left immense quantities of their baggage and property, including several hundred axes, spades, and other implements of husbandry, and immense numbers of buffalo and deer skins. The Indians had gone west. Captain Totten followed the trail until it entered the plains, a distance only of a few miles. Lieutenant Mulkey, of Fosset's command, who was with Fosset in the expedition but with Totten in the charge, is of the opinion that the Indians pushed their way probably to the Pecos or possibly into Mexico. He does not think it possible for them to have gone northwardly, their horses being extremely poor and the country being entirely destitute of grass. Lieutenant Mulkey is an old Indian guide, of Indian descent, born and raised in the Cherokee Nation, and is well acquainted with Indian character and habits. He believes the Indians to be chiefly Kickapoos, with some admixture of other tribes. From their general outfit and movements he does not believe they were unfriendly, and he informs me that he so told Captain Fosset, suggesting to him that they ought to be communicated with before being attacked. Captain Fosset declined to communicate with them, saying that he recognized no friendly Indians on the Texas frontier. I met with many rumors before my arrival here that flags of truce raised by the Indians had been disregarded and their bearers shot down in cold blood. I have met no one who saw any flags of truce, but it is currently reported, as on good authority, that an Indian went out from the encampment with two children to Captain Fosset where he and his command had taken some of the Indian he recognized no friendly Indians in Texas. The Indian then told him he was his prisoner. Fosset's reply was, "We take no prisoners here," and thereupon ordered him shot, which was done. He also, it is said, ordered the children shot, but the men interposed and they were taken as prisoners, through they subsequently made their escape in the retreat. This Indian who wa's order is said to have been a Pottawatomie, and to have had a pass signed "W. M. Ross, agent of the Pottawatomies," authorizing the bearer "to hunt until February 4, 1865. " He showed his pass to Fosset before he was shot.

In the partial investigation I have been able to make of the affair I have deemed it due to the public service to order a court of inquiry in regard to the conduct of the officers and men engaged in the battle. The court will meet at Lampasas Springs on the 15th of March next. It would be proper for me to state that although the general public opinion is, among those who were in the expedition and others acquainted with the facts, the Indians were friendly, or at least were on no hostile errand, yet, in connection with rumors which have some time been rife that Kansas jayhawkers, with Indian allies, were expected on this frontier this spring, it is supposed by some that these Indians may have been a pioneer or spy expedition preparatory to the spring operations. I am informed by Major Erath that Brigadier General H. E. McCulloch, commanding Confederate forces on the Northern Sub-District of Texas, as well as Brigadier-General Throckmorton, commanding First Frontier District, Texas State Troops, anticipates raids upon this frontier, as above indicated, from information in his possession deemed reliable. My own opinion is, from the route these Indians were traveling, their having their families and apparently their entire property with them, that they were a moving party, probably going to Mexico to escape the turmoil of the present war. they were outside