shirts; also one extra horse of Ka-ni-at-ze. I will await your orders which way the Ute and Apache Indians shall start out from this place on their campaign. I would also like to take on my campaign two pieces of artillery - one piece I want to protect my wagons in case I should meet a large village of Indians, and the other if I should strike the trail of a large village of Indians. I want to take it with me to use same, if necessary. I further wish you would give me all the mounted troops which you possibly can spare, at least 300, as it will take that number of soldiers to attack a village of Indians with success. I shall stay at this place and await your further orders.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. CARSON,

Colonel of the First New Mexico Volunteers.

FORT BASOM, N. MEX., October 10, 1864.

Captain B. C. CUTLER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Dept. of New Mexico:

SIR: I have the honor to report my arrival at this post on the 9th instant, and, in compliance with instructions from the general commanding, I have to state that all the information I have been able to ascertain in regard to Kiowas and Comanches in by a report made to me by corporal of Company H, First New Mexico Volunteers, who was in charge of the escort that came in from Fort Union, N. Mex. He states that on the 7th of the month he met a party of Mexicans from San Miguel County, who had been out trading with the Comanches on the plains, and passed on through by the Fort Smith road with a lot of cattle and horses they had purchased from the Indians, and they told the corporal that the Comanches were encamped beyond the Palo Duro, a distance about 200 miles from this post, in the northwest direction. The number of Indians they could not correctly state, but they suppose would number 3,000 in all. The regular pickets from the post that were established and posted on the river, thirty miles below the post, came in yesterday, and report that no signs of indians could be discovered in that section of the country. By all the circumstances connected in regard to these Indians I am under the impression that they had bad intentions at the time they visited the post, because otherwise they would have sent another messenger to find out if the treaty was to be granted to them or not, and the reason of not having done so is very clear to me, that they are determined to keep hostile toward us and commit all sorts of depredations. The trading and trafficking with those Indians ought never to be allowed until a treaty is made with them and they comply with the conditions of such a treaty, and also to compel every person, who was authorized to trade with them to report at this post, so as to have their good examined by an officer to prevent any smuggling of arms and ammunition. The strength of the command at the post is seventy-three men, out of which sixty-nine could be well mounted for any services required. The horses are in tolerably good condition, considering the disadvantages of not having any grain to feed them. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FRANCO P. ABREU,

Lieutenant Colonel First Infantry New Mexico Volunteers, Commanding