avail myself of their protection. I will start within a week to visit the agencies east of the mountains, and will be pleased to call upon you and have a further interview concerning the matter.

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

WM. H. RECTOR,

Superintendent Indian Affairs, Oregon.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC,
San Francisco, Cal., July 11, 1862.

Colonel JUSTUS STEINBERGER,

Washington Territory Volunteers, San Francisco, Cal.:

SIR: Your communication of the 3rd instant regarding the condition of affairs in the District of Oregon has been received and submitted to the general commanding the department. The activity and zeal displayed by you while in command of the district are highly commendable, and the general has much satisfaction in assuring you that the disposition of your forces for the protection of the inhabitants and preserving the peace has received his entire approval.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICHD. C. DRUM,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS COLUMN FROM CALIFORNIA,
Tucson, Ariz. Ter., July 12, 1862.

His Excellency Senor Don IGNACIO PESQUEIRA,

Governor of the State of Sonora, Republic of Mexico,

Hermosillo, Sonora:

MY MUCH ESTEEMED SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th of June, 1862, in relation to a claim against the United States made by Mr. Fecundo Gonzales, of the States of Sonora, in Mexico, for a launch and boat which are alleged to have been indispensable to his business as the owner of a ferry on the Colorado River, below For Yuma, Cal. The essential facts in the case I believe to have been as follows: This Mr. Gonzales owned a ferry some twenty-six miles below Fort Yuma, on the desert, by which the enemies of the United States known as secessionists were enabled to cross the Colorado River below the Sonora line on their way from California to Texas, there to join other rebels in their unholy attempt to destroy my Government. The officer in command of the Southern District of California felt obliged for a time to interrupt this ferry, that these rebels might be stopped from passing through Sonora on their way from California to Texas. If it should be claimed that this was an unfriendly act to Mexico, it might be urged that to permit the enemies of the United States to pass over the soil of Sonora on their way to attack a friendly power was unkind to that power. But while I feel assured that the stopping of Mr. Gonzales' ferry will not be viewed in this light, I am glad to say to Your Excellency that I do not believe you were aware that one of the highways of Sonora was used by enemies of my Government. As I myself was the military officer who gave the order to stop all ferries across the Colorado River, I have it in my power to say that the stopping of that belonging to Mr. Gonzales was not

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