Washington Territory Delegate to Congress, Isaac I. Stevens, letter to Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Charles E. Mix, regarding the murderers of Indian Agent, Andrew Bolon, December 28, 1857

Washington Territory Delegate to Congress, Isaac I. Stevens, writes to the Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Charles E. Mix, to ask for help from the War Department to capture the alleged Yakima murderers of Indian Subagent Andrew Bolon and some miners. According to Stevens, the current Superintendent of Indian Affairs, James W. Nesmith, believes that capturing the murderers will display the strength of the government to local tribes and secure peace. As such, Nesmith had tried to get the military to capture the murderers for trial and punishment but the military would not do it because of possible negotiations which could make the government appear to be breaking its promise to grant the murderers immunity. Stevens expresses his attitude that the government should take the unyielding stance to catch such murderers to command respect from tribes and keep them from committing similar acts. Noting that the murders happened following the signing of a peace treaty between the...