reservation I could have better satisfied myself as to whether or not they had been engaged in the late depredations. I called upon Mr. B. F. Lushbaugh, agent for the Pawnees, and told him my business. He gave me assistance in the search. I found one U. S. mule, said to have been in their possession four years, and four mules branded with "S" on the jaw; also heard of one horse which the Pawnees had sent away from their village. This horse Agent Lushbaugh directed them to bring to him. Inclosed, marked A, find his letter* in regard to said horse. Inclosed you will also find the sworn statements of soldiers who were with the detachment from Fort Leavenworth when it was attacked. From the evidence adduced and my own observations I can find nothing that directly implicates the Pawnees. The evidence against them is this: At the time the depredations were committed they were at or near Oak Grove, about thirty-five miles east of Elm Creek; also, that but one trail can be found which cannot be clearly traced to their camp. This trail spoken of was bearing in a northerly direction, and was not followed up by any of my command. It is the opinion of many of the settlers on Little Blue that the Pawnees are the guilty party. The whole distance marched by my command was about 400 miles. While at Elm Creek I sent out for and had brought in the Government wagon and harness, which were in charge of the sergeant who was in command of the detachment at the time it was attacked by the Indians, and forwarded the property to the acting assistant quartermaster at Fort Kearny, Nebr. Ter. The grass is good in all the country through which I passed, and timber in sufficient quantities to supply troops and others passing through the country. In Big Sandy, Turkey, and Beaver Creeks there is water in abundance. The forks of Big Sandy and Little Blue are generally dry.

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

LEE GILLETTE,

Captain, First Nebraska Veteran Cavalry, Commanding Detachment.

Lieutenant S. A. LEWIS,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, East Sub-District of the Plains.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

Statement of Jefferson Fields, sergeant, Company C, Third U. S. Volunteers.

I, Jefferson Fields, sergeant, Company C, Third U. S. Volunteers, being duly sworn, do state that on the 18th day of May, 1865, while en route from Fort Leavenworth, Kans., to Fort Kearny, Nebr. Ter., that I was in charge of a detachment of fourteen unarmed men belonging to Third U. S. Volunteers and First Nebraska Veteran Volunteer Cavalry, and when about two miles east of Elm Creek Stage Station I was attacked by a body of Indians numbering about twelve or fifteen men. They were dressed in some kind of short jackets, I think they were buckskin, and they had short buckskin leggings. They wore some kind of a skullcap, and I could not say whether they had short or long hair. The arrows they had were Sioux and Cheyenne; that is, those used on us were, but I am of the opinion that they were Pawnees, as they were so anxious that we should keep some of the Sioux arrows. They followed us about one-quarter of a mile, and then motioned at us

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* Omitted.

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