went out west for the purpose of trapping, as he said. If the commanding general will allow me to send out a small scouting party to ascertain the truth of these statements I think that I shall be able to do it to be satisfaction of the general, and would respectfully ask for instructions what should be done with the Indians and with the parties found trading with them. The scouts have all ben notified of their discharge, and as far as the half-breed scouts and their families are concerned I shall, according to instructions,in case of necessity issue the most necessary articles of food to them, but I am confident that this will not be necessary, as they are very successful in trapping.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM PFAENDER,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

HDQRS. DIST. OF MINNESOTA, DEPT. OF THE NORTHWEST, Saint Paul, Minn., November 30, 1864.

COMMANDING OFFICER,
Princeton, Mille Lacs County:

The brigadier-general commanding directs that you make immediately report to these headquarters whether there are any Chippewa Indians in the vicinity of your post and whether they are disturbing the settlers in that neighborhood. You will make reports in future in case matters of importance occur.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. G. TELFORD,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Copy to commanding officer at Chengwatona.)

SAINT PAUL, November -, 1864.

Brigadier General H. H. SIBLEY:

SIR: The undersigned citizens of Minnesota, respectfully represent that in their opinion the line of military posts now existing on the frontier between Fort Ridgely and Sauk Centre should be materially shortened and straightened and put in such condition as to afford more ample protection than heretofore to the settlers west of the Big Woods (so called). The unsettled condition of Indian affairs west of us would seem to render this a measure of simple justice to our western border. During the years 1863 and 1864 we have had eight military stations garrisoned between Fort Ridgely and Sauk Centre. Many of them of little practical use in an emergency, and some of them are situate where no emergency is ever likely to happen. The undersigned therefore respectfully ask and recommend that a permanent military post be established at a point to be designated among the Kandiyohi Lakes and a temporary one between that and Fort Ridgely, and two temporary ones between Kandiyohi and Sauk Centre, one at or near Norway Lake, and one at present at Lake George; all the others to be abandoned. With this arrangement the line is materially shortened and straightened and thrown a convenient distance outside of present settlements and among or west of those points where the Indians have been in the habit of making their temporary homes. This arrangement the undersigned