characterized as highly meritorious and honorable to themselves and the service. The gallant captain expresses his obligations to Mr. Edward Dillor, of Fort Kearny, also to Mr. Alexander Steward, and to the Sioux, Red Leaf, and Standing Elk.

XII. September, 1856, a detachment of troops from Fort Clark, Texas, commanded by Captain James Oakes, 2d cavalry, and composed of Captain Charles C. Gilbert and eighteen men of company B, 1st infantry; Second Lieutenant Henry W. Closson and twelve men of company I, 1st artillery, and Second Lieutenant James B. Witherell and thirty men of company C, 2d cavalry, penetrated the country between Fort Clark and the mouth of the Pecos, western Texas, hitherto not visited by troops, and considered very difficult of access. The expedition was conducted with so much judgment and energy, that in the operations of the day three parties of Indians were surprised between the Rio Grande and the Pecos, near their junction. Four of the Indians killed, and four wounded. Their animals and other property taken or destroyed.

XIII. November 25, 1856, Captain William R. Bradfute, with a detachment of nineteen men of his company, G, 2d cavalry, from Fort Mason, Texas, after a march of eight days, came upon and surprised a party of Comanche Indians near the head of the main Concho, killing four, wounding several, taking one prisoner, and capturing six of their animals. In the conflict Private John Curtis was severely wounded.

XIV. November 30, 1856, a detachment composed of men of company G, 1st dragoons, and company C, mounted riflemen, (in all twenty,) commanded by Second Lieutenant Horace Randal, 1st dragoons, followed a party of fifty warriors of the Gila Apaches, and after a chase of three hundred, and, in one day, of eighty miles going over mountains and plains of snow, the trail frequently obliterated, without water for three days and nights-overtook the enemy, and attacked and drove them from the position of their own selection, recovering all the captured animals. Loss not stated.

XV. December 21, 1856, a detachment of seventeen men of company C, 2d cavalry, from Fort Clark, Texas, commanded by Second Lieutenant James B. Witherell, 2d cavalry, and accompanied by Second Lieutenant W. Owens, 2d cavalry, and Second Lieutenant E. W. H. Read, 8th infantry, both of whom had volunteered for the occasion, after a march of three days in diligent search of the enemy, came upon a party of Indians posted in a dense chaparal, on the bank of the Rio Grande, charged upon and drove them into and across the river into Mexico, killing two, wounding several, and capturing most of their horses, arms, and other property.

XVI. December 22, 1856, Captain R. W. Johnson, with twentyfive men of company F, accompanied by Second Lieutenant A. P. Porter, all of the 2d cavalry, after a march of seven days from Camp Colorado, Texas, came upon a part of Saneco's band of Comanche Indians near the head of the main Concho, charged upon and drove them into the chaparal; dismounted and followed them in, killing three, wounding three, and capturing thirty-four horses and all their camp equipage. In this sharp conflict Bugler Campion and Private

Lamb were killed by arrow shots through the heart, and Sergeant Gardnier and Private McKim slightly wounded.

XVII. March 9, 1857, Brevet Captain Alfred Gibbs, mounted riflemen, commanding a detachment of sixteen men of company G, same regiment, from Fort Fillmore, New Mexico, pursued a party of Mimbres Apache Indians, and on the second day out overtook and attacked them with such vigor as to kill six dead upon the field, and mortally wounding the seventh. The animals stolen by the Indians were all recovered. In this sharp and entirely successful conflict Brevet Captain Gibbs received a severe wound in the body from a lance. His gallantry is this affair is, most justly, highly praised by his department commander.

XVIII. March 11, 1857, Second Lieutenant Lawrence S. Baker, mounted riflemen, with a small detachment from company B, same regiment, from Fort Thorn, New Mexico, after a hot pursuit continued through the night, came, at a place known as Ojo del Muerto, upon a party of Indians, supposed to be Mescalero Apaches, or Kioways, who had run off the animals of the United States surveying party, and succeeded in routing them, recapturing the stolen animals, as well as those belonging to the Indians, together with their other property. The exact loss of the Indians not known.

Lieutenant Baker's conduct in this affair has been commended by the department commander. His loss was, Private Patrick Sullivan, killed, and Private Bernard Dougherty, mortally wounded, (since dead,) Sergeant P. Duggan, Corporal John Brady, and Musician Thomas Reed, wounded.

XIX. April 4, 1857, First Lieutenant Walter H. Jenifer, 2d cavalry, with thirteen men of company B of that regiment, after a search of thirteen days, and a march of nearly three hundred miles, came upon a fresh trail of Indians near the head of the north fork of the Nueces river, Texas; and, as the trail lead into a rocky country, almost impracticable for cavalry, he dismounted, left his horses with a guard, and continued the pursuit with only seven men. After a tedious march of four miles, he suddenly came upon a camp occupied by from eighty to one hundred Indians. Approaching it, under cover, to within two hundred and fifty yards, and he and his little party being discovered, they were attacked by all the warriors in the camp, and threatened at the same time by a party returning to it with horses. He repulsed the Indians, with a loss to them of two killed and one wounded. It being then night, he withdrew his men, rejoined his horses, and returned to the attack the next day, but in the meanwhile the Indians dispersed.

For the last three days this detachment had no rations, having been out seventeen days.

XX. June 27, 1857. The southern column-commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dixon S. Miles-of the Gila expedition under Colonel B. L. E. Bonneville, 3d infantry, composed of detachments from companies B, D, G, and K, 1st dragoons, B, G, and K, mounted riflemen, C, F, and K, 3d infantry, and B and I, 8th infantry, with a company of guides and spies, composed of Puebla Indians, and Captain Blas Lucero's Mexicans-in all some four hundred men

after a march of twelve days from the dépôt on the Gila river, New Mexico, came upon a band of Coyotero and Mogollon Apaches, killed twenty-four; took twenty-seven prisoners; captured or destroyed all their property; and "rescued a Mexican boy from captivity." The following named officers and men were wounded, most of them slightly:

1st Dragoons.-Second Lieutenant Benjamin F. Davis; Corporal Anderson, (twice, once with an arrow and once with a bullet ;) and Private Donnelly, company G.

3d Infantry.-Second Lieutenant Alexander E. Steen, Sergeant James Heron, company K, and Privates Johnson and McNamara, company C.

Very special mention is made, by all the superior commanders, of Captain Richard S. Ewell, 1st dragoons, to whom the credit is given of planning the action and breaking the enemy.

Colonel Bonneville gives "much credit" to Second Lieutenant A. McD. McCook, 2d infantry, for "the admirable manner in which he managed his Puebla Indians."

Great credit is also given by their commanders to the following named officers and men:

Medical Staff-Assistant Surgeon John M. Haden.

1st Dragoons.-First Lieutenant I. N. Moore; Second Lieutenants Alfred B. Chapman and Benjamin F. Davis; Sergeant N. Pishon, company B; Corporal J. Anderson and Privates Donnelly and R. Walsh, company G; Lance Corporal W. Lambert and Private N. Brewer, of company D.

Mounted Riflemen.-Captain Thomas Claiborne, jr., and Second Lieutenant J. V. D. Dubois.

3d Infantry.-First Lieutenant William D. Whipple and Second Lieutenant A. E. Steen; Sergeant J. Heron and Private John S. Harper, company K; Privates Thomas McNamara, Thomas P. Morris, and John Brown, company C; Sergeants Dooling and Morrison, Corporal Maloney, Privates Giles, Moore, McCardle, Quinn, Woodsman, Weis, and Zinzinhoffer, company F.

8th Infantry. Second Lieutenant Henry M. Lazelle; Corporals John O'Donnel and W. Robinson, company B; Sergeant C. Wolpent and Private McKay, company I.

XXI. July 20, 1857. A detachment of twenty-four men, of company G, 2d cavalry, commanded by Second Lieutenant John B. Hood, from Fort Mason, Texas, towards the close of the fourth day of a fatiguing march, came upon a body of fifty Camanche and Lipan Indians, near the head of Devil's river, (San Pedro,) and after a severe hand to hand conflict, forced them to retire with a loss of nine of their number (one a chief) killed and ten to twelve wounded.

Private Thomas Ryan, killed; Second Lieutenant John B. Hood, Privates John Davit, William W. Williams, Thomas E. Tirrel, and John J. Kane, wounded; Private William Barry, missing, supposed to have been mortally wounded.

XXII. July 24, 1857. The mail escort of one sergeant and six privates of the 8th infantry, commanded by Sergeant Schroeder, and a wood party of one sergeant and six privates of the 1st infantry,

commanded by Sergeant Libbey, having been attacked at a place known as the Ripples, about twenty-five miles from Fort Lancaster, on the road from that post to Fort Davis, Texas, by a body of from eighty to one hundred Indians, and Sergeant Schroeder killed; a detachment of forty men from the 1st infantry at Fort Lancaster, under Second Lieutenants A. M. Haskell and John P. Sherburne, joined to a detachment of forty men of the 8th infantry from Fort Davis, the whole under Second Lieutenant Edward L. Hartz, 8th infantry, was sent out against them. The commander placed his men in wagons, with the covers closely drawn, and marched under the guise of a provision train. The ruse was successful, and the party was attacked, about forty-five miles from Fort Lancaster, by a body of mounted Indians, supposed to be Muscalero Apaches, who were driven back with a loss of three of their number killed and wounded. The troops were unhurt. The conduct of the sergeants commanding the mail escort and the wood party is represented as perfectly correct, and it seems to have been gallant and judicious.

XXIII. July 29, 1857. Colonel E. V. Sumner, 1st cavalry, commanding expedition against the Cheyennes, with companies A, B, D, E, G, and H, of his regiment, and companies C, D, and G, 6th infantry, after a march with the former of more than a thousand miles, came upon a body of some three hundred Cheyenne warriors on Solomon's fork of the Kansas, in Kansas Territory, drawn up in battle array to oppose his march.

The Indians were all well mounted and well armed, many of them with rifles and revolvers. The troops advanced steadily upon them, they standing their ground till charged by the cavalry, when they broke in all directions. They were pursued seven miles with a loss of nine killed. Number wounded not known.

Colonel Sumner's loss was: Private Martin Lynch, of company A, and George Cade, company G, 1st cavalry, killed; First Lieutenant James E. B. Stuart, 1st cavalry, severely, though not dangerously, wounded; First Sergeant George C. McEowen, company D, Private Franz Piot, company B, and James M. Cooke, company G, dangerously; First Sergeant Henry B. Robinson, company H, Privates Francis F. Freer, company B, Rollin Taylor, company E, and Thomas Wilson, company D, severely; and Private Alexander Wilkey, company B, slightly wounded.

The troops, on the 31st of July, took the principal town of the Cheyennes, which had been abandoned, containing one hundred and seventy lodges and a large amount of their property.

XXIV. August, 1857. A detachment of the 2d cavalry, from Fort Clarke, Texas, commanded by Captain Charles J. Whiting, with Second Lieutenant James P. Major, same regiment, and Mr. Dunlap, a citizen volunteer, after a fatiguing and exhausting pursuit of five days, during which time they were twice, for thirty-six hours, without water for their horses, overtook a party of thirty or more Indians, supposed to be of the same party who attacked Second Lieutenant Hood. They were charged by the cavalry, cut off from their horses, and driven to take refuge in a wooded ravine, with a loss of

two killed and three wounded. Their horses, thirty-three in number, were captured.

Second Lieutenant James P. Major and Mr. Dunlap are both warmly commended by Captain Whiting.

XXV. September 28, 1857. A detachment of twelve privates from company I, 2d cavalry, commanded by Sergeant Charles M. Patrick, sent out from Fort McIntosh, Texas, after a search and pursuit of seven days, came upon a party of Indians at a place known as Santa Catarina; one Indian killed and five wounded; eleven of their animals captured. Owing to continued rains, the march was a very severe one, yet the detachment, whilst in pursuit, succeeded in making one hundred and sixty miles in two and a half days.

2. The foregoing list comprises but a few of the expeditions undertaken by the army within the period mentioned. Many of them, too, highly creditable alike to commanders and men, and marked, as well by the vigor, resources, and tenacity of purpose, with which they were prosecuted, as by the toils and sufferings with which they were attended. Nevertheless, no special mention of them is made, it being the intention herein to notice only those where actual conflict took place.

This rule, however, must have a marked exception-that of Brevet Major T. W. Sherman, 3d artillery, who, in August, 1857, marched, at short notice, with his battery, from Fort Snelling to the Indian agency at Yellow Medicine, Minnesota Territory, and, by his promptitude, judgment, and firmness, preserved the country from a war with the Mississippi tribes of the Sioux nation. In this connexion, Second Lieutenant William C. Spencer, 2d infantry, is commended for his gallant bearing on the occasion of his demanding, alone, the Indian murderer from the armed warriors of the tribe. By command of Brevet Lieutenant General Scott.

IRVIN MCDOWELL,

Assistant Adjutant General.

No. 5.

REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL.

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, November 27, 1857.

SIR: Agreeably to your instructions, I have the honor to submit the following report:

The authorized strength of the army, as now posted, is 17,984. The actual strength on the 1st of July last was 15,764. The number of enlistments made during the year ending June 30, 1857, was 5,509. The number of persons offering to enlist, but who were refused on account of minority and unfitness for service, was 12,275. The number of casualties in the army by deaths, discharges, and desertions during the year ending June 30, 1857, was 5,729, of which 2,954 were from the last named cause.