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Letter from George W. Ewing to William Medill?, November 24 1846: Sheet #5

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this country in August 1845. They complained to me of the country, not white men, but they the delegated Indians themselves, [illeg] said it was a miserable despicable country, and that they would so report it to their nation on their return to Indiana. I expostulated with them, and told them it was the best Indian Country West of the states. and that if the climate proved farmable they could live there well--I told the nation the same thing always. Now I can not refrain from saying that the remarks lately made to Col. Vaughan, fall with a bad grace from the very Indians who had themselves examind this country & reported against it in 1845.

Here, it seems, they sat in open councill with Col. Vaughan, and heard their chief impute to white men, that which they had done themselves.

George Hunt, who interpreted from Chief Lafountaine to Col. Vaughan in the recent councill, was himself one of that delegation and he had returnd home (as did also Brewyett, Pim-y-o-tem-ah, Shoppendoceah, & Louis Lafountain the chief's son) in 1845, and reported to Chief Lafountaine & the nation the very things, which it would seem they now wish to impute to white men.

I conversed with Avaline, Miller and Falk when I met them in St. Louis returning from this country. They did not to me speak harshly of this country, but said it was very hot and dry & destitute of water, and not so good a country as the one the Indians had sold in