of a most successful Indian scout made by him from Camp Miembres, having left on the 27th ultimo. It will be seen that Captain Whitlock with great promptness at once took the field after the receipt of my instructions, and with remarkable energy and vigor pursued the Indians with his command until the morning of the 7th instant, when he came upon them about thirty-five miles northwest of Fort Bowie, in the Sierra Bonita range of mountains, and that his command killed 21 Indians, who fell into his hands, captured 45 horses and mules, and destroyed everything in their camp. They were a part of the band of Indians who stampeded and drove off so many Government mules from Cow Springs on the 15th ultimo. I cannot too highly commend the excellent judgment displayed by Captain Whitlock in this cout, and his vigorous prosecution of it and the successful termination entitle him to high praise. The 17 Government mules and 1 horse will of course be returned over to the quartermaster, and desire to know what disposition shall be made of the Indian ponies captured; whether they shall be turned over to the quartermaster or disposed of for the benefit of the command. In this connection allow me to call your attention to what I consider the importance of the post on the Miembres, at least for the present. It is a good base ofb operations against the Indians as shown by Captain Whitlock's recent scouts. It commands the extensive valley, the finest grazing and best water in all of that section, and gives protection to all of that portion of the route to Tucson, and is within easy striking distance of Pinos Altos. It is advantageous to keep it up, I think, as well as Fort Cummings, the latter being a very poor place for stock, the grazing being distant from the post and the water very bad for animals. Company I, Fifth Infantry California Volunteers, under command of Lieutenant Burkett, will proceed at once to Fort Cummings and relieve Captain Dresher. I will not, however, issue the order to break up Camp Miembres until I hear from you, as I know of no place where the animals brought in by Captain Whitlock can be so well grazed and and recruited as there.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. W. BOWIE,

Colonel, Fifth Infantry California Volunteers, Commanding.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.] HEADQUARTERS, Camp Miembres, N. Mex., April 13, 1864.

Captain C. A. SMITH,

Assistant Adjutant-General, District of Arizona, Franklin, Tex.:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report for the information of the colonel commanding that, in obedience to his instructions of March 24, I left this post on the morning of the 27th with 26 enlisted men of my own company, Lieutenant Burkett and 20 enlisted men of his company, 10 enlisted men of Company C, First Cavalry California Volunteers, and Hospital Steward Macintosh, 1 guide and scout, and 1 servant, 61 all told, 2 wagons and teams, and 30 days' half-rations, 35 men mounted and 36 on foot, in pursuit of the Indians who committed the depredation on the herd at Cow Springs on the 15th ultimo. My former experience in Indian fighting taught me that it was not best to follow immediately on the trail, as an Indian watches his trail very carefully when made by stolen stock. I therefore followed the trail about thirty miles to find its general direction. This established, being about parallel