Letter from Joseph Sinclear to William Medill, July 20 1846: Sheet #2

Transcription

Office of Miami Eel River Agency Fort Wayne 20 July 1846

Sir, I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 8th, enclosed with a copy of the decision of the department on certain applications of the Miamis.

I take the liberty on this occasion to express my admiration of the policy adopted by the Department and my readiness to aid in carrying it out.

I have just returned from the residence of the chief. I called upon him for the purpose of finding out what the Miamis were prepared to do in the way of emigration. I told the chief that the tribe would now be expected to act. that promises would no longer answer the purpose - I informed him that in case of a refusal to remove, it was absolutely certain that their annuities would be withheld. and that it was by no means certain that the Government would not compel them to remove: that in case of a failure to receive their money a large portion of the tribe would suffer for the want of clothing & food and that they would have just cause of complaint against whoever should produce that state of things; that as far as I was concerned I should clear my self of all such responsibility and would throw it whom him where it would properly belong.