During this summer the officers in looking through their glasses from different high points around, discovered a beautiful valley, which we afterwards learned was named Thousand Springs Valley.  Capt.  Mills came to the conclusion that this valley at this time of the year was headquarters for the Utes, and not thinking the distance was so great sent another scout and myself to investigate.

It may be well to mention the fact here, that in these regions the air is so rarified and clear that distances are very deceptive, objects appearing to be much closer than they really are.

We started with three days’ rations, and on the third day in the afternoon we struck the valley, just at its mouth on the desert, but the water was warm, and we traveled some distance up the valley, finding the springs numerous, but all warm.  We also found an abundance of grass and plenty of Indian sign, but not fresh.  It appeared that a large number of Indians had wintered there.  After looking the valley over we returned to camp, but by a different route from the one we came.  We saw no Indians or fresh sign of them until the second day of the return trip, but about two o’clock we came in sight of four Indians traveling eastward.  We tried to attack them, but our horses being much jaded, the Indians outrode us, so we had to give up the chase.  We were of the opinion that the four Indians were scouts for a big band making its way to winter quarters.

A short distance north we secreted our horses in a ravine, and watched for the Indians from the top of a high hill until noon the next day, but all in vain, for we did not see an Indian.  We returned to camp, our horses worn out and half starved.  The part of country we passed over on this trip is now the most northeastern portion of Nevada, and just what it is good for I have never been able to learn.

After lying around here watching for emigrants about two weeks longer, and making two different trips east on the emigrant trail, Capt.  Mills now concluded that there would be no more emigrants that fall, so we pulled up and moved to Col.  Elliott’s quarters.  We kept scouts out on the trip, but did not see an Indian or even a fresh trail on the trip.  On arriving at Col.  Elliott’s quarters I could see that he was not pleased with the way things had gone with his command during the summer.  His men had had two engagements during the season, and had got the worst of it both times.

He had lost twenty-six men, and not a scalp to show for them.

Capt.  Mills felt quite jubilant.  He had over sixty Indian horses that he had captured, over sixty scalps, and had not lost a man, with the exception of the four scouts.  Col.  Elliott did not have much to say, but the Lieutenant declared that the Colonel was very jealous of Capt.  Mills over the past summer’s work.

After remaining at headquarters about a week we pulled out across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, along the same route that we had taken the fall before, somewhat earlier, and winter not having yet set in, we experienced no trouble in crossing.  The first night we camped at the head of Eagle Valley, and from there to Jim Beckwith’s ranche it was sixty miles.