I will look upon this scene no longer.  I know the responsibility I have assumed.  I have acted after careful thought

and deliberation.  Give me your confidence for a few days, and all that man can do, and with a pure purpose and a firm faith that he is right, shall be done for the preservation of the troops.

F. Salomon, Colonel Ninth Wis.  Vols.,
Comdg.  Indian Expedition.

Headquarters Indian Expedition,
Camp on Wolf Creek, Cherokee Nation, July 20, 1862. 
Brig.  Gen. James G. Blunt,

Commanding Department of Kansas: 

Sir:  I have the honor to report that I have arrested Col.  William Weer, commanding the Indian Expedition, and have assumed command.  Among the numerous reasons for this step a few of the chief are as follows: 

From the day of our first report to him we have found him a man abusive and violent in his intercourse with his fellow-officers, notoriously intemperate in habits, entirely disregarding military usages and discipline, always rash in speech, act, and orders, refusing to inferior officers and their reports that consideration which is due an officer of the U.S.  Army.

Starting from Cowskin Prairie on the 1st instant, we were pushed rapidly forward to the vicinity of Fort Gibson, on the Arkansas River, a distance of 160 miles from Fort Scott.  No effort was made by him to keep communication open behind us.  It seemed he desired none.  We had but twenty-three days’ rations on hand.  As soon as he reached a position on Grand River 14 miles from Fort Gibson his movements suddenly ceased.  We could then have crossed the Arkansas River, but it seemed there was no object to be attained in his judgment by such a move.  There we lay entirely idle from the 9th to the 19th.  We had at last reached the point when we had but three days’ rations on hand.  Something must be done.  We were in a barren country, with a large force of the enemy in front of us, a large and now impassable river between us, and no news from our train or from our base of operations for twelve days.  What were we to do?  Colonel Weer called a council of war, at which he stated that the Arkansas River was now impassable to our forces; that a train containing commissary stores had been expected for three days; that three different sets of couriers sent out some time previous had

entirely failed to report; that he had been twelve days entirely without communication with or from the department, and that he had received reliable information that a large force of the enemy were moving to our rear via the Verdigris River for the purpose of cutting off our train.