[Indorsement.]

Send Major Fergusson the trumpets if to be had.

G. W[RIGHT].

[Inclosure.] CAMP LATHAM, April 23, 1862.

Major D. FERGUSSON,

First Cavalry California Vols., Commanding Camp Drum, Cal.:

MAJOR: Inclosed I send you a letter just received from a man direct from Owen's Lake. If transportation can be furnished I can send an escort with provisions to meet Colonel Evans' command. The information seems to be reliable. He gave the name of the sergeant correctly who is said to be wounded. I have no doubt but the command is in want of provisions, as they were poorly provided, and the time is nearly up for which they took rations. I await your commands.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. JONES,

Captain, Second Cav. California Vols., Commanding Camp Latham, Cal.

[Sub-inclosure.]

LOS ANGELES, April 23, 1862.

Major D. FERGUSSON,

Commanding Camp Drum:

SIR: I arrived here last evening, having left Keysville (within ninety miles of Owen's Lake) on Sunday morning last. On Saturday (19th) Doctor Owens, who was temporarily attached to Lieutenant-Colonel Evans' command while in Owen's Valley, informed me that a party of citizens, sixty men, had a fight with the Indians of the valley on the 5th instant, in which they were defeated with the loss of three men killed, viz, Mr. Pleasants, Mr. Morrison, and Mr. Scott, the last named the sheriff of Mono County. They made good their retreat under cover of the night, going down the valley, and joined Lieutenant-colonel Evans' command the following day. On the 9th instant Lieutenant-Colonel Evans' command, with fifty dragoosn from Fort Churchill and some thirty citizens, attacked the Indians, who were posted in a strong position on the top of a very steep hill, and were repulsed with the loss of colonel Mayfield, who commanded the company of citizens, and Sergeant McKenzie, of Lieutenant-Colonel Evans' command, and a private whose name I don't know, of the same command, badly wounded. previous to the first fight the bodies of two men were found on the road (near the scene of the fight) murdered by the Idnians, and four more men who were on the road coming south were attacked and barely escaped with their lives to Aurora, tow of the party being badly wounded. The command from Fort Churchill have returned in that direction, escorting a large number of cattle and sheep. When last heard from (about the 14th instant) Leiutenant-Colonel Evans' command was at Owen's Lake coming this way, guarding what stock remained in the lower portion of Owen's Valley, and at that time was living on beef, the supply of provisions they had taken from here having been exhausted some time before. The whole of Owen's Valley, with the different mining camps in that vicinity, together with the improvoements of the settlers in Owen's Valley and the valuable machinery, and within sixty or eithty miles of Owen's Lake there is an immigration of about fifty large wagons (going to Aurora, Mono

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