May 27th 1885,
My dear wife
                     When you read the enclosed clippings respecting the reported battle at Eagle hills you will understand how anxious I was and how glad to receive your telegram –

Of course as the report came from the New York correspondent of a San Francisco newspaper and as it stated there were 19 Englishmen and 21 Canadians killed – a distinction not likely to be made and as there were probably not 19 Englishmen in the whole of Otter’s forces. there was an air of improbability about it – but at the same time as the capture of a number of waggons and teamsters was confirmed which would take place near the E(a)gle hills I thought Otter would have made a dash to recover them as the troops at the time would be short of provisions. Besides as you will gather from my letter of three weeks ago respecting Otter’s battle of May 2nd – I was afraid he was ambitious to distinguish himself even at the expense of heavy losses of men as he never had any experience in active warfare which requires judgement and caution of a different kind from mere drill