ecretary　of　War；　thus　putting　an　end　to　what　ought　never　to　have　happened　at　all。
  INDIAN　PEACE　COMMISSION。
  On　the　20th　of　July；　1867；　President　Johnson　approved　an　act　to　establish　peace　with　certain　hostile　Indian　tribes；　the　first　section　of　which　reads　as　follows：　〃Be　it　enacted；　etc。；　that　the　President　of　the　United　States　be　and　is　hereby　authorized　to　appoint　a　commission　to　consist　of　three　（3）　officers　of　the　army　not　below　the　rank　of　brigadier…general；　who；　together　with　N。　G。　Taylor；　Commissioner　of　Indian　Affairs；　John　B。　　Henderson；　chairman　of　the　Committee　of　Indian　Affairs　of　the　Senate；　S。　F。　Tappan；　and　John　B。　　Sanborn；　shall　have　power　and　authority　to　call　together　the　chiefs　and　head　men　of　such　bands　or　tribes　of　Indians　as　are　now　waging　war　against　the　United　States；　or　committing　depredations　on　the　people　thereof；　to　ascertain　the　alleged　reasons　for　their　acts　of　hostility；　and　in　their　discretion；　under　the　direction　of　the　President；　to　make　and　conclude　with　said　bands　or　tribes　such　treaty　stipulations；　subject　to　the　action　of　the　Senate；　as　may　remove　all　just　causes　of　complaint　on　their　part；　and　at　the　same　time　establish　security　for　person　and　property　along　the　lines　of　railroad　now　being　constructed　to　the　Pacific　and　other　thoroughfares　of　travel　to　the　Western　Territories；　and　such　as　will　most　likely　insure　civilization　for　the　Indians；　and　peace　and　safety　for　the　whites。〃
  The　President　named　as　the　military　members　Lieutenant…General　Sherman；　Brigadier…Generals　A。　H。　Terry　and　W。　S。　Harney。　Subsequently；　to　insure　a　full　attendance；　Brigadier…General　C。　C。　Augur　was　added　to　the　commission；　and　his　name　will　be　found　on　most　of　the　treaties。　　The　commissioners　met　at　St。　Louis　and　elected　N。　G。　Taylor；　the　Commissioner　of　Indian　Affairs；　president；　J。　B。　Sanborn；　treasurer；　and　A。　S。　H。　White；　Esq。；　of　Washington；　D。　C。；　secretary。　　The　year　1867　was　too　far　advanced　to　complete　the　task　assigned　during　that　season；　and　it　was　agreed　that　a　steamboat　（St。　John's）　should　be　chartered　to　convey　the　commission　up　the　Missouri　River；　and　we　adjourned　to　meet　at　Omaha。　　In　the　St。　John's　the　commission　proceeded　up　the　Missouri　River；　holding　informal　〃talks〃　with　the　Santees　at　their　agency　near　the　Niobrara；　the　Yanktonnais　at　Fort　Thompson；　and　the　Ogallallas；　Minneconjous；　Sans　Arcs；　etc。；　at　Fort　Sully。　　From　this　point　runners　were　sent　out　to　the　Sioux　occupying　the　country　west　of　the　Missouri　River；　to　meet　us　in　council　at　the　Forks　of　the　Platte　that　fall；　and　to　Sitting　Bull's　band　of　outlaw　Sioux；　and　the　Crows　on　the　upper　Yellowstone；　to　meet　us　in　May；　1868；　at　Fort　Laramie。　　We　proceeded　up　the　river　to　the　mouth　of　the　Cheyenne　and　turned　back　to　Omaha；　having　ample　time　on　this　steamboat　to　discuss　and　deliberate　on　the　problems　submitted　to　our　charge。
  We　all　agreed　that　the　nomad　Indians　should　be　removed　from　the　vicinity　of　the　two　great　railroads　then　in　rapid　construction；　and　be　localized　on　one　or　other　of　the　two　great　reservations　south　of　Kansas　and　north　of　Nebraska；　that　agreements　not　treaties；　should　be　made　for　their　liberal　maintenance　as　to　food；　clothing；　schools；　and　farming　implements　for　ten　years；　during　which　time　we　believed　that　these　Indians　should　become　self…supporting。　　To　the　north　we　proposed　to　remove　the　various　bands　of　Sioux；　with　such　others　as　could　be　induced　to　locate　near　them；　and　to　the　south；　on　the　Indian　Territory　already　established；　we　proposed　to　remove　the　Cheyennes；　Arapahoes；　Kiowas；　Comanches；　and　such　others　as　we　could　prevail　on　to　move　thither。
  At　that　date　the　Union　Pacific　construction　had　reached　the　Rocky　Mountains　at　Cheyenne；　and　the　Kansas　Pacific　to　about　Fort　Wallace。　　We　held　council　with　the　Ogallallas　at　the　Forks　of　the　Platte；　and　arranged　to　meet　them　all　the　next　spring；　1868。　　In　the　spring　of　1868　we　met　the　Crows　in　council　at　Fort　Laramie；　the　Sioux　at　the　North　Platte；　the　Shoshones　or　Snakes　at　Fort　Hall；　the　Navajos　at　Fort　Sumner；　on　the　Pecos；　and　the　Cheyennes　and　Arapahoes　at　Medicine　Lodge。　　To　accomplish　these　results　the　commission　divided　up　into　committees；　General　Augur　going　to　the　Shoshones；　Mr。　Tappan　and　I　to　the　Navajos；　and　the　remainder　to　Medicine　Lodge。　　In　that　year　we　made　treaties　or　arrangements　with　all　the　tribes　which　before　had　followed　the　buffalo　in　their　annual　migrations；　and　which　brought　them　into　constant　conflict　with　the　whites。
  Mr。　Tappan　and　I　found　it　impossible　to　prevail　on　the　Navajos　to　remove　to　the　Indian　Territory；　and　had　to　consent　to　their　return　to　their　former　home；　restricted　to　a　limited　reservation　west　of　Santa　Fe；　about　old　Fort　Defiance；　and　there　they　continue　unto　this　day；　rich　in　the　possession　of　herds　of　sheep　and　goats；　with　some　cattle　and　horses；　and　they　have　remained　at　peace　ever　since。
  A　part　of　our　general　plan　was　to　organize　the　two　great　reservations　into　regular　Territorial　governments；　with　Governor；　Council；　courts；　and　civil　officers。　　General　Harney　was　temporarily　assigned　to　that　of　the　Sioux　at　the　north；　and　General　Hazen　to　that　of　the　Kiowas；　Comanches；　Cheyennes；　Arapahoes；　etc。；　etc。；　at　the　south；　but　the　patronage　of　the　Indian　Bureau　was　too　strong　for　us；　and　that　part　of　our　labor　failed。　　Still；　the　Indian　Peace　Commission　of　1867…'68　did　prepare　the　way　for　the　great　Pacific　Railroads；　which；　for　better　or　worse；　have　settled　the　fate　of　the　buffalo　and　Indian　forever。　　There　have　been　wars　and　conflicts　since　with　these　Indians　up　to　a　recent　period　too　numerous　and　complicated　in　their　detail　for　me　to　unravel　and　record；　but　they　have　been　the　dying　struggles　of　a　singular　race　of　brave　men　fighting　against　destiny；　each　less　and　less　violent；　till　now　the　wild　game　is　gone；　the　whites　too　numerous　and　powerful；　so　that　the　Indian　question　has　become　one　of　sentiment　and　charity；　but　not　of　war。
  The　peace；　or　〃Quaker〃　policy；　of　which　so　much　has　been　said；　originated　about　thus：　By　the　act　of　Congress；　approved　March　3；1869；　the　forty…five　regiments　of　infantry　were　reduced　to　twenty…five；　and　provision　was　made　for　the　〃muster　out〃　of　many　of　the　surplus　officers；　and　for　retaining　others　to　be　absorbed　by　the　usual　promotions　and　casualties。　　On　the　7th　of　May　of　that　year；　by　authority　of　an　act　of　Congress　approved　June　30；　1834；　nine　field…officers　and　fifty…nine　captains　and　subalterns　were　detached　and　ordered　to　report　to　the　Commissioner　of　Indian　Affairs；　to　serve　as　Indian　superintendents　and　agents。　　Thus　by　an　old　law　surplus　army　officers　were　made　to　displace　the　usual　civil　appointees；　undoubtedly　a　change　for　the　better；　but　most　distasteful　to　members　of　Congress；　who　looked　to　these　appointments　as　part　of　their　proper　patronage。　　The　consequence　was　the　law　of　July　15；　1870；　which　vacated　the　military　commission　of　any　officer　who　accepted　or　exercised　the　functions　of　a　civil　officer。　　I　was　then　told　that　certain　politicians　called　on　President　Grant；　informing　him　that　this　law　was　chiefly　designed　to　prevent　his　using　army　officers　for　Indian　agents；　〃civil　offices；〃　which　he　believed　to　be　both　judicious　and　wise；　army　officers；　as　a　rule；　being　better　qualified　to　deal　with　Indians　than　the　average　political　appointees。　　The　President　then　quietly　replied：　〃Gentlemen；　you　have　defeated　my　plan　of　Indian　management；　but　you　shall　not　succeed　in　your　purpose；　for　I　will　divide　these　appointments　up　among　the　religious　churches；　with　which　you　dare　not　contend。〃　　The　army　officers　were　consequently　relieved　of　their　〃civil　offices；〃　and　the　Indian　agencies　were　apportioned　to　the　several　religious　churches　in　about　the　proportion　of　theirsupposed　strengthsome　to　the　Quakers；　some　to　the　Methodists；　to　the　Catholics；　Episcopalians；　Presbyterians；　etc。；　etc。and　thus　it　remains　to　the　present　time；　these　religious　communities　selecting　the　agents　to　be　appointed　by　the　Secretary　of　the　Interior。　　The　Quakers；　being　first　named；　gave　name　to　the　policy；　and　it　is　called　the　〃Quaker〃　policy　to…day。　Meantime　railroads　and　settlements　by　hardy；　bold　pioneers　have　made　the　character　of　Indian　agents　of　small　concern；　and　it　matters　little　who　are　the　beneficiaries。
  As　was　clearly　foreseen；　General　U。　S。　Grant　was　duly　nominated；　and　on　the　7th　of　November；　1868；　was　elected　President　of　the　United　States　for　the　four　years　beginning　with　March　4；　1869。
  On　the　15th　and　16th　of　December；　1868；　the　four　societies　of　the　Armies　of　the　Cumberland；　Tennessee；　Ohio；　and　Georgia；　held　a　joint　reunion　at　Chicago；　at　which　were　present　over　two　thousand　of　the　surviving　officers　and　soldiers　of　the　war。　　The　ceremonies　consisted　of　the　joint　meeting　in　Crosby's　magnificent　opera…house；　at　which　General　George　H。　Thomas　presided。　　General　W。　W。　Belknap　was　the　orator　for　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　General　Charles　Cruft　for　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　General　J。　D。　Cox　for　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　and　General　William　Cogswell　for　the　Army　of　Georgia。　The　banquet　was　held　in　the　vast　Chamber　of　Commerce；　at　which　I　presided。　　General　Grant；　President…elect；　General　J。　M。　Schofield；　Secretary　of　War；　General　H。　W。　Slocum；　and　nearly　every　general　officer　of　note　was　presen