Skokomish was killed by an Indian by the name of Paemps, with the assistance of one of his sons, who was kmnown by the name of Charley. The agent informed Lieutenant Casey that he did not think that any of the other Indians had anything to do with it, and that 100 or more of them were hunting up the murderers, and furthermore that he thought it not best for th tre, as it would tend to frighten the Indians. Paemps nand his son have frequently been at this post, and I know them; ahe is half Klickitat and half Skokomish, the latter one of the tribes on the Sound. He has been a priest and preacher among the Indians for some time, but of late has taken to drink and lost much of his influence among them. It is the general opinion that his desire not to be considered a kiltus fellow has taken todrink and lost much of his influence among them. It is the geeal opinion that his desire not to be considered a kultus fellow has induced him to commit this murder. I endeavor to impress upon the Indians with whom I come in contact the necessity of taking the murderers, and I am confident they will do so if possible. I inclose theycompy of a communication which I received from Mr. Simmons, late aghent. I received not long ago a petition signed by twenty- four citizens of White River, setting forth that they feared an outbreak of the Indians. I dispatched Lieutenant Alexander, of the engineers, with two men to visit the settlements on the Puyallup and White River, and to inquire into the fundaation of the report. Lieutenant Alexander reported that so far as he could learn there was no good cause for the alarm, and that the settlers appeared to be satisfied; also that most of