Today in History:

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

Page 388 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.

Below I have the honor to report the names of killed and wounded; Sergt. L. L. Holt, Privates Jesse Easter and Abner Garrison, Company K, killed; Sergt. J. L. Duckett and Private Robert W. Walker, Company K, wounded.

E. S. ROWLAND,

Captain, Second Missouri Light Arty., Commanding Company K.


Numbers 9. Report of Lieutenant John H. Kendall, Battery L, Second Missouri Light Artillery, of skirmish September 2.

IN THE FIELD, September 4, 1865.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report the result of a skirmish with a lost two of my company and some Indians on the 2nd of the month: I lost two men killed. My men killed 2 Indians and captured 2 ponies with some other trophies. The men killed by the Indians had been out hunting and were returning to camp when attacked.

I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,

JOHN H. KENDALL,

First Lieutenant, Commanding Battery L, Second Missouri Light Arty.

First Lieutenant WILLIAM BRETHOLD,

Adjutant Second Missouri Light Artillery.


Numbers 10. Report of Captain George W. Williford, Fifth U. S. Volunteer Infantry. FORT CONNOR, DAK. TER., August 29, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to report that in compliance with orders dated headquarters Department of the Missouri, April 21, 1865, Companies C and D, Fifth U. S. Volunteers, embarked on steamer J. H. Lacy and proceeded to the mouth of Niobrara River for the purpose of escorting a party of engineers opening a wagon road from that point westward. On the 13th of June, everything being in readiness, we started, marching from ten to fifteen miles each day. On the 16th we were joined by Lieutenant Wood and twenty-four men belonging to Company B, First Dakota Cavalry Volunteers, having been ordered to report to me, and who did good service during the march, scouting on our flanks and searching for good camping ground. When within twenty miles of Powder River it was ascertained by our guide to be impossible to advance farther in the direction we now were going, the roughness of the country precluding such an idea; consequently we retraced our steps. On the second day of our retreat we were attacked by several thousand Indian warriors, who kept us corralled nearly four days and nights, fighting through the day; and at night the enemy would withdraw to commence hostilities again at early dawn, but finding every effort to capture our train and massacre its defenders only resulted in their loss of many killed and wounded braves, they abandoned the siege and left us to pursue our journey to a point sixty miles farther south, where we struck General Connor's trail on the 22nd instant, and encamped. On the 23rd our command was found to be only fifteen miles from Fort Connor, and


Page 388 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.