transportation, and proceed without delay to San Bernardino and report to Major Ketchum.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. V. SUMNER,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC,
San Francisco, September 8, 1861.

Major WILLIAM SCOTT KETCHUM,

Fourth Infantry, Commanding San Bernardino, Cal.:

MAJOR: I send Captain Russell down with the remainder of your regiment. Make such disposition of these troops as you think best to make everything secure. If we find they are advancing from Arizona I shall send down a large force at once. You may think it necessary to send one or two companies to Los Angeles to replace those sent to Fort Yuma.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. V. SUMNER,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS,
Camp near San Bernardino, Cal., September 8, 1861.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, U. S. Army,

Headquarters Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal.:

SIR: Captain Davidson returned to this place yesterday with his entire command, and leaving Company F, Fourth Infantry, here, proceeded to Los Angeles, without visiting Bear and Holcomb Valleys. As I was not advised by department headquarters of the nature of the instructions under which Captain Davidson acted, I cannot of course say whether he carried them out or not. Captain Davidson left my camp with his dragoons and Company F, Fourth Infantry, on the 5th instant with six days' provisions, and, much to my surprise, returned on the 7th instant, on which latter-mentioned date, I have been informed, some disguised persons fired upon a party en route to the mines in Santa Ana Canon, killing one man named Stemper, and wounding another named Bogan. A man by the name of Green, a clerk for Sylvester, at Holcomb Valley, and another man named John Fuller, an expressman, are reported as missing. I have been told that Stemper had $1,300 or more in gold dust about his person. The horse of the expressman, Mr. Mogo, of Holcomb Valley, says, has been seen, but Fuller and Green have not yet been heard of. Mr. Mogo is also of the opinion that had Captain Davidson proceeded on to Holcomb Valley he would not have been far from the place where the party was attacked. The depredation is represented to have been committed between 9 and 10 a. m. on the 7th instant between Deer Creek and Trip's Station, about five miles this side of Deer Creek and seven miles the other side of Trip's. As Captain Davidson started for Bear and Holcomb Valleys, I regret that he did not visit them, as his party was 125 strong. The mere show of such a force in such places would, in my opinion, have had a beneficial effect.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. SCOTT KETCHUM,

Major Fourth Infantry, Commanding.