and the whole frontier from Missouri to the Rio Grande be rendered free from the Indian alarms that have so long harassed our citizens and prevented the due extension of a civilized population into the territory over which those predatory bands of savages have roamed and depredated so many years. Free intercourse with the Camanches for years has fully convinced me that it is absolutely necessary either to whip them or continually overawe them with a strong military force, in order to hold them in subjection and to make them peaceable. Their chiefs have but little control, and I have never known them to make a treaty that a portion of the tribe do not violate its stipulations before one year rolls around; they are very daring and restless, and it appears, by my late experience on the present reserve, that the young men of the tribe will carry on their forays, let the consequences to themselves and families be what they may. The impossibility of keeping the young warriors on the reserve and of preventing them, with all the inducements I could offer, as well as threats of chastisement, from stealing horses and making forays, was the cause of my request to the commanding officer of this department to issue orders declaring all Indians hostile found off the reserves without a written permit from the agent. Hoping that you will use your influence with the government at an early period to consummate the policy now in contemplation, and being very desirous of co-operating with you and the military under your command in whatever measures you may adopt in relation to our Indians generally, I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ROB'T S. NEIGHBORS, Supervising Agent Texas Indians. Maj. Gen. D. E TWIGGS, U. S. A., Commanding Dept. of Texas, San Antonio, Texas. I certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the original on file in my office. ROB'T S. NEIGHBORS, Supervising Agent Texas Indians. No. 114. CAMANCHE AGENCY, Sept. 13, 1857. SIR: In compliance with your instructions and those of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, I have the honor herewith to transmit my annual report. The Camanches have been under treaty stipulations only about two years. At the period of their settlement they were wild and barbarous, leading a wandering life, and regarding the white man, wherever found, as a common enemy. Since their settlement here they have improved more in the arts of civilization than any other tribe in the same length of time. They are naturally intellectual, and have a high sense of propriety in dress and becoming deportment. Many of them understand the articles of the treaty and observe them with the greatest tenacity, and all are extremely anxious to learn the English language. They are contented and happy, and satisfied to live a quiet and settled life; and being naturally of an industrious disposition, they are anxious to learn the arts of civilization. From their former dissolute habits many of them have contracted diseases which are entailed upon their posterity. To adopt some measure to arrest their progress would be an act of humanity, as well as of common justice, and I would respectfully recommend that a physician should be employed to attend to the Indians and administer to their wants. I would also respectfully suggest the propriety of employing a blacksmith and establishing a shop on this "reserve," as all repairs of public property and of the private property of the Indians are made at the Brazos agency, and the visits of the Indians to that place have become troublesome and objectionable. During the farming season it would be impossible to keep every thing in order without a blacksmith, and more time would be lost in sending employés to the "lower agency" than would be compensated for by thrice the value of the work. A school is also deemed necessary, and it is desired by the Indians themselves. They have a number of children whom they wish to educate. If a school were established, and a teacher employed who would devote his time and attention to the teaching and moral training of these people, it would produce a more beneficial effect than the same amount of expenditure in any other way. In reference to experiments made here, all have succeeded in a way calculated to meet the most sanguine expectations, except the issues of stock cattle. These were made, perhaps, a little too early. The Camanches having had no experience in stock raising have suffered their cattle to stray, and, in this way, they have lost control over them. I shall use my best exertions to have them reclaimed, marked, and branded. On account of the unusual bad season and repeated blights with which the Indian crops were visited, they will not have a sufficient supply of breadstuffs for the current year; but next year, I have but little doubt, they will raise an ample supply. There is a number of houses in process of erection, and most of the Indians will have comfortable quarters during the winter. The prompt and energetic exertions of the troops stationed at Camp Cooper have completely checked the depredations common with the wild tribes in this vicinity. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. S. NEIGHBORS, Esq., Special Indian Agent, Texas. Supervising Agent Texas Indians. No. 115. BRAZOS AGENCY, TEXAS, SIR: In compliance with the regulations of the Indian department, I herewith transmit my annual report of the condition of the Indians under my charge. The Indians at the several villages have made very good crops of wheat and corn this season; and all the tribes, with the exception of the Tonkahuas, will supply themselves with bread; they will require about half rations of flour or corn, owing to their inexperience in cultivating the soil. The Indians have generally made over an average crop, compared with the crops of the white citizens in this section, as will be observed by reference to the farmer's report, herewith enclosed. All the Indians on this reserve are tillers of the soil, and their support is principally derived from its products. They have a fair stock of horses, cattle, and hogs, and are paying particular attention to stock raising; and I am satisfied that in a few years their condition will bear comparison with our frontier citizens. I have thought it proper to give permission to a portion of the Caddoes and Anadakoes, who have proved themselves perfectly reliable, to make small hunting and scouting parties, after securing their crops this fall; this was more a matter of recreation than profit, and I deemed it bad policy to confine the Indians on the reserve, with nothing to employ them. It was supposed that the information obtained from them, concerning the movements of hostile Indians, would greatly aid us in checking their depredations on our frontier. From time to time, during the past year, I have had visitors from friendly Camanches and Wichitas, and have deemed it proper and good policy to cultivate their friendship, by furnishing them subsistence while on the reserve. From them I have obtained much information regarding the movements of the Indians on our northern and eastern border not already settled. There are at present one thousand and fourteen Indians, actual settlers, on this reserve, showing an increase of sixty-six souls since my last annual report. The different tribes have enjoyed remarkably good health during the past year, which is attributable in a great measure to their being housed, and more comfortably clothed than when they were roving about on our frontier. I am expecting, in a short time, the Keechie band of Texas Indians here, numbering about one hundred and fifty souls. They have been residing for several years in the Creek nation, on the Canadian river, and they are now anxious to settle on this reserve. I consider them Texas Indians, and they claim to be such. It will be necessary to estimate for an amount sufficient to feed and clothe them, as they are entirely destitute. As the white settlements approach this reserve and the Indians become civilized, they acquire the habits of white men by intercourse; and of late I have had considerable trouble in preventing the furnishing of spirituous liquors to the Caddoes and Anadakoes by interested persons outside of the reserve. The chiefs of these tribes have exercised all of their influence to stop their people from drinking, but it is almost impossible to do so, so long as the frontier citizens encourage such traffic. I expect, however, that so soon as regularly organized courts are established in the adjoining new counties that this evil will be remedied. Our Indians all express a desire to have their children educated, and it is gratifying to them to know that the building to be used as a school room is nearly completed. I anticipate a large number of scholars this fall, and am satisfied that the school will greatly improve their moral and social condition. After discharging several employés, I have at length obtained good and competent men to attend to the duties intrusted to them; and as the Indians wish to enlarge their farms as they progress, I consider it advisable to continue them in service the next year, and would recommend estimates accordingly. It will be necessary, for the extension of the Indian farms, to have an additional supply of tools, and I have prepared an estimate of iron, steel, and other articles necessary for that purpose. The Indians under my charge have conducted themselves in such a manner, during the past year, that they have secured the approbation. and friendship of all good citizens on this frontier; and whenever outside Indians have committed depredations, they have invariably assisted the citizens in recovering their property. I know of no single instance of depredation being traced to them, and I am satisfied that, unless extraordinary means are taken to make them discontented, they will continue to improve and progress. The contractors for furnishing beef have furnished a good supply of good beef, sufficient for my requirements. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ROBERT S. NEIGHBORS, Esq., Special Agent Texas Indians. Supervising Agent Texas Indians, Brazos Agency. No. 116. CADDO AND ANADAHKOE FARMS, Brazos Agency, Texas, September 9, 1857. SIR: I have the honor to report that the operations on the Caddo and Anadahkoe farms have resulted as favorably as could be expected, when the devastations of several frosts in the spring killed most of the young corn, which was replanted the third time at each farm, and then the drought set in, which materially injured the crops. The Caddoes have one hundred and thirty acres of corn, which will yield about two thousand bushels, and twenty acres in wheat, which yielded about two hundred bushels. The Anadahkoes have one hundred and fifteen acres in corn, which will yield about two thousand bushels, and twenty acres in wheat, which yielded four hundred bushels. The wheat was cut by the laborers, bound, threshed, and sacked by the Indians, and a portion of it saved for the fall seed. They have also a very large crop of peas and beans, an abundance of pumpkins and squashes, which they are now engaged in cutting and drying for their winter use. They also raised a large crop of melons. The most of the work done on their respective farms was done by themselves, they having but one hand on each farm to instruct them. The Caddoes have ploughed twenty acres of new land the past month, and also built, during the past year, seven good log houses, and the Anadahkoes ten houses. Their stock look very well, and their women milk cows and make butter for their own use. Their wagons and oxen are in good order, and are kept constantly at work, hauling in their crops and fencing their farms. A number of these Indians have purchased themselves hogs, and are endeavoring to follow in the footsteps of the white man, and are economical with their crops; and it is believed that they will have breadstuff enough for their subsistence for the coming year. All of which is respectfully submitted by your obedient servant, SAMUEL CHURCH, S. P. Ross, Esq., Farmer for the Caddoes and Anadahkoes. Special Indian Agent, Brazos Agency, Texas. No. 117. WACO, TAHWACCARRO, AND TONKAHUA FARMS, Brazos Agency, Texas, September 10, 1857. SIR: I have the honor to transmit you this my annual report as farmer for the Waco, Tahwaccarroes, and Tonkahuas. In entering upon the discharge of my duties as farmer, I found two hundred and fifty-five acres of land ploughed, viz: Wacoes, ninety acres; Tahwaccarroes, ninety acres; and Tonkahuas, seventy-five acres; and have since, with the assistance of the Indians, ploughed thirty-five or forty acres for the Wacoes and Tah waccarroes, which was all planted in corn, with the exception of twenty acres at each farm sowed in fall wheat, when the devastation of several severe frosts and a severe snow-storm, as late in the spring as the 11th of April, cut down the corn and injured the wheat in a great degree when just heading. Most of the ground planted in corn was replanted the third time, and one farm of the Tonkahuas was planted anew as late as the 15th of May. The wheat, although injured, yielded about sixteen bushels to the acre on each farm. The corn will yield about twenty-five bushels to the acre for the Wacoes and Tahwaccarroes, or one thousand eight hundred bushels on each farm, and the Tonkahuas about twelve bushels, or four hundred bushels on their farm, besides a very large quantity of peas and beans for each village; also an abundance of pumpkins and squashes was raised, and the Indians on each farm are engaged in |