very rough country. As soon as dark on the 28th started on the trail. Night rainy with drifting clouds of fog, rendering it very dark, and the trail difficult to find. The guides proved their excellence on this and similar occasions.

At 3 a. m. 29th stopped about one mile and a falf from cienega. Moved on it at dawn hoping to surprise a rancheria, but there had not been a track there for more than a week. Distance, thirty miles. Large cienega, running water. Remains of brush shantiews used by the troops fromNew Mexico last year during the campaign against the Apaches. A portion or all the beef- cattle were grazed near this cienega. Encamped in the misequite brush during the day, and as soon as dark resumed the march. The trail was discoverable with great difficulty. If I had not had the very best of guides it would have been impossible for me to have found and followed the trail that night. It led into and up one of the worst cannons I have ever taken hourses thrugh. Persevered until 3 a. m., when I encamped. Sent the guides and a detachment to hunt for the rancheria. They, after making a thorough reconnaissance, found a large rancheria capable of containing between 200 and 300 Indians. It had [been deserted] for a week; had no fresh tracks about it. Moved down the canon at dawn about three miles and stopped for breakfast. Cold mountian stream in a deep canon. Sides nearly perpendicular rndered us secure from observation. The distance made during the preceding night I estimated at six miles, and I am inclined to believe this is rater over than underestimated, but th eguides had repeatedly to follow the trail on their hands and knees. As I was now within thirty miles of Fort Goodwin in a direct line, my horses and mules requiring shoes, some of my men being nearly barefoot, and likely to need provisins before reaching Fort Bowie, I determined to march directly for Fort Goodwin, cutting across the canons near th mouth of each and give a thorough reconnaissance as I went. At 9. 30 I found a long mark int he sand acrosws one of the Indian trails. The guides said that was to indicate the Indians had gone to strike northeast for the river. I would then cross all trails going toward the mountains that I would pass going to Goodwin, and my animals would suffer gretly for water, as the day was excessively hot, and they were tired from traveling nearly the whole of the previous night. At 12 m. I reached the Gila River about twenty miles abocve Fort GHoodwin. I rested two hours, then moved to the post that night. My command arrived about 10 p. m. Estimated distance by theed, 120 miles from Fort Bowie to Fort Goodwin, but I had been around mountains and into canons considerably out of a direct line between the two posts. Upon my arrival at Goodwin I made application to th ecommanding officer to have my horses shod. He informed me he had by orders from department headquarers discahrged his blacksmiths and could not have my horses shod. Fortunately Mr. Dysart, who had accompanied this command as a volunteers, was an excellent blacksmith, and I hired him to shoe the horses and mules of my command, and orderedt he acting assistant quartemasters at Fort Bowie to pay the account. I remained at Goodwin until the night of the 2nd of July. I set out with four days' subsistence and instructions from General Mason, commanding, to push of to Fort Bowie with all practicable dispatch. I left Fort Goodwin about 7 op. m. ; rached Cottonwood Creek, distant twenty- one miles, a t 3 a. m. Found very little water in holes in the rock; good grass and wood. Want of water