The discrimination which the Comanches have frequently made in favor of the people, natives of this Territory, and against Anglo-Americans cannot be regarded in any other light than as an insult to the Government and to our people, and I suppose no one will doubt what it becomes my duty to do in reference to it. It seems to me that this favor shown to the Mexicans lessens the weight of the information which you have received. The Mexicans, finding themselves thus favored, of course feel inclined to favor the Indians in return, and the Mexicans would doubtless be further indices to this course from a desire to continue the trade which is carried on with these Indians by the very men from whom you get your information. I also feel myself compelled to differ with you in regard to the past conduct of the Comanches on our eastern frontier. I cannot venture for information upon this subject as far back as eighty years, but I am advised that in the year 1856 the Comanches, in connection with a few Kiowas, made a raid through the settlements in the direction of the Navajo country, and it is said the on their return from the Rio Grande they robbed houses, violated women, and killed the stock of the citizens. After they had collected various small lots of mules and horses they finally drove off from near Las Vegas fifty-odd mules, the property of our present Governor, Connelly. I cannot enumerate all the robberies and outrages which they committed from time to time from 1851 to 1856, during my first sojourn in New Mexico, particularly about Chaperito and on the Pecos. I myself was sent in pursuit of them on one occasion. Then three Mexican captive boys got away from them, and these General Garland sent home to their friends in Mexico. I am informed that in 1860 they drove off 100 and odd head of cattle from Mr. Giddings and killed and number of his fine sheep, which at great cost he had brought from the States. About this time, too, they attacked the grazing camp of Messrs. Moore & Rees, on the Pecos; killed one man and destroyed and ran off horses and cattle from that camp. In the early part of 1861 they drove off 450 head of cattle belonging to the United States. To these robberies may be added a large list mentioned in a letter from Mr. Levi J. Keithly, which was published about the same date.

In May, 1861, Colonel Collins, the superintended of Indian affairs, in company with Captain wainwright of the army, met the Comanches at Alamo Gordo, when several chiefs were present, among them Esaquipa and Pluma de Aguila, who are known to be the principal chiefs of the band of Comanches which occupied the country along the Canadian. Stipulations of peace were agreed upon with those chiefs, and they promised not to return to the settlements again unless permitted to do so by the authorities of the Government. This agreement, however, was violated in a few days after the council; the Indians returned to the settlements, and after being warned off by Captain Duncan, U. S. Army, were attacked by him and one of their number killed and several wounded. Since then I have not heard of their committing any depredations upon the settlements of New Mexico. But if you will contemplate the record of their atrocities upon our people on the plains this year, and count among those atrocities the going up to unoffending citizens traveling with trains, the snaking of hands with those citizens, and then coolly shooting them down; the scalping of their victims; the scalping of two innocent boys yet living and now in the hospital at Fort Larned; the killing and the mutilating of the bodies of the five Americans with Allison's train, I think you can hardly fail to see that I should be derelict of my duty if I should refrain from making at least an attempt to avenge

21 R R - VOL XLI, PT IV