on furnishing the supplies which we must have. I have had a conference with the Governor of this State and the military committees of the Legislature now in session on the subject of coast defenses, and a bill has already been introduced making an appropriation for temporary fortifications for the protection of this city. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, G. WRIGHT, Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Brig. Gen. L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.: GENERAL: I have this day received from your office a copy of a letter from William Danford to the Hon. W. H. Seward, dated December 23, 1861, Oroville, Butte County, Cal., also copy of communication from the Secretary of State to Secretary of War, dated 28th of January, 1862, and from the Assistant Secretary of War to Adjutant-General of the Army, dated on the 31st January, 1862, with your indorsement thereon of February 4, 1862. I have no information of the organization of such a body of men as Mr. Danford speaks of. I shall take immediate measures to ascertain the facts in the case, and take such action in the premises as the public safety may require. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, G. WRIGHT, Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding. SALEM, OREG., March 10, 1862. General L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington City, D. C.: SIR: Your communication of January 4, 1862, in which you request me to forward to your office a "return of the two and three years' regiments and independent companies of volunteers furnished up to this date under the authority of" the State of Oregon, setting forth their strength and the arm of the service to which they belonged when transferred to the General Government, and in which you also desire "a similar return of all two or three years' volunteer troops raised within this State upon what has been called 'independent acceptances,"" and in which you further request a report of the number of regiments or independent companies now organizing in this State, their present strength, and the time at which they will probably be completed and ready to take the field, is received, and without delay I make the following reply: The authorities of this State have never been called upon for any troops by the President. In September last Colonel Wright made a requisition upon the Governor of this State for one company of mounted volunteers for the Indian service on the frontiers of this State, but before the company was mustered into the service of the United States the order was countermanded and the company disbanded. There has been no two or three years' volunteers either by regiments or independent companies furnished the General Government by the authorities of this State; nor has this State furnished any volunteers upon what you call "independent acceptances," unless it I am, general, with great respect, your obedient servant, SPECIAL ORDERS, } HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, 1. As soon as the weather will permit, Maj. Charles McDermit, Second Cavalry California Volunteers, will proceed to and take post at Fort Churchill, Nev. Ter. 2. Maj. Edward McGarry, Second Cavalry California Volunteers, is assigned to duty at Camp Alert, to the commanding officer of which he will report without delay. SPECIAL ORDERS, Į HDQRS. DIST. OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, No. 23. 1. Lieutenant-Colonel Evans, Second Cavalry California Volunteers, will order Captain McLaughlin's company (D), Second Cavalry California Volunteers, to Camp Latham without delay. The horses in this company which were exchanged for horses in Company B, Second Cavalry, will be transferred back to that company as soon as Company D arrives at Camp Latham. When this is done, Colonel Bowie, Fifth Infantry California Volunteers, will order Captain Cremony's company to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Evans, at Camp Drum. First Lieut., First Infty. California Vols., Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, Camp Drum, near San Pedro, Cal., March 11, 1862. Maj. R. C. DRUM, U. S. Army, Assistant Adjutant-General, San Francisco, Cal.: MAJOR: Inclosed herewith please find a copy of a letter from Major Rigg, commanding at Fort Yama, stating he has at length received the two guns the general ordered to that post. I have ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Dobbins to New San Diego to assume command of that post. He has at present Captains Ffrench and Soper with their companies of the Fifth Infantry California Volunteers. I have ordered Colonel Bowie to Camp Latham, where he has five companies of the Fifth Infantry California Volunteers (one of them will be detached at Fort Yuma), and has Lieutenant-Colonel Evans and McLaughlin's, Jones', and Winne's companies, of the Second Cavalry California Volunteers. Soper's company will march to Camp Latham at the earliest practicable moment. This will leave one company at San Diego, Ffrench's. Major Coult, with two companies of the First Infantry (McMullen's and Davis') and two companies of the Fifth Infantry (Ford's and Hinds'), are en route to Camp Wright. The mules that now come down are said to be of the first class. I feel under great obligations to the general for having sustained me in my action in relation to the insubordinate men at Camp Wright. I learn the most of those men are heartily ashamed of themselves. The companies en route to Camp Wright march with knapsacks and all the effects carefully packed. It is important that a general court-martial be ordered at Camp Latham at the earliest practicable day. The discipline of the service requires that a large number of general prisoners at that camp be tried at once. Please send down the order by return of boat. Please send down to San Diego by return boat a plenty of subsistence stores, if they have not a plenty already on hand there; and if you will send 100,000 pounds of barley there I can get it to Camp Wright much easier than from here. If I have it in my power I will do all I can for the gentleman recently from Texas about whom you wrote. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JAMES H. CARLETON, Colonel First California Volunteers, Commanding. SPECIAL ORDERS,) HDQRS. DIST. OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, No. 24. I. Lieut. Col. George S. Evans and First Lieut. W. G. Morris, Second Cavalry California Volunteers, will proceed this day to Camp Latham and report for duty to Colonel Bowie, Fifth Infantry California Volunteers, commanding that camp. BEN. C. CUTLER, 1st Lieut. and Adjt. 1st Infty. California Vols., Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen. SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS, No. 25. Camp Drum, near New San Pedro, Cal., I. The undersigned hereby assumes command of this camp. All Indians who shall be taken or shall surrender themselves up at the following posts are to be sent as soon as practicable with sufficient escort to Fort Humboldt, and are to be protected and subsisted until delivered over: Forts Baker, Gaston, Anderson, and Lyon. By order of Colonel Lippitt: JOHN HANNA, JR., 1st Lieut. and Adjt. 2d Infty. California Vols., Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Capt. WILLIAM H. GARDNER, U. S. Navy, Commanding Navy-Yard, Mare Island, Cal.: CAPTAIN: A reconnaissance has been made by the chief engineer of the army on this coast, and a plan for defensive works submitted to guard the approaches to this city either by land or water. To guard against the possibility of a hostile fleet passing our first and second lines, and forcing its way up Raccoon Straits, and aiming a blow at the navy-yard and the arsenal at Benicia, it is proposed to erect batteries on points San Pablo and San Pedro to command the entrance of San Pablo Bay. We have no difficulty in throwing up the batteries, but one great embarrassment is the want of heavy guns. I can get noue from the East, and have to rely upon the resources of this country. Under these circumstances I shall be glad to ascertain from you if there are any heavy guns and suitable ammunition at the navy-yard which we could obtain for the batteries. I propose to issue instructions to Captain McAllister, chief of the ordnance department on this coast, to take immediate steps to obtain materials and establish a foundry for casting guns and projectiles. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, G. WRIGHT, Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Capt. JULIAN MCALLISTER, San Francisco, Cal., March 12, 1862. Ordnance Corps, Chief of Ordnance, Department Pacific, Commanding Benicia Arsenal, Benicia, Cal.: CAPTAIN: The chief engineer of the army on this coast has completed his reconnaissance and submitted to me a plan for defensive works to guard the approaches to this city either by land or water. Our great embarrassment is from the scarcity of heavy guns. I have just addressed a communication to Captain Gardner, commandant of the navy-yard at Mare Island, to ascertain if he could let us have some heavy guns, projectiles, &c., in case of emergency. I regret to hear of your indisposition. When you have quite recovered I shall be glad to see you here. From information I have received from Washington, I am satisfied that we can get no guns from the East, and that we must rely upon our own resources. We must establish a foundry, cast our own guns, projectiles, &c., and be prepared to meet any emergency. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, G. WRIGHT, Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN California, Maj. EDWIN A. RIGG, First Infantry California Vols., Comdg. at Fort Yuma, Cal.: MAJOR: The colonel commanding has been informed that some sixty or seventy Indians are encamped at or near Indian Well; that they have some fifteen or twenty horses; that when trains are approaching the well they exhaust the water so that it is difficult to get enough. As there is no necessity for these Indians to be there, the colonel command. ing directs that you send word for them to move away, and be sure they move. It is understood here that the horses of Company A, First Cavalry, are kept at Fort Yuma, where they are fed on the hay which has been procured for another purpose. It was a condition that Captain McClave's horses should not be sent to Yuma, unless grass could be found for them. Not only must those horses not be fed any more of the hay at Fort Yuma, but you must take measures immediately to replace all the hay which has been consumed by those horses, and an additional twenty tous, if it be possible for you to cut it by men on extra duty. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of March 2, relating to the escape of Chum and Edwards, political prisoners. The colonel commanding also directs that you put ten tons of baled hay at the Alamo Station, and replace it at Fort Yuma from the hay camp. The colonel wishes twenty tons more (or even more, if pos sible) of hay procured at the place where the last was cut, and hauled out on the road and carefully stacked. In reply to your communication of March 2 I am directed to instruct you to use no more leather for the repair of pack-saddles. Your action in relation to the men who refused to carry knapsacks is highly approved by the district commander. The resignation of Capt. Hugh A. Gorley has been forwarded to department headquarters. He himself is here and wishes to recall it. The hay taken away from Pilot Knob by Mr. Veck must be replaced, and as much again more put there, if possible. If you can send baled hay from Fort Yuma for this purpose, the hay taken from Fort Yuma must be replaced by hay from the hay camp. The colonel commanding also directs that you have fifteen tons of hay hauled to Gila City. If you can have thirty tons of hay at Mission Camp and twenty tons at Antelope Peak, it would be well. It is important that Mr. Yager should have a large number of fat cattle on hand, as your garrison will be largely increased. This should be done without delay. Remember this: The brig W. D. Rice left San Francisco February 24, 1862, laden with Government stores for Fort Yuma. The colonel commanding directs that as soon as you hear of the arrival of that vessel at the mouth of the Colorado River, you will send an express to these headquarters, via Camp Wright, with the intelligence. Recapitulation of forage required: Twelve tous of hay at Pilot Knob; 12 tons of hay one day's march west of Pilot Knob; 12 tons of hay two days' march west of Pilot Knob; 12 tons of hay three days' march west of Pilot Knob (15 tons at these points, if possible); 15 tons of hay in Arizona City; 15 tons of bay at Gila City; 15 tons of hay at Mission Creek; 15 tons of hay one day's march beyond Mission Creek toward Pima Villages. You will send a party at once under an efficient officer to clean out the wells thoroughly on the desert to Carriso Creek. There must be no mistake about this, and it must be done without delay. If this express reaches Fort Yuma in time to stop the teams which took over McCleave's company and the clothing, use those and every other team you can spare from your post, and haul at once 100,000 pounds of barley to Mr. Grinnel's, where it will be covered with tarpaulins, or |