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of the district with the view of selecting a leader for a new military post, having learned from the records of my office that an appropriation had been made for that purpose more than a year before and the post ordered to be built, but I could find no evidence that any previous commander had taken interest enough in the matter to go out and experience the country. Col. Leavenworth warned me against going without taking at least two regiments of troops and a gallery of artillery, that if I meet with a smaller force I would certainly be killed and my command destroyed, withstanding this warning and without waiting for orders I left Ft. Gibson on the first of June with a detachment of ten men, and upon arrival at Ft. Arbuckle,organized a force of about 200 cavalry and 30 infantry and proceeded west exploring the country. Thouroughly delayed the north fork of the Rel? river, passing around the Witchita mountains and returning via Ft. Cobb and the valley in the Washita to arbuckle, without meeting at hostile Indian and (unclear) to Ft. Gibson in a north easterly direction, without regard to roads, arriving at the latter (unclear) on the 13th of July - In my office report of this expedition to department (unclear) dales July 14 - 1868, I started the following facts in regard to Indian affairs at that time The valley of the Washita river from a point five miles below Ft. Cobb, to some distance this side of the Chickasaw line is a wide and apparently fertile, but has no good water in it, it is in that section that Cap. leavensworth established his agency for the Camanche and Kiowa tribes and Major Shawklan?, agent for two affiliated lands, has also gathered his Indians there. The Witchitas, Wascoes, Taiwoe-earred, Kee-Chics, Caddos, and au-a-dagh cop. Col. Leavensworth's agency seems very injudiciously located in the brush on a hill-side, five miles south of the Washita with not water enough near him for drinking purposes of the people alone and where, if the Indians settle around him as is intended, they must drive their (unclear) five miles to water. This agency too, instead of being west or south-west of the section occupied by the reserve Indians Witchitas and affiliated bands (namely within the boundaries of Kiowa and Cananche reserve,) as defined in the treaty of 1869 is in their midst. Major Shauklin's agency being still farther up to the Washita, I believe that this location of their agency was the first cause of the discontent among Comanche and Kiowas, their want of confidence in their agenda Leavenworth and his uncertain,(unclear) conduct - cowards them, together the failure on the part of the (unclear) to furnish and of the agents to deliver the amenities and the (nuclear) supplies, increased the disaffection and finally