[Doc. No. 38.]

3

DEPARTMENT OF WAR,

Office of Indian Affairs, 5th January, 1827.

To the Hon. JOHN COCKE,

Chairman of the Committee of Indian Affairs,

House of Representatives of the United States.

SIR: I have the honor to enclose, herewith, an extract of a letter from Governor Cass, to me; and of one to him, by the Chiefs and principal men of the Stockbridge or Muh-heconnewee Indians. The legal authority of this tribe has been dissolved in the State of New York, and is now established upon the Fox river, in the Michigan Territory.

I have the honor to be,

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

THOMAS L. McKENNEY.

Extract of a letter from Governor Cass, to Col. Thomas L. McKenney, of 9th December, 1826.

"I enclose an extract from their letter to me. I do wish that Congress would interfere promptly and efficaciously upon this subject. Unless they do so, vain are our efforts to improve the condition of the Indians, and false and delusive will be our hopes."

Extract of a letter received from the Chiefs and Principal Men of the Stockbridge or Muhheconnewee Indians.

"We further consider it our duty to inform your excellency, that, with deep concern, we behold the alarming ravages of spirituous liquors on the lives, property, and happiness of Indians in this part of the Territory. It is an evil we wished to flee from, and came into this distant clime with the hope of finding a resting place, and the hope of being greatly useful, by our examples, towards civilizing that portion of our Indian brethren with whom we should have an intercourse but we are sadly disappointed in this. We, however, trust, that the subject needs only to be mentioned to your excellency, and that some effectual measures will be adopted to stop it, or, at the least, lessen its progress. And, believe us, on the success of this depends the interest of thousands."

2d Session.

War Dept.

ENCROACHMENTS ON CHOCTAW LANDS.

LETTER

FROM

THE SECRETARY OF WAR,

TRANSMITTING

The information required by a resolution of the House of Representatives of the United States, of the 20th ultimo, in relation to

ENCROACHMENTS BY WHITE MEN,

UPON LANDS CEDED TO THE

CHOCTAW INDIANS,

IN THE TERRITORY OF ARKANSAS.

JANUARY 8, 1827.

Read, and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

WASHINGTON:

PRINTED BY GALES & SEATON.

DEPARTMENT OF WAR,

January 5, 1827.

SIR: I have the honor, in compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 20th ultimo, directing me to communicate to the House any information in my possession, as to the number of White persons who have encroached upon lands granted to the Choctaw nation of Indians in Arkansas, in lieu of a part of their lands ceded to the United States on this side of the Mississippi," &c. to furnish the accompanying report, made, by my directions, by the officer in charge of the Office of Indian Affairs; and which contains the information oalled for by said resolution, as far as the same can be furnished from the documents in said office.

I have the honor to be,

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

JAMES BARBOUR.

To the Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives.