Letter from W.G. Ewing to William Medill, March 13 1847: Sheet #3

Transcription

the payment and return. I consulted with Col. Hamilton the former agent and with his advice, refused to have anything to do with them, conceiving as I then did and do that they deserved no favours, when they had violated their treaty by refusing to go, and insulted the Government by their obstinate conduct. We considered that we had done our duty fairly and such as was approved of by Major Jouett, who had charge of the collection & removal of these Indians and we beg leave to refer to him.

We can prove that we hired all the influential men speaking their language to assist to assemble them and further that we agreed to pay the expenses of some 10 or 12 Head men, who owned land in this country, to return and see to their business, if they would assemble their people to be removed.

First we provided at a heavy expenses 15 or 20 horse teams to transport them; but as Major Jouett preferred to take them by water, at his request we employed Canal & Steam boats, and incurred an extra expense of $5000, and sold our teams at a great sacrifice, and incurred a heavy expense in keeping them.

And we are prepared to prove that we spared neither expense or labour to effect the emigration.

These few Indians who remained are most of them part Pottawaatomie & unwilling to leave their friends around Benacks, an Indian settlement on the Tippecanoe River.