necessary and unavoidable Government should not shrink from it, and now that we have the matter in hand, whilst it would cost us thousands to complete it effectually, it would, if deferred to the future, cost hundreds of thousands. I believe that with the force we had at our disposal, if we had been allowed to retain and use it, have held it in the country and pushed the campaign fall, winter, and spring, before another season every hostile tribe would have been effectually and justly punished, and made to fell our power and dread our anger forever after. All supplies and emigration, machinery, &c., for the mining regions of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado,, &c., have had to be transported by mule and ox trains, and since the Indian troubles not only has the extra cost of transportation incident to the dangers of travel imposed upon these people a tax of millions, but has seriously hindered and retarded all their operations, and in a great measure stopped the development of the mines. On two of the routes (the Platte and Smoky Hill) railroads are being pushed forward with much energy, and in another season each will be nearly 100 miles west of the Missouri River. I therefore recommend that after this season the supplies for the troops on the plains be delivered to contractors at the terminus of each of these railroads, and that the contracts for transportation be made accordingly. Supplies for troops on the northern routes to be delivered at the end of the Union Pacific Railroad, running west from Omaha, and those for the southern routes at end of eastern division Union Pacific Railroad, running west from Kansas City. This would be a great saving to Government, as the contract cost of transportation overland is $2. 26 per 100 pounds for 100 miles.

The principal tribes of Indians that we have to deal with as hostile are the Northern Cheyennes and Sioux, occupying the country north of the North Platte; the Arapahoes, occupying the country between the North Platte and South Platte and east of the Rocky Mountains; the Southern Cheyennes, the country immediately south of the Arkansas River, but who claim the country between the Arkansas and South Platte; and the Comanches, Kiowas, and Apaches, occupying the country south of the Arkansas River and bordering on New Mexico. These Indians complain of great wrongs inflicted upon them by their agents. I found tribes (for instance, the Crows) who claim not to have received their annuities but once in the past ten years, although I have been informed they were sent yearly. Those who have got their annuities assert, and, i with good evidence of truth, that they only received a moiety of what was intended for them. It was dishonestly frittered and speculated away by agents, whose duty it was to look after their rights and stand like a wall of rock between them and those who would wrong them, but who have been in league with traders who, with the greed of cormorants, have fed upon, robbed, and grown rich off these tribes. The great difficulty I have found in our Indian matters is this, that while all departments of the Government are disposed to do justice to the Indian, and aiming to make him friendly, each has its separate and distinct aim, and while the military has been fighting them in one section of the country the representatives of other departments have been negotiating for or making peace with the same Indians in other sections of country. They would fight us in one section of country, then go to another section, make peace, get food and supplies, and return to fight us again. Under these divided and antagonistic efforts and interests very little has thus far been done toward securing a permanent peace. The Indians see and understand these things as clearly as we do. They have watched our vacillating