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

Copy The United States To L Battaile admr G. Brown Dec Dy

Date Aug 21 1863 To 50 head wild cattle delivered age from one to ten years 333.33 To 20 head cows (some 10 head with calves) 213.13 To 300 bushels wheat & 100 bs. barley

On undivided half of the Rose & Beans farm in Williams Valley consisting of some 8000 rails enclosing some 50 acres of ploughed land together with barn drilling & other improvements belonging thereto 700.00 1246.46

Round at Round Valley August 21 1863 of George M Hanson Superintending Agent Northern District of California Twelve Hundred Forty six 66/100 Dollars $1246.46/100 L Battaile Admr G Brown Dec

I certify that the above named amount is correct and just and that I have actually this day of 186 paid the amount thereof

No. 39 Round Valley Aug 21th 1863 Assistant Treasurer of the U. S. San Francisco

Pay to L Battaile Admr G. Brown or have Eight Hundred & Ninety Six 46/100 Dollars $896.46/100 Geo M Hanson Supt Agt Ind Aff &c

Copy The United States To Lawrence Battaile [Dy?]

Date Augst 21st 1863 To plowing 30 acres of land at farms in William's Valley 90.00 To moving 2500 rails & enclosing 30 acres land at $50 per thousand 125.00 To 16 [illegible] horse 18 & 20 feet 60.00 To moving smoke game & Philly horse 25.00 $300.00

[illegible] at Round Valley August 21st 1863 of George M Hanson Sperintending Agent Northern District of California Three hundred Dollares in full of this account. $300.00/100 Lawrence Battaile

I certify that the above amount is correct & just and that I have actually this day of 186 paid the amount there of

No. 41 Round Valley Cal Aug 21st 1863 Assistant Treasurer of the U. S. Pay to Lawrence Battaile or bearer Three Hundred Dollars $300.00

Geo M. Hanson Supty Agt &c

Santa Barbara, Cal. 17 Sept. 1863 The Hon. Wm P. Dole, Commis. of Indian Affairs Washington D. C.

My dear sir, I have taken the liberty to mention your favors in my Indianology of California, published for the last three years in the Cal. Farmer and a few days ago concluded.

Knowing the interest you have in every thing relating to the Aborigines, and their history and languages, I have thought you might be pleased to accept from me a few suggestions which if possible or proper to initiate during your term of office would add nearly not only to your good name, but to the honor of the Bureau in the world of letters and science.

The plan proposed of the dictionaries and [illegible] will not be very expensive, and if the Indian agents and interpreters will only give moderate attention to the matter, can be easily accomplished and add greatly to their character with the government and the public. Their communication being literal

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lately printed in the reports of the Indian Bureau and Government works from 1846 to 1864, and published by the Government in volumes similar to those on Commercial relations. It is believed that the series of such work would become extremely valuable to all public offices if distributed in the two territories

This plan, if approved might in time be extended to all the tribes (or agencies) of the Pacific states and territories.

Alexr. S Taylor

Santa Barbara, California 17 September 1863

To the Hon. Wm. P. Dole Commissioner of Indian Affairs Washington D.C.

When these MGS. are recd. [received] in Washington, of the little is given either in the Ind. Bureau reports or the Smithsonian reports, inquirers interested in Indian Affairs and scientific persons will be informed of their receipt, so that if not printed by the Bureau, they will still confer a great honor on its library, influence and office.

A carefully drawn up and special account of the Pueblo Indian tribes is a very great [illegible] and any [officers?] in New Mexico competant to perform such a work and to make a map of their country with sets of its ruins and heiroglyphics would confer a great honor in his name - no such work is known. I65 [ checkmark]

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Daily Evening Bulletin.

TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 8, 1863.

New Works on the Indian Languages of California and Sonora.

Mr. Shea has lately issued two new numbers of his valuable series of the aboriginal languages relating to Indians of this coast, copies of which have just been received in California. The first is A Grammar of the Pima, or Nevome–a language of Sonora, from a manuscript of the 18th century, (about 1785,) edited by Buckingham Smith, late Secretary of the United States legations to Spain and Mexico, 1 vol., 8vo. pp. 125. The work contains a catechism and confession in the Nevome language, of 31 pages, and a lengthy and well digested treatise on the grammatical structure of the aforesaid idiom. This curious and valuable essay was procured a few years ago by Mr. Smith, at Toledo, in old Spain. He assumes that it was made by one of the Jesuit missionaries, but this is evidently the work of one of their successors, a Franciscan, from its monastic motto. It seems to have been in use at the town of Movas or Mavis, in the Lower Pimeria, on the upper waters of the Rio Yaqui, not far from Ures, as appears from the 1855-map of Jacob Monk, of Baltimore. The Pima language, it seems from this work and other authorities of the Spaniards, extends from the northern parts of the State of Sinaloa to beyond and along the Gila river, to the river of [Tamoqaisi?] or Colorado, into South California (!) and west from the Sea of Cortes to the country of the Taraumaras, in the Sierra Madre of West Chihuauas. It included in its affiliations the Papagos, Opatas, Yaquis, Mayos, Pimas, Seris, Eudeves, Nevomes, Heves, and other less known populations, whose language is still recorded in the geographical terms of the States of Sonora and Sinaloa, and also of Arizona, and who are all assumed by later historians and philologists to have been intruders from more northern countries. The Moquis and Zunis seem to be related to them. At the present time they are wild [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] 70,000 souls ; but in 1750 they were estimated at double that number. This language covers one of the most extensive districts of North America, and its populations, when first known to the Spaniards, about 1535, were nearly all found to be cultivators of the soil, and living in scattered villages like the Pimas and Maricopas of the Gila in 1863. The history and character of the Pima nations, in connection with the Aztec chronicles of Mexico, has caused more discussion among the learned men of Europe and America than probably and other people on the continent.

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The second work of the series alluded to is A Volcabulary of the Language of the Mission of San Antonio in Alta California (sometimes called the Sextupays or Tetachoyas.) It is by Padre Buenaventura [Setjar?] of the Order of San Francisco with grammatical notes by the editor of the Series, who is one of the most distinguished of the Indian philologists. It occupies 72 octavo pages, and was compiled by the old Californian between 1772 and 1807, in which latter year he died at San Antonio Mission, in Monterey county. In 1823, this Mission, contained about 890 Indians ; but in 1863 you can hardly count a baker's dozen of them.

These two works are of great value in archaeological science, in showing the path of the ancient Indian invasions and migrations from north to south, and east to west. Though language is subject to great changes, it is yet permanent in its principles. The English language of to-day is widely different from the English language of the days of King Alfred, but still it is no other than the same Anglo-Saxon idiom, and by it, its speakers can be traced all through North Western Europe, and twisted up into all sorts of dialects in its shiftings and wanderings. Somer assert that the monks from Ireland first taught the Saxons and Britons the purer English, but this seems to be too much of bull to swallow without the horns. AST

Office Indian Affairs, Southern District, California San Francisco, Feby 28th 1863

Hon. Wm. P Dole Commissioner Indian Affairs Washington, D. C.

Sir: Your letter of Jany 21st, 1863, acknowledging telegraphic despatch to the [illegible] T. G. Phelps, (in response to an appropria-tion for vaccine matters, to vaccinate the Indians, and [illegible] that $300. [But has?] remitted for the purpose was duly received.

I have the honor to remain very respectfully, your obt. ser., Jno. P. H. Wentworth Supt. Agt. S. D. Cala.

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133. Pacific Div. of the 1863 Head Qrs Department of the Pacific March 16, 1863 1277 San Francisco January 31st 1863 P20 Hqrs 1863 Brig General George Wright U. S. Volunteers Commdgs California W86 P75 R Encloses copy of a communication received from Captain C. D. Douglas, 2d Infantry Cal. V. Comdg. Round Valley Ind Reservation &c - asking removal of Supts because of neglect of duty &c

I see no remedy for this, under existing system of [merging?] Indian Affairs. March 12th/63 H. W. Hawks Genl. Chf

Recd Hd Qrs. Army March 12 63 Recd H Q. O. Mar 10, 63 Returned with Report April 3rd/63

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Asst Genl's Office. March 14, 1863.

Respectfully submitted to the Secretary of War with the suggestion that it be referred to the Department of the Interior

E. D. Townsend Asst. Adjt. Genl.

Respectuflly referred for the communication of the Secretary of the Interior Edwin Landry War Dept Brig Genl. Mar. 21, 1863

Respectfully referred to the Comr of Indian Affairs, who with reports at the earliest practicable moment & where the return papers with the report. Jno. T. Otts March 20 '63

Monthly Statement of Letters for March 1863 Date Written Brief Contents Letters Received Date Answered 1863 Brief Contents Letters Answered 1863 1863 March 10th Hon. Wm. P. Dole, Acknowlg recd of statement of letters for Dec 1862 No ans required

" 14th Hon. Wm. P. Dole Acknowlg rect of letters of Jany 31st, enclosing list of employees for the qr ending Dec 31st, 1862., asking why the names of H. F. Ironside & H. Cosin do not appear, & what dispersing has been made to them. July 10th Hon. Wm. P. Dole acknowl'g rect of letter of Mch 14th 1863, stating that M. [name?] was [acknowledged?] on the 13th of Jany 1862, and that Wm. Cosin's name appeared in this list of employes for the Qr ending Dec 31st 1862.

" 16th Hon. Wm. P. Dole, acknowl'g rect of letters of 23rd Jan'y (transmitting a/ct of R. K. Dodge together with Power of attorney from Dodge to Thos. M. Madden) and stating that the a/cs have been examied, also enclosing copy of letters to Ths. P. Madden No ans required

" 21 Hon. Wm. P. Dole, acknowl'g rect of letter of Jan'y 31st, enclosing Property Returns for the six months ending Dec 31st 1862. No ans required

" 21 Hon. Wm. P. Dole, acknowl'g rect of letters of Feby 5th, enclosing a/cts for the 4th Qr 1862. No ans required

" 25 Hon. Wm. P. Dole, [illegible] to three [months?] not [illegible] [illegible] by my Requsitions but receipted for by the present Sept.

"26 Hon. Wm. P. Dole, stating that the a/cts for the 3d Qr 1862, had been examined and referd to 2d Auditor. Enclosing statement of exceptions. July 10th Hon. Wm. P. Dole, Acknowl'g of letters of Mar. 26th, 1863, and stating that as seen as was marked or [illegible] as to the correctness of the exceptios can be obtained, they will be forwarded.

" 30 Hon. Wm. P. Dole, Acknowl'g rect of letter of 28th Feby on required it [illegible] [illegible] for [illegible] for the 1 Qr ending March 31st, 1863, payments in legal tender notes [illegible]

March 9th Wrote E. B. French, enclosing a/cts connext for the months of Jan'y & Feb'y 1863.

" 10th Wrote Hon. Wm. P. Dole, enclosing statement of letters for the months of Jan'y 1863.

March 9th [illegible] letters written to E. B. French " 10th Wrote Hon. Wm. P. Dole, enclosing certificates of issue belonging to Property Returns ending Dec 31, 1862.

Acknowl'g rect of letters of Jan'y 21st, in relation to requisition for $9712.50. " 29th Wrote Hon. Wm. P. Dole, inclosing new sets of vouchers No. 47, DeWitt Kittle & Co., also Bills of Lading for vouchers No's 27, 28 & 29 of 2d Quarter 1862, with explanations.

" 28th Forwarded to Hon. Wm. P. Dole, Requesting for [illegible] for the Qr ending Jany 31st 1863, and to $968.50.

" 28th Wrote E. B. French, enclosing a/ct consent for the month of March 1863

I certify, on honor that the above statement is correct. Jno. P. H. Wentworth Supt. Agent

Office Supt Ind Affs San Francisco Aug. 25, 1860

Chas Cochran Esq Downesville Cal.

Sir.

I am in receipt of your favor of the 22d inst -

Mr Geiger who is now in this City; has certified to your account for six months pay at $60 per month ($360) which will be transmitted to the Department with my recommendation for its payment -

The claim for extra pay you send, can not be certified to by Mr Gregor, as it conflicted with his account already [illegible] -

I have understood that you are advocating Mr Douglas claim I hope such is not the case, you are to old a democrat to be found absent from the ranks of this period -

Yours Truly J. Y. McDuffie

The United States

Date 1861 To Joel Lewis Dr Dolls Cts Jany 1st For services rendered on Nome Cult Indian Reservation as Laborer from date to July 29th to [illegible] and 29 days & 50$ pr mo 348 331/3

I certify on honor that the services above charged have been rendered with fidelity and great advantage to the services, and that the account is just and correct, and should be paid without delay

Nome Cult Ind. Resv, July 29th 1861 Jno. A. Dreibelbis late Suptg Agt Ind. Affs Nor. Dist. Cala.