sioners appointed in accordance with the written agreement made the 15th of August last between General Sanborn and headmen of these tribes, a copy of which agreement, with accompanying papers, is hereto appended, marked H. On receipt of notice of the agreement for peace above referred to between General Sanborn and the chiefs and the headmen of the Comanches, Arapahoes, Kiowas, and Apaches, I directed General Sanborn to reduce his force to the lowest possible number for protection of the route and defensive use, copy of my instructions to him on this subject is hereto appended, marked I. On the 2nd day of October I sent Big Ribs and some of his best men (friendly Sioux) north to start from Fort Laramie and visit the hostile tribes of Sioux and Cheyennes who were north of that point, and had been engaged in the fights with General Connor, and who had not gone east to the Missouri River to treat with the commission sent there. I invited those Indians to come into Fort Laramie and make an agreement for the cessation of hostilities. These messengers I have not yet heard from. I also sent messengers to the band of Sioux in the Medicine Bow Mountains with an invitation for them to join the council at Fort Laramie. These Indians while being pursued by some troops, after they had attacked a station near fort Halleck, left a message, a verbatim copy of which is hereto appended, marked J. I also append copy of instructions to Brevet Major-General Wheaton in relation to Big Ribs' mission, marked K.

I am confident that during this winter or by the first months of spring we will be able to make treaties with the Arapahoes, who were so thoroughly chastised by General Connor, and who are now entirely destitute; also with all, or nearly all, of the Sioux tribes that are banded together and engaged in hostilities against us, they having been punished quite severely; also with the tribes of Sioux on the Missouri River, who have not been engaged in the past summer's hostilities, and who are very destitute. The commissioners who have treated with the Comanches, South Cheyennes, the Arapahoes, Kiowas, and Apaches are confident they will act in good faith, but I look for trouble from the young men of the North Cheyennes, the Comanches, Apaches, and Kiowas. They have not been punished, and while the old men and some of the principal chiefs are anxious for peace, the young men (dog soldiers), by separation from them get beyond their control and continue their depredations. The Cheyennes are even now continuing their work on the North Platte, and I fear when they reach the Arkansas, in which direction they are moving, they will induce many of the young men of the southern tribes to join them. If we, after having made treaties with them, live up to them, control carefully and rigidly all intercourse between them and the whites, deliver faithfully and honestly the annuities to them, we will, I am satisfied, be able to keep these tribes peaceable; can use them against those in hostility, divide, distract, and discourage the young men, and finally bring them all to a permanent peace. Unless this is done we will have them all against us the next season; will lose the influence of those who are now friendly and well disposed, and, in fact, make the chiefs who have labored for peace a by-word in their tribes, and thereby destroy what little influence they now have. I have given instructions to all of my officers to live up to and carry out rigidly and faithfully, as far as they are concerned, and any and all agreements with the different tribes made by them, by the agents of the Interior Department, or by commissioners appointed to treat with them; but for them to use all their available force in hunting down those who persist in their hostility this winter,