creek called Palo Duro, some 200 miles in a northeasterly direction from the mouth of Ute Creek, on the Canadian or Colorado River, east of Fort Union, N. Mex. This would make them about,say, 200 miles south of Fort Larned or southwardly from that post. I shall, within ten days, send a force of 300 volunteer troops, 200 mounted and 100 on foot, with two mountain howitzers, and, say, 100 Ute Apache Indians, i. e., 400 in all, under Colonel Christopher Carson, to attack the Kiowas and Comanches. This force will move down the Colorado to within northwest toward the States, which road is said to come into the Arkansas from the southwest near the mouth of Walnut Creek. I hope you may be able to time your movements so as to reach the Indians on the Palo Duro, or near there, at the same moment with Colonel Carson, so that a blow may be struck which those two treacherous tribes will remember. I will send a copy of this latter to Colonel Carson.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES H. CARLETON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

NOTE.-I inclose herewith a copy of General Orders, Numbers 32, current series, from these headquarters.

[Inclosure.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO, Numbers 32.
Santa Fe, N. Mex., October 222, 1864.

An expedition will be organized, without delay, to move against the Kiowa and Comanche Indians, who, during the last summer, attacked trains on the roads leading from New Mexico to the States. This expedition is designed to co-operate with one moving from near Fort Larned, under the command of Major-General Blunt, with a view to the punishment of the same Indians. Its organization will be as follows: Colonel Christopher Carson, First Cavalry New Mexico Volunteers, commanding; Lieutenant Colonel Francisco P. Abreu, First Infantry New Mexico Volunteers, to command the infantry; Major William McCleave, First Cavalry California Volunteers, to command the cavalry; First Lieutenant Benjamin Taylor, jr., U. S. Fifth Infantry, acting assistant quartermaster and acting commissary of subsistence; Asst. Surg. George S. Courtright, U. S. Volunteers:

Captain Berny's command, mounted......................... 42

Lieutenant Heath, with all of Johnson's men now at Fort

Union and Fort Bascom.................................... 39

Captain Witham's cavalry, now en route to Fort Union...... 66

Captain Fritz, with thirty of the best cavalry from Fort

Sumner, N. Mex............................................ 30

Captain Deus' company, at Fort Bascom.................... 69

Lieutenant Edmiston, with the effective men of Company A,

First Veteran Infantry California Volunteers............. 62

Lieutenant Pettis, with all the effective men of Company K,

First Infantry California Volunteers, with two mountain

howitzers................................................. 45

------

Total (say).............................................. 353

To these will be added, of Ute Indians and Jicarilla Apache Indians, say 100. These will proceed to Fort Bascom, N. Mex., direct from Mr. Maxwell's ranch, on the Cimarron, and there join the troops.

Captain Marion's company (C) and Captain Baca's company (E), First Cavalry New Mexico Volunteers, and Captain Bergmann's men, now on the plains, will garrison Fort Bascom until further orders. All these