MF1323.1197 Reel 39_1087

California S379 James Short Round Valley, Cal. May 15, '64

Submits Statement rel. to a settlement of his a/c and the action of Sup. Agt. Steele theron

Recd June 17, '64 See letter to Mr Short May 25 1865

Fin Smith

Round Valley Mendecino Co. Cal 15th May 64

Hon W P Dole Com Indian affrs

Sir

Yours of April 12th is just received as was also yours bearing date 27th January but not until after I had written you agent Steel notified me to meet him here the first of April to have my claims investigated I have done as directed but Mr. J. Ross Brown was not in attendance Mr Steel pretended to an investigation but I have no faith in what he has done being sufficient to enable me to draw my pay he nearly took my own afidavits to the facts I have the proper vouchers for the money that I paid out for grain but the 66 dollars that I had to pay for Storage [dragage?] on Indian goods and garden seeds at [name?] that I had to pay or do without for the season forty two dollars fifty cents that that I paid expenses that [illegible] going and returning from San Francisco ordered

Hanson 7 dollars expense of pack train to Ukiah City two hundred and sixty two dollars and fifty cts that Hanson swindled me out of by stating that my salary had been curtailed 25 dollars per month from the first of July 1862 until the 15th of May 10/62 months and a half and likewise two month and six days that servises that I paid George Bowers as as an employee on the Reservation when I was compiled to have a hand and could not get one on the credit of the government throught Hanson there is one other item which Hanson made me pay that there never had been any other Supervisor from the time the Reservation System was organized on the Pacific Coast until the present time has paid that is groceries I had to pay 179 dollars for groceries during the time that I was on the place that may be all right but then if it is it is not right for the other to have it free there is one other item that I will mention last fall when I returned from Washington and came into the Valley the Supervisor on the reservation was absent from the reservation there was about 150 sick Indians scattered along the trail for fifty miles across the mountains

dieing at the rate of two to three per day and nothing to eat there was complaints made to Capt Douglass in Commad at Fort Wright of their situation he apointed me to go and bring them in I took a pack train wagon and team and was engaged thirteen days paid five dollars out of my own funds and had to make a bill of twenty nine dollars and fifty cents for food for the Indians and mules which I am held accountable for which Steel refuses to pay my reasons for distrust about getting my pay under the present investigation is this Steel appears to have taken a very decided stand with Hanson and the present Supervisor and against me and could of take my afadavit just as well at Sacramento as here but said he wanted the affadavits of those that I had paid the money to after my riding two hundred and fifty miles at an expence of 58 dollars I could not get him to take any more proof than my own this money I paid in gold and was compeled to do so and if I am compeled to take it in legal tender it will be very hard on me as I had to sell four hundred in legal tender to pay two hundred and fifty of this money and they are only worth [illegible] cts to the dollar and I am now very poor if papers will not answer let me hear from you as soon as possible I proclaim formally yours [Jar?] Short

[left side note] California 1864/S379