the fact that, at this most untoward moment, the Osages were being approached for a cession of lands, and partly to the fact that Indians of the neighborhood, of unionist sympathies, Cherokees and Delawares[274] from the Cherokee country, Shawnees, Quapaws,[275] and Seneca-Shawnees, were being made refugees, partly, also, to the fact that Agent Elder and Superintendent Coffin were not working in harmony with each other.  Their differences dated from the first days of their official relationship.  Elder had been influential, for reasons most satisfactory to himself and not very complimentary to Coffin, in having the Neosho Agency transferred to the Central Superintendency.[276] Coffin had vigorously objected and with such effect that, in March, 1862, a retransfer had been ordered;[277] but not before Coffin had reported[278] that everything was now amicable between him and Elder.  Elder was evidently of a different opinion and before long was asking to be allowed again to report officially to Superintendent Branch at St. Joseph.[279] There was a regular tri-weekly post between that place and Fort Scott, Elder’s present headquarters, and the chances were good that Branch would be in a position to attend to mail more promptly than was Coffin.[280] The counter arguments

[Footnote 274:  F. Johnson to Dole, April 2, 1862, Indian Office, Central Superintendency, Delaware, J 627 of 1862.]

[Footnote 275:  The propriety of permitting the refugee Quapaws to “return to their homes by accompanying the military expedition” was urged upon the Indian Office in a letter from Elder to Coffin, May 29, 1862 [Coffin to Dole, June 4, 1862, Ibid., Southern Superintendency, Neosho, C 1663 of 1862].]

[Footnote 276:  Office letter of June 5, 1861.]

[Footnote 277:  Mix to Branch, March 1, 1862, Indian Office Letter Book, no. 67.]

[Footnote 278:  Coffin to Dole, February 28, 1862, Ibid., General Files, Southern Superintendency, 1859-1862, C 1541 of 1862.]

[Footnote 279:  Elder to Dole, May 16, 1862, Ibid., Neosho, E 106 of 1862.]

[Footnote 280:  Coffin was spending a good deal of his time at Leroy.  Leroy was one hundred twenty-five miles, so Elder computed, from Leavenworth, where he (cont.)]

of Coffin[281] were equally plausible and the request for transfer refused.

The outfit for the Indians of the Home Guard was decidedly inferior.  Opoeth-le-yo-ho-la wanted batteries, “wagons that shoot."[282] His braves, many of them, were given guns that were worthless, that would not shoot at all.[283] In such a way was their eagerness to learn the white man’s method of fighting and to acquire his discipline rewarded.  The fitting out was done at Humboldt, although Colonel William Weer[284] of the Tenth Kansas Infantry, who was the man finally selected to command the entire force, would have preferred it done at Fort Scott.[285] The Indians had a thousand and one excuses for not expediting matters.  They seemed to have a deep-seated distrust of what the Federal intentions regarding them might be when