“_My Dear Friend_: I should like to hear from you whether you are still in the land of the living. Thank God for his mercies. Dear Captain I should be happy to be with you a few hours and have a good talk over the hardships of our past life steamboating, especially on the _Robert Campbell_ in 1863 going to the mountains. It would give me great pleasure to see you and all your family once more. It is a great many years since I have heard anything from you. Please let me hear from you soon. My love and friendship to you and all your family. I remain your true friend untill death. From the Hero of the Tobacco Garden on _Bob Campbell_ in 1863. “WM. ANDY STINGER. “P. S. Address “Wm. A. Stinger, “Knob View, Crawford Co. Mo. “Farewell Dear Captain. May God bless you all with health and strength.” [59] There are numerous authorities upon the affair of the Tobacco Garden. The reports of both the agents Latta and Reed describe it. Henry A. Boller, in his “Among the Indians,” describes it at length, as does Larpenteur in his “Forty Years a Fur Trader.” The testimony of Captain La Barge and Andy Stinger, who in each other’s presence related the matter to the author, is here produced for the first time. In his edition of “Larpenteur’s Journal,” referred to above, p. 352, Dr. Elliott Coues makes the following statement: “I have offered in writing to Captain Joseph La Barge to print in this connection any statement concerning the affair that he might wish to make and would be willing to sign; but up to date of going to press have not heard from him.”