colonel commauding the district has great confidence in the belief which he entertains that you will leave no effort untried to put your horses into the best possible condition, and your battery generally into the best fighting trim, at the earliest practicable moment. To do this much is left to your discretion, and a great deal expected from your perseverance, industry, and energy. I am, lieutenant, respectfully, &c., BEN. C. CUTLER, First Lieut., First Infantry California Vols., Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Col. JAMES H. CARLETON, Comdg. Dist. of Southern California, Los Angeles, Cal.: SIR: In reply to your letter of the 18th instant, requesting to be furnished with money in coin for the expedition under your command, the general commanding the department directs me to say that your request will be complied with. The general directs that the headquarters of the District of Southern California will, when you leave, be established at Camp Latham. The distribution of the troops in the district suggested in your letter is approved, except that the garrison of Fort Yuma still consists of three companies of infantry. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, RICHD. C. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS CAMP WRIGHT, Oak Grove, San Diego County, Cal., February 24, 1862. Lieut. BEN. C. CUTLER, Acty. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Dist. of Southern California, Los Angeles: I have received the letter of Colonel Carleton in reference to the men of Company A, First Infantry California Volunteers, who refused to carry their knapsacks on drill, and have followed the instructions therein contained. All have consented to obey the order with the exception of thirteen privates. How am I to construe the expression, "the only alternative left is to have that man (the disobedient) at once mustered out of the service without pay." Is that an opinion as to what ought to be done, or an order to do it? I have put those men in the guard-house, and shall keep them for definite orders. Company G are now all willing to obey the order. Respectfully, your obedient servant, J. R. WEST, Lieutenant-Colonel First Infantry California Volunteers, Comdg. HEADQUARTERS CAMP WRIGHT, Oak Grove, San Diego County, Cal., February 24, 1862. Lieut. B. C. CUTLER, Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Dist. of Southern California, Los Angeles: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of a communication from yourself dated 21st instant, and of one from the colonel commanding the district of same date marked semi-official, relating to measures which he wishes adopted to bring the infantry now here and the cavalry company at Temecula together into one camp. An objection presents itself to removing the infantry from here, viz, the interest of the sick, who the surgeon considers would be much better off in the present adobe hospital than in a tent. Hence I shall wait until to-morrow to ascertain what success the acting assistant quartermaster has met in efforts to procure forage at San Luis Rey for the cavalry. If he has been successful I shall move the cavalry up here; otherwise the infantry will be removed to a spot that affords good grazing. I cannot yet say whether I can supply Captains Roberts' and Ffrench's companies, nor can I yet determine how many companies of infantry and cavalry I can supply with my teams. I shall give these matters earnest attention at once and reply as soon as possible. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. R. WEST, Lieutenant-Colonel First Infantry California Volunteers, Comdg. HEADQUARTERS HUMBOLDT MILITARY DISTRICT, Maj. R. C. DRUM, U. S. Army, Fort Humboldt, February 24, 1862. Assistant Adjutant General, Department of the Pacific: MAJOR: By a ten days' tour of reconnaissance I have become convinced, first, that the statements made to me in respect to the Indians in Hoopa Valley were erroneous, and that it would be very unwise to attempt to remove them from their present settlements, where they are living in peace and amity with the whites; second, that to carry out the plan of operations suggested in my last letter to you it would require a force vastly larger than is now available on the Pacific Coast; third, that there is urgent need of the immediate establishment of posts in at least three different sections of this county for the protection of settlers. I have carefully selected the sites for these posts, and shall send out to occupy them three of the companies now here the moment I can obtain the necessary transportation, which will be about a week at furthest. These companies will be directed to keep continually in the field one-half of their effective strength, for the purpose of capturing the Indians, who will all be sent to this post, from which they will be taken to such point as the department commander may direct. Being pressed for time, I will write more fully by next steamer. It is proper I should state, in justice to Captain Johns, commanding at Fort Gaston, that I inspected his post very thoroughly, and found his command in a state of admirable discipline. There is no man in either Company For Company K, Second Infantry California Volunteers, fit for the duty of hospital steward. As each of these companies is to garrison a new post, I hope it will be possible to send me up two hos pital stewards by next steamer. I am obliged to inclose more charges for a general court, several against men of my own regiment and one against Lieutenant Daley, Second Cavalry California Volunteers. If these charges are to be tried by the court already ordered, an addition of several members would be expedient, as after a few days but three out of the five members now at the post will be here. The judgeadvocate also (Lieutenant Hubbard) will have left with his company. When the witnesses in the mutiny cases in Captain Akey's company have arrived here from Fort Seward, which will be in about ten days, the court will be ready to commence business, and Lieutenant Hubbard, if he has already left, can be recalled. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, FRANCIS J. LIPPITT, Col. Second Infty. California Vols., Comdg. Humboldt Mil. Dist. FORT HUMBOLDT, February 24, 1862. Mr. J. A. HAMILTON, Mendocino City: (Care of L. Woodward, Esq., Postmaster.) SIR: The colonel commanding the district directs me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th. Your application for a detachment of twenty men to be stationed at Shelter Cove cannot be acceded with at present. The policy the colonel commanding has found it necessary to adopt throughout the district has compelled him to refuse all similar applications. As soon as practicable he will make a tour of inspection and reconnaissance in your section of the country, and now thinks it highly probable that a new post of an entire company on or near Eel River at no great distance from Shelter Cove. When this is done you may rely on receiving such protection as you may need. By order of Colonel Lippitt: Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN HANNA, JR., Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. A HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Col. THOMAS R. CORNELIUS, First Regiment Cavalry: COLONEL: I have received authority from the War Department, dated 18th ultimo, to modify the instructions given to you on the 24th of September last, so as to include only four companies, should I deem the best interests of the service to require it. Under the authority thus conferred on me, you will please to perfect the organization of six companies of your regiment, according to the plan indicated. The remaining four companies will not be organized until further orders. The music for your regiment will be confined to two buglers for each company. The organization of bands for volunteer regiments is suspended for the present. I have given orders for the manufacture of clothing for your regiment, which, with the necessary camp and garrison equip age, will be forwarded as soon as practicable. Please forward immediately to department headquarters a complete return of your regiment, embracing the names of all officers, whether appointed by the War Department or yourself, and hereafter furnish a similar return on the 10th and 20th and last days of each month. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, G. WRIGHT, Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First Infantry California Vols., Comdg. at Camp Wright, Cal.: COLONEL: Lieutenant Cutler has sent you some blank muster-rolls and will send you some blank monthly company returns. The other blanks you will be obliged to rule. He sends you six blank post returns, to be used monthly. The returns for every ten days you must rule, as we do. I shall send you a traveling forge and some shoeing tools to-morrow. Major Fergusson has been ordered to furnish you with some horse and mule shoes and some horseshoe nails. Have good supply of coal burned by some men on extra duty, quartermaster's department laborers, so that you can do whatever blacksmith work may be required now or within four weeks. I have ordered that all your wagons be returned to you, so that you can move your camp where grass is to be found. The condition of the roads forbids sending barley from New San Pedro. You were fortunate in getting food from that point. If you have no use for Mead's company, and the horses of that company are likely to become poor from lack of good grazing (cavalry cannot always get grain-I have been six months at a time without it for my company), send that company to report to the headquarters First Cavalry California Volunteers. By having the horses graze all day, and by cutting and hauling hay by fatigue parties to feed at night, your animals will not fall off much if you intermit the mounted drills. Have all your troops together where you can find grass at some point on the road hence to Fort Yuma, and at the same time within thirty miles of Oak Grove. You are left to the exercise of a sound discretion on this point, so you keep in view what is best for your horses and mules. The men having yourself for a commander will do as well in one place as in another. My time is so much occupied by my public duties here, it is necessary for you to rely upon your acknowledged resources to keep your command in the most efficient condition practicable, having at the same time an eye to economy, as well as to all things which may advance the enterprise. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN California, Maj. E. A. RIGG, Los Angeles, Cal., February 25, 1862. First Infantry California Vols., Comdg. at Fort Yuma, Cal.: MAJOR: I have directed Major Fergusson to send, via Warner's ranch, to Fort Yuma the remainder of McCleave's cavalry. Major Fergusson will inform you how many men and how many horses and mules will be in the detachment. As the major has not means of transportation to move supplies of food and grain for this detachment all the way through, you will send as much as he may require for four days out upon the road toward San Felipe to meet the detachment. The major will write to you just when the supplies should leave Fort Yuma. There must be no mistake made in this matter. Neither the men nor animals must suffer for want of food the last four days of their journey before they arrive at your post. Be careful of the hay already cut. Try and have cut by the troops, and hauled out upon the road near or above where the other was stacked which was washed away, as much hay as can be got for the next four weeks. McCleave has many resources, and he will manage to keep his horses fat if you will give him the tools. I am glad you found so much grass. I was fearful the flood had ruined all the grazing. Have you heard any rumors of Judge Terry? I hope ere this the guns have reached you. In haste, respectfully, JAMES H. CARLETON, Colonel First Cavalry Volunteers, Commanding. NOTE. Have made at once by your carpenters two water-wagon beds to go on the running-gear of wagons, such as are used at military posts. McCleave knows what they are. I believe the one here holds, say, 600 gallons. They should be as light as practicable, considering the weight they have to carry, and should not leak one drop. Each should have a hose to let off the water as needed. I shall need them between Carriso Creek and Yuma. J. H. C. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, Maj. DAVID FERGUSSON, Commanding at Camp Carleton, San Bernardino: MAJOR: If you cannot get forage at San Bernardino you are at liberty to move your command to the point on the San Gabriel alluded to in your letter of the 22d instant. I want the remainder of Captain McCleave's company sent to Fort Yuma. The captain thinks the men had better come via Warner's ranch. If you can, so arrange it that those men can go with the amount of transportation and forage afforded by the four teams ordered to your camp from Los Angeles yesterday. See that the mules are well shod and the detachment started at once. You cannot get forage at Camp Wright for the horses of Company A, but can get rations for the men thence to Yuma. Send 10,000 rounds of Sharps carbine ball cartridges and 5,000 rounds Colt pistol cartridges, navy size, with the detachment. You will have to do some close figuring to get this detachment safely to Yuma, with your limited means, but I leave to your own resources the best manner of doing it. Company property and the private effects of the men not needed in the field can be shipped, carefully boxed up and marked, to San Pedro. Other articles, save the ammunition alluded to and food and forage which the men can get along temporarily without, but which they will need at Yuma, or when marching up the Colorado to the Mojave Villages, you can send to Camp Wright by some subsequent opportunity after the detachment leaves and when you can get wagons. If the officers who go with the men are enterprising, and the men good, enterprising soldiers, willing to walk to spare their horses, you can have forage sacks filled, so that each horse will carry his own food for several days. Order Capt. Thomas Cox, of the First Infantry California Volunteers, to accompany, but not to command, this party. You can give him a mule for transportation if he has not got one, and room for a valise on the wagons. To help you out I inclose a note* which you can send by the trail through the San Gorgonio Pass to Major Rigg to send out some forage and rations to meet the detachment, say four days' *Seo next, ante. |