Indian, and he lay on the ice in plain sight about half a mile distant. Our enemies retreating and night coming on, horses and mules were ordered to be watered a few at a time, not in the river, but at the creek which was the nearer. A party going by mistake toward the Platte, where the dead Indian lay, a cry was raised and the Indians on both sides came flocking to the point, supposing that we were after the body. Recall was sounded, our men came back, and the Indians retired but in the morning the body was gone. The Indians never permit their killed to fall into the hands of their enemies if it is possible to prevent it. We camped on the battle-ground and continued to prepare and occupy favorable positions during the night and morning. About sunrise on the 9th they began to come over above and below, until some 400 mounted warriors were counted, without any apparent diminution of the number left on the north side of the river. They found us ready, skirmished about for awhile, exchanged a few shots, and then began to recross and put off rapidly for the bluffs. At noon very few were to be seen. They were evidently hurrying away into the sand hills to overtake their families that had gone on the day before. A few scouts could be seen on the other side of the river, left to watch us, and when we move dup the river we saw them, eight in number, crossing to our deserted camp like wolves, to pick up something as a trophy or to dig up or scalp any dead they might find. Farther pursuit would have been injudicious and useless. With their numbers they could at any time compel our small party to corral and fight. We could drive them off and follow again with the same result, but could not afford to give them the least advantage. In following them to L'Eau-qui-court we should be in the sand hills, when they would have had greatly the advantage in ground and where our stock could not subsist. In each engagement the Indians fired everything around them that would burn. We continued to see the smoke of their fires as they went north for at least fifty miles. We broke camp about 2 o'clock, moved up the Platte about fifteen miles, where the command was divided part under Lieutenant Brown, Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, going on to Camp Mitchell and Fort Laramie, which had been left with insufficient garrisons, and the remainder returning to Mud Springs with me. On the morning of the 10th I took about seventy-five men and proceeded to Pole Creek, to open communication with Julesburg.

At Pole Creek we met Captain Wilcox, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, with his command, repairing the line. On the 11th we started to return to Fort Laramie. Made Pumpkin Creek, ten miles west of Mud Springs, that night. On the 12th made Camp Mitchell, forty-five miles, and on the 14th reached Fort Laramie, fifty miles. We found the Pole Creek Station burned, and between that point and Mud Springs the poles were gone for ten miles and a half, consecutively. East of Pole Creek Station they were reported gone for a still greater distance. The Indians had evidently good teachers and did their work well. They have got over their superstitious idea that it is bad medicine to touch the telegraph. Of the conduct of the officers and men connected with the expedition I cannot speak too highly. In extreme cold weather, in the dead of winter, the main body marched nearly 400 miles in ten days, much of the time by night, without tents or shelter, camped on the ground, often without fire, on short rations and forage, and met and repulsed in every engagement a brave and cunning foe, numbering at least ten, probably fifteen, to one. Their patience and endurance, their