Portland Oregon Oct 17th 1869   Col. Samuel Ross.  U.S.A. Supt Ind Affairs W.T.    Sir:      Your letter of Sept. 18th was received last evening ack- nowledging the recept of my papers dated Sept 13th 1869, in which you inform me that    my duties as Ind. Agent terminated immediately upon the arrival of Lieut. J.M. Smith U.S. Army my successor    in and note     a want of promptness in obeying the orders of the Government.    I am loyal to the United States Government. I did not try to prolong the time of my continuance in Office a Single hour after my Successor arrived. I went to work to make up the papers and turn over the property in the Shortest possible time. I thought it the law of the Department to give a reasonable time to make a transfer of the property. I knew this had been the custom when one Supt. turned over to an other,  amp; the Same with Agents in their transfer of Government property    I regretted to find in your letter the grave charge    Of a want of promptness in obeying the orders of the Government.     
        I worked eighteen hours out of the twenty four to make up the papers with an additional press upon the Clerk of the office, while my Successor Lieut. J.M. Smith was Sick at my house, and daily urging me to take more time in making up the accounts, saying that it would be better to have the papers made up and the transfer made at the end of the Quarter: as soon as these papers could be made up and the property transfered I left the same hour. What more could I have done in    obeying the orders of the Government.    I Cannot undoe the past, nor Could I if I were to go over the ground again do the work one hour soonner. If the objection made by you to this    want of promptness    is on the account of my Salery for the three weeks after Lieut. J.M. Smith arrived, I Can Consent to have that time pass unpaid, though nothing appears to me more just and honorable than that the payment Should be made up to the time of my turning over Sept. 13th 1869.  The money that I paid out after Lieut. Smith arrived in settling up the Liabilities that had answer during the Quarter from our harvest hands, (and doing this at my Successors request) and my  semetiness  from the papers of the Office, makes it exceedingly difficult for me to reconstruct my former papers.  
        Your Suggestion that I Should have from Lieut. Smith recepts, and furnish him with Invoices, I am ready to Comply with at once, when he shall make, or Cause to be made, the papers that will please you: I will sign them and return to him.  Hoping my explanation in relation to  the making up the papers, and turning over the property will be Satisfactory I am Sir Very Respectfully  Your obedient Servant     James H. Wilbur   Late U.S. Ind Agent W.T.