statue　of　Liberty　Enlightening　the　World）　about　three　hundred
  recruits。　　For　a　time　I　was　the　only　officer　with　them；　but　shortly
  before　we　started　for　California；　Lieutenant　Francis　H。　Bates；　of　the
  Fourth　Infantry；　was　placed　in　command。　We　embarked　for　the　Pacific
  coast　in　July；　1855；　and　made　the　journey　without　incident　via　the
  Isthmus　of　Panama；　in　due　time　landing　our　men　at　Benecia　Barracks；
  above　San　Francisco。
  》From　this　point　I　proceeded　to　join　my　company　at　Fort　Reading；　and
  on　reaching　that　post；　found　orders　directing　me　to　relieve
  Lieutenant　John　B。　Hoodafterward　well　known　as　a　distinguished
  general　in　the　Confederate　service。　　Lieutenant　Hood　was　in　command
  of　the　personal　mounted　escort　of　Lieutenant　R。　S。　Williamson；　who
  was　charged　with　the　duty　of　making　such　explorations　and　surveys　as
  would　determine　the　practicability　of　connecting；　by　railroad；　the
  Sacramento　Valley　in　California　with　the　Columbia　River　in　Oregon
  Territory；　either　through　the　Willamette　Valley；　or　（if　this　route
  should　prove　to　be　impracticable）　by　the　valley　of　the　Des　Chutes
  River　near　the　foot…slopes　of　the　Cascade　chain。　　The　survey　was
  being　made　in　accordance　with　an　act　of　Congress；　which　provided　both
  for　ascertaining　the　must　practicable　and　economical　route　for　a
  railroad　between　the　Mississippi　River　and　the　Pacific　Ocean；　and　for
  military　and　geographical　surveys　west　of　the　Mississippi　River。
  Fort　Reading　was　the　starting…point　for　this　exploring　expedition；
  and　there　I　arrived　some　four　or　five　days　after　the　party　under
  Lieutenant　Williamson　had　begun　its　march。　　His　personal　escort
  numbered　about　sixty　mounted　men；　made　up　of　detachments　from
  companies　of　the　First　Dragoons；　under　command　of　Lieutenant　Hood；
  together　with　about　one　hundred　men　belonging　to　the　Fourth　Infantry
  arid　Third　Artillery；　commanded　by　Lieutenant　Horatio　Gates　Gibson；
  the　present　colonel　of　the　Third　United　States　Artillery。　　Lieutenant
  George　Crooknow　major…generalwas　the　quartermaster　and　commissary
  of　subsistence　of　the　expedition。
  The　commanding　officer　at　Fort　Reading　seemed　reluctant　to　let　me　go
  on　to　relieve　Lieutenant　Hood；　as　the　country　to　be　passed　over　was
  infested　by　the　Pit　River　Indians；　known　to　be　hostile　to　white
  people　and　especially　to　small　parties。　　I　was　very　anxious　to
  proceed；　however；　and　willing　to　take　the　chances；　so；　consent　being
  finally　obtained；　I　started　with　a　corporal　and　two　mounted　men；
  through　a　wild　and　uninhabited　region；　to　overtake　if　possible
  Lieutenant　Williamson。　　Being　on　horseback；　and　unencumbered　by
  luggage　of　any　kind　except　blankets　and　a　little　hard　bread；　coffee
  and　smoking…tobacco；　which　were　all　carried　on　our　riding　animals；　we
  were　sanguine　of　succeeding；　for　we　traversed　in　one　day　fully　the
  distance　made　in　three　by　Lieutenant　Williamson's　party　on　foot。
  The　first　day　we　reached　the　base　of　Lassan's　Butte；　where　I
  determined　to　spend　the　night　near　an　isolated　cabin；　or　dugout；　that
  had　been　recently　constructed　by　a　hardy　pioneer。　　The　wind　was
  blowing　a　disagreeable　gale；　which　had　begun　early　in　the　day。　　This
  made　it　desirable　to　locate　our　camp　under　the　best　cover　we　could
  find；　and　I　spent　some　little　time　in　looking　about　for　a
  satisfactory　place；　but　nothing　better　offered　than　a　large　fallen
  tree；　which　lay　in　such　a　direction　that　by　encamping　on　its　lee　side
  we　would　be　protected　from　the　fury　of　the　storm。　　This　spot　was
  therefore　fixed　upon；　and　preparation　made　for　spending　the　night　as
  comfortably　as　the　circumstances　would　permit。
  After　we　had　unsaddled　I　visited　the　cabin　to　inquire　in　regard　to
  the　country　ahead；　and　there　found　at　first　only　a　soldier　of
  Williamson's　party；　later　the　proprietor　of　the　ranch　appeared。　　The
  soldier　had　been　left　behind　by　the　surveying　party　on　account　of
  illness；　with　instructions　to　make　his　way　back　to　Fort　Reading　as
  best　he　could　when　he　recovered。　　His　condition　having　greatly
  improved；　however；　since　he　had　been　left；　he　now　begged　me　in
  beseeching　terms　to　take　him　along　with　my　party；　which　I　finally
  consented　to　do；　provided　that　if　he　became　unable　to　keep　up　with
  me；　and　I　should　be　obliged　to　abandon　him；　the　responsibility　would
  be　his；　not　mine。　　This　increased　my　number　to　five；　and　was　quite　a
  reinforcement　should　we　run　across　any　hostile　Indians；　but　it　was
  also　certain　to　prove　an　embarrassment　should　the　man　again　fall　ill。
  During　the　night；　notwithstanding　the　continuance　of　the　storm；　I　had
  a　very　sound　and　refreshing　sleep　behind　the　protecting　log　where　we
  made　our　camp；　and　at　daylight　next　morning　we　resumed　our　journey；
  fortified　by　a　breakfast　of　coffee　and　hard　bread。　　I　skirted　around
  the　base　of　Lassan's　Butte；　thence　down　Hat　Creek；　all　the　time
  following　the　trail　made　by　Lieutenant　Williamson's　party。　　About
  noon　the　soldier　I　had　picked　up　at　my　first　camp　gave　out；　and　could
  go　no　farther。　　As　stipulated　when　I　consented　to　take　him　along；　I
  had　the　right　to　abandon　him；　but　when　it　came　to　the　test　I　could
  not　make　up　my　mind　to　do　it。　　Finding　a　good　place　not　far　off　the
  trail；　one　of　my　men　volunteered　to　remain　with　him　until　he　died；
  and　we　left　them　there；　with　a　liberal　supply　of　hard　bread　and
  coffee；　believing　that　we　would　never　again　see　the　invalid。　　My
  reinforcement　was　already　gone；　and　another　man　with　it。
  With　my　diminished　party　I　resumed　the　trail　and　followed　it　until
  about　4　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　when　we　heard　the　sound　of　voices；
  and　the　corporal；　thinking　we　were　approaching　Lieutenant
  Williamson's　party；　was　so　overjoyed　in　anticipation　of　the　junction；
  that　he　wanted　to　fire　his　musket　as　an　expression　of　his　delight。
  This　I　prevented　his　doing；　however；　and　we　continued　cautiously　and
  slowly　on　to　develop　the　source　of　the　sounds　in　front。　　We　had　not
  gone　far　before　I　discovered　that　the　noise　came　from　a　band　of　Pit
  River　Indians；　who　had　struck　the　trail　of　the　surveying　expedition；
  and　were　following　it　up；　doubtless　with　evil　intent。　　Dismounting
  from　my　horse　I　counted　the　moccasin　tracks　to　ascertain　the　number
  of　Indians；　discovered　it　to　be　about　thirty；　and　then　followed　on
  behind　them　cautiously；　but　with　little　difficulty；　as　appearances　of
  speed　on　their　part　indicated　that　they　wished　to　overtake　Lieutenant
  Williamson's　party；　which　made　them　less　on　the　lookout　than　usual
  for　any　possible　pursuers。　　After　following　the　trail　until　nearly
  sundown；　I　considered　it　prudent　to　stop　for　the　night；　and　drew　off
  some　little　distance；　where；　concealed　in　a　dense　growth　of　timber；
  we　made　our　camp。
  As　I　had　with　me　now　only　two　men；　I　felt　somewhat　nervous；　so　I
  allowed　no　fires　to　be　built；　and　in　consequence　our　supper　consisted
  of　hard　bread　only。　　I　passed　an　anxious　night；　but　beyond　our　own
  solicitude　there　was　nothing　to　disturb　us；　the　Indians　being　too
  much　interested　in　overtaking　the　party　in　front　to　seek　for　victims
  in　the　rear；　After　a　hard…bread　breakfast　we　started　again　on　the
  trail；　and　had　proceeded　but　a　short　distance　when；　hearing　the
  voices　of　the　Indians；　we　at　once　slackened　our　speed　so　as　not　to
  overtake　them。
  Most　of　the　trail　on　which　we　traveled　during　the　morning　ran　over　an
  exceedingly　rough　lava　formationa　spur　of　the　lava　beds　often
  described　during　the　Modoc　war　of　1873　so　hard　and　flinty　that
  Williamson's　large　command　made　little　impression　on　its　surface；
  leaving　in　fact；　only　indistinct　traces　of　its　line　of　march。　　By
  care　and　frequent　examinations　we　managed　to　follow　his　route　through
  without　much　delay；　or　discovery　by　the　Indians；　and　about　noon；
  owing　to　the　termination　of　the　lava　formation；　we　descended　into　the
  valley　of　Hat　Greek；　a　little　below　where　it　emerges　from　the　second
  canon　and　above　its　confluence　with　Pit　River。　　As　soon　as　we　reached
  the　fertile　soil　of　the　valley；　we　found　Williamson's　trail　well
  defined；　deeply　impressed　in　the　soft　loam；　and　coursing　through
  wild…flowers　and　luxuriant　grass　which　carpeted　the　ground　on　every
  hand。
  When　we　struck　this　delightful　locality　we　traveled　with　considerable
  speed；　and　after　passing　over　hill　and　vale　for　some　distance；　the
  trail　becoming　more　and　more　distinct　all　the　time；　I　suddenly　saw　in
  front　of　me　the　Pit　River　Indians。
  This　caused　a　halt；　and　having　hurriedly　re…capped　our　guns　and
  six…shooters；　thus　preparing　for　the　worst；　I　took　a　look　at　the　band
  through　my　field…glass。　　They　were　a　half…mile　or　more　in　our　front
  and　numbered　about　thirty　individuals；　armed　with　bows　and　arrows
  only。　　Observing　us　they　made　friendly　demonstrations；　but　I　had　not
  implicit　faith　in　a　Pit　River　Indian　at　that　period　of　the　settlement
  of　our　country；　and　especially　in　that　wild　locality；　so　after　a
  〃council　of　war〃　with　the　corporal　and　man；　I　concluded　to　advance　to
  a　point　about　two　hundred　yards　distant　from　the　party；　when；　rely