large force of Kiowas and Comanches you will send to Fort Summer and ask help of General Crocker, in the event that you have not troops enough at your own post to whip that force. Report at once the amount of all kinds of supplies which you have on hand. The general desires me to say in conclusion that he places the utmost confidence in your vigilance and ability, and he believes that you will exert both to the utmost in guarding against surprise and in furthering the best interests of the Government at your post and in its vicinity.

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

ERASTUS W. WOOD,

Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF IOWA,
Dubuque, Iowa, January 6, 1865.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Department of the Northwest:

SIR: This evening's mail brought several communications from the Upper Missouri country in regard to Indians and Indian affairs, the substance of which letters I hereby transcribe for the information of the general commanding the department: Captain J. H. Pell, assistant adjutant-general, writing from the post near Fort Pierre on the 25th of December, 1864, states that all reports from the Indians show that they are in very destitute condition, some of them almost starving; that in addition to the utter destruction of their property by my troops last summer, the presence of troops in their section of country west of the Missouri has driven away all the buffalo; and it appears also a great may more were killed and wounded in my fights with them than I reported in my official report, for I only reported the killed seen on the field. They are very anxious to come in and make peace, but are unable to do so, and on that account he would suggest Fort Rice as a suitable point to meet them and talk with them. These Indians are the Minneconjou and Sans-Are Sioux. Colonel Dimon, First U. S. Volunteers, commanding officer at Fort Rice, in a letter dated November 26, states that Two Bears and about eighty-five lodges, which is equivalent to near 300 warriors, is living near the fort. This is the chief I mentioned to the general as coming in after the campaign and giving himself up-a brave and I believe him to be a true Indian. Two Bears brought into the fort on the 24th Black catfish and three of his warriors. This is a Yanktonnais chief, and heretofore has been one of our most bitter enemies. Catfish says he and most of his people are anxious for peace, but that Medicine Bear, another Yanktonnais chief, is using his influence among the Yanktonnais against peace, but that he will do all be can to bring his people in. He also states that the Santees, or Minnesota Indians, and the half-breeds of the north are trying to keep the rest of the Indians from making peace. The colonel also reports on the 1st of December that a small party of his garrison were returning from the Cannon Ball River when they were approached by a small body of Indians, who treated them as friends, but fired on a party of three soldiers who were following them, consisting of Lieutenant Noyes, Sergeant Thompson, and Private Townsend. The two first were slightly wounded with arrows, but Private Townsend is missing. The party were thought to be Santees. Two Bears and a party of Indians had gone in pursuit of them. Captain Moreland, commanding officer at Fort Berthold, writes on the 15th of November that Red Moccasin, a Minneconjou chief, with