[Footnote 253:  Official Records, vol. xiii, 370.]

[Footnote 254:  Indian Office General Files, Southern Superintendency, 1859-1862, F 363 of 1862.]

instructions from Adjt.  Gen’l Thomas, authorizing me to proceed and raise “from the loyal Indians now in Kansas a Regiment of Infantry.”  I immediately repaired to this place and in a very few days enrolled a sufficient number of Indians to form a minimum[255] Regiment.  I am particularly indebted to the Agts.  Maj.  Cutler of the Creeks and Maj.  Snow of the Seminoles, for their valuable services.  Immediately after the enrolling, and in compliance with my instructions from Adjt.  Gen’l Thomas, I notified Lieut.  Chas. S. Bowman U.S. mustering officer at Ft.  Leavenworth of the fact, to which I have rec’d no answer.

At this point in my procedure a special messenger from Gen’l Sturgis reached this place with a copy of his “Order No. 8,” a copy of which I herewith send you.  On the next day Maj.  Minor in command at Iola, Kansas, and who had been furnished with a copy of General Sturgis’ “Order” came with a company of Cavalry to this place “to look into matters.”  I showed him my authority, and informed him what I had done.  He made no arrest, seeming utterly at a loss to understand the seemingly confused state of affairs.  Whether Gen’l Sturgis will on the reception of my notice at the Fort arrest me, or not, I know not.  I have gone to the limits of my instructions and deem it, if not my duty, prudent at least to notify you of the condition of affairs, that you may be the better enabled to remove obstacles, that the design of the Department may be fully and promptly executed....[256]

[Footnote 255:  The regiment, according to the showing of the muster roll, comprised one thousand nine men.  Fifteen hundred was the more usual number of a regiment, which, normally, had three battalions with a major at the head of each.]

[Footnote 256:  The remainder of the letter deals with the muster roll of the First Regiment Indian Home Guards, which was forwarded to Dole, under separate cover, the same day, and of which Dole acknowledged the receipt, May 16, 1862 [Indian Office Letter Book, no. 68, pp. 240-241].  The roll shows the captain and number of each company as here: 

Company A   Billy Bowlegs               106
Company B   A-ha-luk-tus-ta-na-ke       100
Company C   Tus-te-nu-ke-ema-ela        104
Company D   Tus-te-nuk-ke               100
Company E   Jon-neh (John)              101
Company F   Mic-co-hut-ka (White Chief) 103
Company G   Ah-pi-noh-to-me             103

(cont.)]