th all information in his possession
touching the late Indian barbarities in the State of Minnesota, and also
the evidence in his possession upon which some of the principal actors
and head men were tried and condemned to death," I have the honor to
state that on receipt of said resolution, I transmitted the same to the
Secretary of the Interior, accompanied by a note, a copy of which is
herewith inclosed, marked A, and in response to which I received, through
that department, a letter of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, a copy of
which is herewith inclosed, marked B.

I further state that on the eighth day of November last I received a long
telegraphic despatch from Major-General Pope, at St. Paul, Minnesota,
simply announcing the names of the persons sentenced to be hanged. I
immediately telegraphed to have transcripts of the records in all cases
forwarded to me, which transcripts, however, did not reach me until two
or three days before the present meeting of Congress. Meantime I received,
through telegraphic despatches and otherwise, appeals in behalf of the
condemned, appeals for their execution, and expressions of opinion as to
the proper policy in regard to them and to the Indians generally in that
vicinity, none of which, as I understand, falls within the scope of your
inquiry. After the arrival of the transcripts of records, but before I had
sufficient opportunity to examine them, I received a joint letter from
one of the senators and two of the representatives from Minnesota, which
contains some statements of fact not found in the records of the trials,
and for which reason I herewith transmit a copy, marked C. I also, for
the same reason, inclose a printed memorial of the citizens of St. Paul,
addressed to me, and forwarded with the letter aforesaid.

Anxious to not act with so much clemency as to encourage another outbreak
on the one hand, nor with so much severity as to be real cruelty on the
other, I caused a careful examination of the records of trials to be made,
in view of first ordering the execution of such as had been proved guilty
of violating females. Contrary to my expectation, only two of this class
were found. I then directed a further examination and a classification of
all who were proven to have participated in massacres, as distinguished
from participation in battles. This class numbered forty, and included
the two convicted of female violation. One of the number is strongly
recommended,