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List of documents accompanying the report of the adjutant general.

CHEYENNE EXPEDITION.

Letter from Colonel E. V. Sumner to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, August 9, 1857.

Letter from Colonel E. V. Sumner to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, August 11, 1857.

Letter from Colonel E. V. Sumner to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, September 20, 1857.

TROOPS IN KANSAS.

Letter from the adjutant general to General W. S. Harney, May 8, 1857, enclosing

No. 1. Letter from the adjutant general to General P. F. Smith, April 1, 1857.

No. 2. Letter from the adjutant general to the commanding officer at Fort Leavenworth, April 28, 1857.

No. 3. Letter from the adjutant general to the commanding officer at Fort Leavenworth, October 6, 1855.

No. 4. Letter from the adjutant general to the commanding officer at Fort Leavenworth, January 30, 1856.

Letter from General W. S. Harney to the Secretary of War, September 25, 1857, enclosing

No. 1. Letter from Governor R. J. Walker to General W. S. Harney, September 21, 1857.

No. 2. Letter from General W. S. Harney to Governor R. J. Walker, September 22, 1857.

No. 3. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Lieutenant Colonel J.

E. Johnston, September 22, 1857.

No. 4. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Major J. Sedgwick, September 22, 1857.

No. 5. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Major J. Sedgwick, September 24, 1857.

No 6. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Lieutenant Colonel J. E. Johnston, September 25, 1857.

No. 7. Proclamation of Governor R. J. Walker, September 10, 1857. Letter from General W. S. Harney to the Secretary of War, October 5, 1857, enclosing

No. 1. Letter from Governor R. J. Walker to General W. S. Harney, September 26, 1857.

No. 2. Letter from General W. S. Harney to Governor R. J. Walker, September 27, 1857.

No. 3. Special orders No. 77, headquarters troops in Kansas, September 26, 1857.

No. 4. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Major T. W. Sherman, September 26, 1857.

No. 5. Letter from Governor R. J. Walker to General W. S. Harney, September 28, 1857.

No. 6. Letter from General W. S. Harney to Governer R. J. Walker, September 28, 1857.

No. 7. Special orders No. 78, headquarters troops in Kansas, September 28, 1857.

No. 8. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Lieutenant Colonel H.

Brooks, September 28, 1857.

No. 9. Letter from Governor R. J. Walker to General W. S. Harney, October 3, 1857.

No. 10. Letter from General W. S. Harney to Governor R. J. Walker, October 3, 1857.

No. 11. Special orders No. 85, headquarters troops in Kansas, October 3, 1857.

No. 12. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Major H. J. Hunt, October 3, 1857.

No. 13. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Captain T. Hendrickson, October 3, 1857.

No. 14. Letter from Captain A. Pleasonton to Captain E. W. B. Newby, October 3, 1857.

Letter from General W. S. Harney to the Secretary of War, October 11, 1857, enclosing

No. 1. Letter from General W. S. Harney to Governor R. J. Walker, October 9, 1857.

No. 2. Letter from Governor R. J. Walker to General W. S. Harney, October 10, 1857.

DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS.

Letter from Lieutenant J. B. Hood to the assistant adjutant general, headquarters, department of Texas, July 28, 1857.

Letter from Lieutenant J. B. Hood to the post adjutant at Fort Mason, Texas, July 27, 1857.

Letter from General D. E. Twiggs to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, August 5, 1857.

DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC.

Letter from General N. S. Clarke to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, September 14, 1857, enclosingLetter from Major G. O. Haller to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters, department of the Pacific, August 17, 1857.

DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO.

Letter from General J. Garland to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, June 30, 1857.

Letter from General J. Garland to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, August 1, 1857, enclosing

No. 1. Letter from Colonel B. L. E. Bonneville to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the department of New Mexico, July 14, 1857.

No. 2. Letter from Lieutenant Colonel D. S. Miles to Colonel B. L. E Bonneville, July 13, 1857.

No. 3. Letter from Captain R. S. Ewell to Lieutenant Colonel D. S. Miles, July 13, 1857.

DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA.

Letter from General W. S. Harney to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, March 8, 1857.

Letter from Colonel G. Loomis to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters of the army, August 30, 1857, enclosing

No. 1. Letter from Captain J. E. Michler to Colonel G. Loomis, August 28, 1867.

No. 2. Letter from Captain W. H. Kendrick to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters, department of Florida, August 26, 1857.

INDIAN DISTURBANCES IN MINNESOTA.

Letter from Captain B. E. Bee to the adjutant of 10th infantry, April

9, 1857.

Letter from Colonel L. Thomas to General W. Scott, August 3, 1857.

Letter from Colonel L. Thomas to General W. Scott, August 10, 1857.

Letter from Captain G. W. Patten to the assistant adjutant general at the headquarters, department of the west, October 7, 1857.

HEADQUARTERS CHEYENNE EXPEDITION,

Arkansas river, near the site of Fort Atkinson, August 9, 1857. SIR: I have the honor to report that, on the 29th ultimo, while pursuing the Cheyennes down Solomon's fork of the Kansas, we suddenly came upon a large body of them, drawn up in battle array, with their left resting upon the stream and their right covered by a bluff. Their number has been variously estimated from two hundred and fifty to five hundred; I think there were about three hundred. The cavalry were about three miles in advance of the infantry, and the six companies were marching in three columns. I immediately brought them into line, and, without halting, detached the two flank companies at a gallop to turn their flanks, (a movement they were evidently preparing to make against our right,) and we continued to march steadily upon them. The Indians were all mounted and well armed, many of them had rifles and revolvers, and they stood, with remarkable boldness, until we charged and were nearly upon them, when they broke in all directions, and we pursued them seven miles. Their horses were fresh and very fleet, and it was impossible to overtake many of them. There were but nine men killed in the pursuit, but there must have been a great number wounded. I had two men killed, and Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart, and eight men wounded; but it

is believed they will all recover. All my officers and men behaved admirably. The next day I established a small fort near the battleground, and left my wounded there, in charge of a company of infantry with two pieces of artillery, with orders to proceed to the wagon train, at the lower crossing of the south fork of the Platte, on the 20th instant, if I did not return before that time.

On the 31st ultimo I started again in pursuit, and at fourteen miles. I came upon their principal town. The people had all fled; there were one hundred and seventy-one lodges standing, and about as many more that had been hastily taken down, and there was a large amount of Indian property of all kinds of great value to them. I had everything destroyed, and continued the pursuit. I trailed them to within forty miles of this place, when they scattered in all directions. Believing they would reassemble on this river, (for there are no buffalo in their country this summer on which they can subsist,) I have come here hoping to intercept them and to protect this road. I was obliged to send my wagon train back to Laramie from near Fort St. Vrain, and to take pack-mules.

My supplies have been exhausted for some time, except fresh beef, and I have beef only for twenty-four days. I shall send an express to Fort Leavenworth to have supplies pushed out to me as soon as possible, for I do not think these Indians have been sufficiently punished for the barbarous outrages they have recently committed. The battalion of the 6th infantry, under Captain Ketchum, belonging to my command, has had a long and arduous march. It is matter of deep regret to them, as it is to myself, that I could not wait to bring them into the action. As I have no supplies with which I can send these troops back to Laramie, I must take them to Fort Leavenworth; and if they are to re.urn to Laramie this fall, I would respectfully ask for authority to send them up in a light train.

I have the pleasure to report, what I know will give the lieutenant general commanding the army the highest satisfaction, that in these: operations not a woman nor a child has been hurt.

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

E. V. SUMNER,

Colonel 1st Cavalry, Commanding Expedition.

The ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENERAL,

Headquarters of the Army, New York, N. Y.

HEADQUARTERS CHEYENNE EXPEDITION,

Arkansas river, one march below Fort Atkinson, Aug. 11, 1857. SIR: I have received authentic information from the mail party to-day that the agent for the Cheyennes has gone up to Bent's Fort with the yearly presents for that tribe, and that he has been informed by them that they would not come to receive their presents in the usual way, but that he should never carry the goods out of the country. Under these circumstances, I consider the agent and the public property in his charge in jeopardy. I have therefore decided to proceed at once to Bent's Fort with the elite of my cavalry, in the hope Vol. ii-7

that I may find the Cheyennes collected in that vicinity, and, by another blow, force them to sue for peace; at all events, this movement will secure this agent and the public property. Another motive is, that by this march up the river I shall more effectually cover this road from Indian depredations this summer.

I have directed Captain Ketchum, with his battalion and a part of the cavalry, to proceed, by easy marches, to Walnut creek, and there await my return.

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

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENERAL,

E. V. SUMNER,

Colonel 1st Cavalry, Commanding.

Headquarters of the Army, New York City.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST CAVALRY,

Fort Leavenworth, K. T., September 20, 1857.

SIR: I have the honor to submit a report of my operations during the past summer, or rather a brief recapitulation of the reports already forwarded. I detached Major Sedgwick, with four companies of cavalry, from this post on the 18th of May, to move by the Arkansas river, and to meet me on the south fork of the Platte on the 4th of July. I marched, with two companies of cavalry, on the 20th of May for Fort Kearney, where, in compliance with orders, I took up two companies of the 2d dragoons stationed at that post, and moved on towards Fort Laramie. When about eighty miles from the latter post, I received an order to leave the two companies of dragoons at Fort Kearney for General Harney's expedition to Utah. As they were then so near Fort Laramie, instead of sending them back to Fort Kearney, to march over the same ground three times, I took them to Fort Laramie, and left them there; which, I trust, was approved by the general commanding the army. On the 27th of June I moved south from Fort Laramie with two companies of cavalry and three companies of the sixth infantry.

On the 4th of July I reached the south fork of the Platte, and should have formed a junction with Major Sedgewick on that day, but the river was entirely impassable. On the next day I attempted to establish a ferry with the metallic wagon beds, but found them entirely useless, and was obliged to abandon it. The two commands then moved down the river until I found a ford, and I then brought Major Sedgwick's command over to my camp.

It was my intention to establish a larger camp somewhere in that vicinity, and form two columns for the pursuit of the Indians; but hearing they would be in force, and would resist, I determined to abandon my wagons, train, tents, and all other incumbrances, and proceed with my whole command in pursuit of the Indians. The train was sent back to Fort Laramie, with orders to meet me a the lower crossing of the south fork of the Platte in twenty days; but in pursuing the Indians, I was drawn across the country to the Arkansas

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