No. 9 B.
Pay Department United States Army,
Leavenworth City, Kansas, May 28, 1866.
GENERAL: I have received information which I deem entirely reliable, although unofficial, that by and through the management of some claim agent in Washington, the payment of the Indian officers in the First, Second, and Third Regiments Indian Home Guards has been ordered, and that the payment was taken entirely out of the hands of the Pay Department, and the money turned over to Judge Cooley, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, who has, or is about to pay out the same through the Indian agents of the tribes to which these officers belong. I am further informed that money was turned over for the payment of the whole number of officers, and that it would probably be paid out without regard to what payments might have been made by the Pay Department. Having paid these regiments from organization to muster-out, with one exception, and being familar with the condition of their pay, I will state that I have made final payment upon certificates of non-indebtedness from mustering officer, to nearly every white officer in these regiments, and also seven Indian officers, viz:
Pa-hos-mah-la, second lieutenant, Company A, First Regiment.
No-co-so-lo-chee, captain, Company G, First Regiment.
Kot-so-gee, second lieutenant, Company G, First Regiment.
A-tam-mah, second lieutenant, Company I, First Regiment.
S. H. Downing, second lieutenant, Company G, Second Regiment.
Ta-la-lah, captain, Company D, Third Regiment.
Spencer S. Stephens, second lieutenant, Company A, Third Regiment.
On the 8th of December last I filed in your office a stoppage against the pay of William Sunday, late second lieutenant Company B, Third Regiment Indian Home Guards, for the sum of $42, which I fear has been overlooked by this remarkable system of payment. I felt it my duty to furnish the above information in order that you might take such measures as you thought proper to protect the Government against loss.
I am, general, your obedient servant,
DANIEL M. ADAMS, Additional Paymaster United States Army.
Brevet Major General B. W. BRICE,
Paymaster General United States Army, Washington City, D. C.
(Indorsement.]
Paymaster General’s Office,
June 4, 1866.
Respectfully referred to the Hon. D. N. Cooley, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with request for any information relative to the transfer of funds to the Indian Department for paying the First, Second, and Third Regiments Indian Home Guards, in his possession.
This office has no knowledge of such transfer, nor of any special arragement for the payment of the regimental officers, such as is alluded to by Paymaster Adams.
B. W. BRICE, Paymaster General.
Washington, D. C. February 12, 1867,
SIR: In reply to your inquiry as to the manner in which you have made payments of bounty and back pay due the Cherokee soldiers and officers, it affords us great pleasure to state, that as far as our observation and information extends, you made payments directly to the claimants, and we have heard no complaint or dissatisfaction in any instance.
Yours, very respectfully, &c.,
WILLIAM P. ROSS
Principal Chief
RILEY KAYS
JESSE BUSHYHEAD
Cherokee Delegation
JOHN NV. WRIGHT, Esq.