Joseph Sinclear to William Medill, August 19 1846: Sheet #2

Transcription

Peru Indiana 19 August 1846

Sir, I have the honor to enclose herewith a certified statement of proceedings and result of the council held by me with the Miami Indians yesterday & today. The result has been such as I anticipated in my letter to you of the 18th, and was brought about by the traders in the manner indicated in that letter.

The traders have assured the Indians that the President of the United States had their papers in his hands, And that if they would refuse to remove until their business was arranged, they had an assurance from the President that he would reconsider the whole matter. All this I of course knew to be false. But Mr. [Driver?] who had visited Washington affirmed that the President so promised him and the Indians it appears have believed him.

The answer of the chief is merely a repetition of who slang that has been used here by the traders for who last week, and the insulting language of the chief in speaking of some of the officers of the Government, and of the Government, should not be considered as eminating in the tribe--on the contrary I am well satisfied that a majority of the tribe look upon our government with respect.

I have said to the Indians that I should ask the government to authorise their removal by force, and that it was highly probable that such authority would be given; and I now make the application to the Department for the adoption of such measures as may be considered adequate and proper to secure the emigration of the Miamies - A very small force will be sufficient, a company from some post would