506
MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS.
the Indian tribes in this part of Oregon, Superintendent Huntington, after a preliminary conference in August, appointed a general council for the 9th of October. The council came off and lasted until the 15th, on which day Drew reached the council ground at the ford of Sprague River, glad to find his services had not been required, and not sorry to have had nothing to do with the treaty there made: not because the treaty was not a good and just one, but from a fear that the government would fail to keep it.[1]
- ↑ The treaty was made between Huntington of Oregon, A. E. Wiley, sup. of Cal., by his deputy, agent Logan of Warm Spring reservation, and the Klamaths, Modocs, and Yahooskin band of Snakes. The military present were a detachment of Washington infantry under Lieut. Halloran, W. C. McKay with 5 Indian scouts, Captain Kelly and Lieutenant Underwood with a detachment of company C. The Indians on the ground numbered 1070, of whom 700 were Klamaths, over 300 Modocs, and 20 Snakes, but more than 1,500 were represented. Huntington estimated that there were not more than 2,000 Indians in the country treated for, though Drew and E. Steele of California made a much higher estimate. Ind. Aff. Rept, 1865, 102. Special Agent Lindsey Applegate and McKay acted as counsellors and interpreters for the Indians. There was no difficulty in making a treaty with the Klamaths. The Modocs and Snakes were more reluctant, but signed the treaty, which they perfectly understood. It ceded all right to a tract of country extending from the 44th parallel on the north to the ridge which divides the Pit and McLeod rivers on the south, and from the Cascade Mountains on the west to the Goose Lake Mountains on the east. There was reserved a tract beginning on the eastern shore of Upper Klamath Lake at Point of Rocks, twelve miles below Williamson River, thence following up the eastern shore to the mouth of Wood River to a point one mile north of the bridge at Fort Klamath; thence due east to the ridge which divides Klamath marsh from Upper Klamath Lake; thence along said ridge to a point due east of the north end of Klamath marsh; thence due east, passing the north end of Klamath marsh to the summit of the mountain, the extremity of which forms the Point of Rocks, and along said ridge to the place of beginning. This tract contained, besides much country that was considered unfit for settlement, the Klamath marsh, which afforded a great food supply in roots and seeds, a large extent of fine grazing land, with enough arable land to make farms for all the Indians, and access to the fishery on Williamson River and the great or Upper Klamath Lake. The Klamath reservation, as did every Indian reservation, if that on the Oregon coast was excepted, contained some of the choicest country and most agreeable scenery in the state. White persons, except government officers and employés, were by the terms of the treaty forbidden to reside upon the reservation, while the Indians were equally bound to live upon it; the right of way for public roads only being pledged. The U. S. agreed to pay $8,000 per annum for five years, beginning when the treaty should be ratified; $5,000 for the next five years, and $3,000 for the following five years; these sums to be expended, under the direction of the president, for the benefit of the Indians. The U. S. further agreed to pay $35,000 for such articles as should be furnished to the Indians at the time of signing the treaty, and for their subsistence, clothing, and teams to begin farming for the first year. As soon as practicable after the ratification of the treaty, mills, shops, and a school-house were to be built. For fifteen years a superintendent of farming, a farmer, blacksmith, wagon-maker, sawyer, and
