HDQRS. U. S. FORCES, KANSAS AND THE TERRITORIES,
Fort Laramie, Dak. Ter., September 1, 1865.

Captain GEORGE F. PRICE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, District of the Plains:

CAPTAIN: The garrison for Utah I have concluded to designate as follows: Three Michigan regiments, after being consolidated, say, 1,000 men; Second Battalion Nevada Cavalry, 314 men; Second Battalion California Cavalry (now with General Connor), 183 men; First Battalion Veteran California Infantry, 250 men; three companies Sixth U. S. Volunteers, 275 men. These troops will be sent forward to Utah as fast as circumstances will permit. The three Michigan cavalry regiments, after my return from Powder River, and the Twenty-first New York Cavalry, had better be distributed from Camp Collins west, so as to cause no delay in movements of the consolidated Michigan regiments when the order arrives.

Very respectfully, Your obedient servant,

G. M. DODGE,

Major-General, Commanding.

[SEPTEMBER 2, 1865. -For Pope to Dodge, relative to the reduction of troops and supplies, see Part I, p. 355.]

FORT RICE, September 2, 1865.

Major General J. POPE,

Saint Louis:

GENERAL: I have received another message from the big camp. They say they are all coming in as soon as they get through with drying their meat. When that will be it is hard to say, for an Indian's definition of soon may mean a week or a month. I have heard northing yet of Galpin. Large bodies of Indians are moving down to Fort Sully. Four of the soldiers carrying the mail came across the Blackfeet camp near the Little Cheyenne. They treated the men well; said they were going to cross to the Big Cheyenne and camp there. All the Indians appear to be going in that direction, and I have written to General Curtis that I think Fort Sully will be the best place to meet the Indians. As soon as I can learn about the day Sibley and Curtis will be there I will send out runners to all the camps. A very unfortunate occurrence happened here, which has given me a great deal of trouble. A corporal of Brackett's (Minnesota) battalion went into a woods a short distance from the camp and was shot by Indians. They were three boys who were seen near the camp, and supposed by the soldiers to be friendly and were spoken to. They had their lariats, no doubt secreted themselves, watching for a charge at night to steal horses, when the corporal accidentally came on them. As the corporal's body was not discovered till next day, the Indians had escaped. About two days after Two Bears' band and other bands of friendly Indians began to reach near our camp on their return from a hunt. A few Indians came ahead to inform me, but the soldiers seized them, and in the excitement would have killed them had it not been for the officers. A great many men in camp [whose] term of service has expired, and they swear they will not leave the place till they have revenge on some Indian. I have had to send to the different camps here and direct the Indians t