FORT CRITTENDEN, October 17, 1862--9. 13 p. m.

Major R. C. DRUM:

Have just arrived. Will cross the Jordan to-morrow.

P. E. CONNOR.

OFFICE SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN AFFAIRS,

Salem, Oreg., October 17, 1862.

Brigadier General GEORGE WRIGHT,

Commanding Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal.:

SIR: I have to inform you that the protection of the Siletz and Alsea Indian Agencies on the coast reservation in this superintendency demands the reoccupation of Fort Umpqua by a military force. Herewith I transmit a copy of a letter recently received at this office from the agent in charge of the Siletz Indian Agency. The special agent at Alsea writes that--

The Siletz Indians have succeeded in making the Coos Indians disaffected. A few of the Coos Indians have already left this agency, and others will go. By all means, use your influence to have the fort at Umpqua immediately occupied by soldiers, or the Siletz Indians will leave and take mine with them. They are going now almost daily, and when they reach their old homes they will fight rather than return to the reservation.

The special agent at Alsea, from whose letter I have quoted the foregoing extract, resides about fifty miles up the coast north of Fort Umpqua, and has the Coos and Umpqua Indians under his charge. The Siletz Agency is about thirty miles to the north and east of the Alsea, and the Indians who leave the Siletz pass by the Alsea as they go down the coast to their old homes. Fort Umpqua is located about six miles south of the southern boundary of the coast reservation, and I am compelled to urge upon the consideration of the commanding general of this military department the necessity of the immediate reoccupation of that post, and I hope it will not be deemed inconsistent with the interests of the service to order a company to Fort Umpqua at an early day.

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

W. H. RECTOR,

Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

[Inclosure.] SILETZ INDIAN AGENCY, OREG., October 1, 1862.

W. H. RECTOR, Esq.,

Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Salem, Oreg.:

SIR: I would urge upon your immediate consideration the importance of having Fort Umpqua reoccupied by troops. Since the evacuation of that post large numbers of Indians from this agency have availed themselves of the opportunity and fled down the coast to their former homes on Smith's and Rogue Rivers. Had the fort been garrisoned they could not thus have made their escape, for the reason that this fort guards the only road leading from this agency to the country south of the Umpqua River. I am of the opinion that if the fort is not reoccupied most of the coast Indians who reside at this and the Alsea agencies will leave before next spring. The expense of removing to this agency those Indians who will escape and go down the