Second Cavalry California Volunteers, dated March 6, 1862, asking for a general court-martial. I beg to recommend that the court be ordered to meet at Camp Latham at an early day if practicable. If the general will give me authority to send other charges for trial before the court it may promote the good of the service.

I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES H. CARLETON,

Colonel First California Volunteers, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS, Fort Yuma, March 6, 1862.

Colonel JAMES H. CARLETON,
Commanding Southern District, Los Angeles, Cal.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to transmit for your information a copy of a letter received this day from Mr. P. R. Brady, at present a resident of Sonora, which I deem of importance. I would also state that Mr. Brady is indorsed to me by every one here of standing for honesty and truthfulness.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDWIN A. RIGG,

Major First Infantry California Volunteers, Commanding.

[Inclosure.] COLORADO FERRY, March 4, 1862.

Major EDWIN A. RIGG,

First Infantry California Vols., Commanding Fort Yuma, Cal.:

DEAR SIR: In answer to your inquiries of yesterday I beg leave to submit the following: I was stationed at Fort Mojave, N. Mex., in the employment of the Government as post interpreter from the 19th of April, 1859, until the 27th of May, 1861, when the post was abandoned, and during that time I had ample opportunities for satisfying myself of the practicability of the route of the thirty-fifth parallel, as it is called. The road from Los Angeles to Fort Mojave as far as Lane's ranck, on the Mojave River, is tolerably good for wagons, being over a rolling country, hard and gravelly. There is plenty of water and tolerable grazing. From Lane's on to Fort Mojave it is over a sandy desert, very scarce of water and destitute of grass. The price of freight paid by the sutler at Fort Mojave was never less than 15 cents per pound, and Government paid Banning, of Los Angeles, as high as 53 cents per pound for freight delivered at the post; distance 285 miles. This fact speaks for itself. From Fort Mojave to Albuquerque, N. Mex., 550 miles, the route was pronounced impracticable by every one who has ever traveled over it, except Mr. Beale. Lieutenant J. C. Ivers, astronomer to the boundary survey, told me that the route was impracticable for various reasons. First, on account of the very high mountains that you are compelled to cross, and second, on account of the scarcity of water, and that he did not consider it practicable for pack trains more than three months in the year, March, April, and May. Then there was plenty of grass and water. The mail party who were carrying the mail from Saint Joseph, in Missouri, to Stockton, Cal., over this route in the winter and spring of 1859, pronounced it impracticable for wagons. They never made a single trip during the time they were running within schedule time. In company with Major G. O. Haller, U. S. Army, then commanding officer at Fort Mojave, I went out on the route about forty miles over