your troops will want only enough of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, subsistence and hospital stores, and ammunition to last them to the coast, I beg you will turn over to Colonel West all of these articles which you can possibly spare. You will only need subsistence to Camp Wright, near Warner's ranch. There you can draw to last your command to San Diego. Make use of Mr. Banning's train and ambulance to Camp Wright. There you will give the conductor orders to proceed with it without delay to San Pedro. The United States pays $6. 30 per day for it. This will admonish you to have no delays en route. At Camp Wright you will find a Government train and ambulance to convey your baggage to San Diego. If it happens to be absent when you arrive at Camp Wright, encamp there until it comes back, so train. The quartermaster's and subsistence funds and all means of transportation pertaining to Fort Yuma not being needed to your command you will cause them all to be turned over to Lieutenant-Colonel West. I shall try to come to San Diego and see you all before you leave.

With every wish for your health and happiness, I am, my dear colonel, very truly your friend,

JAMES H. CARLETON,

Colonel First California Vols., Commanding Dist. of Southern California.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
Los Angeles, October 16, 1861.

Lieutenant Colonel JOSEPH R. WEST,

First California Infantry, en route to Fort Yuma:

COLONEL: You are ordered with three companies of the First Infantry California Volunteers to march to Fort Yuma to relieve the present garrison there. It is important to the interest of the service that you reach there with the least possible delay. Besides, promptness in executing orders must be the cardinal point in all movements of the First Infantry. You must know that Fort Yuma in a strategic point of view is an outpost to all of Southern California. it is on the line whence must come the only troops which can possibly menace the State from Texas or Arizona overland. if you use circumspection you can never be surprised there. If you are not surprised your force properly managed, w ith the desert as an auxiliary, will never be whipped, to say the least. You will seize all the ferryboats, large and small, upon the River Colorado. All the crossing of the river must be done at one point under the guns of the fort. All persons passing into Sonora or to Arizona from California must take the oath of allegiance before they pass; so much all coming into California by the route overland via Yuma. Do not hesitate to hold in confinement any person or persons in that vicinity, or who may attempt to pass to or from California, who are avowed enemies of the Goverment, or who will not subscribe to the oath of allegiance. Keep an exaxt record of name, place or residence, age, occupaton, and whence he came and whither he is to go, of each person passing the river to or from California. You will assume control of the steamers on the river, if in your judgment such control is vital to your safety or to the interests of your Government. You will promptly report to the officer in command near Warner's ranch and to myself shouldby an enemy in force. You will