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upon hiring almost entirely. He is therefor at the mercy of individuals having [strike] owning teams. But after receiving my letter and seeing it backed by your telegram, as he will -- the Telegraph office at Denison being leaky. I believe he will do the best he can without losing money, look out for plausible excuses. If the stores are not loaded in proper time, Robinson will proceed to hire transportation under the tenth article of the Contract and charge difference to him. But all this will require time, more I am afraid than we can spare, if the Camp on McClellan Creek is to be established this winter.
I have heard nothing as yet from MacKenzie, Morrow gets off tomorrow and Davidson on Monday. I enclose copies of my instructions to them. I want to get the 9th towards Fort Clark as soon as possible, as there are a few Indians on the lower Pecos, that must be cleaned out in the Spring. Two days since two of Mowaway's sons came in; they are youngsters and say they left their father on Staked Plains. Last night the Qua-ha-dies, who had gone into the Wichita Agency and surrendered there arms, were brought here. They belonged to the party struck by MacKenzie early in November on Staked Plains. They have been since that time coming in. Their information is not important, they report a few lodges of Kiowas and five lodges of Cheyennes at some point on head of Brazos, and that the Qua-ha-dies under Otter Belt, and some Cheyennes, are on Pecos toward Guadalupe Mountains. They report Mowaway and his people are anxious to come in. Kicking Bird has given me the names of four of his people now confined here in Ice house, who participated in the murders, in this vicinity, last summer. Horseback has given the names of three Comanches likewise engaged in those murders. I shall in consequence release from confinement ten of the Kiowas and a few of the Comanches. This is done however with the distinct understanding that these Chiefs are responsible for them, and will return them when required, and has nothing to do with the final settlement by the Government with these tribes. It is merely done to relieve the crowd in the Ice house, which is the best available place for their confinement. Those temporarily released are either quite old or very young. From those accused I think we can eventually obtain names of others and may succeed in convicting the worst characters. I doubt if it is best to proceed to extremities until the Cheyennes and all the others have come in. Very respectfully Your obdt. servant (sgd) C. C. Augur Brig. General Commanding
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