impossible for them to go down the stream over rapids below without the help of our wagons. Having no grain to recuperate my animals I had to again change my plans.

I intended to again strike across the country northeast, in hopes of reaching the Indians again, but without any grass for several days this could not be done. I therefore crossed the command over the river, fording it with my wagons without much difficulty. The building of the post on the Yellowstone this year I consider not practicable. The loss of one of my boats, the impossibility of getting boats this late up the river, and the want of grass preventing me from hauling stores several hundred miles up the river will show you the reasons. I shall follow down the Yellowstone to its mouth, cross the Missouri and down it to Berthold. I will by this means have grass and a good road; though I increase my distance over 100 miles. I have the honor to inclose you the reports of commanders in regard to the part they took in the different skirmishers.

With much respect, your obedient servant,

ALF. SULLY,

Brigadier-General.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, DEPT. OF THE NORTHWEST.

HEADQUARTERS NORTHWESTERN INDIAN EXPEDITION,
Fort Union, Dak. Ter, August 18 [?], 1864.

SIR: My last report, dated August 13, was written after we had crossed the Yellowstone. I started on the 14th of August down the river. Grass was quite scarce and very much scattered. In consequence I had to scatter my command. This, I am informed by those who ought to know, is not the case generally, but that this season there had been a fire over the prairie. It was reported to me the boats could not get down the river over the different rapids. Therefore I had to unload the wagons and send them to unload the boats, and with the assistance of the men I placed aboard the boats I succeeded in getting them to this point on the 17th instant. I had some difficulty in getting across the Missouri, owing to the quicksands. I could not ford it with wagons. They were all unloaded, taken to pieces, and placed on the boats, and the animals swam across. On the 20th of August I succeeded in getting everything across, with the loss of 1 man and 3 animals drowned and 2 wagons broken. It is now a month since we started from Fort Rice, and during that time we have marched about 460 miles over a most difficult country. The first night after I got across a party of Crows came in, reporting they had been chased by a very large party of Sioux. I sent out Major Brackett and his battalion, and two pieces under Captain Pope, with these Indians after the Sioux, but after hunting all over the country they returned, reporting no signs of Indians, but a fresh track of a large body of buffalo. The chief of the Crows expressed the most friendly feeling toward the whites, and wished me to remain there till he could bring the nation in to see me. This I could not promise. The traders here report that the expressed quite a different feeling toward the whites before they heard I was in the country. The Assinniboines were here a few days before I arrived to receive their goods. They got party of them, issued by the command-