, 1874-11-11
anee. having good eoi and TIT groatoat 4bund-

anee, having good soil and TIT groateat abuntl
at,ce OF timber aud water.
Tho country OF The blank IIilla examined b,
COL Custer is, am led 10 holieyo, OF gtoat valMt
for Its timbor, md 1t contains sonic gold and BiL
vcr, but tho teHtH IN u!e CuHter Reconnaissance
alo not sufficient to ehabah It's existence If
largo quantities.
Iagain recommend tho establishment Of 4
largo military post tlpyro for tho roAaons givel
dInns.
The disturbance in
THE DEPARTMENT. OF TuR rLATrx
worc not frequent until the oarly purs of the
year. whon Ltntt. Robinson, Fourteenth Infnnt.
rv, and Corp Coleman, Of tlls Hano regiment,
were wantonly murdered, while in charge Of d
l'imber-trair running from Government aaw-
mill altnatcd ncar Laranlto Peak. rhis aonmcd
to be tho signal for other 1ntinn dopredetionH
anu ei1o conimoncon1ont Of groat troubleb Mt
He'd Clouds md Spotted Tails Agencies, which
were located on White River, 100 aud 150 mlles
respectively, northeast from Fort Laramio. AT
trooph Ind to be sent for tho protection Of the
lndlan Agents and thoir employees at thcso
Agencies, IN the dead Of winter, sntailing great
suffering and \ heavy expcHso to the army.
Upon their arrival, tho hostile balids Withdrew
fiom the Agencies. lcaving tho peacefully in
cI'ned to romain under tho protection Of tho
soldiers tbs hosiloa fleeing north, towards
Powder River and the Dig Horn valleys, but not
without first ssnaing out thofr young warriors to
steal stock auu tnAe scalp whenever and
wherever they could do It without much danger
to themselves: Tho acta Of these tAnas seomed
to fire up tho blood Of ths Northern Cheyennes AID
Atapal1oes, two small tribes who be!ong to Rod
Olold's Agency, aud who usually make their
waters Of Powder Riyor. or sometimes further
west in the lower wiley Of Wind 1slvor, whare it
tlows through the Owl ICrooA range or tho Rocky
Mountains. From itlla last-namod point they
commenced serios Of raids upon tic friendly
shoshouoa near Camp Brown, il. the Wind River
country, stealing horses and other Rtock from
settlera living IN tho valleys Of Tho Big aud
Little Popo. .a-eie Rivers.
This state OF thugs continued uutil the latter
pHrs Of June. Whom Con. Ord aud myself ar-
Tho evening Of our arrival. word was brought in
by Shoshuno scouts that they had discovered
tho camp of q Iarge war party about 80 n1ileH
distant, and Capt. A. E. BateH, Of tho Second
ouce, aud break up this rendezvous, il possible.
Takine his company, and about leo triouily
6lloshonos. Capt, bates moyod promptly Oh ti.a
oaenly, aud after A most galsut fight
COMPLETELY NourEp HIN,
killing twonty six, aud wouuling q largo num-
doad. Our loss was four killed aud five wound
cd, Lieut.. Il. II. Young, Fourth Infantry, boing
among the latter number. take pleasure in
commenting the conduct of Cant, Dates Lieut.
= II. AoNnbuut anu Acting Assistant Surgeon
Thomas G. A1aghoe, In this action. After this
punishment, the two bands Of Cheyennes aud
ArrMpahoes moved to Pumpkin Butte aud sent
delegation, to Fort Fettprnsan apking, with
good deal Of blustor, whether We wantod
war. The reply was Il YcB," and that We
should kill aa many If t!om Us NO
could, unless thoy atopped their dopreda-
tious and returned to their Agoncy-whioh they
concluded to do, and accordingly lost 10 time iu
coming in. Small parties OF Sioux, however,
continued their dopredations north Of Fort
steole, killing number Of peraons, until recsnt-
1y, when Con. Ord eas able to sond amall
column III that direction. since which tianc sheY
hays disappeared. 80 for nj heayd from, this
column has accomplished no great results, but
met with slight disastes III eneonntering.a
heavy snow-stortn on tha 2d Of Scptonlbor. 1t
l,ah now returned aud will oo dishaudod, and the
troops sunt to their wsntot quartors.
Numerous raids wore also made into tho De-
partment VI the p'atte, On the settlements in the
northeast Of Kebrayka and on the aemi~ciyilixed
otoe and Ponca Indians located there. Tho
annoyance was great, but the loss oniy few
liyca md considerable amount Of stock.
The troops in the Department Of the Platte
hhn tart uTH, i.