ADDENDA. *

FORT BASCON, May 10, 1865.

Brigadier General JAMES H. CARLETON,

Santa Fe, N. Mex.:

GENERAL: I deem it my duty to report to you the result of an expedition in conformity with a permit obtained from you for the purpose of effecting the release of some American women and children held in captivity by the Comanche and Kiowa Indians, and therefore have the honor to inform you as follows:

I started from this post on or about the 18th of March last down the river, and after a very tedious and troublesome journey I got as far as the so-called Watchingau, judging it to be about 100 miles down the Adobe Fort. Until then I did not meet or see any Indians, nor did I know their whereabouts. I then sent two trustworthy men out for the purpose of finding out, if possible, the whereabouts of Indians, and gave them nine days to return to me to the camp. They came back tome on the eighth day, and did not find any rancheria of Indians, but came across a war party of thirty-eight Comanche Indians, who robbed them of their pistols, saddles, and other things they carried along, and the men only escaped with their lives. The Indians told these men that they and the Kiowa and twelve more nations have formed a treaty of peace with the Texans; that they received ammunition, clothing, and articles of subsistence from the Texans; that they (the Indians) must aid them in an expedition against New Mexico, to start on the next rise of the new moon, which will be about the latter part of this month or the 1st day of June next. They say further that they will attack Fort Bascom and Fort Larned for the purpose of destroying the two forts entirely, and then enter New Mexico to carry off cattle, sheep, and herders. All these Indians are together in Texas, on the other side of the mountains, called by the Mexicans De los Sierra Jumanes, and, in fact, show all signs of hostility against the Americans and the people of the Territory. Shortly after the above mentioned two men came back to my camp another party of Mexicans who had obtained a permit also for going out to the Indians, and who had been in advance of me, returned and came to my camp, the Indians having stripped them of most everything they had, took all their effects, and only spared their lives, and told them the same thing as they told to the aforesaid two men of mine, telling them also if they would go on to reach the Indians they would not come back alive, but all be killed by them. The men are residents of Pojuaque, near Santa Fe. Their names I do not recollect and were ten in number. I came furthermore across a Kiowa Indian and woman, and this Kiowa being with me for several days in my camp, and told me the same thing, what I already stated, corroborating altogether the statement made to me by my men, and by the others who were robbed and joined me as aforesaid. They are very much aggrieved by the attack having been made against them by Colonel Carson, and seek revenge, and being, as they say, backed by the Texans, will make a good thing out of this summer. They say that they will not leave a sign of Fort Bascom, but are determined to destroy it. I must further state that the women held in captivity were turned over to the Texans, and are now free. Seeing that I was now in danger of losing my life and the lives of my men, without having a chance to gain anything, I determined to return, which I effected, arriving here on yesterday afternoon, being on the trip from home now two months, and consider myself in good luck coming back

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*See letter of transmittal June 12, p. 308.

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