August 1. 1874. Detained waiting for oats. Wrote home .Wrote letter to Col. French. Reading writing up Diary &c. Oats arrived at about 4 P.M. A fine day but a heavy thunder storm in the afternoon & heavy clouds hanging about since. Sergt Armstrong returned from Milk R. today & reports that Campbell the U.S. Commissioner had been met 3 days E of here by a party of Sioux numbering about 800 lodges. He refused to give them anything & his escort being small (15 men) the indians quietly cut the traces of his mules & took all the provisions they could find, leaving him scarcely enough to get into Camp on. The report may however be exaggerated.

Camp at Depot W. Butte. 8 A.M. B. 25.95
T. 64" calm. clear.
Noon B. 25.87
T. 76" calm clear
8.30 P.M. B. 25.98
T. 64" calm clear

Aug 2. Breakfasted early & started off teams &c before 8. Stayed behind with buckboard & Boswell mounted to see oat train come in. Train came in just before 12. Maj. Twining & party turned up at same time. The oat train a most extraordinary sight. Huge ìMissouri freighting waggonsî like Noah arks with canvas covers. Two & in some cases 3 of these fastened together like the cars in a