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280 Series I Volume XLVIII-I Serial 101 - Powder River Expedition Part I

Page 280 Chapter LX. LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.

the 26th. There were 355 Pawnees. The Pawnees had four American horses, large, serviceable farm horses (no marks), and five mules (two large bay, tails shaved). The other three I cannot accurately describe. The Pawnees seemed anxious to sell the two bay mules, saying they had recently found them. I saw no marks on them. One party told me they had been out five days, and the others told me that they had been out nine days, all on a buffalo hunt. They had and immense amount of buffalo meat, which was still fresh, and I saw several fresh skeletons of buffalo while on the march.

All of which I respectfully submit.

I have the honor to be, lieutenant, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

EDWIN R. NASH,

Captain Company A, Omaha Scouts.

Lieutenant SAMUEL A. LEWIS,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, East Sub-District of the Plains,

Fort Kearny, Nebr. Ter.

[Indorsement.]


HEADQUARTERS EAST SUB-DISTRICT OF THE PLAINS,
Fort Kearny, May 26, 1865.

Respectfully forwarded to headquarters District of the Plains for the information of the general commanding.

Evidence proves conclusively that the mules mentioned within were part of the team accompanying detachment Third U. S. Volunteers, attacked by Indians on the Little Blue, 18th instant. The four horses agree in number with the four reported being run off-two from Buffalo and two from Pawnee Station-while the entire absence of any trail from the west along the Republican or Little Blue, and the presence of the Pawnees on the road at the time of the attack, fixes the atrocious murder of our men on the Pawnees. Had Cheyennes or Sioux perpetrated this deed their trail would have been found by the detachment under Captain Nash, as they would have necessarily come from the west or south. Such, however, is not the case. The trail found, and the only one found, was a Pawnee trail, as stated within. I have telegraphed headquarters for instructions.

R. R. LIVINGSTON,

Colonel First Nebraska Cavalry Veteran Vols., Commanding Sub-District.

MAY 19-JUNE 2, 1865. -Scout from Fort Kearny to the Little Blue River, Nebr. Ter.

Report of Captain Lee P. Gilette, First Nebraska Cavalry.

POST FORT KEARNY, NEBR. TER., June 2, 1865.

LIEUTENANT: In obedience to instructions received from headquarters East Sub-District of the Plains, I marched from this post on the 19th of May, 1865, at 9 p. m. with an officer and fifty enlisted men of the First Nebraska Veteran Cavalry to the scene of the late Indian depredation on the Little Blue. I arrived at Elm Creek, near which station the attack was made, at daylight on the morning of the 20th, having marched thirty-four miles. From this station sent Lieutenant Leland and ten enlisted men of my command to follow the trail made by the


Page 280 Chapter LX. LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI.