Infantry California Volunteers, marched as escort to Ochoa's train (citizen), which was also ordered to rendezvous at the Rio Miembres or Hot Springs. On the 23d, Captain Wellman, with the men present of Company E, First Cavalry California Volunteers, left in charge of the balance of the beef-cattle with instructions to reendezvous at the Miembres. 24th, Company C, Fifth California Infantry, and Company H, First California Infantry, with Surg. J. H. Prentiss, First Cavalry California Volunteers, the whole under the command of Major J. Smith, Fifth California Infantry, marched with instructions to proceed to the Cienega de Sauz and there await further orders. This command was rationed for twenty dadys and the men furnished with two pairs of shoes each and 100 rouds of ammunition per man. On the 26th, I received a note from Lieutenant Colonel Nelson H. Davis, inspector-general, to the effect that he had found no place suitable for a post, and recommended that the command go to the Burro Mountains and Cienega Navajo, making a depot at Cioenega Grande, to ascertain from Captain Whitlock, Fifth California Infantry, commanding casmp at Rio Miembres, as to the practicability of a route for wagons by express. I ordered Major Joseph Smith with train. On the 27th, reported to deepartment headquarters that all the companies had gone forward, Companies A and E, Fifth Infantry California Volunteers, having marsched that day for the Cienega de Sauz, rationed and furnished as the other detachments; Company I, First Infantry New Mexico Volunteers, had not yet arrived from Fort Union. Also forwarded to department headquarters copies of all orders issued to the command up to that date; also list of stores forwarded for want of transportation. The bulk of the stores still remained at Las Cruces. On the 30th, after being satisfied that my presence in Las Cruces could not be of further use, and directing Lieutenant S. R. Long, acting assistant quartermaster and acting commissary of subsistence, to remain and forward the stores as expeditiously as possible, I left in person for the front. Arreved at the Picacho at 9 p. m., and on the night of the 31st arrived at Cook's Canon.

June 1, arrived at the Rio Miembres and found that Major Smith's command had gone forward, taking the Burro Canon route. Captain Whitlock, Fifth Infantry California Volunteers, was not positive about the practiability of the route suggested by Lieutenant-Colonel Davis, viz, via Burro Mountains. major Smith having misunderstood his orders and gone on, I sent a detachment of ten men and one noncommissioned officer, Company C, First Cavalry California Volunteers, to follow him, and ordered Captain Wellman with Ccompany E, First Cavalry California Volunteers, in charge of all of our cattle, to follow on the same route; that if insurmountable difficulties occurred that Major Smith would have abundant assistance to get out. I directed Lieutenant Martin, commanding Company D, First Infantry California Volunteers, to proceed with Ochoa's train by way of Cow Springs and Soldier's Farewell to the valley of the San Simon, either by Steen's Peak or Leitendorf's Wells, as Ochoa might elect, and thence down that valley to where Lieutenant-Colonel Davis suggested a depot should be established. June 2, this morning Companies A and E, Fifth Infantry California Volunteeres, arrived with O'Rear's Government train loaded with quartermaster's stores. I directed them to move together from the Miembres and to move early to the valley of the San Simon, and thence down that valley to the Cienega Grande, a point designated by Lieutenant-Colonel Davis, inspector-general, as a proper place for a depot. Having started the different detachments and done all that in