no Snake Indians. There were some Nez Perce Indians in the vicinity, but they appeared friendly. I think there were no Snake Indians near there, and such was the opinion of the Nez Perce Indians. On the 13th instant I started on my return to this place. Two privates deserted while on the march. I sent a party in pursuit, but the deserters were not taken. Arrived here without further incident on the 20th instant.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN BOWEN,

Second Lieutenant, First Oregon Cavalry.

Major S. TRUAX,

First Cavalry Oregon Volunteers, Commanding Fort Lapwai.

AUGUST 27, 1863. -Affair at Fort Bowie, Ariz. Ter.

Report of Sergt. Charles Kuhl, Company E, First California Cavalry.

FORT BOWIE, September 1, 1863.

SIR: I report to you the loss of all our horses at this post. On the 27th of this month [August] I had the horses turned out to herd, with one man to guard them, giving the orders not to go out of sight of the fort. The horses were about (not over) 1,000 yards from the post, when twenty-five or thirty Indians on horsevack, galloping down the road from Tucson, surrounded the stock and drove it through the canon toward Mesilla. Private Creeden, on guard that day, fired eight or ten shots at the Indians, hitting one of them. The sentinel at the fort seeing this (a little too late) fired his piece, and most of the men, with Captain Tidball at their head, ran to overtake the Indians as quickly as possible, but the Indians were too far ahead. There was another party of Indians behind a little knoll a short distance from the old station, in number about twenty or thirty, who operated in concert with the Indians on horseback. A third party was outside the post, so it appeared that the Indians had their position chosen to the best advantage. The reason why I herded the horses on foot of the hill is this: Privates Jones', Blanc's, Davidson's, Lange's, and Creeden's horses had sore backs. I had all the men to work on their horses to wash and put on medicine every day twice, and with good success. The horses were in a good condition. We built a shed and cut a wagon load of hay, so that we may keep our horses up, only allowing the horses to go to water in the morning and graze for one hour or two, not thinking of any danger. There were two infantrymen herding the sheep close by, only having one man on guard because there were at that time only two privates for duty. Privates Davidson, Jones, and Blanc were sick; Private Chappins is in the kitchen, so left Creeden and Lange for guard. The same time I have to state that there was only one paid of hobbles here. I had to put them on the mule of Chappins, who strayed off the herd most every day. This mule the Indians left in the canon, and was brought back to the fort by our men. I applied for picket rope at the quartermaster's here, but there was none. The express will leave here to-morrow, myself and six men, in the post team. Captain Tidball has not a mule here to ride. The mules aremost of them bronchos-buck, kick, and bite. We tried them, and there was no show. They broke saddle straps and laid down in the road, so we had to give it up to ride express, Captain Tidball says he will not send his team a second time. Our