on for five hours without halting. The fourth day being stormy, I made but a short drive. On the morning of the fifth day about 8 o'clock I came upon their camp, consisting of seven lodges or wigwams, which I immediately surrounded. After waiting some minutes after the men were in position for some of the Indians to show themselves, and none appearing either to welcome or fight us, I felt of the brush and wigwams with a couple of platoon volleys of rifle shots. These quickly brought to sight thirty-one men and about forty women and children. Why the Indians remained concealed until fired upon I cannot divine. They seemed to have entertained the idea that if none were seen by us that we would pass on, make no further investigation, and lest our attention might be attracted by their dogs barking, every dog belonging to the camp had its jaws tightly bound together. I made the entire population prisoners for a while. The citizens who had been driven from their mining, referred to in my former letter, recognized three of this party as being of the gang which had driven them away, among whom was the chief of the village, who had acted as ringleader of the party that ejected them from their cabin. Having secured the three identified Indians, the others were released and I took up the return march. The camp where the arrests were made is about eighty miles travel from this post on the north side of Snake River, and some ten or fifteen miles below the line of the old Nez Percés Reserve. The place where the miners were at work is about twenty-nine miles below the Indian camp. Upon arriving at this place on the afternoon of the 23d instant, I turned the three Indians over as prisoners to Colonel English, commanding officer of the post. The inquiring shots which I sent into camp wounded one Indian in the neck, probably mortally. The Indians constituting this band I found, as I surmised before starting, are renegades from all the neighboring tribes, who have selected their present location because of its seclusion from and difficult approach by the whites. Hoping my action in the premises may redound to the peace of the border and meet with the approbation of my superior officers, I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, First Lieut. J. W. HOPKINS, GEO. B. CURREY, First Oregon Cavalry, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, [Iudorsement.] HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF OREGON, Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter., March 9, 1864. Respectfully forwarded for the information of the general command ing the department. Captain Currey's conduct in this matter was skillful and very successful. He had, under date of 15th ultimo, reported that a band of Indians armed with firearms had surprised and driven from their work some miners on the north bank of Snake River, twenty miles above the Palouse Crossing. This expedition of Captain Currey will have a very good effect on those Indians. They will be apt hereafter to let the miners alone. BENJ. ALVORD, Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding District. ADDENDA. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF OREGON, Capt. GEORGE B. CURREY, First Oregon Cavalry: (Through Commanding Officer, Fort Walla Walla, Wash. Ter.) SIR: Your communication of the 24th ultimo, reporting your expedition to Snake River, is received. The general commanding the district desires me to express his gratification at the very favorable result of the expedition and at your prompt and skillful action in the matter. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. W. HOPKINS, First Lieutenant, First Oregon Cavalry, Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen. MARCH 24-APRIL 16, 1864.-Expedition from Camp Lincoln, near Canyon City, to Harney Valley, Oreg., with skirmishes. REPORTS. No. 1.—Brig. Gen. Benjamin Alvord, U. S. Army, commanding District of Oregon. No. 2.-Lieut. James A. Waymire, First Oregon Cavalry. No. 1. Report of Brig. Gen. Benjamin Alvord, U. S. Army, commanding District of Oregon. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter., April 29, 1864. COLONEL: I have the honor to report for the information of the general commanding the department that I have received a report, dated the 7th instant, from Lieutenant Waymire, at South Fork, on the Canyon City road. On the 23d of February, Lieutenant Waymire, First Oregon Cavalry, with twenty-five men of Company D of that regiment, was ordered to the South Fork of John Day's River, with instructions to encamp at some point best calculated to enable him to protect the whites against the incursions of the Indians. About the 17th of March a band of horses and mules, numbering forty or more, was stolen by Indians from a ranch two miles south of Canyon City and run off into the mountains. On the 24th Lieutenant Waymire, with eighteen men, supplied with twenty days' rations, started in pursuit of the stolen animals and their captors. He was preceded by a company of citizens, uumbering about sixty, under Mr. C. H. Miller, of Canyon City. On the 30th he reached Harney Valley, where he came up with the company of citizens, who were engaged in digging riflepits with a view to establishing a depot preparatory to searching the valley. On the 7th of April, after having followed the trail of the Indians to the south and east by the eastern end of Harney Lake, and about thirty miles beyond, he encountered them in force posted on a sage ridge. He attacked them with his own men and was repulsed. A second attack, assisted by the citizens, met with no better result. The whole party was forced to retire without accomplishing more than to discover the number and home of the savages. The lieutenant attributes his failure to the weak support contributed by the citizens and the number of the enemy, which he estimates at 150, possibly twice that number. Two soldiers and one citizen are missing, supposed to have been cut off from the main body. The party reached their camp on the South Fork of John Day's River on the 16th of April, and learned that on the 31st of March a party of Indians had attacked the guard, overpowered it, and captured all the animals left at camp-seven horses and one mule. Lieutenant Waymire was sent to protect the communication to Canyon City at a date too early for want of grass for a large command to start. He has converted his humble task into a regular campaign into the Indian country, thus anticipating the operations which are confided to Captains Drake and Currey. However, he has procured important information, and evidently he and his men behaved with great coolness and gallantry. I thus easily forgive him for his adventurous trip, which far exceeded the programme intended for him, though we count the loss of two excellent men captured by the enemy when detached on a reconnaissance. I have directed Captain Currey, if he shall deem it advisable, to cause Captain Drake to join him and assume command of the whole. They are directed to be governed by events whether a junction shall be effected. Colonel Maury reports that he thinks each force is large enough for the duty assigned it. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, BENJ. ALVORD, Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding District. ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, Hdqrs. Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal. No. 2. Report of Lieut. James A. Waymire, First Oregon Cavalry. CAMP LINCOLN, South Fork John Day's River, Oreg., April 17, 1864. SIR: For the information of the general commanding the district I have the honor to submit the following report of events which have transpired in this vicinity since my arrival: With fifteen men of the cavalry detachment under my command I reached Canyon City on the 19th of March last and learned that a few days previous about forty animals (mules and horses) had been stolen from Mr. Davis' ranch, two miles below the town, and driven off into the mountains to the southeast. Mr. Davis, with about thirty men, was in pursuit of them, with a few days' supplies. Deeming it inexpedient to follow before the party already out could be heard from, I returned to camp, leaving word in town that I should hold myself in readiness to march in pursuit of the marauders on receiving satisfactory information that there was a probability of effecting anything. A messenger informed me on the 22d that Mr. Davis had returned for provisions and re-enforcements, having tracked the animals to the vicinity of Harney Lake, where they had seen much Indian signs, and where twenty of the pursuing party were encamped awaiting supplies. I was further advised that a party of thirty men, with plenty of provisions and transportation, would go out immediately to assist in carrying on the pursuit. I immediately wrote the chief of the party, recommending that the men be thoroughly organized, and requesting that a guide should be sent me that I might meet and co-operate with them. On the 24th I was furnished with guides, and on the same day, with eighteen men and twenty days' supplies, commenced the march. Passing directly up the South Fork about fifteen miles, we moved farther to the left across the mountains to the headwaters of the stream, which empties into Harney Lake; thence on the trail of the stolen animals to Harney Valley. This valley is about seventy miles southeast of Canyon City, and about ninety miles from Camp Lincoln by our route. We found the road up the South Fork very rough and over the mountains almost impassable on account of snow and ice. On the 27th we encountered a severe snow storm which prevented our traveling on the following day. Reaching Harney Valley on the 30th, I found a body of citizens fifty-four strong under command of Capt. C. H. Miller, with Messrs. Davis and Bernon as lieutenants, throwing up fortifications with a view to establishing a depot preparatory to searching the valley. I was assured by Captain Miller that his men were well organized and ready for any kind of service they might be called upon to render. On the 31st Captain Miller with twenty of his men marched toward the upper portion of the valley with a view to crossing the river and examining the country on the opposite side. With the remainder of the command I followed the trail of the stolen animals, which led in a direct course for the southeastern terminus of the valley, which is here about fifty miles wide. By a forced march I reached the eastern end of the valley, where I found a small stream, with grass and wood. With the night came a snow-storm, causing the loss of another day. While encamped here on the 1st day of April Captain Miller rejoined the command, having found the river impassable and but little sign of Indians. Harney Valley is a very broad plain, apparently extending east and west and about fifty miles wide by seventy long. In the southwestern portion the lake is situated, and is probably about one-third of the surface of the valley in extent. Our route led to the northeast of the lake over a desert plain thickly studded with a thrifty growth of sage brush. At the border of the plain along the spurs of the mountains there are several small brooks running into the valley, near which there is plenty of grass and wood. Resuming the march on the 2d, following directly on the Indian trail, we reached the southeastern border of the valley and encamped two days, during which time snow fell almost without cessation. Meantime scouts were sent forward and returned on the evening of April 4, reporting a large valley ahead about fifteen miles. On the day following we moved forward in an easterly direction about fifteen miles, emerging from the mountains into a valley running north and south, formed by the small streams which issue from the Snow Mountains east of Harney Lake. This valley has three small lakes in it. A low range of rocky hills covered with sage brush borders on the valley to the east. The lakes are each about a mile long by half [a mile] wide, and between them and the mountains there is good pasturage. On a small stream emptying into the first lake we encamped. This is about twenty miles from Harney Valley. We found that there had been about 100 Indians encamped at that place a few weeks before. They seem to subsist principally upon horse and mule flesh, as the great number of bones from which they had taken the meat plainly testified. This, however, had only been a temporary and not a winter encamp. ment. Moving about twenty miles directly south, on the 6th we passed through another small valley and came into a larger one. Soon after encamping the scouts reported signal fires in various portions of the valley to the south. Taking the cavalry forward and deploying as skirmishers I examined the plain, but found no enemy. An Indian village lately built of sage brush, willows, and grass, and having contained probably 100 souls, had just been deserted. Baskets, ropes, furs, half-cooked meat (horse flesh), fires still burning, various trinkets, and fresh tracks of all sizes showed that they had been forced to leave hastily. All the tracks led toward the mountains. Two Indians, mounted, were seen passing up a mountain gorge and two of the citizens followed in pursuit of them and succeeded in wounding one of them and capturing the horses. One of the horses had been wounded with an arrow before being abandoned by his owner. At 3 o'clock on the following day, with fifteen of my own men and thirty citizens under Captain Miller, we were on the march, taking one day's rations, expecting to find the enemy's winter quarters near the mountains at the head of the valley. At early dawn I noticed large smoke about three miles to the left of the trail, and sent Sergeant Casteel with four men to reconnoiter the position and return by the trail, rejoining the command as soon as possible. About 7 a. m. the citizen volunteers in advance mistook a flock of geese on the plain about two miles below for a band of horses and rushing forward at the charge rendered their animals almost inefficient for the remainder of the day. About fifteen miles from our camp, at the northern extremity of the valley, the trail passes to the right through a narrow gap into another valley much longer, but not so wide as the last. From the mountains to the north comes a small stream running through the center of the valley into a lake at the southern end. This brook is dry at this season of the year after it reaches the valley, leaving a deep, dry channel marked by a thick growth of willows. On the divide I requested Captain Miller to send forward a scouting party. He took five men, and moving half a mile to the front saw an Indian about two miles to the right, and dispatching three of his men in pursuit moved forward with the remainder. Crossing the Willow Gulch with my force I heard a shot in the direction which Captain Miller had taken, and immediately changed direction down the gulch. On the west side of the gulch there is a plain about 400 yards wide, with very little brush or grass on it. From the rocky sage hills west of the plain there are several points or spurs jutting out into it. About 400 yards in front of me, and as far from the gulch, I saw a body of Indian horsemen file down out of a cañon and take position on a prominent sage ridge. I moved up at once and took position on the ridge nearest them, which was about 300 yards distant from them. As I did so re-enforcements of foot and horse came in to the enemy from every direction, the former laying in ambush and the latter forming in front to conceal them. I saw at once that they had chosen a strong position and could only be driven from it by a charge. I decided to make a feigned attack on the enemy's left with a larger force than the one then on the ground, thus attracting his attention and drawing his fire, while I should charge him in front, receiving support from the flanking party. At this time Captain Miller's company was scattered in squads of from two to five over a plain of three or four square miles. To hold my ground and prevent the enemy from gaining my right flank I deployed the men as skirmishers on foot, covering the horses. The enemy immediately opened fire upon the line with rifles, but without effect, most of their balls falling short. This was at 11 a. m. Seeing the enemy grow more and more daring, and fearing a speedy attack, I threw the line forward within easy range |