_5th._ A fatigue party of two hundred and forty men were employed to rebuild Fort Defiance. There were a few men on the other side of the river opposite to the fort. They discovered a party of Indians, twenty or thirty in number; they took them to be those friendly Indians who were with us; being not on their guard, they got close to them. Four or five of the Indians fired at the same time; they killed and scalped one of the men, and made their escape. The murder was committed not more than three hundred yards from the encampment of the mounted riflemen and cavalry, with Gen. Tupper at the head of them. Those murderers were pursued immediately by two hundred horsemen; they pursued them in scattered order. A small party overtook them five or six miles from camp, and finding the enemy’s force superior they had to retreat. _7th._ The principal part of the clothing which was left at Piqua, came to camp; it has been greatly needed. A majority of the mounted men who were ordered to the rapids, and drew ten days’ provisions for _that expedition_, refused to march under Gen. Tupper; of course the contemplated expedition failed, and they returned home, as their thirty days were nearly expired. _9th._ A few days ago, Frederick Jacoby, belonging to the 17th regiment of United States infantry, was tried by a court-martial for sleeping on his post--he was condemned to be shot. The troops paraded and formed in a hollow square in close order, where the Rev. Mr. Shannon delivered a short discourse on the occasion. The square was then displayed, so that the army might witness the awful example of execution. The criminal was marched from the provost guard with solemn music, under a guard of a subaltern, sergeant, corporal, and twenty privates, to the place of execution; there he was blindfolded; the guard stood a few steps from him waiting the hour of execution! This was a solemn scene; a profound silence was kept by all the troops. But fortunately for the criminal, a reprieve arrived for him, just before the time of execution! The General judged him not a man of sound mind. The spies reported they had killed an Indian, but could not get his scalp on account of other Indians; they stated there must be a large body of Indians near, by their trails. _10th._ In consequence of the above report of the spies, Colonel Wells started with five hundred men in pursuit of the Indians; he pursued their trails twelve or thirteen miles, but could not see an Indian. _11th._ The General ordered we should move and encamp near where the fort was building; this was, however, prevented by the inclemency of the weather; it rained and the wind blew all day, which made our situation very unpleasant. A man died in camp last night; he was buried with the honors of war; he was escorted to the grave in solemn order, and, after a short discourse by the Rev. Mr. Mitchell, six men fired three rounds over the grave; this was the first scene of the kind witnessed in our camp.