position, whence I could see the whole ground, keeping the men concealed in the brush. After an exhausting chase through undergrowth and chaparral almost impenetrable the detachments were obliged to return without having succeeded in finding the Indians or their tracks. We remained at Redwood Camp the whole of the next day, when a detachment was sent out and scoured the country around in every direction, but no Indian, or sign of one, was to be seen. The following day we marched to Elk Camp, on the other side of Redwood Creek, where Lieutenant Anderson had been lately posted with twelve men, which place, from a report made by him as he was on the point of evacuating it, there was some reason to believe was now in possession of the Indians. On approaching the spot such dispositions were made as would have insured the capture of the whole band if they had only been there; but again, as before, no Indian or Indian sign was to be seen. The next day we marched to Whitney's, on Redwood Creek (the place of the recent attack), passing by Albee's, where, also, we had supposed we should find the Indians in possession. The next day we crossed the Redwood and marched to Bates', near Mad River, by the way of Elk Prairie trail, said to be frequently crossed by Indians, bu of these places, nor on our return to Arcata the following day, had we the good fortune to find any Indians or any Indian sign.

The distance marched by the troops on this seven days' scout was eighty miles, fully equal to 140 miles over ordinary roads. I cannot too highly praise the good order, silent marching, and discipline of Captain Schmidt's command during the entire scout. I regret to report that Private Kershaw was accidentally killed during the first night march. He belonged to the rear guard of eight men who had been obliged to scatter in order to pick their way over a swamp. Shortly afterward he was advancing from a piece of brush to rejoin his detachment. It was quite dark, and the sergeant in command, after challenging him three times without a reply, supposing him to be an Indian, fired and shot him dead on the spot. On the 20th instant (two days before my return from the scout) an Indian trail was accidentally discovered by some citizens who were in pursuit of two white men. Following it they were led near a camp of some twenty-five Indians, bucks and squaws included. They returned to Arcata, organized a party of eighteen citizens, which, accompanied, by Lieutenant Anderson and twelve men of Company D, Third California Volunteer Infantry, and Lieutenant Johnson with five men of Company F, Second California Volunteer Infantry, that happened to be at Arcata on duty, came up with the band at daylight. The citizens, Lieutenant Anderson's party, and Lieutenant Johson's, were in separate detachments, and posted themselves so as to cut off the Indians' retreat. In the short skirmish that ensued six Indians were said to have been killed; two of these are reported by Lieutenant Johnson to have been killed by his detachment, which also wounded three others. From Lieutenant Anderson I have had no report. One of the citizens was killed. "Five guns," Lieutenant Johnson reports, "were captured; also 2 bows and a lot of arrows. One of the guns was a Yager, captured by us last spring from the Indians and retaken by the Indians when Whitney's place was burned. "

On the 22nd instant Lieutenant Campbell was sent by Captain Schmidt, with eleven men of Company B, Second California Volunteer Infantry, to accompany a party of citizens from Arcata, who had started to find a band of Indians said to be encamped somewhere on Little River, using as a guide a squad who had escaped from one of the settlements recently

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