601 M St. N.W.
Washn. June 20 1878

My dear sister,

I have recently
several letters from you which my
rush of effort in our mutual
interest has prevented answer to
before, and I had hoped for a
settlement of something so I could
tell you. When I arrived
here the Sec. was at W[est] Point
so I went on to Hampton and
in company with Gen'l Armstrong
went over more ground than
I can tell you of in the interests
of the Nez Perce and other Indⁿ
Education and civilization.
Then I came back here and
found out had already been deter-
mined to send the Nez Perces to

Page 2

the Ind. Ty. [Indian Territory, i.e. modern-day Oklahoma] so I was about
to go to N.Y. to meet Mrs Pratt
when I am picked up and
taken care of by the son of the
Hon. W^m Stickney on behalf of
his father who is the Sec. of the
Indian Peace Commission and
who is absent in N.Y. but will
be back soon and wants to
see me. So I am domiciled
in elegance and compelled to
an exhibition of masterly inac-
tivity for a few days waiting
the assault. I am sure it is
in the Master's interests and
so my heart is strong.

What a grand picture your
boys make. It has met the
highest encomiums from all.

The Sec. of War and Adjutants
Gen'l were delighted. The
letter from M[aking] Medicine [David Pendleton Oakerhater] in your
paper is wonderful. How glad

Page 3

I am you have him. His
face was marked by all as
the most promising. I hope
you have satisfactory reply
to your appeal to the Agent.

The enclosed letter gives us
much to hope for. The summing
up of results so far leaves a
large credit on the Lord's
side.

If I come north I wish to
see you and have more
leisure. Indeed if possible
would like to visit the boys
in your company. As it looks
now that would not be before
week after next or later. And it
might be not at all, for if the
work comes I shall be about
my Master's business.

Mrs Carruthers is still
holding on to her boys and
hopes (faintly) to do so through [?]

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I shall visit them for two
or three days if I can.

The Hampton boys continue
satisfactory in every respect.
They have now taken hold of
their three months of work
with a will, and give me
renewed assurance that they
are young men and have
strong hearts in this thing.

I am anxious to know
if your friend Mrs. Winans
of Balt[imore] who took me by the
hand so kindly is the one
so recently bereaved by the
loss of her husband?

Your dear good letters are
my best tonics in this work.

You can see the good heart
of my friend Agt. Miles and
I have written him of you.

Ever faithfully & cordially yours,

RH Pratt