night before guarded by a rebel soldier. I brought five bales of it in, which, with eight bales sent in before, has been turned over to the post quartermaster. The parties taken with the cotton at Burlington proved to be persons who had taken the oath of allegiance to the United States, and by direction of the provost- marshal were set at liberty and their cotton restored to them. Two rebels have been killed, 7 prisoners and 10 horses captured. Two of my men were wounded.

With much respect, your obedient servant,

JOHN G. FONDA,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Captain GEORGE W. STEIN,

Acting Assistant Adjutant- General.

ADDENDA.

HDQRS. U. S. FORCES, DISTRICT OF BATON ROUGE,
Baton Rouge, La., August 6, 1864.

Captain J. SCHUYLER CROSBY,

Acting Assistant Adjutant- General:

I am in receipt of your communication in relation to the cotton captured by Colonel Fonda, and in reply would most respectfully state that Colonel Fonda turned over the cotton referred to in his report to Captain B. F. Porter, post assistant quartermaster, subject to my orders; since then I have ordered the cotton to be turned over to Mr. Hyde, treasury agent. The provost- marshal had never anything to do with it, one way or the other.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

W. P. BENTON,

Brigadier- General, Commanding.

JULY 17-28, 1864.- Scout on the South Platte River, Colo. Ter.

Report of Captain George L. Sanborn, First Colorado Cavalry.

CAMP SANBORN, COLO. TER., July 28, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor herewith to send you a report of the movements of my command during the past twelve days:

On the 17th of this month some Indians attempted to steal some horses from emigrants who were camped near this place. I immediately detailed twenty men to go in pursuit of them. When about ready to start a messenger arrived from Bijou Ranch with the intelligence that Indians were committing depredations at that place. Ordered Lieutenant Chase to take twenty men and go to that place, find their trail, and follow them. I took the first detail out myself, and although we traveled very fast, could not succeed in overtaking them. Returned to Camp Robbins, and next day, taking four days' rations, I started with forty men for headwaters of Bijou and Beaver Creeks, with the intention of intercepting the Indians on their way to Republican, but failed to find any, so went down Beaver Creek to Platte, and thence to Junction Ranch, where I found Lieutenant Chase with his command. In the meantime, Lieutenant Chase, with his command of twenty men, proceeded to Bijou Ranch, where he found that 2 men had been killed and 1 wounded and considerable stock stolen. From there he went to