SEPTEMBER 8-9, 1863. -Skirmishes in the Chiricahua Mountains, Ariz. Ter.

Report of Captain James H. Whitlock, Fifth California Infantry.

IN CAMP, September 12, 1863.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to inform the commanding officer that I found an Indian camp on the 5th instant; surprised it and captured 2 mules, 1 Sharps carbine, 1 U. S. blanket (new), someother traps, and as much as a thousand pounds of dried prepared Spanish bayonet fruit. I took such as I wanted and burned the camp, including all that pertained to it. No casualties. On the 8th I found them in force. A very spirited fight of about fifteen minutes, and occasional shots for as much longer, ensued, in which I had 1 man and my guide severely wounded, and 1 horse mortally wounded. I routed them and destroyed their campooda. On the 9th some of my skirmishers met some scattering Indians and exchanged a few shots.

J. H. WHITLOCK,

Captain, Fifth Infantry California Volunteers.

JANUARY 1-28, 1864. -Operations in the Humboldt Military District.

Reports of Lieutenant Colonel Stephen G. Whipple, First Battalion California Mountaineers, commanding Humboldt Military District.

HEADQUARTERS HUMBOLDT MILITARY DISTRICT,
Fort Gaston, Cal., January 29, 1864.

COLONEL: By letter to department headquarters of date January 21 I informed the commanding general of rumored hostilities on Salmon River, Klamath County. Captain G. W. Ousley, Company B, First Battalion Mountaineers, California Volunteers, who was dispatched to that section with detachment of twenty men, returned last evening, and from his official report I gather the following facts: On the 15th instant a band of about thirty Indians, mostly Hoopas, made a descent upon a miners' camp on Pony Creek, a tributary of New River. The miners, nine in number, made their escape to South Salmon, but a winter's supply of provisions for the miners, four rifles, two watches, and some money fell into the hands of the Indians. In this connection I remark that these miners returned to or remained on New River, against the remonstrances of the officers of this post. Captain Ousley informs me that four of the miners had squaws living with them. From Pony Creek the Indians crossed over to South Salmon, but by another route from that taken by the miners, and on the 16th killed 2 white men and 2 Chinamen, also wounded 2 Chinamen near the mouth of Plummer Creek. They obtained some gold dust from the Chinamen and robbed a store near by of some $250 worth of goods and about $350 in dust. This store was owned by a Mr. Dumphreys. During the evening of the same day the Indians went down the stream about eight miles to Dumphreys' lower store and helped themselves to about $300 worth of shelf goods and one revolver. here the savages divided among themselves (now numbering twenty-two) the gold dust, amounting to about $2,000. The citizens gathered at the forks a few miles