inspector of artillery, Department of the Missouri, at my request and accompanied me as acting aide-de-camp. He is an officer of much experience and intelligence, and his active assistance was at all times of special advantage. I would earnestly request that he be recommended for promotion to the brevet rank of major.

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

N. COLE,

Colonel 2nd Mo. Light Arty., Commanding Eastern Div., Indian Expedition.

General U. S. GRANT,

Washington City, D. C.

HDQRS. EASTERN DIVISION, INDIAN EXPEDITION,
Near Fort Connor, Dak. Ter., September 25, 1865.

GENERAL: I have the honor to state that in compliance with telegraphic orders received from you I moved my command from Omaha, Nebr. Ter., on the 1st of July, marching by the Fort Kearny road as far as Columbus, at which point our trail diverged from the Plate River to the valley of the Loup Fork. Following the general course of the Loup and camping generally on its banks, my command arrived at its head on the 26th. Water, wood, and grass in abundance were found until within a few days' march of the head of the stream, when they became scarce and finally gave out. Much of the road was over sandy bottoms and hills, which made the labor heavy on the rear part of my train. From the Loup the route lay across the 'sand hills" to the Niobrara River, thence up Antelope Creek and down the Wounded Knee to White River. Through the sand hills the road was good in the valleys and very bad on the ridges which intervened. Large lakes and small streams of excellent water were numerous. Good grass in great abundance filled the valleys. From the Niobrara to White Earth River there was wood and water plenty, except at head of Antelope Creek, but scarcely sufficient grass anywhere to subsist our animals. At White Earth River a trail a few days old of a small party of Indians, the first seen on the march, was discovered. From this point I followed General Harney's trail of 1885 through the Bad Lands, camping at Ash Spring one night, to head of Bear Creek; thence, leaving the trail to the right, moved to the South Fork of the Cheyenne River, arriving on the 8th day of August. Grass was in abundance, of poor quality, and the water somewhat impregnated with alkali. In crossing the Bad Lands many of my animals were rendered foot-sore from traveling over the sharp-edged fragments of feldspar with which the region abounds. On the 9th some were spent in drawing my train up the high bluffs, and on the 10th I moved toward Bear Butte, arriving on the 14th near its base and camping on South Fork of Bear Butte Creek. My route lay across a number of tributaries of the Cheyenne River and party up their valleys, and, with the exception of some very bluffy divides, was good. None of the streams crossed were running; a few had water standing in holes, but in the beds of most of them wells had to be dug and the animals scantily watered with buckets. Grass was good but very scarce, and wood in quantities. At the base of Bear Butte we found wood, water, and grass in abundance, and of excellent quality. From here I move round by the north of the butte; thence westward to near Crew's Peak of the Black Hills, camping on White Wood Creek and the Red Water River, tributaries of the North