MF1323.1197 Reel 39_1020

OFFICE INDIAN AFFAIRS, NORTHERN DISTRIT, CALIFORNIA.

San Francisco, 186 fifty sick Indians that had been left scaterred alone the trail for fifty miles back over the mountains and was dieing at the rate of from two to three a day from the want of attention and the hogs eating them as soon as they did die if not commencing before afidavits of which Capt Douglass took last Oct and forwarded to the President in a report that he made of the transaction of two or three disinterested persons testifying to the facts in the case I want accompanyed by the hospital stuard from the Fort with medicines and food for them taking twenty pack mules and an ox team and wagon was engaged thirteen days defraying the expense myself the Supervisor [illegible] by those Indians as he went out on his urgent business of seeing the new superintendant but Steel considered it the unpardonable sin to relieve those sick Indians so mutch [much] so that he said he could not reinstate me until he would corespond with the department on the subject and could not allow me anything for my services or for the expences of the trip my impression is that the wrong man has got the appointment again I suppose there is very little doubt but that he is a copperheadwhen I landed in Sacramento last Sept on my return from Washington I noticed an article in the Sacramento bee on Steels appointment and stating that he had voted the copperhand ticket at the late election and answering Senator Conness for the appointment having so [illegile] knowledge on the subject as I supposed and from what had [passed?] between you and myself on the 8th of August last in your office on that

subject as you had given me to understand offer showing me the petition or what ever it was that the Legislature of California had presented to you for Hansons removal and recommending Steel as his sucessor at the same time inquiring of me if I new wither [whether] Mr. Conness had arivid in the city or not I supposed from those circumstances that Mr. Conness had no hand in his appointment I called in to the office of the Bee and gave him the foregoing statement believing as I did then that it was rong [wrong] for Mr Conness to be censured for an act which I then thought him clear of but when I met Steel I asked him if he had seen the charges the Bee made against him he said he had and remarked that he wished the man that put that piece in had done as mutch [much] for the party as he had I asked him if he new who had put it there he remarked that it was Mr. Oulton the former State Senator of Siskiyou County and now Controler Elect of the State some time after I had comes to the this county I was in conversation with Mr. Burnell State Senator from this Amador Co an old friend of mine on the subject and told him what Steel said on the subject Burnell remarked that it was good authority and that he was on intimate terms with Mr Oulton and that when the legislature met he would see Oulton and learn the facts in the case Mr. Burnell was up during the holidays and informed me that Mr. Oulton and Mr Foulke the present Senator of Siskiyou County boath [both] stated that Steel had done every thing in his power before the Sept election for the Copperhead ticket and against the union ticket

however on meeting with Mr. Steel informed me when I met him that it was Mr. Conness that had it all done and that no one else had any hand in the matter that Mr Conness had telegraphed him on the the tenth of August last from Washington to that effect Mr Steel not being willing that it should be presumed that I had any thing to do in the affair after he had treated me has he had to the displeasure of every Union man in the Valley I wish you would see Capt Douglass communication to the President last October if you have not seen it I [illegible] how things is suffered to pass if they reported to the department as they should be by those intrusted with the affairs of the government in this distract Hanson taking the government property off of the reservation since Steel has had charge by the consent and aid of the supervisor which can easily be proven and Col Henley told me a few days ago that Hanson was in Nevada territory disposing of Indian goods that he had on hand and the Col knows how sutch [such] things are done Hanson took a horse from the reservation that he had bought from my son for the government service and put apon the Reservation the first of August he remained there until October when he sent for him and the supervisor gave him up Hanson had taken my sons vouchers for the price of the horse one hundred sixty five dollars and gave him a check on the assistant Treasury at San Francisco but was not paid for the lack of funds to Hansons credit he likewise gave my son a check and took his vouchers for three hundred and sixty odd dollars for his services as an employee which is in the same Mix has not been [illegible]

[illegible] large amounts that is in the same cituation [situation] report say eighty thousand dollars if you recollect you wrote and read to me the out lines of a letter that you would send to Steel directing him to investigate my claims and cause to be paid what was fund justly due me but in stead of his doing so he stated that you had directed him not to pay any of Hansons contracts now if I am to receive my pay at all I should be glad to have it arranged so that I could get it at the assistant treasurys office at San Francisco in stead of having to run after Steel as he keeps his office at Yreka in the extreme Northern County of the state on the Oregon line I suppose some five or six hundred miles from here and I have already spent about eight hundred dollars in trying to get it and more than half of that amount was in gold and it would necessarily cost me one hundred dollars to hunt him up again whitch [which] I am entirely destitute of now if it is in your power to see me righted it will be a great accomendation to me in my present cituation [situation] if you will attend to it at your earlyest [earliest] convenience and if it is not you would greatly oblige me by instrusting me what course to persue I am well assured if you and the President were familiar with all the facts in the case that I should be reinstated be good enough to let me hear from you at your earlyest [earliest] convenience Direct Round Valley Mandecino Co Cal [illegible] [Name] city I remain Dear Sir Respectfully Yours James Short

Hon A. P Usher Sec Interior