through it, and which bears the same name. Indeed, my horses and pack animals, being much worn by the hardships of a campaign of seventy days, could not endure the fatigue of climbing the almost inaccessible passes of California Perro and Alamo, and if they did, they would be unfit to travel after reaching the top of the mountain. After two days' steady marching I reached the summit, and passing on encamped a few miles in the interior at a fine stream of water flowing through a beautiful glen and surrounded on all sides by sloping hills covered with magnificent trees. I left camp next day, pursuing one of the paths or trails by which the Apaches traversed these mountains in past year, and passing through a country similar to that described in my last report. No Indian sign was discovered, and on the fifth day snow commenced falling, which continued without intermission until the morning of the 7th, when it assumed the character of a severe storm. A very hard frost set in at the same time and the snow completely obliterated the old trails. One of my men had both feet frozen, but by timely attention and snow friction he escaped the consequences usually resulting from such a case. The same day I prepared to descend the mountain in a direction north of Alamo Canon, and succeeded with great difficulty in reaching a plateau several hundred feet below where I encamped, enjoying the pleasing contract of an open and sunny sky. Leaving this encamped I marched still downward and encamped near the opening of Canon Luz on the 20th, and I reached this camp on the 21st. During the continuance of the scout I daily detached a party of dismounted cavalry after the march was over, with instructions to examine the country for several miles around, so that I am safe in my conclusion that the Apaches have left the Sacramento Mountains and fled for shelter and concealment to the dark and intricate canons of the Guadalupe Range, where they will probably remain until necessity compels them to attempt another raid. I think their next irruption will be trough one of the passes fronting the Fort Stanton and Franklin road, and in such an event a full company of cavalry stationed at this place and watching their movements would be able to mount promptly and cut them off before they could be able to re-enter the mountains. In my judgement they can be caught and punished in this manner more effectually than in any other. During my marches through the Sacramento Ranger I counted hundreds of lodges perched on its pleasant hills and grouped amongst its lovely valleys, the former occupants having been removed to the reservation at Bosque Redondo. Piles of whitened skulls and bones of slaughtered horses, sheep, and oxen, still mark the vicinity of these old encampments, forcibly recalling the predatory habits of this tribe, and suggestive of the wisdom of the policy which resulted in their removal from the land forever. On reaching this camp I for the first time received the orders of the general commanding department recalling me to my proper post for the present. I leave this place to-day en routed for Fort Summer, N. Mex.

During the operations against the Apaches since August 6 the conduct of the troops under my command has been deserving of the highest praise, and the hardships they cheerfully and patiently endured were of no ordinary character.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FRANCIS McCABE,

Captain, First New Mexico Cavalry, Commanding.

Captain BENJAMIN C. CUTLER,

Asst. Adjt. General, Hdqrs. Dept. of N. Mex., Santa Fe, N. Mex.