Minutes of Council with Piutes held Dec 28th 1880 at Fort Simcoe W.T. Inspector having Called the Council to order informed the Piutes through Louis the Interpreter that he was Now ready or prepared to hear what they had to Say, but that as his time was limited, he did  not Care to hear about the origin of the Bannock war, with which he was familiar, but desired to hear their minds about this present Condition and their future. For himself, though he Could Say nothing with Certainty, he believed it was the wish of the authorities at Washington for them to remain here. A letter from Agent Wilbur to Lee Winnemuca was handed to the Inspector which he  was asked to Read, which he did. Louis interpreting to the people. The letter Mentioned the writers interest in Lee and the Piutes and Stated that Secty Schurz had Express himself as desirous for the Piutes to remain at Yakama where all the goods at Malheur would be brought for the benefit of the Piutes. This the Inspector Said was what he Supposed was the desire and intention of the Department, and wanted any that wished to  to Speak to do So.  Leggins: When had my people heard last Summer that they were going back to Malheur we all thought there we will have another Chance. All  My people think alike on this Subject. We all understand that where ever we are we mut try and do the best we can. I have not droped one word that I Said yesterday. I will Say today. I will not Change. That is my mind, my full heart. Now you tell me that I must not go back. I will Say a few words. My friends listen very Closely to what I say. You know I am an ignorant Man and Can Neither read nor write.  
        It Seems to me that you Educated white people Make Many Mistakes. Your letters are different one from another. I went with the great Chief Winnemuca to Camp McDermott. I Said to the Commander there I will Stop here 3 years Now my people are at war, when they make peace I will go with them and try and keep them good. I had 20 lodges with Me. Winnemuca Said to Me Now Leggins you take Care of this people. I was there with Lee Winnemuca. The Commander Said No Leggins you take your 20 lodges or Camps and go to Malheur. When peace is Made your people will Come to that Agency and you had better be there. Then the Soldiers Came from Camp Harney and the officer in Command Said Leggins you go to Malheur, So I was driven away from Camp McDermott and went with the Soldiers to Camp Harney where I Saw the hostiles in prison guarded by Soldiers. It was winter on Mountains. I heard the prisoners were to be taken to this Reservation. Major Cochran told me Next Morning that my people were to Come to Yakama by order of General Howard, not as prisoners but to Come along with and look out  for the hostiles, while he was talking Lieutenant Edwards who had just returned from taking Some prisoners to Alcatraz Island Came in with a letter. Lieut Edwards Said No Leggins is not to go to Yakama, but is to go back to Chief Winnemuca, and handed the letter to Maj Cochran who read the letter and Said, you are free to go to your Chief when you wish. The prisoners were Started for Yakama while I and my 20 lodges remained at Camp Harney. All my people Came to me and Said  
        Leggins what are we going to do. We all want to go back to our Country. You go and see the Commander and get permission for us to go back. Then I went to See the Commander. While I was talking how I should Speak he Said I want you to move up near the part where the prisoners were Camped. Then I Said Now at last we Shall have trouble. I Said I am Satisfied where I am, it is  a good Camp. He Said you had better move up where the prisoners were Camped. I was afraid that Something was Coming that I did not under- -Stand. I went to my Camp and Said to my people I am very much afraid. I will Send for the great Chief Winnemuca. I am not afraid of him, we think alike my people had done no wrong. The next day an orderly Came to my Camp and told me the Commander wanted to See me at once. I went right away. He never gave me a Chance to Speak, but Said, Now Leggins Gen Howard wants you to go to Yakama. You must go. Get your dinner and get ready to go at once. That made me much afraid. All my young men said go and See the Commander. While I was talking they Said the Soldiers were coming in both Sides of the Camp. I Sat Still. I thought I have done no wrong why should I be afraid? I stood up and Said to my people dont make any resistance. I hardly think they will fire on us. 2 Officer came to my lodge and Said Now get your housses and get ready to Start, bring them up to the guard house. He Said hurry up or I will put you all into the guard house. I said you have your guns and you Can kill all we will make no resistance. Do as you please Come  amp; feel  
        my heart and See if it is beating Stronger    if it is you may think I will try and run off in the night. The officer Said I do not want that to do that. General Howard wants you to go to Yakama. So we Came here: we overtook the prisoners at Canyon City. When within 5 Miles of the Columbia River; I Saw General Howard We travelled with the prisoners but did not Camp with them. When I saw General Howard he Said Leggins I want you to give good advice to your people, and then you and Frank and Lee Winnemucca can go home I Said I dont und- -erstand this. I Cannot leave my people. The Comm- -ander at Fort Harney Said I was to go to Yakama and See my people Settled in their new homes,  amp; then I thought in the Spring I will go back to my Chief   How Can I leave my people these 20 lodges who Came with me and trust me, to take Care of them. Now I think you do not yet understand. The Commander told me one thing General Howard told Me another thing and  Agent Wilbur told me another. You people, learned people, who Can read and write, make these Mistakes. What Can you expect from an ignorant man like me. I Cannot read I only Can think. I think all the time. Now I Shall Shurely Make Some Mistake. Now what do you  think. Am I a big man, that the whites are afraid of me and will not let me go back to my own Country. I told Agent Wilbur I do Not Clearly understand whether we are to remain here or go back to my own Country. You Speak for me in San Fransisco. After you talk for me in San Francisco go to  
        go to Chief Winnemuca and Natchese and bring them to me, when I get their Minds I will believe but not till them. I do not yet understand that the President has fully made up his Mind. If he wants me to Stay and I am to Stay here I never will believe any thing again, If Agent Wilbur hears what I have Said and wants to put me in the guard house I Shall Make no resistance. I cannot yet get the full idea. I dont understand it. You tell me one thing another man tells me another. What Can I believe. As for the goods at the Malheur Agency I Cannot Speak. I dont know any thing about it. If Rhineheart Says the order is to bring all the goods here I will believe it and not tell  them. This is all I have in my mind. I have No More to Say. If Mr Fairchild Says I have always talked as I do now it is all right. If he says Leggins talked different some time I will Speak again.  Inspector Pollock Said I knew there are Some of you whose hearts are good and who have always been So, and I know there are Some whose hearts were bad and who went to  war, but I do not know who they were. Each man knows for himself in his own heart. You all know that Some of your people went to war and brought all this trouble on your tribe. Now I wish to Say to you all, if ever bad white Men or bad Indians Council you to go to war do not listen to them. I will Say this to you. I think it was wrong to bring Leggins and his 20 lodges here, but as they are here, it is well to bury all the past and from this time try  amp;  
        do right. I think as Agent Wilbur writes that it is best for the Piutes to remain here and that the goods at Malheur will be brought here for the benefit of the Piutes, I think that Lee Winnemuca and Sam Parish are free now to go where they please, but I do not think even Leggins would be permitted to return with them. I think the Government will buy a  piece of land from the Yakamas and give to the Piutes, and it will then be theirs: their own. And I think it best for all the Piutes to make up their minds to remain on the Yakama Reservation and I will go further and Say that I think the Great Father will help you more here than at any other place. I think it best for Sam Parish and Lee Winnemuca though they are free to go if they wish, Still I think it best for them to Stay here and never think of going to any other place to live.  Lee Winnemuca   When I go away I will never Come back. Here is the point    When I was a baby My Mother Nursed Me at her breast, then when I grew older and was large enough to walk around, my father gave me My little Clothes of Rabit Skins and deer Skins then when I grew Still larger I remember my father had no Money and was Cold, I had Some money and bought a warm Shirt and gave to my father. You see my father had Cared for me when I was young and helpless. When I was little I played around and went to different places, but always at night returned to my fathers lodge. So when I grew up I visited  
        different parts of the Country to see my friends and to hunt, but always returned to my father   That is the way of the Piute, he never forgets his Father his Mother or his Country. Father Wilbur told me I had better go to Work. So I went to work. Sarah Said I will go to Washington and See the President for our people. I Said to  Father Wilbur when Sarah comes back I Shall work here No More. I told Sarah to Speak to the president for me. When She returned, Sarah told me the great Father in Washington wanted my people to go back to Malheur and would give us land we were to cultivate ourselves. We went to work all the time and give up our wild life. Then my heart was glad, and I Said I am rejoiced to think my people are going to do So well, and I Said I will go home to my father. Then Father Wilbur said wait till I ask the President if this is true. I  will ask by Telegraph. My mind was in trouble Afterwards Father Wilbur Said in about two  months, I Shall tell you the facts. (Here the Interpreter himself a Piute became So affected, that for Some minutes he was unable to proceed) I Came to  Father Wilbur and Said Cried. I Said what have I done. He Said I am going to do all I Can for you and your people, then I Stoped Crying. Mr Fairchild Said dont talk about going back you Shall have farms here: go back and See your father and then come back and live on your farm. I dont want to hear Such talk. I dont want to Stay here. All the people here belong to Malheur I used often to visit Malheur Agency to See my  friends. Now I think my play day is over. I used to gamble and lose my money, then I would  
        play Cards again and win or loose, if I lost I would Sell another horse and gamble again Now I think that is bad way to Make Money. Sarah told Me all these people we are going to Malheur Agnecy then all the Piutes will be gathered together there   that is what the great Chief Winnemuca said then my heart was glad I lay on my bed at night and Cannot Sleep I think O how I wish Some one would take pity on me and take me back to my Native land. All the people about Camp harney  amp; Canyon City knew me. they knew I have done no wrong. I went to Yakama City and told my Story to Some of the people there: they talked good to me. Our Man told me there was no law on Earth by which a Man Can be punished who has done no wrong. They said you go home when you please. Then I came back to Yakama Agency and Said to the Agent I am going home. Father Wilbur Said dont go you will get into  trouble: there are bad men along the Road to Malheur and they will not let you go back I want you to go to work: then I Said what about this Sam Parish was working. The Dr told me why dont you go to work. You will have  No Money. But this thought is with me at all times. I never forgot my native land, but when I Sleep. I told Mr Fairchild I never Said I want this or that piece of land for a farm. I Said what do you think my heart is. My heart is to go to my native land. The Same things that they have at this Agency, they have Malheur I Said No white man ever gives me any thing for nothing.  
        Since I was a boy when I wanted any thing I went to the Store and bought it. I never recd any gift at an Agency. I have not forgotten. My heart is in my native land with my father. My uncle Leggins has lost a Son here at Simcoe: I Said to my uncle Must I too die here. I Said I Cannot die here. My heart is to die in my own Country and be buried by my fathers. That is what I Said Some time ago. About a month ago I Said the Same thing to Mr Fairchild. I work for him until dark and then go to my Camp. When I get home my bones ache and I am tired, and I think this is very bad. One evening when my work was done, I went to my Camp. I Said nothing to my wife or any one else, but went out into the bushes and when I thought of my Childhood in My beautiful Country of its Mountains with their grapes and flower covered Sides that my eyes used to rest in I Cried. Mr Fairchild Set me to work and Said he would give me Money, but Money will never Satisfy my heart. When I get money I buy my Coffee and Sugar, that is right. I have always paid my way wherever I have been. My mind is in great trouble. All looks dark to me. If I Stay here till the beautiful Spring time with its grapes when Shall I be there. My own feelings is I Shall go to my own Country, that I love So well. I am an ignorant man. I have had no opportunity like the  white man to learn. I know you are well informed. Tell me the truth. What Shall I do. You represent the great Father of the Indians. You Came here  amp; ask me questions and want me to tell you all my heart. If any one tells you Lee is going to raise a beautiful garden at Yakama Agency  
        do not believe it. My heart is not here. When when you are on your way to Washington think on what I have Said, and when you are there with the Great Father, if you Should Receve a letter Saying Lee has wronged a white man do not believe it. Truly my Father I say from the bottom of my heart. Never to my knowledge have I taken any thing wrongfully from my friends the whites. Listen to me now I am going to my home. Do not think I am going away like a night hawk, or like a Cayota. I am going in the day light. While you have been here these few days, I have listened to what you have Said. I have kept it in my heart. I knew how all these troubles originated When you talk to these poor lost Piutes and told about the bad Indians, who paint themselves for war, and bring on trouble, you Speak what I know to be true. I have it all in my heart. For Myself My desire is as I have Said. Father Wilbur talks to me about Staying here, and though he Speaks kindly it hurts my feelings. I do not Say anything in return. I go aside into the bushes and Cry. This is all I have in  My heart Now.  In the evening Lee Called on the Inspector Pollock in Company with Lewis, the Interpreter and asked permission to give his views in reference or relative to the best interests of his people. Permission having been given he Said  the great thought within me is my people have no home. They are the Same as lost. They are at No one agency, but are Scattered over a wide Country. Some are at Camp McDermott. Some at Camp Bidwell and Scattered all  
        through that Country. Among the whites a  few lodges in a place. I would like to See them gathered together in one place. If the great Father will listen to me, my great desire is to gather all my people in one place at Malheur Reservation.  Inspector asked if all would Come to Malheur Reservation if the Department Should decide to locate them there  Lee Winnemucca Said I do not know that. My people are Scattered from Reno to Winnemuca, in Nevada  amp; from Camp McDermott to the Rail Rode, I do not know that they would all Come to Malheur. If I Should live at Malheur with my father be going from one place to another, he is Chief of all these Scattered bands   No my Father will listen to me. I know the Mind of my father as well as I know my own. If I Stay at Malheur  Reservation my mind is it would be well for Lewis to be there as Interpreter. I do not Speak good English and he Could talk for my people and would go with me to gather up the Scattered  amp; lost ones. I would bring our people together in our own beautiful Country. I would Say Come my  friends Come to me. My Father is growing old and  feeble: he needs me near him. My people that are here have told me, we want you to tell the great Chief who has Come from Washington your mind and See if anything Can be done. I am Ignorant. No one ever taught me how to Speak if I had been taught I Should Speak better. Now if the great Father will take my words if he will Send me to my country and Say you  
         amp; in all your people, I would do it: and if he would Say now if ever your people go in the war path you Shall be hung I would Say that is right I would gladly Stake my life on the peaceable behavior of my people   that is all.  Notes of the Council taken and transcribed by J.H. Fairchild Clerk and Acting Agent at Yakama Agency.  
        Indian Chefs Lijgins of others in Census