yourself are misrepresented. I was well aware at the time of an effort being made to that end, but having matters of more importance to consider, paid no attention to it. The misrepresentation having been made to you, I am glad you have informed me, as I am thereby enabled to disavow the utterance, or intention to utter, what the language quoted in your letter might be construed to imply. The words given were employed, but with other words, and in such connection as to rid my remarks of anything offensive. I was replying to an Indian chief, Skotum, who alleged that what we proposed did not agree with what was said last fall; that he heard me and General Alvord talk. "Now," he proceeded to ask, "did you show your heart then? I heard what you both said, you and General Alvord. You talk different now. " Of course, I replied that he was mistake, and that it was not I who was with you. I did not know what had been said or promised. What General Alvord said, was said by him as the head of the military force in this Territory, and not by any authority as a commissioner intrusted with this business. Such is the substance of my remarks, and very near the identical language used by me, as it was taken down at the time it was uttered. You will perceive that my object was simply to direct the minds of the Indias to the fact that there were different departments of the Government, and that so far as you had acted, or made any statement, propositions or promises it was by virtue of your position as the commanding officer of the military force in this Territory for the mutual protection of whites and Indians, and not in any other capacity. Your own statements, as given in your letter, fully accord with the above, as I understand them, and it was a similar idea which I sought to impress upon their minds. That an impression somewhat different had been made was manifest, not only from what was said by this particular hers also, arising probably from something you may have said recognizing the binding character of the former treaty and your promises of protection. They had thus drawn an inference, which I am well satisfied you did not intend, that no material change was intended by the Government. Hence our propositions to reduce the boundaries of their reservation did not seem to accord with what had been said, or what they understood to have been said, last fall. To disabuse their minds on this subject, and to show that the commissioners were acting under instructions, I said what I did. I had no thought of casting any reflection upon you, or as intimating that you had claimed authority which did not belong to you, and am well satisfied that none other than the man who would give such a partial, not to say garbled, account of what I said would infer that I intended to reproach or misrepresent you. You will allow me to correct another false impression which has been made in your mind, as I infer from the remark in your letter regarding the chiefs, "assembled expecting to meet me. " I had made no appointment with them or with any one else for that purpose, and at that time I had proposed to Mr. Rector the propriety of such a visit, provided the Government placed the necessary funds at my disposal. I had perhaps also said to you that it was my intention to visit the Nez Perces in that event, and signified the pleasure it would give me to have you accompany me. Failing to receive the funds, I had no alternative. The impression was sought to be made that I had appointed the meeting, and had then failed to attend. I have no idea that you are in any way responsible for creating or giving currency to such a report. I think I know its origin. I simply mean, by referring to it now, to disabuse your mind