twenty miles from town. At present it would be difficult to bring wagons over it without a strong pioneer party to dig down the banks in the many channels made by the late rains. It would hardly do for another party to follow us unless a pack train with barley would accompany them for two days. Having marched a good deal by night I was unable to see much by the way, though the light of the moon was of the greatest assistance, but for which we could not have got along so well. I think interested parties have represented this route as shorter than it really is. You will notice we have marched slowly. This was caused by the party being a good deal on foot, and in many places the trail was covered with large gravel stones, which prevented us from moving at a quicker pace. The trip could be better made in seven than in five days. This morning (February 18) I accompanied the commanding officer (Major Rigg, First Infantry California Volunteers) across the river in search of grass. We succeeded in finding a good quantity of the guieta species at a distance of from our to ten miles from the fort, and I am convinced that a sufficient quantity is to be found within a circuit of twenty miles around this post for a large number of animals.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

I am, colonel, your obedient servant,

WM. McCLEAVE,

Captain, First Cavalry California Volunteers

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
Los Angeles, Cal., February 18, 1862.

Major R. C. DRUM,

Assistant Adjutant-General, U. S. Army, San Francisco, Cal.:

MAJOR: Agreeably to a suggestion contained in my letter to you dated December 21, 1861, I now submit for the consideration of the general the following plan having reference to a base of operations for a command of troops from California, which are destined to operate in the southern portion of New Mexico. To have Fort Yuma the main depot of supplies of ammunition, clothing, hospital stores, and of subsistence stores, save the article of beef, and perhaps that of flour. The garrison of that post to be two companies of the Fifth California Volunteer Infantry. The supplies to be shipped by water from San Francisco. To have a sub-depot guarded by one company Second Cavalry, and one company Fifty Infantry at the Pima Villages, with a train of wagons plying between that point and Fort Yuma to keep up the supply needed for the garrison at that point and for the troops in advance to draw upon from time to time. This, too, will be one of the stations on the Overland Mail Route when it is changed south. This point is 200 miles in advance of Yuma. Fresh meat and flour can doubtless be obtained in that neighborhood at fair prices. With these two points fixed, a command of 1,600 men operating in advance, even so far as Fort Fillmore and Fort Bliss, in Texas (opposite El Paso) could be supplied more certainly, more expeditiously, and more economically than from the long and precarious line of land transportation of from 1,000 to 1,400 miles from Independence, Mo., to Fort Fillmore and to Arizona. This would leave this expedition intact from that point, and consisting of, say, 1,400 sabers and bayonets. The remainder of the troops in this district I propose to leave, distributed as follows: Six companies of the Fifth Infantry and three of the Second Cavalry at