to enforce drill and discipline in your camp, and I expect to hear of your success. Above all things, keep your horses in good condition, and your company ready to move at a moment's warning, with five days' hard bread in haversacks and forty rounds of ammunition for your carbines aside from your pistols. Provide yourself with five days' hard bread and keep it on hand for an occasion.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. MOONLIGHT,

Colonel Eleventh Kansas Cavalry, Commanding.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, August 11, 1864.

N. A. GILLESPIE,

Atchison:

A cavalry company with mountain howitzer has started for the Blue settlements. Have also ordered troops at Kearny to move down on Indians.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, August 11, 1864.

General R. B. MITCHELL,

Julesburg:

Order your quartermaster to buy horses. I get no action by Cavalry Bureau. Keep all the troops in motion you can.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
Salina, August 11, 1864.

Major-General BLUNT:

SIR: I have the honor to report the following facts in regard to the killing of four men by Indians near Beaver Creek, about forty miles from this place, on the north bank of Saline River. Saturday evening, August 6, 1864, four men, viz, two men (brothers) named Moffitt, one Tyler and one Hueston, started from their ranch to kill a buffalo for meat, taking a two-horse team with them. Upon reaching the top of a hill about three-quarters of a mile from the house the Indians were discovered rushing down upon them. The horses were turned and run toward a ledge of rocks, where the men took a position. They appear to have fought desperately and must have killed several Indians. Three of the men killed were scalped, but one of the scalps was left upon a rock close by. The horses were both shot through the head. This was probably done by the ranchmen to prevent them falling into the hands of the Indians. The wagon was burned. The Indians made a descent upon the house, in which were an old man a woman. The old man shot one of the Indians through a hole in the wall, whereupon they all fled. They judged the number of Indians to be about 100. When the messenger arrived at this place a party of twelve citizens, with Sergeant Reynolds, of H Company, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, proceeded to the spot. They learned the above facts. The sergeant says the Indians retreated up the Saline River (west). As all the ranchmen have left the country