SHUETLEFF, Superintendent, Commanding Post to Colonel Irvine, May 20, 1883

Major Shurtleff to Colonel Irvine.

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that on the morning of the 8th instant four men arrived here from Baker & Co.’s ranch in Montana and reported to me that a war party of Cree Indians had stolen from Baker & Co.’s cattle ranch thirty-one head of horses; that they had followed closely on their trail, and had seen ten of the war party with seventeen of the horses about ten miles south of this post. I at once sent out a party of ten men under Sergeant Patterson, with instructions to recover the horses and arrest the raiding party.

While on the way to the Cree camp, which is about thirty miles from this post, Sergeant Patterson overtook ten of the war party with twenty-three of the horses. He at once sent the Indians, under arrest, together with the horses, back to the fort. On arriving at the camp he found six more of the horses, making twenty-nine of the .thirty-one stolen. The other two the Indians said they had left on the way. The men were able to return the next morning with the twenty-nine head of horses, having been detained here only twenty-four hours.

I inclose a copy of a letter received from Colonel Ilges, commanding at Fort Assinniboine, concerning this and other raids, together with my answer to the same.

I have, &c.,