General George Wright, commanding this department. I hereby report to him accordingly. I accepted said appointment by letter to the Adjutant-General, dated the 16th of May. I arrived in this city on the 14th instant in part compliance with Special Orders, Numbers 89, from our officeof the 29th ultimo. I turned over on the 6th instant (the day I received said order) all the remaining funds in my hands as paymaster, to Major Simeon Francis, paymaster, U. S. Army.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. ALVORD,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers.

[Inclosure.] ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, April 21, 1862.

Brigadier General BENJAMIN ALVORD, U. S. Volunteers,

Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter.:

SIR: I forward your commission of brigadier-general, your receipt and acceptance of which you will please acknowledge without delay, reporting at the same time your age and residence, w hen appointed, the State where born, and your full name, correctly written. Fill up, subscribe, and return as soon as possible the accoompanying oath, duly and carefully executed. On receipt and acceptance hereof you will report by letter to Brigadier General George Wright, at San Francisco, Cal., for temporary duty under his command.

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

JULIUS P. GARESCHE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS COLUMN FROM CALIFORNIA,
Tucson, Ariz. Ter., June 18, 1862.

Major R. C. DRUM,

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

MAJOR: I have the honor to inform you that I was obliged to place Major Fergusson, First Cavalry, in charge of the subsistence department of the column. He coudl better be sapred from his regiment than any other officer above the rank of lieutenant, as the cavalry is necessarily very much scattered. His experience and ability qualify him for the position, and he takes off my hands a great deal of labor. I have sent him into Sonora under a letter of instructions, a copy of which is herewith inclosed, marked A. * With the assistance of Governor Gaudara and a gentleman named Gonzales, who lives in Magadalena, Sonora, I was enabled on the 11th instant tos end off a leter to General Canby through Sonora and Chihuahua and via El Paso into New Mexico. It is the first letter on the paper, marked B,+ herewith inclosed. On the 15th instant I sent Expressman Jones and a sergeant Wheeling, of the First Infantry, guided by a Mexican named Chavez, directly across the country to communicate with General Canby. Jones and sergeant Wheeling took each a copy of the paper placing Arizona under martial law, and a letter which the enemy was expected to read in case the expressmen were captured. This letter is on the second PAGEof the inclosure marked B. The expressmen took each a copy of a secret dispatch,++ which is marked C, and is herewith

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*See Carleton to Fergusson, June 11, p. 1133.

+See Carleton to Canby, June 11, p. 95.

++See Carleton to Canby, June 15, pp. 96, 97.

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