Navajos or Apaches, and they all informed me that there had been no Indians there for several months. At the town of Anton Chico I was told the same. On the 19th I came to Mr. J. M. Gidding's ranch, on the Pecos. On my arrival there it was reported to me that the Navajos, to the number of twenty-five or thirty, were encamped on the river some ten miles above, and that they had been stealing and killing cattle belonging to farmers on the river. As it was near night when I arrived at Mr. Giddings' I did not go up that evening; but on the morning of the 20th I took one non-commissioned officer and two men and made a through examination of the country for fifteen miles up the river. I could find no sign of Indians, nor could I find any one that could either show me where the Indians had been or to whom the stock tat they had killed belonged. I am of the opinion that a large share, if not all, of the reports in regard to the Indians killing stock originate in this way. No one can show any proof that the reports are true, but at the same time they credit and circulate them about the country. On the night of the 20th I encamped at the Alamo Gordo, and on the 21st returned to this post, meeting no Indians on my entire trip.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. C. EDGAR,

First Lieutenant, First new Mexico Cavalry.

Lieutenant CHARLES T. JENNINGS,

First California Cav. Vols. and post Adjt., Fort Sumner, N. Mex.

MARCH 17-20, 1865. - Expedition from Pine Bluff to Bass' Plantation, Ark.

Report of Captain Gursey W. Davis, Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry.

CAMP THIRTEENTH CAVALRY ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS,

Pine Bluff, Ark., March 21, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report the safe return of the scout of 100 men which left Pine Bluff on the 17th, and of which I had command. I crossed to the north side of the Arkansas River on the morning of the 17th; proceeded by way of Doctor Jones' and Colonel Withers' plantations to Five Forks Bayou; crossed Five Forks and passed through about five miles of horrible swamp road, and reached Hull's back plantation just at dark. Made a halt of about an hour, and until it became quite dark, when I proceeded to Creed Taylor's plantation, where I learned that Vaugine was at home on Doctor Bass' place, about three-quarters of a mile distant, and where, if possible, I intended to surprise and capture him. Upon receiving such information I immediately proceeded with the column to within a short distance of the house in which Vaugine was; dismounted fifteen of my men, leaving the remainder at a halt, and went forward to surround the house, when, just as we were getting over the fence around the dooryard, one of my bugles that was with the rear guard sounded (the rear guard having got lost from the column in the darkness of the night) and spoiled my plan. Vaugine, at the sound of he bugle, sprang from his bed and made his escape. His wife informed me that he had on intimation of our approach until the bugle sounded, and that we would undoubtedly have captured her husband, together with a soldier of his by the name of Smith that was at the same house and escaped with Vaugine