August 10th 1863

At Daybreak turned our animals out to graze, got breakfast and started from Camp at 8 o'clock making the best disposition we could of our force to guard so many animals. A pleasant day & good road, no trouble with packs. Camped at 12 M. close by some springs in a huge rock issuing from a large cavern, plenty of water but only a few animals can get in at a time. Wood plenty, tolerable good grass. At 3 P. M. a Sentinel posted on a high rock overlooking miles of country gave the signa! Indians coming, sure enough, with a Glass we saw at a mile's distance a party coming as hard as possible & by their riding we knew them to be Indians. As they approached we discovered them to be our own Utahs returning from Col. Carsons Command. They brought rome 20 or 25 horses with them & state that they had a fight with the Navajoes, That the command did not go until they, the Utahs, had whipped the Navajoes, Killed one, took all their stock, that Col. Carson took' 8 horses 1000 sheep "which they had captured in the fight from them, Kuniatche,[12] the Chief would not stand this, as he wanted all the property captured, and so in high dudgeon he left and is returning home.' He says one Co. is coming back from the command, probably the Infantry.

12. In the Report the Indian chief's name is spelled: Kan-a-at-sa.

Source: Lindgren, Raymond E.. "A Diary of Kit Carson's Navaho Campaign, 1863–1864." New Mexico Historical Review 21, 3 (1946).