some point between Pomme de Terre and Fort Abercrombie, by the Indians. The men were teamsters on their way to the latter post. Two of the three teams escaped to the nearest post and the third was missing. Lieutenant Harris reports three Indians to have been seen about three miles and a half from Sauk Centre, going westward with horses. It is evident there are some small parties on the north of the Minnesota River,and too much vigilance cannot be exercised by the troops there posted.

By command of Brigadier-General Sibley:

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. OLIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS FORT ABERCROMBIE, August 29, 1864.

Captain R. C. OLIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General, District of Minnesota:

SIR: The messenger who brought me the information of the Indian murders at Lewiston was one of my own men, who formed a part of an escort for some teams which I had sent to Georgetown to bring up commissary stores left there by this battalion last spring. These teams and escort had passed Lewiston not an hour before these men were killed. In fact the murdered men had traveled in company with my teams until noon, when they remained behind to let, their mules graze a short time. This stopping behind cost them their lives. M. Lusta had five wounds on his person, and Brisse, whose body was found near the scene of the attack, had three balls and one or two arrows in his person. Brisse lost his life by leaping from the wagons at the moment of attack and attempting to escape by running. Had be remained in the wagon he would doubtless have preserved his life or, if not that, saved his body from its terrible mutilation. The intention of the savages evidently was to capture the teams without injuring the mules,as none of them were either killed or wounded. If they had killed a mule in either team they would have got all the men, and would now have four scalps to exhibit as trophies instead of one. I had quite a long conversation with Mr. Dihn (Dean) before he died, and was told by him that he saw ten Indians, all painted, with feathers in their hair,at the moment of attack,and that their presence in the neighborhood had not been noticed by himself or those with him. He told me that they certainly were Sioux. By the side of Brisse's mutilated body was found the knife with which he had been scalped, still covered with his blood,and a couple of arrows. This knife and arrows were pronounced by Quinn to belong to the Sioux and not to the Chippewas. At the point where the trail of the murderers crossed Red River was found a peeled stick stuck in the ground, pointing in the direction of the trail,from the top of which was suspended two bundles of small sticks tied up,one containing twenty-four back sticks and the other twenty-one red ones. The bundle of red sticks also pointed in the direction of the trail. From the Cheyenne the trail led in the direction of the forks of the Maple River, and from there possibly by way of Rush River to Devil's Lake. I think it very probable that they were a part of Little Six's or Little Crow's bands, said to be in the vicinity of Devil's Lake and Mouse River. It is a great pity that troops are not here to fit out an expedition at once and carry death and destruction to these fiends. With 300 cavalry, well mounted, I feel