over the prairie like buffaloes? What are you waiting for? This man has come to our camp from afar off, and he brings us good news. We see him before u, and yet we know that he did not come of his own accord. The authorities of the government have sent him to the Sissetons, to the Cut Heads, to all Indians who will be at peace. Our Great Farther holds out his hand to us. Will we permit him to draw it back without taking hold of if? If not, arise. You are chiefs. You have from six to ten horses around your lodges, and you need not walk. Go and take a strong hold of the friendly hand that is extended toward you.

This speech was favorably received, and it was agreed in council that as soon as the lodges could be replaced that the camp would move toward Fort Rice for the purpose of making peace and renewing their friendly intercourse with the whites. In connection with the report of these messengers I would also report that the first messengers that come from the Sissetons (of whom I spoke in a former report) are anxious to return, and I should be gratified they should go, as they have been some weeks with the camp exercised over the Indians who have made peace. Also I think the more frequently communication can be kept up with the Sissetons the greater the probability that the Sissetons will effect their escape from the hostile camp; but, under existing circumstances, I have decided to detain the messengers here. The success of the measures taken to intercept parties of hostile Sioux depends very much in keeping them in ignorance of the position of the forces, stock, &c., here, and if these messengers wee to meet a war party there is great danger that they would learn much that they should not know. I feel satisfied that the fall will be devoted to raids by the Sioux, and nothing but the most untiring vigilance will prevent many of these parties from passing down to the settlements. That all can be detected is not within a probability, with the force that can be devoted to that object, but as all necessary precautions have been taken to prevent all other persons from straggling or placing themselves in a position to do mischief, I think it would be highly wrong to send men where there is every chance of their giving information that would be important to the members of a war party.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. R. BROWN,

Major, &c., Special Military Agent.

HDQRS. DIST. OF MINNESOTA, DEPT. OF THE NORTHWEST,
Saint Paul, Minn., October 4, 1864.

His Excellency Governor S. MILLER,

Saint Paul, Minn.:

SIR: I beg leave respectfully to state in reply to your official communication of 3rd instant, inclosing Colonel Smith's dispatch and petitions from citizens of Blue Earth County, asking for more effective military protection, that I am suing all the means within my reach to check and punish attempted raids upon the border settlements, and that a force of two additional companies of U. S. Volunteers with forty unassigned men is now on its way from Milwaukee, and upon arrival at Fort Snelling will be pushed rapidly to the front to strengthen the defenses both north and south of the Minnesota River. The military authorities of this department and district are in nowise responsible for the failure to have a sufficient number of troops on the Minnesota frontier to obviate all reasonable apprehensions of danger, as the Sixth Regiment Minnesota Volunteers, relied on for that purpose pending the absence of the