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<br />~15~ <br /> <br /> <br />Appointed on the Commission with Governor Evans <br /> <br />were Dr. Michael Steck, Superintendent of Indian Affairs <br /> <br />for New Mexico, Indian Agents Simeon Whiteley, and Lafayette <br /> <br />Head, and John G. Mickolay, special agent and secretary <br /> <br />to the commission. <br /> <br />Immediately upon receiving his instructions from the <br /> <br />Department of Interior, Governor Evans sent directions to <br /> <br />the agents of the several bands of utah Indians in his super- <br /> <br />intendency to secure delegations to attend a council at the <br /> <br />Conejos agency on October 1st, 1863. He also requested <br /> <br />Superintendent steck of New Mexico to secure delegates from <br /> <br />the bands of Utahs under his supervision. <br /> <br />On October 1st, all the members being present, the <br /> <br />commission met at the residence of Agent Head, on the <br /> <br />Conejos river, in the San Louis Valley, 250 miles south- <br /> <br />west of Denver. The first question they discussed was the <br /> <br />advisability of locating the Utahs in the San Juan Valley. <br /> <br />In a letter of March 4, 1863, Governor Evans had made such a <br /> <br />recommendation to the Department of the Interior and the <br /> <br />instructions to the commission suggested that this plan be <br /> <br />followed if such were possible. After a full conference <br /> <br />of the commission and agents of the bands represented, it <br /> <br />was found that such a plan was impracticable at that time. <br /> <br />There were several reasons for reaching such a conclusion: <br /> <br />., <br /> <br />-4- <br />