smoke had been seen the previous evening, and having made all necessary preparation for encountering a large force of Indians, felt sure of an engagement. At 1 p. m. the smoke was reached and proved to be burning prairie. My scouts had already circled completely around the fire in hopes of finding some trail leading in or out of it, but in vain.

The country was thoroughly searched for several miles around, but no late traces of any Indians could be seen, although the scouts employed on this duty were Indians and half-breeds of my command, thoroughly conversant with Indian warfare and their signs. In coming to this fire we had reached Long Pine Creek of Niobrara River, and finding no evidences of Indians having been on it very lately I concluded to strike south among the waters of the Loup, being at this time fully 80 miles west and 130 miles north of Forty Kearny, Nebr. Ter. Moving in a southerly direction the following day, we camped near the prongs at the head of the North Fork of Loup River, where a little to the west of us there had been a large village of about 300 fires not longer than one month ago. From this camp I sent scouts up and down the river on either side and to the southeast between the North and Middle Forks of the Loup. All of these scouts reported Indian signs one month and more old, that to the northwest reporting a village 200 or 300 lodges about one month ago, trail of villages going north; in fact all the scouts agreed as to age of trails and the general direction being north and northwest. The smaller number of lodges and signs found in different localities were evidently made by detached parties from the main village near the head of North Fork of Loup. Two days having been occupied in scouting the canons, creeks, and rivers about this neighborhood, and every sign indicating that a general exodus of Indians from the country I was in had occurred about a month since, I started south, reaching the Middle Fork of Loup on the 30th of June. There I again divided my force, sending Captain David's command across the country to the South Fork with instructions to send one squadron of his command under Lieutenant John Talbot across to Wood River and direct him to scout down that stream, while he followed the South Fork from the point where he struck it to his camp, while I with Captain Gillette's command moved down the Middle Fork, scouting both sides of that stream, and following up every canon opening into the valley of the river. All these commands found old signs and none fresher than one month since. Occasionally camping-grounds were found where Indians had ensconced themselves in small parties, in no case stronger than fifteen lodges; but all these signs were old, and throughout the entire march no fresh indications of the presence of Indians were found.

The entire command, except that portion belonging to Captain David's garrison on South Loup, reached Fort Kearny on the 4th instant, having marched 530 miles over a country traversed in all directions by deep canons. The topography of the country can be easily seen on the accompanying map. The hills and valleys run in a southeasterly course; all the hills are cut by deep canons. The minor streams are sluggish, with very high, deep banks and miry bottoms. The sand hills are very intricate, and wagon wheels bury in them up to the hub. The river valleys are generally good for road purposes, especially the Middle Fork, but swamps frequently extend clear back from the river banks to the adjacent bluffs, by which all these rivers are bounded in a lateral direction. The rivers themselves are fordable, but there are frequently portions of the bottom so intricated with quicksand as to render the crossing very precarious, causing stock to