on for fir hours without halting. The fourth day being stormy, I made but a short drive. On the morning of the fifth day about 8 o'clock I came upon their camp, consisting of seven lodges or wigwams, which I immediately surrounded. After waiting some minutes after the men were in position for some of the Indians to show themselves, and none appearing either to welcome or fight us, I felt of the brush and wigwams with a couple of platoon volleys of rifle shots. These quickly brought to sight thirty-one men about forty men and children. Whey the Indians remained concealed until fired from I cannot divine. They seemed to have entertained the idea that if none were sen by us that we would pass on, make no further investigation, and lest our attention might be attracted by their dogs barking, every dog belonging to the camp had its jaws tightly bound together. I made the entire population prisoners for a while. The citizens who had been driven from their mining, referred to in my former letter, recognized three of this party as being of the gang which had driven them away, among whom was the chief of the village, who had acted as ringleader of the party that ejected them from their cabin. Having secured the three identified Indians, the others were released and I took up the return march. The camp where the arrests were made is about eighty miles travel from this post on the north side of Snake River, and some ten or fifteen miles below the line of the old Nez Perces Reserve. The place where the miners were at work is about twenty-nine miles below the Indian camp. Upon arriving at this place on the afternoon of the 23rd instant, I turned the three Indians over as prisoners to Colonel English, commanding officer of the post. The inquiring shots which I sent into camp wounded one Indian in the neck, probably mortally. The Indians constituting this band I found, as I surmised before starting, are renegades from all the neighboring tribes, who have selected their present location because of its seclusion from and difficult approach by the whites.

Hopion my action in the premises may redound to the peace of the border and meet with the approbation of my superior officers, I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. G. CURREY,

Captain, First Oregon Cavalry.

First Lieutenant J. W. HOPKINS,

First Oregon Cavalry, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, District of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF OREGON, Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter., March 9, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded for the information of the general commanding the department.

Captain Currey's conduct in this matter was skillful and very successful. He had, under date of 15th ultimo, reported that a band of Indians armed with firearms had surprised and driven from their work some miners on the north bank of Snake River, twenty miles above the Paoluse Crossing. This expedition of Captain Currey will have a very good effect on those Indians. They will be apt hereafter to let the miners alone.

BENJ. ALWORD,
Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding District.