John Pope to A. Dana, September 9, 1864

Hon. 0. A. DANA, Assistant Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of copies of letters from Governor Edmonds and others setting forth the abuse of their trading licenses with Indians of Charles Chouteau and others having trading posts among the Indians in this department. Copies of these papers, with your indorsement thereon, have been sent to General Sully, who has been ordered to examine into the offenses alleged and to take such action as the War Department directs. It is not improper for me to state that the abuses specified, as well as others of a character equally serious, have been known to me for some time and have long required correction. They arise from a defective system in authorizing trading with Indians, and can only be reached by a reform of the system. It is hardly worth while to discharge or dismiss a few individuals, who may from time to time be actually detected in the commission of such abuses, when their places can and will be readily supplied by others, perhaps in partnership with the dismissed offenders, who will simply carry on the same system of fraud and wrong until they are also detected and replaced by persons of the same fraternity. All the results which such persons desire will be accomplished, however frequent the dismissals and changes. A change in the system of legalized Indian trading is needed to put a stop to such abuses, and this change must be so established that all Indian traders or other white men in the Indian country shall come directly under the supervision of the military authorities, who shall not only specify and enforce the manner in which trade with Indians shall be carried on, but the articles to be sold and the prices paid and asked. In this connection I inclose to you a letter which I addressed to General Halleck covering a code of rules for regulating trade with Indians in this department, as also a copy of the general order establishing these rules, which I asked the authority of the War Department to publish and enforce.

It was not at the time thought judicious to authorize the issue and enforcement of these rules, but I again invite attention to them, as they specify the only means known to me to put a stop to the constant repetition of the abuses complained of. Of course the enforcement of such rules, requiring as they do fair dealings with the Indians, will create a great outcry among the Indian traders, who have been long accustomed to plunder and wrong Indians and to create Indian troubles at their pleasure, as also among Indian agents and other parties more alive to their own personal profit than to the interests of the Government; but it is impossible to correct even the most glaring abuses, involving so many persons and carried on so long unreproved and unmolested, without creating outcry and opposition, as well as gross personal abuse and misrepresentation. That you may see how widespread is this feeling against the present system of Indian trading and the danger to the white settlements consequent thereon, I inclose also letters just sent me concerning the Chippewas of Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. I think some speedy and decided action ought at once to be taken to remodel our whole Indian policy. I addressed the Secretary of War on this subject on the 6th of February last,* setting forth my views on the question and offering suggestions, dictated by long and varied experience on the frontier, where I had the opportunity to see the practical working of the system (or want of system) pursued toward the Indians. It is a fact, and one not very creditable to our legislation, to our humanity, that up to the beginning of the rebellion against the Government the whole of our small army was scattered to remote frontier stations and subjected to hardship and privation, neither understood nor appreciated, for the sole purpose of counteracting the effect of our Indian system and of protecting emigrants and settlers from the natural consequences of a policy which has done little else than wrong and exasperate the Indian. I trust sincerely that the Secretary of War will take such action or urge such measures upon Congress at the coming session as will at least call the attention of our

*See Vol. XXXIV, Part II, p. 259.

legislators to the necessity of revising a system so prolific of wrong to the Indian, danger to emigration and to frontier settlements, and injury to the best interests of the Government and of humanity. Whilst I by no means assume that my letter to the Secretary of War of February 6, 1864, embodies the best mode of dealing with the Indians, I think it will be found to contain a fair statement of the evils of our present Indian policy, and some suggestions as to a modification of it, which point out at least its most objectionable features. I am, sir,

respectfully, your obedient servant,