Letters of the Office of Indian Affairs, 1849-1880, California Superintendency

Office Indian Affairs N.D. Cal [?] March 14th '64 Hon Wm P Dole Sir I had hoped in this to have made my returns but the irregular form in which the returns came to me from Round Valley & Mendocino has [?] their return for [?] and I cannot make out full accounts until then shall be sent back My cash account is the same way so that by sending partial account the accounts would be quite complicated. I [did?] state for the information of the department that I have drawn from the Assistant Treasurer in all the sum of thirteen thousand eight hundred and seventeen [38/100?] dollars, all except about three thousand dollars of which has been disbursed in payment of claims against Mr Hansen as accounted [&?] in my adminisistration The residue a portion I sent to Mr Bryson a portion to [?] Milindey & a portion is retained by me to pay liabilities as they occurr [occur] I leave tonight for Round Valley; Mendocino & then through Klamath County and will in

[left side] See letter [illegible] [Name?] Aug 18 1865

California J349 [Name?] Marysville, California April 16, '64 (E)

Applies as [illegible] for [illegible] due [illegible] Hastings deceased Enc. [illegible] letters of administration

Received May 16, '64

Acknowledgment Sept [number?] 1864,

Marysville California 6 March 1865

Dear Sir My suggestion of [illegible] 2 Hastings. I transmit the accompanying document to you in the hope that it may anable you to obtain payment without sending the money back and forth to [illegible] California This [illegible is [illegible] want to for the settlement of the [illegible] here. Please acknowledge receipt of so much on account, when you receive the money, or soon as the account is [illegible] [illegible] I will send for reply of it, with the balance.

[illegible] [illegible] [Name?]

John Hastings [illegible] Haverton Columbiana County Ohio

California [illegible] [illegible] Yreka, Cal. April 18 '64

One [illegible] red. to [Supervisor?] [illegible] management of the [illegible] Indian Reservation and the character of Henry Stergon

Office Ind Affairs Yreka April 18th 1864

Hon., [illegible] P Dole Sir Herewith please find affadavit of James Eddy, also a statement of [citizens?] of Round Valley, which are respectfully submitted, by order of the [illegible]

Very Respectfully, Your [illegible]

[L. B.?] Steele Clerk of Supt. Steel [illegible] Cal.

Mendocinco County State of California

James [F?] Eddy being [illegible] [illegible]: I am employed on the Round Valley Reservation. I know Henry Stergon of Butte County having acted in the capacity of Special Indian Agent in said county under [illegible] superintendent for the period of one year ending October 1868. His reputation is exceedingly bad being associated with those who rob Chinese miners. I have frequently heard him called a petty thief and charged with living in [rancheras?] with Indians. While removing the Indians of Butte County to the Reservation he made application to me to recover a squaw with whom he had been living, which I refused. He followed the train on the first days march remaining about the camp over night. I saw him next of the 7th of October 1863, at the camp of about seventy five Indians on the summit of the Mountains the Indians

then in charge of some persons sent our by Captain Douglas. The next day he came into Round Valley. Some three weeks afterwards I was camped near the Mountain House with the government pack train on my return to the Reservation from Tehama with a load of provisions when I was woke before daylight by [illegible] from the Reservation, who stated he was in pursuit of a part of Indians that were running away; and that from the tracks of the horses on the trail he was satisfied there was white men with them. We descended upon the Mountain House and found there this man (Henry Stergon) and with him the squaw with whom he had lived and her mother. I immediately arrested him and took charge of the squaws. Unfortunately, I was obliged to release him to pursue a large part of Indians that were in [illegible] on their way back to Butte County. I placed the squaws in charge of a Mr. Hall until I returned, who [recreant?] to the trust

delivered them to Stergon again. I have not seen them since. I went through Butte County with Capt. Augustus W. Starr and fifteen cavalry, and recovered twenty of the Indians that had run away. I was told by one Wells that he had offered a reward to Stergon to bring back two Indians that had formerly lived with him. We found the identical Indians in the possession of Wells at Yankee Hall. I was told that one man furnished Stergon with money another with a horse for the purpose of running off Indians from the Reservation for them. From my knowledge of the character of Henry Stergon I would not believe him on oath. I have never had any business transaction nor personal difficulty with him whatever. Furthermore [deponent?] sayeth not. James [F.?] Eddy [Sworn?] and [illegible] before me this 21st day of Febry AD 1864 [illegible]

Copy Round Valley Febry 14th 1864

E. Steele Esqr Supt. Ind. Affrs Northern Dist Cal.

Sir We the undersigned of this place having heard that various false statements & reports have been made by Capt. Short & others touching the management of the home [illegible] Ind. Reserve & the present Super of that place [illegible] we desire to state briefly what we know about the management of that place since Capt Short assumed control over it as Supervisor. Capt Short was placed in charge of the Reservation in the Fall of 1861, with every means at his disposal for planting a large crop. In the Winter & Spring of 1862 the time for planting a crop, but little was done towards farming. A few acres of grain has grown, but the Super seems to have depended mainly on a [volunteer?] [crop?], which any farmer knows is a poor dependance. A small quantity of corn was planted, but the most of that was put in too late to mature, and it amounted to nothing. In fact the whole management betrayed a want of skill & energy on the part of the Supr. and it was the common remark throughout the valley "there is nothing doing on the Reservation." When harvest-time came there was but little to harvest. The Indians seeing this, & fearing they would be [drawn?] to

subsist of the property of the citizens or [worse?], the [illegible], & [illegible] Indians left in a [body?] for their old homes, Capt Short making no effort as [illegible] them knowing as he did that he had no means of [subsisting?] them. The Supervisor's excuse for not raising a crop, is that the season was unfavorable. But that excuse will hardly hold good, seeing that the other people raised fair crops the same season. And the fact of his having purchased from a [illegible] of the [illegible] a large amount of corn, is a sufficient denial of his statement. The winter & spring of 1865 produced the same result as the year before, with the [exceptions], that through the exertions of [illegible] then Physician for the Reservation & Mr. Robinson an employee a good crop of corn was produced. Capt Short by this time having [become?] so absorbed in his attention to a "dusky maid" as to almost incapacitate him for the ordinary duties of his office. Mr. Short has through his [austere?] adminitration of affairs show a lack of interest & ability in the discharge of his duties as overseer. He has entirely failed to accomplish any of the good results which could have been accomplished by a capable man with the same means at his disposal. His gross, [licentious?] conduct with a certain squaw at the Reservation, has been such as to excite the mirth & ridicule of the entire population of this valley, Indians included. In fact his conduct in that [illegible] has been disgraceful in the extreme both to himself and the party he supervises. We would also state that since [illegible] [succeeded?] Capt Short in [illegible] he seems to have infused