Martin to take fifteen men of his company,and Juan Arroyas as our guide, and leave our camp at 12 o'clock at night and surprise the rancheria if one could be found. Marched this day about twenty-five miles.

Left this camp on the morning of July 9 at 6 o'clock and followed down the bed of the stream about four miles, and came up with Captain Frink's detachment, which had left out camp in the night. They found no sign of Indians whatever. Here I made camp for two days to send my detachment of cavalry to the mouth of the river to hunt for Indians, and also to meet the express party from the post. This creek runs through a deep cement canon. The whole length of the stream there is about one small piece of bottom land where the Indians could raise any grain,and this does not contain more than fifty acres. This camp I called Camp McCleave in honor of Captain (now Major) McCleave, First Cavalry California Volunteers, who surprised and killed a party of Indiana at this point some time last year. At this camp there are some eight or ten old rock buildings which are in a perfect state of preservation, being under a high cement bluff. A rough sketch* of these buildings was taken by First Lieutenant J. B. Whittemore, First Infantry California Volunteers, which I have the honor to submit with this report. Water, wood, and grass plenty at this camp. Nothing of interest transpired during the 10th.

July 11, I took Lieutenant Martin and twenty men and started to explore a gap in the mountains east of camp. We had not gone more than one mile and a half from camp when we discovered a party of Indians on a divide, or high meas, about one mile from us. I saw at once that I could not get to them,and that they were completely out of range of our guns, so I sent a man of my command down a gulch, unobserved by the Indians, with orders to Captain Frink,them in camp, to take twenty-five men and go up a deep canon behind the Indians and surprise them. During the time my man was going to camp the Indians hoisted a flag and wanted to have a talk, so I sent Lieutenant Martin with a flag to meet one of the Indians and talk with him. The remainder of the party then changed to another hill, getting a little closer to my command and getting out of range from where I first found them,so when Captain Frink with his men came over the hill where I had ordered him the Indians were out of the range of his guns. The Indian told Lieutenant Martin to get his captain and he would bring his (the Indian chief) and make arrangements and come into my camp. I concluded this to be the one chance to get them, as they could get away from us in a few minutes where we could not follow them to do any good. Lieutenant Martin and myself then went about half a mile and met the chief and his interpreter, the balance of the Indians,sixteen in number, sitting at about thirty yards from us looking on, and my men then at about 500 yards with a gulch intervening. I talked to the chief and persuaded him to come with me to the Gila and see the great captain, and then he could bring all his people and make peace. We parted with the understanding that he would come with me, but after he had another talk with his warriors they wanted to take a different route to my camp, and this did not suit me,so I ordered my men to commence firing upon them. We chased them about two miles, but they could outrun us amongst the rocks and high hills. I think we must have wounded 5 of the number, as I only saw 13 get away. There were only 18 in all. These are the only Indians that I came across on the whole trip.

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*Omitted.

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