difficult day's march. Course, northwest and south. 20th, left canada del Oro at 2 p. m. ; road follows a ravine between the mesa on the right and a mountain range on the left; a good deal of sand, but mainly a fair roadl fine grass along the road. At 11. 55 the road forks, the left hand leading one mles to the Rincom, a small, running stream; fine camp; grass immediately under the mountain. Course, southwest. May 21, left Rincon at 5. 30 a. m. Road turns round the point of the mountain on the left; traveling rather heavy. Sandy arroyo, and the ground becomes rolling. About eight miles from Ricon a mesa covered with cafctus and mesquite is reached; traveling improves. Course, southwest and south by east.

Out troops entered and occupied Tucson without firing a shot. At our approach the Texans made a precipitate retreat. Colonel Carleton determined to collect the troops at this point for rest, drill, &c. Men and animals required rest; wagons wanted repairing. The dryness of the atmosphere and the intolerable heat had shrunk them to the point of falling to pieces. Communication was opened with sonora for the purchase of flour, grain, &c. In the first part of June all the troops vcomposing the column were in and about Tuscon, with the exception of a part of the Fifth Infantry, left to garrison Forts Yuma and Barrett. There is another and more direct road leading from the Pima Villages to Tucson. This road was taken by Lieutenant Shinn and two companies of infantry. A description of the road by lieutenant Shinn is appended.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS COLUMN FROM CALIFORNIA, Numbers 15.
Tucson, Ariz., June 16, 1862.

The following itinerary of the marches from Fort Barrett (Pima Villages) to Tucson, Ariz., via Picacho Mountain, made by captain Shinn, Third Artillery, U. S. Army, is published for the information of all concerned:

June 1, left camp at Fort Barrett at 4:15 p. m., with battery, 1 ambulance, 1 water 8 transportation wagons (loaded to 3,600 pounds with ammunition, flour, and forage), 87 men and 153 animals. Road on Gila River fine for transportation of heavily loaded wagons. No water; no grass; vegetation, mesquite and greasewood. At Sacaton Station very dity; encamped on river at 8 p. m. ; eleven miles and eight-tenths.

June 2, filled water-tank (600 gallons) and left camp at sacaton at 4. 20 p. m. Road leaves the river and sweeps round from southeast by south to south by east, with gradually ascending slope to summit, five miles and a quarter between mountain spur and detached peak on left, two miles of road dusty, then soil changes from the alkali dust of Gila River bottom to mixture of sand and gravel, very hard and quite smooth. From summit, Casa Grande in sight on desert to left and the Picacho straight ahead south by east thirty-one iles; desert continues to Oneida Station; road continues good; at eight miles gravel replaced by hard alkali clay; vegetation, mesquite, greasewood, and cactus; no water or grass on roadl wood plenty and sufficient for cooking near Oneida Station, which is on the left; well on the right of tain all in ten minutes later.

Onehundred and seventy-five buckets (equal to 700 gallons) was taken from the well, at the rate of ten gallons per minute, apparently without diminishing the supply. The water is excellent, cold and weet; the best this side of Fort Yuma; arrived and departed during the night; found no grass near station; eleven miles and one-tenth.

June 3, left camp at 4 a. m. Old marks of surface water show a gradual rise of the desert toward Blue Station; road fine for marching; very little sand. At six miles halted from 5. 45 to 6. 45 for grass, which may be found in considerable quantity 100 yards to the left of road in the belt of mesquite or arroyo leading east from that point, and said to extend four or five miles in the same direction; obtain sufficient for a good night's feed. This grass is gramma, with some little gaeta. The gaeta was also observed on the left of the road one miles farther on; no water; vegetation, desert plants, mesquite, and grasewood. Arrived and encamped at Blue Water Station at 7. 45 a. m. ; well (sixty-nine feet in depth, with two feet and a half of water) and station both on right of road; drew water at the rate of six gallons perminute for one hour and three-quarters; watered ninety horses at the same time, four gallons each; mules in the p. m. and horses again in the p. m. Took from this well in ten hours over 1,600 gallons of water and left the depth of water as found. It will probably afford 4,000 gallons of water in twenty-four hours; quality good and water cool. At 4 p. m. sent a detachment forward to clean out well at the point of mountain; wood plenty; some gramma and a little gaeta reported to exist in the mesquite 500 yards northwest of the station; nine miles and seven-tenths.