SACRAMENTO, CAL., Febraury 24, 1863.

Adjutant-General THOMAS:

Can I issue limited number of small-arms to orgnized militia companies, as requested in my letter of December 15?

G. WRIGHT,

Brigadier-General.

SACRAMENTO, CAL., Febraury 25, 1863.

(Received 3. 40 p. m. 26th.)

Honorable E. M. STANTON:

I am requested by the military committes of our Legislature to inquire whether any additional means have been taken by the General Government for the better defense of the harbor of San Francisco, and whether the aid of the State is desired for that purpose. Also, whether the iron-clad Comanche has been shipped for San Francisco. A prompt answer is requested.

W. C. KIBBE,

Brigadier and Adjutant General, California.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC,

Numbers 50.
San Francisco, Cal., February 25, 1863.

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2. Captain H. B. Fleming's company (I), Ninth Infantry, will take post at Fort Point. Captain J. Van Voast's company (K), Ninth Infantry will take post at the Presidio of San Francisco.

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By order of Brigadier-General Wright:

RICHD. C. DRUM,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF OREGON,
Fort VAncouver, Wash. Ter., Februayr 25, 1863.

Brigadier General L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington City, D. C.:

GENERAL: I desire hereby respectfully to call the attention of the General-in-Chief, and through him, of the War Department, to the defenseless state of the coast. I inclose herewith a copy of a letter of the 22nd of December which I have received from Brigadier General J. W. Ripley, Chief or Ordnance, in which he promises to make arrangements to forward as soon as possible a certain quantity of heavy ordnance for the mouth of the Columbia River*. His letter is in response to several letters of mine written since August last on this subject. I have to request that the Enginner Department may be instructed to take immediate steps to have the necessary works constructed to receive said ordnance. The intervening time which must elapse before thy can be ready and make the voyage around Cape Horn should be put to good account in such preparation. Appropriations may have been made for tis purpose at the present session of Confress. At all events the fortification bill passed on the 20th of February, 1862, provided an appropriation of $100,000 "for defenses in Oregon and Washington Territory, near the mounth of the Columbia River, if in the judgment of

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* See p. 259.

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