Letter from LB Stanley to Libbie Ballou

North Platte, Nebr.

June 6th, 1867

Dear Libbie -

Having a few minutes, I will drop you a few lines before leaving this place. I wrote you only a few day ago but thinking perhaps you would be pleased to hear from me again I will not hesitate to write you. I have not got anything special just not excepting Indian affairs. I wrote you about leaving this section of the country in my last letter and being several day getting ready to make our departure, fixing up my business etc, we were finally hurried away little faster than we cared about.

We were still located twenty miles from the main point of civilization when the Indians made a dash on a ranch so called in this county but saloons in Ohio resulting in the death of several citizens and the capture of some stock. The location of this ranch was about one mile from my quarters, between which run a river some thirty miles wide.

We see the Indians when they came off of the Bluffs down first upon the stock which they secured by driving them over the bluffs. Then returned to the ranch and while they were in the house one man jumped through the window and stole one of their ponies which they had hitched at the end of the ranch and got some two hundred rods distant before they discovered him. Two of them gave him chase of two miles and being [un]able to catch him, he escaped.

They returned and by this time Bell and I had got to the river so as to help any one that would happen to come that way. They took one man, shot and scalped him in front of the house. Another tried to escape but was overtaken some distance from the ranch when we were all looking at them and killed and scalped him likewise.

Everything looked rather squally (?) to us and we stopped the first man bound east at twelve o'clock at night & came to North Platte.

I reported it to Gen. Sherman and he sent a squad of soldiers after them tonight. This afternoon, the Indians destroyed, today, three overland stages, killed the drivers and passengers and drove off the horses.

Your last two letters were rec'd today. I was pleased to hear from you as you can imagine. This part of the country will deprive any man of good society and when we get a letter from any civilized country and especially from some person that we are always anxious to hear from, it puts a new life into us.

Since I have been writing this the soldiers have returned with those two dead bodies, both scalped. It is now twelve o'clock at night and I have so recently wrote you that you will pardon me if I don't fill up the sheet. We are hearing this morning of several depridations (?) committed by the Indians up the line last night. The Pawnee soldier union army took a Sioux scalp, had a big war dance over it and the Indians have or are breaking out worse than ever.

You will excuse this time and when I get settled again I shall expect a good long letter from you.

Ever yours.

LB Stanley

Exciting times here this morning nothing but Indian Indian and murder and murder on every street.