reports of officers under your command, relative to operations in the District of Humboldt against hostile Indians. The energy and zeal displayed by both officers and men of the Sixth Infantry and Battalion of Mountaineers entitles them to the general's warmest thanks.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. DRUM,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC,
San Francisco, May 10, 1864.

Colonel H. M. BLACK,

Sixth Infantry California Vols., Commanding Dist. of Humboldt:

SIR: The general commanding desires me to say that he is well pleased with the zeal and gallantry displayed by the officers and men of your command engaged in the several Indian scouts in the District of Humboldt. All are deserving of great praise, but the activity of Captain Hull, Second Infantry, is particularly praiseworthy. * The example of Captain Hull should be followed by all.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. DRUM,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 3.

Reports of Major Thomas F. Wright, Sixth California Infantry.

FORT HUMBOLDT, CAL., February 21, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that in obedience to orders from the headquarters of the District of Humboldt, dated February 17, 1864, I proceeded with Company C (Captain Buckley) from this post at 5 p. m. same day. The order for the movement was not received until aboutn 4 o'clock on the day of our arrival from San Francisco. Neither the baggage of the officers nor men had been obtained from the steamer. We were accordingly obliged to go badly prepared, the men with blankets and overcoats, and three days' rations of hard bread and pork. The officers were not able to get at their baggage. From information received at Arcata, on my arrival there, I learned that the Indians had left the vicinity of Dyer's house, and had probably taken the trail toward Weaverville. We proceeded along that trail from Arcata to the saw-mill, about one mile from the town, when from the difficulty of finding the trail in the night I determined to wait until morning, when we could discover with more certainty the direction they had taken. The following morning after proceeding about two miles we came to the point where the Indians had come up from Dyer's onto the trail, and we were able to follow them without any trouble to Boynton's Prairie, a distance of thirteen miles from Arcata. Here they had left the trail. By the time the guide had tracked them to their camp of the previous night and back onto the trail it was too late to go any farther, and we were obliged to camp for the night. During the night it commenced to rain. On the morning of the 19th I, however, proceeded as far as the crossing of Mad River, a distance of six miles. This stream flows between abrupt, steep banks, is exceedingly rapid, and difficult to cross when high, and I deemed it prudent to wait until the rain should cease before crossing with my command. From the

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*See report of Captain William E. Hull, May 8, p. 260.

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