ld the telegraph-line west of Fort Laramie. They had with them 2,000
head of captured stock and had captured all the stage-stations and many
trains, devastated the ranches, butchered many men, women, and children,
and destroyed 100 miles of telegraph.

To show more plainly than I can describe the condition of the country, I
give the reports of the three commanding officers along the South Platte
Route, in answer to the dispatches which I sent by messenger to all
commanders the day I arrived at Fort Leavenworth. These answers met me at
Fort Kearney.

General Robert Mitchell, who commanded the territory from Omaha to Lodge
Pole, replied as follows:

The telegraph from Lodge Pole Creek, twenty-five miles west to
Julesburg, on Laramie Route, is destroyed for fifteen miles. Poles cut
down and destroyed on the Denver line beyond Julesburg for the first
fifty miles. The telegraph is destroyed about ten miles north. We are
compelled to haul poles from 130 to 140 miles. Every means in my power
is used to have the lines fixed. All the available troops I have at my
disposal are in the vicinity of Julesburg, except some small garrisons
at posts required to be kept up on the Denver route. My district only
extends to Julesburg. I have sent some troops, however, up that route
fifty miles since the outbreaks and find everything destroyed. We have
no communication with Denver, and have not had since the last
outbreak. Neither can I communicate with Fort Laramie in consequence
of the lines being down. I have been traversing the country constantly
on and adjacent to the mail- and telegraph-lines during the past four
months, sending guards on the stages, and, when deemed necessary,
mounted guards and patrols on all dangerous portions of the road
through my district.

This plan succeeded until an overpowering force attacked Julesburg and
drove the troops inside of their works and burned the stage- and
telegraph-station, destroying a large amount of stores for both
companies. The overland stage cannot run through until they can
provide for supplies for stock from Julesburg to the Junction, where
overland stage leaves Denver route, everything belonging to the stage
company, citizens and government being entirely destroyed. The Indian
villages are unknown to us. From the best information I have I believe
them to be on the Powder River. I