depot and the companies to be sent from this coast and follow the main movement as soon as practicable. With such a force in front the garrison at Fort Yuma need not exceed two companies. The commander of the depot at the villages should be an uncommonly fine officer, and the companies full and of the best material. Their intrenchments might be garnished by two of the mountain howitzers from Fort Yuma. There are two at Los Angeles. Subtracting the 207,700 pounds of subsistence stores noted on memorandum B from the ninety days' subsistence stores to be shipped from San Francisco, as per memorandum C, from this latter supply there will be left at Fort Yuma, which at once can be forwarded to the depot 200 miles above, 15,600 pounds of pork, 56,600 pounds of flour, 22,630 pounds of beans, say 1,000 gallons of vinegar, say 1,500 pounds of candles, say 6,000 pounds of soap, and 621 pounds of salt. It would be well to bear this in mind. Yourself and Major Burton and other artillery officers can determine better than myself how much artillery ammunition should be sent with the expedition. There should, in my opinion, be at leat enough for two engagements. I wish you to telegraph at once to Washington to learn from the last ordnance returns from that Territory how much artillery ammunition was in store at the depot there, say on the 30th of September last. If they answer by telegraph that there is a good supply, you can then telegraph to the Adjutant-General to order by mails at once what you think I may need to provide against contigencies, to be sent down within striking distance of my command. Through the same channels of communication the commanding officer in that Territory can be ordered to send down to the same point subsistence stores and forage if he has tham, or can procure them, for say thirty days. This will provide for a wide enough margin of time and fora accidents to enable us, if possible, to accomplish the purposes of the expedition.

I require to be sent immediately to San Pedro Sharps carbines for three companies, say 255. I require 185 navy revolver and 50 sabers and belts, 255 carbine slings and swivels, and the other necessary accounterments for 255 of that arm. The navy revolvers should have the corresponding number of holsters to be worn on the saber belts. I propose that only half of the cavalry, the most expert and best-mounted men, should be armed with sabers. Two companies have them already. There should be prepared and shipped from Benica by sea to Fort Yuma 138,00 rifled musket-ball catriadges, and 6,000 buckshot cartridges for the musket; the weight of the buckshot to correspond with that of the ball for the same arm. I wish that you would be sure and have these buckshot cartridges prepared, as I want them for special purposes; also send 66,000 Sharps carbine cartridges. Be sure and have the number of percussion caps sent correspond with the number of musket and carbine cartridges. Send likewise by sea, as above 40,000 rounds navy revolver cartridges. Please direct Captain McAllister to ship with the ordnance stores to Fort Yuma an adequate supply of extra swivel bars, swivel-bar screws, tumbler screws, a few hammers, &c. He understands well what I need in this respect. The rifles in the hands of three companies of the First Cavalry are worthless as weapons for mounted men. The sixty revolvers, army size, at present in the hands of one of the companies, I shall issue to teamsters. They are unfit for cavalry. The other four companies have each sixty nave revolvers and lack twenty-five per company. From this you will see why I need the additional 185. Please take my requests in this letter in lieu of formal requisitions, and do me the favor to issue your orders accordingly. It would be well to have half of all supplies