farms in direct violation of the U. S. intercouse laws governing Indian Territory, with two bands of Indains on our right (the Spokanes and Coeur d'Alenes) where thousands of whites are now going and taking the lands of those Indians, and whose nearest assistance is this point. On the morning of the receipt of your order I had gone to the fort with Spotted Eagle and Captain John, the two subchiefs of this nation, intending with Lieutenant Bowen and ten or twelve men to go to Oro Fino to arrest some whites who were selling whisky to the Indians, and also arrest some four or five Indians who had several times this spring and summer robbed pack trains of horses and cargo. When I told Spotted Eagle that no men could be spared to go with us, and that forty of them to leave, he said they (the chiefs) might as well give up in despair and let their people go, as it was the presence of the soldiers here only that restrained the whites from selling their people whisky, and preventing their young men from making raids upon pack-trains. I do not fear the chiefs of this nation. I knkow they are well disposed, and will do all they can to assist us. They have always been our friends, and if encouragement is given them they will always remain such; but the influence and example of these bad white men are followed by their young men, and very soon we may have as many difficulties to contend with as the people in the vicinity of where these soldiers are now ordered. A company, or part of company, of infantry to do garrison duty, so as to enable, to eighteen or twenty cavalry-men now here to go out when wanted, may do more good than a regiment will in two months from now.

Trusting you may be enabled to grant our desires, I remain very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES O'NEIL,

U. S. Indian Agent, Idaho Territory.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARIZONA, Maricopa Wells, July 16, 1865.

Colonel R. C. DRUM,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Pacific:

SIR: I have the honor to report my arrival at this point on my return from Forts Bowie and Goodwin. Fort Bowie (Apache Pass) is garrisoned by Company A, First New Mexico Infantry, and Company L, First California Volunteer Cavalry. The post is an important one, as it controls an important pass on the road from the Rio Grande to Arizona, and also the hunts of the Apaches in that portion of the Chiricahua Mountains. The men are living in hovels. I directed them to build quarters at once on a site which I selected a little above the one formerly selected by Colonel Daivs, inspector-general. I inclose a copy of my instructions to the commanding officer. * We arrived at Fort Goodwin, which is situated on a small stream about three miles from the Gila, and about midway between Mounts Graham and Turnbull, on June 29. This post is well located, and controls a large arear of Apache country. The commanding officer, Major Gorman, First California Volunteer Cavalry, had notified the Indians to come in on a certain day to meet Governor Goodwin and myself. We remained from June 29 until July 5 without seeing a single Indian, although they were coming into the post daily in large numbers previous to our arrival. The officers of the post seemed to think that the Indians feared some treachery,

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*Omitted.

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81 R R-VOL L, PT II