manding officer there to have the California troops cross the river at once. These were the companies whose horses were out on herd, and were just ready to march when latest news was received. The whole night was consumed in crossing, and at 8 o'clock next morning, 15th instant, I started down the river to where the Indians had crossed, took up the trail next morning, and followed at a rapid gait, so that on the morning of the 17th, just forty-eight hours out, I was 120 miles east-northeast of Laramie. The command had marched that morning about twenty miles before breakfast, and I halted on Dead Man's Fork to graze the horses and allow the men refreshment. The camp was in the bed of the river, with steep banks on both sides, where our horses could be easiest protected and herded. But few of the California troops had any picket ropes or pins, so that their animals had to be herded. The others were either picketed or tied head and foot. About 10 o'clock the alarm of Indians was given, and every man sprang to his arms. The Indians, numbering about 200, made a bold attempt to get into camp, but were handsomely repulsed and compelled to fall back from three-quarters to a mile, and had given up the attack. In the meantime the horses had been corralled in camp, and I ordered a part of the men to get them saddled up while the others watched the movements of the Indians. The horses had become frantic with fear at the noise made by the Indians and the firing on both sides, and broke through the men in spite of every attempt to check them. Captain Huntoon and myself threw ourselves in front of them, but they rode us right down. Captain Booth, Eleventh Kansas, succeeded in cutting off a few horses in the rear by firing his pistols into them. The horses broke straight for the Indians, who fled at first, supporting we were charging them, but after discovering their mistake closed around and galloped them off over the mountains, where they were pursued by Captains Brown, Conrad, and Booth with about twenty-five mounted men. These officers were unable to accomplish anything, as the horses were surrounded with what they considered about 400 Indians, who, in the English language, dared them to fight. After losing the horses there was nothing left for me to do but to return, after destroying the saddles and other property which we had no means of transporting. The Indians made no attack on us afterward, and we arrived here on the 20th instant. The march back on foot was a tedious and severe one, as water is only found in little creeks from twenty-five to thirty miles apart. Every officer and soldier behaved throughout with great gallantry, and exhibited a fortitude under the circumstances worthy of themselves. The command marched with only five or six days' hard bread and a little meat in saddlebags and one blanket, and numbered as follows, viz:

Company Number and name of Numbe Number Number Horse

regiment r of turned presen s

mount back t when lost

ed while attack on

men en- was Dead

start route, made. Man's

ed horses Fork.

with, giv

ing

out.

L 2nd California Volun 51 4 47 27

teer Cavalry

M do 68 28 40 24

L 11th Kansas Volunteer 50 30 20 12

Cavalry

Detachme 11th Ohio Volunteer 35 18 17 8

nt Cavalry

Do 16th Kansas Volunteer 30 23 7 3

Cavalry

Total 234 103 131 74