ations of last year ended with such defeats of the Indians occupying the vast regions east of the Missouri River as forced them for a time to take refuge in the British possessions, and relieved the entire frontier settlements of Minnesota, Iowa, and Dakota from any danger of Indian hostilities. During last winter, however, the whole Dakota Nation, from the Rocky Mountains to the Minnesota frontier, and from the Platte River and the Iowa line to the British possessions on the north, succeeded in combining their various and scattered tribes for a final effort against the whites, and by the opening of spring had slowly concentrated their whole force on and near the Upper Missouri, to resist the navigation of the Missouri River, prevent the passage of emigrants across the great plains, and to deliver, with their combined of emigrants final battle against the United States troops under General Sully. This Indian force was then estimated by competent authorities, and so reported by me to the War Department early in the spring, at about 6,000 warriors, and his estimate was subsequently confirmed by General Sully, after his battles with them near the Little Missouri. It was also reported at the time, and has been confirmed since by undoubted testimony, that ammunition and other necessary supplies were brought to the Indian camps during the winter by half-breeds and traders from the British settlements on the Red River of the North. It is hardly necessary for me to repeat what I have so of ten reported, that Indian hostilities in this department have been fomented and encouraged, and the Indians supplied with the means to continue the war, by the half-breeds and other British subjects of the Selkirk settlements. As I was satisfied that this combination of the whole of the numerous and widely dispersed tribes of the Sioux (or Dakota) Nation, who occupy the vast region north of the Platte, and the northern boundaries of Iowa from the Rocky Mountains, to the vicinity of the Great Lakes, would be the final effort of the great Indian nation to continue hostilities against the whites, and as I felt sure that if once their entire force of warriors could be met and defeated, this Indian war in the northwest on any considerable scale would be closed, preparations for an active campaign during the summer of 1864 were made during the close of last winter. The plan of operations consisted in putting into the field, under the command of Brigadier General A. Sully, an active column of about 2,500 men, entirely cavalry, to advance against the Indians wherever they could be found, and deliver battle with them, and at the same time to follow up the movement of this force with detachments of infantry large enough to establish strong posts in the Indian country. These posts were so located as to cover the frontier of Iowa and Minnesota and the frontier settlements of Dakota Territory, at a long distance; to interpose between the different tribes, so as to prevent concerted action; to command the hunting grounds of the Indians so that they would be constantly under the supervision and in the power of the military forces, which by concerted action could easily and promptly march a heavy force of cavalry to hunt for subsistence; to command the Indian trails toward the frontier settlements, so as to detect the passage even of the smallest parties attempting to make raids upon the settlers, and to follow them up, and so far as military necessities would allow, to protect an emigrant route from the Upper Mississippi River to the Territories of Idaho and Montana.

The details of this plan of operations were submitted to you and approved in February last, and immediate preparations made to carry them into execution. General Sully collected the forces under his com-