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Sub-chief, with our interpreter, professing to be in pursuit of outsiders, may be allowed to pass, as on public duty, and aided in any way convenient - always excepting supplies of ammuntion.

It may not be unnecessary to caution the officers on two points

1. The Indian will use every artifice to beg, borrow or steal powder or cartridges from the men

2. It is nearly impossible to keep an Indian prisoner 

There is no objection to exchanging Pork or Flour or Coffee or Tobacco etc etc for venison & turkey, but the Law forbid the payment of money or calicos to them.
 
Yrs resptfly
CJ Casey Captain in chg Ind Afs

Tampa Bay Florida
December 13. 1854

Colonel,

Reverting to my letter of Oct 25th i have, in its last paragraph, inadvertantly exceeded my authority. The par. is as follows:
"There is no objection to exchanging Pork or Flour or Coffee or Tobacco etc for venison & turkey x x"

I have therefore respectfully to request that any, and all, orders based on this general exception to the Law of Fla. forbidding trade, may be rescinded and that said Law may be strictly enforced as heretofore.

Col. J. Munroe Comdg.

Very resptly [[signature]]JC Casey [[signature]]

Tampa Bay Fla Dec 13. 1854

Dear Major (Arnold 2d Arty)

In my letter to you, (no copy retained) as well as my official letter to Col Munroe [dated Oct 25], I fear that I inadvertently used too loose and general an impression for excepting certain articles & parties from the Law forbidding all trade with Indians.

My design was to allow detachments who might be exploring & building roads to exchange provisions with Indians - [[underline]] as much to secure the aid of said Indians as guides or for giving information, [[/underline]] as to give the troops fresh meat where they would probably have no fresh beef.

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In stretching my authority - under the Law - so far, I, of course, would have limited the actual intercourse to Comndg officers - as it would otherwise be abused beyond the possibility of correction.

I have therefore requested Col. Munroe to rescind all orders growing out of my error & restore the Law to its original force. I regret this much, but the error was mine, & I have to request you to cancel so much of my letter as in any degree excepts to the Law of Fla. 
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 
 
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Rolution requesting an order from the Sec. War to the Indian Agent in Florida for the delivery of a negro man belonging to B.M.Dell of Florida read 3dtimes & a Debter in H. of R. Fla. Dec 21. 1854

Tampa Bay Florida
December 31. 1854

Col. Jeffn. Davis

Dear Sir, I enclose a copy of a Resolution which was unanimously adopted in the H. of Rpr: of this State on the 21 Decr., and I hasten to give you the history of the case - referred to in the Resolution.

During the late Fla. war, & about [[underline]] Jany 5. 1837 [[/underline]], the Seminoles captured several negroes near Fort Harlee [on the road leading from Black Creek to Newnansville]

The Indians afterwards killed some of these negroes. Among the survivors were two belonging to B.M. Dell of this state viz: a boy aged 10 yrs named [[underline]] Toney, [[/underline]] and a girl aged about 5 yrs. named [[underline]] Elsey [[/underline]]

The girl [[underline]] Elsey [[/underline]] [then aged about 18] was probably sent to Arkansas in [[underline]] November 1850 [[/underline]] with the family [of Sam Jones] then emigrated. No suspicion was entertained, at the time, that she was white person's property, but I have since had reason to believe that she belongs to Col. B.M.Dell

The boy [[underline]] Toney [[/underline]] soon after his capture fell into the hands of [[underline]] Bowlegs [[/underline]] , with whom he has lived, as his slave, ever since - a period of nearly 18 years.

The manner in which [[underline]] Bowlegs [[/underline]] became possessed of this boy increases the difficulty of making a decision which shall be both legal & just.

Years after the capture in 1837, [[underline]] three [[/underline]] warriors claimed the boy [[underline]] Toney, [[/underliine]] and, being unable to agree on any