was in ambush and cut them off from the brush. My opinion is, from the fact of the men being shot in the eyes, that about 4 of the men surrendered and were afterward shot and stripped of everything valuable and Ireland scalped.

I immediately ordered a sufficient number of carts from section 114 of Pacific Railroad Company to convey the dead to camp, which was the best and only conveyance to be had in a reasonable time. They were promptly furnished, the dead gathered and sent to Holden, under Lieutenant Cobb, with orders to give them the best burial in his power, which was done. The dead being gathered, and my scouts called in which I had out to ascertain the course the enemy had taken, in which they had been unsuccessful, I started with 58 enlisted men of my company and 18 of company M, Captain Eads and Lieutenant Triplett, in a southern course about 2 miles: came on a trail of about 80 or 100 men bearing southwest, which I followed about 2 miles and ascertained it to be the trail in which they had come in. I then turned north and bore around to the east about 5 miles, where we struck the trail going in the direction of Chapel Hill, which soon became [fainter] as when going down, and soon began to scatter and bear west. The trail we followed struck into the Sni Hills, about 3 miles west of the Widow Hill's, where Lewis Spainhowers has lived since early spring. Here we had a short skirmish with them, in which 1 of them was severely if not mortally wounded, instantly falling from his horse. They fired rapidly from the brush. I instantly dismounted 40 men, and deployed them as skirmishers and searched the brush, but they were gone; they had moved in a direction a little north of Lone Jack. It was now night, but as the men were good we marched on, having been joined by about 40 of the Colorado troops, with whom my pickets had skirmish; but hearing of their fire, and having a knowledge of their being in the country, and getting in a position where I could see their commander, gave the signal and soon had things all right; no damage done to either party. We remained together until the moon set. Being within 3 miles of Pleasant Hill we marched there and remained there until morning, by men having had nothing to eat since the morning before, but were treated very kindly by the soldiers and officers at that place and furnished with breakfast and forage. June 13, breakfast over, I marched from Pleasant Hill north of east, crossing a number of small streams, the most of the way through brush and woods, very thick, 5 miles south of Lone Jack. Started some guerrillas from an old house in the brush; did not get closer than 400 yards; did not see but 2, through there were more in the party; they ran east. We continued in an easterly direction until we arrived north of the point where the men had been killed on the previous day, turned south, examined the ground and brush with care, and am prepared to give my opinion of the affair at any proper time. Having no rations with us, and none at camp, we returned at 4 p. m. of the 13th of June. At near 11 o'clock received a dispatch from you send out a scout; at 12 o'clock 25 of Company D and 25 of Company M left this camp under Lieutenants Cobb and Triplett; they are still out.

All if which is respectfully submitted to you.

JOHN WYCKOFF,

Captain, Commanding Detachment.

Colonel JAMES McFERRAN.