Stock looking well so far, no accidents having happened since we started, of a serious nature. General very vigilant and careful about being surprised; he superintends every movement himself, and is very sanguine that our expedition will be successful. Distance traveled today, eight and onehalf miles.

"6th. Left Brown's Springs at 6 o'clock a. m., Sunday; everything moves off in the usual manner; course today is nearly north. Saw Pumpkin Buttes at 1 o'clock p. m., which the guides say is thirty miles from Powder River. Some careless soldiers fired the grass near our camp last night. The fire getting beyond our control, serves as a beacon light to the hostiles and gives great uneasiness to our guides, who fear that the Indians will be signalled thereby and may congregate in large numbers-too large for our little command. At the starting of this fire the flames ran across the camp toward two powder wagons. Volunteers from the General's headquarters camp, together with some soldiers, rushed through the fire to the powder wagons and dragged them to a place of safety; in doing so, had to pass over burning grass. Today, Sunday, our left flankers killed three buffalo. Made camp on the Dry Fork of the Cheyenne at 10 o'clock a. m. Grass and water plenty. No water visible, but any quantity of it within a few feet of the surface in the sandy bed of the river. Empty cracker boxes were sunk in the sand, sand scooped out, and soon water could be dipped up by the bucketful, enough to water all the stock and to supply the camp. The last of the train did not reach camp until dark; distance marched only twelve miles.

"7th. Broke camp at the usual hour; roads very heavy today; distance traveled eighteen miles. The trains did not arrive in camp until after midnight. Our camp was at some springs in a cozy little valley, where we found plenty of grass and enough wood to cook our buffalo meat. Five buffalo killed and brought in today; any quantity of buffalo and antelope in sight on both flanks. Teams gave out today, many of the mules refusing to pull. The 8th was spent in recuperating the stock; not a wheel was turned today. [I refer to my diary, from this date on, for only important events of the expedition. Will not try to record the incidents of each day's march.]

"9th. We obtained our first view of the Big Horn Mountains at a distance of eighty-five miles northwest, and it was indeed magnificent. The sun so shone as to fall with

full blaze upon the southern and southeastern sides as they rose toward Cloud's Peak, which is about ten thousand feet above sea level, and the whole snow-covered range so clearly blended with the sky as to leave it in doubt whether all was not a mass of bright cloud. Although the day was exceedingly warm, as soon as we struck this ridge we felt the cooling breezes from the snow-clad mountains which were most gratefully appreciated by both man and beast. In front and a little to the northwest could be seen four columns of the Pumpkin Buttes, and, fifty miles further east, Bear Butte, and beyond a faint outline of the Black Hills. The atmosphere was so wonderfully clear and bright that one could imagine that he could see the eagles on the crags of Pumpkin Buttes, full forty miles away.

"11th. Broke camp at the usual hour; traveled down Dry Creek; passed two or three mud-holes where the stock were watered. After eight miles marching got to spot where we could see the long-looked-for Powder River. Saw columns of smoke down the river, indicating an Indian village a few miles away. It proved to be a fire which the hostile Indians had made a day or two before. The Powder River is, at this point, a very rapid stream, water muddy like the Missouri; timber very plentiful, ranging back from the river from one-half to one mile; grass not very good, no chance to cut any hay anywhere on the river. Train reached camp at 2 o'clock and camped in the timber on the river bank. In the evening the General, some members of his staff and the guides, with an escort, went down the river to see if there were any signs of Indians. Found a "good Indian" very lately sewed up in a buffalo skin and hung up in a tree. Many such sights along Powder River. The country traversed by the General was similar to the camp ground.

"12th. Train remained in camp. An exploring expedi tion was sent up the river under the command of Lieutenant Jewett, with orders to proceed twenty miles to look for a better location for a military post. Twenty-five of the Sixth Michigan Cavalry went up the river with Lieutenant Jewett to the crossing of the old traders' road from the Platte Bridge to the Big Horn Mountains, and past the same, known as the Bozeman Trail, made in 1864 by J. M. Bozeman, of Montana. Lieutenant Jewett found bottoms on both sides of the river banks heavily timbered, flanked by high, bold bluffs, with Indian signs all along the stream -scarcely a mile where there had not been Indian villages,

some within a few weeks, some that were probably made years and years ago. Some camps gave evidence that the Indians had very large droves of horses, as the trees were badly girdled. Numerous Indian burial trees were found with lots of 'good Indians' tied up in them. Several bands of buffalo were seen during the day. Lieutenant Jewett returned to camp the same day, having made a fifty mile march.

"14th The first timber was cut today for building a stockade, the General having decided to erect a fort on the opposite bank of the river at this point, on a large mesa rising about one hundred feet above the level of the river and extending back, as level as a floor, about five miles to the bluffs. A very fine location for a fort, the only disadvantage being scarcity of hay land. Our stockade timber was cut twelve feet long and was from eight to ten inches in thickness. These posts were set four feet deep in the ground in a trench. Every soldier and all the teamsters who could be urged to work, were supplied with axes, and the men seemed to enjoy the exercise, chopping trees and cutting stockade timber.

"16th. Command still in camp waiting for a train of supplies from Fort Laramie before we proceed. Indian scouts discovered a war party today, and the soldiers gave them a running fight, Captain North's Pawnees in the advance, with only a few staff officers who were smart enough to get to the front with the Pawnees. Captain North followed the Indians about twelve miles without their being aware of our pursuit; then the fun began in earnest. Our war party outnumbered the enemy, and the Pawnees, thirsty for blood and desirous of getting even with their old enemy, the Sioux, rode like mad devils, dropping their blankets behind them, and all useless paraphernalia, rushed into the fight half naked, whooping and yelling, shooting, howling-such a sight I never saw before. Some twentyfour scalps were taken, twenty-four horses captured, and quite an amount of other plunder, such as saddles, fancy horse-trappings and Indian fixtures generally. The Pawnees were on horseback twenty-four hours, and did not leave the trail until they overtook the enemy. There was a squaw with the party; she was killed and scalped with the rest. On their return to camp they exhibited the most savage signs of delight, and if they felt fatigued did not show it; rode with the bloody scalps tied to the end of sticks, whooping and yelling like so many devils. In the evening they