sympathy when they return. The officers have no control over them, and they do just as they please, and you know what men off a long trip lease to do; females neither in nor out of their houses are safe. Blankets, onions, wine, and everything they can lay their hands on they carry off. Judge Hart has the ear of General Sibley, who is influenced more or less by him, and he (Hart) is a Northern man born, owning property in New York and Washington, headquarters in New Jersey. I can't see how it can be.

The letter of March 22 says:

Everything about El Paso at last date, February 23, was quiet. General Sibley with 2,200 men had gone from Fort Thorn to Fort Craig, encamped with two miles of the fort for two or three days, and invited the Federals to battle, but they refused to leave their intrenchments. He then retired to Fort Thorn again, but was again on the point of leaving for New Mexico, leaving Craig to the left and behind him, go to Albuquerque, capture all the supplies supposed to be there, and return to the Mesilla Valley. It is now ascertained beyond a doubt that there are over 7,000 men in Fort Craig, and in other parts of New Mexico about 1,500 more Federals; that the people are all united and will resist to the last. My opinion is that General Sibley cannot take it. It is also said that Sibley is drunk more than half the time and that Colonel Green has taken the command. Colonel Baylor with 150 men went to Corralitas, surrounded Zuloaga's house and searched for Indians. Those who were there then escaped toward the mountains, but were captured and shot. It created considerable excitement here.

Mr. Alden, formerly U. S. consul at Guaymas, goes to San Francisco by this steamer. He has copies of correspondence from General Sibley addressed to the Governor of the State of Sonora, and will submit it to you. The purport of it is that they propose the occuaption and annexation of that State, and Sibley asks, as you will observe, the privilegg a depot at Guaymas, and that should it be granted it shall not be abused. The grand aim and object of the leading men of Western Texas, Hurt, of El Paso, Crosby, and others, is to annex to Texas Chihuahua and Sonora, and I am of the opinion that they will on the receipt of the news of defeat in the South cause a diversion from New Mexico toward Sonora, providing they can get transportation, grain, &c., enough to reach the Gila. The Texans are becoming daily more hateful to the Mexicans, and the Sonoranians fully appreciate the outrages constantly being committed on the soil of Mexico all along the Rio Gtrande. The atrocites of Baylor's men, mentioned above, occurred some 150 miles south of the lower border of Arizona, and an outrage committed upon the property and people of a man so influential and popular as Jose Maria Zuloaga will not be overlooked, but these circumstances will serve to revive the hatred of the Chihuahuanians to the Texans, and no doubt result in open hostilities on the part of Sonora and Chihuahua on one hand and Texas on the other. I trust that there items of news may be serviceable to the cause of Government, and assure you that in any way I can co-operate with you for that purpose you may command me.

I am, sir, respectfully,

R. L. ROBERTSON,

U. S. Consul.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Numbers 65.
San Francisco, Cal., April 18, 1862.

1. Lieutenant Colonel James N. Olney, Second Infantry California Volunjteers, with the two companies of his regiment now on Alcatraz Island, will proceed to Fort Humboldt and report to Colonel Lippitt.

2. Colonel Justus Steinberger, First Infantry Washington Territory Volunteers, will proceed with the four companies of his regiment now on Alcatraz Island to Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter.