and grass come again. The actual settlers here that have come into the valley since my arrival, so far as I have heard them express themselves, are unanimously of the opinion that as soon as the troops leave the valley that soon they will either have to band themselves together to protect their lives and property, or else again abandon the country to the Indians, either course being to their ruin. As you will observe from the date of this report, to-day is the 1st of July, consequently the eighteen days (from the 12th June) for which the command brought rations with them was out yesterday. The remaining forty-two days' provisions of the sixty for which rations were issued being in the wagons of Mr. Banning, hired by your regimental quartermaster, not having arrived (although I have been here with my teams five days), I am entirely out of commissary stores, and shall be compelled to subsits my men upon fresh beef alone until they do come. I am afraid that my opeinion expressed to you and Mr. Banning at Camp Latham to the effect that no teams could haul 4,000 pounds up through this country and make any kind of traveling time has proven too true, and that the teams of Mr. Banning have broken down, and possibly have been compelled to lighten up by caching a part of the stores on the road in order to get to me at all.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. S. EVANS

Lieutenant WILLIAM FORRY,

Adjutant Fourth Infantry California Vols., Camp Latham, Cal.

HEADQUARTERS OWEN'S RIVER EXPEDITION,
Camp Independence, Oak Creek, Owen's River Vallry, July 5, 1862.

Sir: I have the honor to report to the colonel commanding at Camp Latham that I arrived at this point, forty-five miles above the foot of Owen's Big Lake, on yesterday, July 4, 1862. Immediately upon my arrival I caused a flag-staff to be erected and the old flag with all the stars upon it hoisted to the breese, with three times three given most heartily by the men, and a salute fired with small-arms, upon which occassion I named this camp Camp Independence. Owen's River is out of its banks, overflowing the whole valley, and still rising, consequently the country is too boddy for me to travel farther up the river with my teams. I shall, therefore, make this camp my permanent station during my stay in this camp my permanent station during my stay in this valley. In fact, I believe it is about as good a point for a station as Big Pine, twenty miles farther up, where I intended to make my headquarters when I left Camp Latham. Mr. Banning's teams are all here; they arrived last night in the night, and have to day been discharged and allowed twelve days in which to return. As I expected they would have to do, they have left 10,000 pounds of freight on the road to be brought up by somebody's ox teams. Mr. Whipple's teams have not yet arrived. It is impssible for these teams, either those of Mr. Banning or Mr. Whipple, to get back to Camp Latham in time to load up and bring me the next thirty days' rations within the sixty days for which I drew rations on starting; hence I send you this by a special messenger, so that you may have notice of the fact and start the provisions for the next thirty days in good time. Mr. Whipple's teams can be back in time to haul for the second thirty days. It is, as near as I can estimate the distance without measuring it, 250 miles from Camp Latham to this point. By knowing the distance you