I mentioned that he was not a Rev. because I supposed you desired to be correct in each particular in your historical records, and judged he had received that title from some one who thought all missionaries sent out by the A. B. C. F. M. were ministers of the Gospel. He is recorded as "Mr. Samuel Allis, teacher," in the Missionary Herald, the organ of the A. B. C. F. M., and never essayed to preach. He afterwards was appointed teacher by our government, and it was while acting in that capacity that he made the effort to improve 'the condition of the Pawnees by permitting the braves to drive their boys and girls in herds to his intellectual pasture grounds, which he records as a failure. In his article, Vol. 2, Page 155, of your Historical Records, he has given the date of the attack of the Sioux upon the Pawnees, as occurring in 1845. This does not accord with the date of that attack as given in my article, and I think, if you refer to the report of the Secretary of the Interior, you will find it was in 1843. This may have been a misprint, and I am reminded by it to ask, as a special favor, that the proof sheets of my article be sent me, that I may verify their correctness before they appear as permanent record on your pages. Respectfully, GEO. E. HOWARD, Sec'y Neb. State Historical Society. MRS. E. G. PLATT. TABOR, IOWA, February 26, 1891. GEORGE E. HOWARD: DEAR SIR:-In writing, I would not forget to tender thanks for your report received, though to do this is not my special reason for appearing again before you. In reading Mr. Allis' paper, reported by the Nebraska Historical Society, I see he is made to say that among the annuiting goods delivered to the Pawnees were shrouds. I judge that the compositor, not being acquainted with articles of Indian barter, mistook a "t" for an "h" and thus made this most ludicrous error, and I feel impelled to call your attention to it, because it is approved by The Nebraska Historical Society," whose design no doubt is to be correct in every minute particular. Strouds, a heavy woolen goods manufactured, in the town of Stroud, Gloucestershire, England, is the cloth used by the Indian women for dress goods, and by the men for leggins and waist cloths, and it was no doubt written thus by Mr. Allis. Can this error be corrected so that future readers may not be stumbled by the absurd representation that our government sent shrouds to our wild Indians? Hoping I may not seem intrusive in this, I am Yours Respectfully, After the publication last year of my article entitled, "Notes on the Military History of Nebraska," two questions were asked me by a member of your society regarding it. The first question was, whether the name "Kearney" (Gen. W. S. Kearney), should not be spelled "Kearny?” On examination of the Army Register of the United States from 1876 to 1886, published by L. R. Hammersly, I found the name spelled "Kearny;" but I have since still further investigated the matter and find in the report of the Adjutant Acting General of the army, March 13, 1824, in the Army Register for 1831, and in the report of a committee of Congress on claims, April 9, 1832, (Am. State Papers, "Military Affairs," Vol. 2, Page 7), that the name is spelled "Kearney." It is also found in the report of Gen. Gaines, in 1834, and, finally, his signature to a letter, dated Fort Leavenworth, Kan., June 20, 1837, published in Am. State Papers, "Military Affairs," Vol. 7, Page 961, is printed Stephen W. Kearney, and I infer, in the absence of stronger authority to the contrary, that my original spelling is correct. The second question was, why I did not mention "Booneville's" expedition. This, although not strictly a military expedition, being rather a personal exploration, might well have been mentioned. Captain B. L. E. Booneville was granted a leave of absence from the regular army, (being then Captain of the 7th Infantry), from August 3, 1831, to October, 1833, for the purpose of exploration. He left Fort Osage on the Missouri May 1, 1832, with 110 men, most of whom had been in the Indian country, and many being experienced hunters and trappers. He also took with him some Dela ware Indians. He reached the main stream of the Nebraska or Platte river about twenty-five miles below the head of Great (Grand) Island, June 2, 1832. He measured the width of the river at this point and found it 2200 yards from bank to bank. Its depth was, at that time, from 3 to 6 feet, and was full of quick sand. Cottonwoods were growing on the numerous islands. On the 11th of the same month, they came to the forks of the Nebraska and resolved to follow the north branch. He states that a few days after this date he ascended a high bluff, and "as far as his eye could reach, the country seemed absolutely blackened by innumerable herds." No language, he says, could convey an adequate idea of the vast living mass thus presented to the eye. His expedition then followed the north fork of the Platte, passed beyond the present boundaries of the state. I have seen no record of it, except the work of Washington Irving. He lived to perform duty in his later days, during the Civil War, and I found his name as mustering officer of Nebraska troops, upon papers now on file in the Adjutant General's office of the state. If he made any official report of his expedition, which has been published by the war department, I have not been able to find it. The official report of Col. Dodge's expedition, mentioned in the paper, may be found in Am. State Papers, Military Affairs," Vol. 6, Page 130. Since the last meeting of the "Historical Society," I have, under the authority of Governor Thayer and Adjutant General Cole, been at work assorting, collecting and filing, so as to be accessible, papers relating to the service of the Nebraska troops in the late war. I have discovered many valuable papers, and have so numbered and filed them, that I believe information can hereafter be obtained with comparatively little trouble. Company histories and records have been found, but many of the original papers are not on file. A careful study of each man's record has, however, been made from the material on hand and a book showing the principal points of the military history of each officer and soldier, is now being prepared for the Adjutant General's office. This contains a "Record of Nebraska Volunteers from 1861 to 1869, including therefore, in the later dates troops called into the service of the state only. The following are the organizations included in it: First Regiment Nebraska Veteran Volunteers. First Battalion Nebraska Veteran Volunteers. Second Regiment Nebraska Cavalry Volunteers. Curtis "Horse," Nebraska Volunteers. Company A, First Regiment, First Brigade, Nebraska Militia. Companies A, B, C, First Regiment, Second Brigade, Nebraska Militia. "Artillery Detachment" Nebraska Militia. Company A, Pawnee Scouts. Company A, Omaha Scouts. Company A, First Regiment Cavalry, Nebraska Militia, 1867. This book will also show what records are on file, with each organization. In the absence of any fund available for printing of this record of service, this seems to be the best that can be done to preserve these papers from loss and ensure their safety for future use. I am, yours very truly, EDGAR S. DUDLEY, First Lieut. 2nd U. S. Art'y. FORT BARRANCAS, WARRINGTON, FLORIDA, Feb. 2, 1889. PROF. GEO. E. HOWARD, Secretary Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, Neb. DEAR PROF:-I wrote you a few days ago asking for a copy of the third volume of your proceedings. Soon after, I noticed, that you were just holding your annual meeting so that it will be some time before it is published. I want to say that the Roster of Nebraska Volunteers," upon which I was at work for a long time in the Adjutant General's office has, since my departure from the state, been published and it will be a valuable addition to your library. I noticed some typographical errors in it, but have as yet discovered nothing very important, that is wrong. You remember probably, the condition in which the records of this office were in, when I started on this work. The papers accumulated for years were unassorted, except that a few of those of the two or three years prior to that time, were in packages by themselves, but the great mass of papers were, "all in a heap." I have tried to fix it so that hereafter, those important records, still on hand, shall not be lost, by putting them together in packages, numbering the package and making a list of them under the head where they most appropriately belong. You will see an example of it on the first printed page (page 3) beginning the record. An examination of that list, and following ones, will show you what there is now in existence, from which to draw the History of the First Nebraska Volunteers. I regret very much that I was unable to write up the history of this regiment, and in fact to continue the Notes on the Military History of Nebraska," from the point where I left off in your last proceedings. But the amount of work to do, even what I did do, is inconceivable to any one who has not tried it. The note which appears printed as "preface," indicates something of what I tried to do. Another thing I think ought to be mentioned. A large number of desertions are reported—not from the front facing the enemy, but from western Nebraska,―and chiefly of men who enlisted in the 1st Battalion Nebraska Veteran Volunteers. This Batallion instead of being sent to the front was consolidated with the 1st Regiment and put on duty "on the plains." It is evident that this was not what the men who enlisted in it expected, for dissatisfaction appears from the number of desertions which followed. They all, it is to be presumed (and in original records it is shown for many, that they were veterans), had seen prior service and received honorable discharge, so that it must have been a strong cause for dissatisfaction, that would induce them to desert. I infer that it is due to the fact that they felt that the spirit of their contract had not been lived up to, that they had expected to go to the front, and the change of destination, and the placing them under new officers not chosen by them, caused by the consolidation, created the feeling, which led to numerous desertions. Again it was in the closing days of the war when the 1st |