Today in History:

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

Page 358 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.

FORT LARAMIE, August 8, 1865.

Major General G. M. DODGE:

Particulars of Platte Bridge fight sent to you at Leavenworth on 27th of July. Additional information from our scouts show their los much greater than at first supposed. The Indians threw away all the scalps they had taken from our men, a sure sign that they had lost more than they had killed. Main body of them went north. Think 200 of them went on mail road near Big Laramie. Telegraphed you full particulars on yesterday. Four dispatches to General Connor concerning General Sully's conference will be forwarded to him by express immediately for his information. Couldn't something be done to hurry up the troops on the road?

GEO. E. PRICE,

Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

(In absence of general commanding.)


HEADQUARTERS,
Powder Rice, August 19, 1865.

Major General G. M. DODGE:

A detachment of my Pawnee scouts on the 16th instant discovered and pursued a party of twenty-four Cheyennes returning from the mail road with scalps and plunder. They overtook them about sixty miles northeast of here on Powder River, and after a short engagement killed the whole party. Loss on our side, 4 horses killed. We captured 29 animals, among which are 4 Government mules, 6 Government and 1 Overland Stage Line horses, besides 2 Government saddles and a quantity of white women's and children's clothing and 2 of the infantry coats issued by Colonel Moonlight last spring to the Indians who subsequently killed Captain Fouts and 4 soldiers of Seventh Iowa.

P. E. CONNOR,

Brigadier-General.

POWDER RIVER, August 21, 1865.

Major General G. M. DODGE:

There is no doubt that the families of all the hostile Indians are north of here, and that those Indians who were lately operating on the mail and telegraph lines are joining. There is a trail six miles west of here over which they pass, and not being aware of our presence, we sometimes get one. Yesterday my scouts killed one of the principal chiefs of the Cheyennes, and to-day Captain Marshall, Eleventh Ohio, killed two Indians. Twenty horses and mules were captured, most of which are Government animals, together with several packs of plunder, apparently lately come into their possession; also letter and other papers addressed to men of the Seventh Michigan, which show that the Indians are directly from the road. Loss on our side, two horses killed. I am glad they are going north. I do not apprehended that they will go south while the expedition lasts.

P. E. CONNOR,

Brigadier-General.


Page 358 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.