letter of the 27th at Camp No. -, on Malheur River, Oreg. Until I arrived at the Malheur River it was my opinion that up that stream would be my most practicable route to Malheur and Harney Lakes, and in accordance with that opinion I ordered the infantry detachment to join me there. While there I received information which I deemed sufficiently reliable to act upon that a band of about 150 Indians were engaged in making preparations for fishing on the Owyhee about seventy miles form its mouth. This induced me to move to this place, where I met the detachment of infantry. I will move forward with the cavalry in the morning, clear the river of any Indians who may be found on it, and select a location for my depot. My troops are in fine health and spirits. The animals look remarkably well. I hope to be able to bring my men under fire within five days from this. Of this, however, I cannot speak certain. Grass thus far good. Yesterday we had a fine rain, and last night a splended thunder shower. The late fall of rain will not only benefit the grass, but be of great utility in determining the age of Indian signs. I have heard of no late depredations, but much colicitude is evinced by the few settlers along the road for some sheep drovers who are driving about 4,000 head of sheep on the road leading from Queen's River to the Owyhee Mines. I hope to be able to so engage the Indians that they will have little time to attend to sheep drovers.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. B. CURREY,

Captain, First Oreg. Cav., Commanding Expedition into Indian Country.

First Lieutenant JOHN W. HOPKINS,

First Oregon Cavalry, Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, District of Oregon.

HDQRS. EXPEDITION INTO THE INDIAN COUNTRY, Camp on Gibbs' Creek, 100 miles above the mouth of the Owyhee River, June 8, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that in accordance with the determination expressed in my letter of the 16th ultimo I started with the cavalry from camp at the mouth of Owyhee River on the morning of the 17th u directly upon the Owyhee for a distance of about twelve miles, leading a south-southwest direction. Here it leaves the river, diverges to the right up a deep canon for some miles, when it reaches the table-lands, which are covered with sage brush, trap rock, and scattering bunch grass. Traversing the table-land for some ten miles, the trail makes a transverse over a rough country of promiscuous clay hills, basaltic ledges, and sandstone cliffs, on which a sounded growth of grease-wood and half-starved prickly pears find a precarious rooting. This uninteresting but tedious region extends for about ten miles, where the hills become bolder and sides more clearly defined, where the trail leads down a small creek, which at this season of the year affords a small amount of muddy water. Passing down this creek in an east-southeast direction for some miles, it passes up a deep canon in a south-southwest direction for some miles, and again comes out on the table-land, which presents the usual Snake River characteristic - trap rock, sage brush, dust, horned toads, long-tailed lizards, big crickets, and little grass, with an occasional rattlesnake and scorpion. Over this stretch of high rolling country both men and animals suffered exceedingly for water, being on a forced march from 6 a. m. until 8 p. m. without water. Finding water in a canon to the