Knowing there were among the Sisseton Sioux quite a considerable number who were anxious to make peace with our Government, I employed with your sanction Rev. Father Andre and J. R. Brown as special agents on the part of the military authorities to open a communication with them,and endeavor to detach them,and also well disposed Indians, of other bands, from the hostile combinations. Their efforts were only partially successful. Some of the chiefs and principal braves appeared at Fort Abercrombie and signed the conditions of peace which were granted them, but the larger portion of the friendly disposed Sissetons were prevented from thus surrendering themselves by the menaces, of the bands still determined upon war, and by the representations of the Red River half-breeds that if they did give themselves up they would all be executed by hanging. A vigilant watch was enforced along the extensive frontier by the forces stationed for that purpose, but no raids were attempted by the savages during the winter. On the 17th of May, 1864, a white by was killed by a war party on the Watonwan River, and on the following day a soldier of the Sixth Minnesota Volunteers was wounded not far from the same post. One of the Indians probably belonging to the same gang was subsequently killed by two soldiers of the Sixth Regiment near the Cottonwood River, and the others only escaped by concealing themselves in the almost impenetrable thickets on the banks of that stream. A foray was made on the 11th of August, following, on the settlements on the Blue Earth River, and two citizens were killed and one badly wounded by the savages, who succeeded in effecting their escape, after a hot chase by a detachment of the Second Minnesota Cavalry. The pursuit was followed up by a number of my scouts, until the latter found themselves confronted by a force of fifty warriors, who luckily for the pursuers were for the most part without horses. From conversation with the Indians at a safe distance the scouts learned that they were of the White Lodge's band of Sisseton Sioux, the actors in the horrible massacres committed at Lake Shetek in 1862. A strong detachment of cavalry was sent to destroy this party as soon as information had been given of their proximity to the settlements, but some days having intervened no traces could be found of the savages, who seem to have retreated precipitately to the westward after having been discovered. Three citizen teamsters were murdered by a party of twenty-one Sioux warriors on the 24th of August, on the Red River of the North, at a point equal distant between Georgetown and Fort Abercrombie. The murderers were pursued by Major Adams with a detachment of forty men of his battalion, but they had too long a start to be overtaken. Other small parties of Indians have infested the frontier during the summer, but the slender force under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Pfaender was kept in motion, and with the aid of a few State minute-men called into service by Governor Miller, has secured the settlers from further molestation up to the present time.

In obedience to your summons, I repaired to the headquarters of the department at Milwaukee in the latter part of February last, to confer with yourself and Brigadier-General Sully relative to the military operations of the ensuing season. The plan adopted to you was communicated to each of us officially, and in accordance with the part of it which required met to furnish a force from this military district to join General Sully's command on the Missouri, I issued orders for the concentration near Fort Ridgely on the 28th of May following of the Eighth Minnesota Volunteers, under Colonel Thomas, of six companies of the Second Cavalry, under Colonel McLaren, and two sections of the mixed gun and howitzer battery of the Third Minnesota, under Capta Jones.