orders for their relief, with the exception of this one-that your camp must not be moved from its present site until all other means fail. In that you must exercise your judgment for self-protection. On receipt of the present, if the difficulties in regard to forage still exist, I would suggest to you to send Lieutenant Wellman with that portion of his detachment which belongs to Company B, First Cavalry, to San Bernardino; also to send the detachment belonging to Company C, First Cavalry, to Camp Latham. This will relieve you of the horses. After retaining two teams for camp purposes you had better send the balance of your train to San Bernardino also. But you will not send either the train or the cavalry to San Bernardino until you get information from the commanding officer at Camp Carleton that they can be supported at that point. I send an express to Colonel Eyre to-night directing him to communicate with you on the subject without delay. Should he be unable to forage the animals, then you may resort to the removal to Temecula, or to such other means of relief as your judgment may dictate. It is out of my power to relieve your wants of trousers for your men, as there are none in the district. Neither are there any means of sending you stationery at present.

Yours, very respectfully,

J. R. WEST,

Lieutenant-Colonel First Infantry California Volunteers, Commanding

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., January 16, 1862.

Major RICHARD C. DRUM, U. S. Army,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Pacific,

San Francisco, Ca.:

MAJOR: Your letter dated 9th instant, expressive of the commanding general's wishes on the subject of erecting field-works to guard the aproaches to this city, was only received yesterday. In answer thereto I beg leave to state that the incelmency of the weather and bodily indisposition have combined to render my attention to the examination of the several localities involved in a reconnaissance of this nature less perfect than I would desire it to be, and consequently that I am not as yet quite ready to place before him areport such as he desires, and which involves not only the avenues to certain localities but a number of estimates. My time has recently, however, been much taken up in the office with the studies of a permanent plan of defense for the grounds on the hill in the rear of the fort at Fort Point. These studies I will lay aside for the present, and will take up at once the report requested by the general commanding, which I trust will in a few days be so framed as to give him the informatrion he desires from this office.

With great respect, I am, major, your obedient servant,

R. E. DE RUSSY,

Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC,
San Francisco, Cal., January 16, 1862.

Colonel FRANCIS J. LIPPITT,

Second Infantry California Volunteers,

Commanding District of Humboldt, Fort Humboldt, Cal.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 12th instant, reporting the arrival of your companies and