to get down the Tongue River Valley on account of its barrenness, had availed himself of the fertile valley of the Big Horn to reach the Yellowstone, and following it down was awaiting me at or near the mouth of Powder River, in the meanwhile endeavoring to attract my attention by signal-fires. Either case being true, it was, in my opinion, the proper course for me to pursue to move in that direction. In addition to this I deemed it possible that on reaching the Yellowstone game would be plenty, and with sufficient buffalo I could feed my command whilst searching for General Connor along Tongue River.

I therefore, on the morning of the 2nd of August [September], crossed to the west bank of the river and moved down, following in the trail of Colonel Walker, Sixteenth Kansas (who had been in my immediate vicinity since first striking my trail), who had decided to try the Yellowstone before turning back, although his rations were as nearly depleted as my own. His train, however, consisted entirely of pack animals; hence its mobility much exceeded mine, which was almost entirely composed of six-mule army wagons. The strip of grass in the camp which we had left extended about four or five miles, from which time we saw no more vegetation beyond cottonwood, willow, sage brush, grease wood, and prickly pear. After marching twenty-five miles through heat and dust, camped with nothing but cottonwood bark for forage, which in its unfrosted condition had an injurious effect upon the animals.

Colonel Walker camped ahead of my command about three miles, where the bluffs almost closed together. Here the game trails all bore up and over the cliffs, which were wholly impassable for horseman. On examination it was discovered that at the distance of about eight miles farther down the stream its waters sunk into the sand and the bed was comparatively dry. The Indian trails here scattered and entered the river among its quicksand, in which our horses could not for an instant maintain control of themselves. During the night a terrible storm set in, a kind of storm that is liable to sweep over this country in any season, during which the temperature of the atmosphere suddenly changed from intense heat to extreme cold. The want of nourishing forage, the exhaustion incident to the intense head of the day's march, coupled with effects of the storm, proved fatal to a large number of horses. I now very reluctantly turned back, on the 3rd, and moved to the first where sufficient grass could be obtained for my dying stock.

During the march down the river and back to grass 225 horses and mules died from excessive heat, exhaustion, starvation, and extreme cold, and in consequence a number of wagons had to be destroyed, together with a considerable amount of now no longer needed quartermaster's stores. On the day following I moved camp about a mile and a half for grass, into the edge of a strip of timber which skirted the river. During the afternoon a detachment of the Twelfth Missouri Cavalry, who were sent to the camp of the previous day to more completely destroy the abandoned property, were attacked by a force of about seventy-five Indians, who were repulsed, with the loss of one killed. Upon being pursued they retreated down the river.

On the following morning, when the command was preparing and almost ready to move, Indians were discovered in large numbers in the hills to the west, moving through the gulches to the southward. It soon became evident that they were endeavoring to cut of some of my teamster who were gathering up straggling mules. A well-directed volley from the train emptied some few saddles and caused the balance to make a retrograde movement as soon as they could secure their