or North with a couple of Indian
scouts and with Bridger as guide. They got over into the Powder River
country and discovered Cole's trail. During Cole's retreat up the Powder
there came a fearful snow-storm. The animals having marched so far without
grain, were already very much exhausted, and the storm lasting three days,
they became so weak that they were not fit to use, and they were therefore
shot, just as they stood at the picket-line, to prevent them from falling
into the Indians' hands. This destruction of the animals and the burning
of all their equipment was about the first thing that Major North struck,
and of course he experienced a great anxiety, fearing that Cole had met
with great disaster, and immediately reported to General Connor, who at
once sent Sergeant C. L. Thomas with two Pawnees with dispatches to
Colonel Cole to march on up Powder River to Fort Connor, where he would
find supplies. Cole's troops seem to have started out not fully prepared
for such a trip, especially in the line of shoes and leggings, although
they were carefully instructed by me to be sure to take a surplus, as I
knew the country. Cole's excuse is that while he made ample requisition,
the Quartermaster never shipped them, and so when he reached Omaha he had
to buy such as he could find. Colonel Cole's troops seem to have kept up
their organization and their fighting qualities, for whenever they met the
Indians they always whipped them; but they were on the retreat, which gave
every advantage to the Indians. When Cole's troops reached Port Connor
they were in a deplorable condition--ragged, barefooted, and almost
without rations and ammunition.

The Indians surrounding Fort Connor at this time had become so numerous
that the commanding officer thought it prudent to intrench the post, which
shows good judgment; but Colonel Cole complains in his report that the
troops were made to help do this intrenching. Speaking of this he says:

While camped here (Fort Connor) an occurrence took place, strange but
most true, which as an integral part of the closing history of the
command must have full relation. Some thirty-six hours after reaching
this post, a fatigued detail of 400 men was ordered from the Second
Missouri Light Artillery to work on the earthworks being thrown up
around the place. If the spirit that prompted the detail expected to
force its principles through insubordination or rebellion, it was