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individual speculation in that department put a stop to. I will mention one instance among many of the abuse of which I complain; and by that you can judge of the rest. A Colonel Rapell late of the army, and as I am informed engaged in Settling for the troops at Fort Montgomery and Coneca, called upon me not long since and said he had orders upon me from people on the Alabama for the amount of their proportion of the money appropriated to pay for their (unclear). I stated to him, that I had laid it down as a rule from which I did not see any reason to depart, to pay the claimants personally who were entitled to receive it. (Unclear) the head, of the (nation?) and that I did not feel that my duty or instructions wold allow me to pay him on the authority he produced. He at the same time mentioned, rather in a boasting way, that he had made large advances to these persons, that he had let Tate a half breed, have an elegant gig at 600 dollars and so on, and that he posted the money with which he intented to proceed to New York to pay for goods for which he was indebted there. This kind of reasoning, as you may suppose, did not alter my determination and he left me. The same day however he wrote me a note, and continued to repeat them to the number three, iin which he made many observations to which I did not condescend to reply. The only answer I made was --- that I could not and would not by any act of mine countenance any individual interference with the Indians. That it was my duty to protect them & see that they had justice done them upon all occasions; and in all cases which came to my knowledge I should do so, and consequently shoud not pay him what he demanded. His last note insolently asserted that he had the appropriation made in their favor; and that he had caused their claims to be presented to me by Judge Touleman; and