The day before starting, Capt. Mills suggested that as my wound
was giving me so much trouble, I should return to headquarters in
company with the train of emigrants, and asked how many men I
wanted to guard them through. I told him that I would not feel
safe with less than twenty men. The Captain thought that twenty
would not be sufficient, so he made a detail of twenty-five men
and issued rations to last us eight days.
Capt. Mills and the men he had reserved remained in this section
of country to guard emigrants that might be traveling westward, as
the Indians were now working in this part of the country since our
battle with them on the Humboldt.
Having completed all arrangements we pulled out with one hundred
and twenty-five wagons, all told, in the train, but as some of the
oxen were very tender footed we had to travel very slowly. I
divided my men into squads of twelve each, and changed guards at
morning, noon, evening and midnight.
I also started six guards ahead every morning, with instructions
to keep from one to three miles from the train on either side,
according to the lay of the country. The second day one of the
scouts returned from the south and reported having seen six
Indians southwest of the train; this was about ten o'clock in the
forenoon. I turned and rode off with the scout, saying nothing to
anyone in the train.
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