as is possible over a people so scattered about, at points very distant from each other.

New York agency.-The Indians under charge of this agency are, with the Oneidas in Wisconsin, Cayugas in the Indian country, and a few scattered members of different bands in Kansas, all that remain of the formerly powerful Six Nations of New York, which filled so large a space in the early history of this country. They are living upon a number of reservations of greater or less extent in western New York, have the advantage of the school system of that State, and are for the most part far advanced in civilization, many of them, indeed, being fully equal in every respect to the white race. An old unsettled question between them and the United States exists, arising out of a former treaty in which they proposed to remove to the west, and the Indians have doubtless an equitable claim to a considerable amount. This matter should be settled, as the lapse of time makes it more difficult of adjustment.

One band of this people, not, however, connected with the agency, called the St. Regis band, lives in the northeast, near Plattsburg, partly in New York and partly in Canada. They draw some small annuity from the State. No accounts of them have reached this office of late. H. S. Cunningham, appointed October 25, 1866, is the special agent in charge. His duties are not very onerous, and his tribes require no very strict oversight, but what was to be done has thus far been done with good judgment.

Other Indians not in charge of any agency.-The only Indians not referred to in this sketch, save here and there a few families who remain in the vicinity of the ancient homes of their tribes, are the Cherokees of Georgia, the Seminoles of Florida, and the Miamies of Indiana.

When the Cherokee nation removed to the west, a portion declined to do so, and continued to reside in their old country, in northern Georgia and the adjoining portions of Tennessee and North Carolina. Many of these people have become mixed with the blacks, but many of the full bloods and mixed with whites remain. They have, in common with the rest of the population at the south, suffered greatly by the war, and it is stated that there are some two thousand who might be gathered together and removed to the west. A fund was set apart in one of the treaties for this purpose, but it has been returned to the general fund by the Treasury Department, and will have to be reappropriated. The Seminoles of Florida are likewise a remnant who refused to remove to the west. Recent estimates reckon their numbers at five hundred to six hundred, but it is deemed very doubtful whether there are so many. We know little of them.

The Miamies of Indiana were left behind when their tribe removed to the west, and received their small annuities at their own homes. They give the government no trouble, and are never heard from except at payments.

I have thus gone over the whole field, and presented a brief notice, in response to the resolution of the Senate, in regard to each of the tribes under charge of the department.

In responding to the call for information under the fifth head of the resolution of the Senate, in which the remarks of the department in reference to the future policy towards, and treatment of, the Indian tribes were requested, I have assumed that the object of the Senate was to obtain the suggestions of the department in regard to individual tribes, and have accordingly so arranged this report. If, however, it was intended that recommendations and suggestions should be furnished, covering the whole ground of the policy of the government towards the Indian tribes, no attempt has been made to this end. The brief time which has elapsed since I entered upon the duties of Commissioner of Indian Affairs not admitting of such deliberate consideration of the subject as its nature and importance demands.

Trusting that, in view of the brief time afforded for its preparation, this report may prove satisfactory, I have the honor to submit, it with the accompanying tables.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. O. H. BROWNING,

N. G. TAYLOR,

Commissioner.

Secretary of the Interior.

TABLE A.

Table showing the approximate number of persons belonging to each tribe of Indians in the United States, arranged alphabetically.

[NOTE. Where no statement of population is made opposite the name of the tribe, it is because the tribe is aggregated with others, as noted in table B, under the head of the proper superintendency and agency. In cases where several tribes are thus aggregated, the population of the agency is set opposite the name of the agency where it first occurs in this table, and in italics.]

NOTE. To the above total should be added about the following numbers for tribes and bands of which no census has been taken, or which are not definitely in charge of any agent:

Comanches, ranging in Northwest Texaя, say.

Cherokees in Georgia, North Carolina, &c., say.

Sacs and Foxes in Iowa, say.

Seminoles in Florida, say

Sisseton and other Sioux in Northeast Dakota, &c.

St. Regis, remnant of old Canada nations, in New York.

Wyandotts, remnant of old tribe, say

Grand total as estimated..

3,000

2,530

900

1,000

295,774

TABLE B.

Table showing the population of the various Indian tribes, by superintendencies, corrected by the reports of 1866.