Canon to Cow Springs should obviate any objection; a cavalryman from the vedette at Fort Bowie will answer as a guide. You will observe that three companies of your regiment are not for the present to come east of Tucson. The first of your companies that you hear of at Fort Yuma you will thence distribute at the vedette stations between that post and Tucson, using as many men for the purpose as are necessary and can conveniently be foraged by you and the commanding officer at Fort Yuma. You will request that officer to send supplies of forage to such points as you shall designate, and furnish the others yourself. Should there by any surplus men of the company assigned to this duty, add them to the garrison at Tucson. The next two companies of your regiment that come through will remain at Tucson subject to your orders should you decide to establish your headquarters there; otherwise subject to the orders of your successor. You will order the fourth company to relieve Company E at the vedette stations between this and Tucson. The officers of both of these new companies will be kept passing over the routes occupied by their men with a view to maintaining discipline and supplying their wants as occasion may seem to you to require. All men relieved from vedette duty between the Rio Grande and Fort Yuma pursuant to these instructions will be ordered to report at their company headquarters by first opportunity.

The fifth and sixth companies of your regiment will be sent to the Rio Grande as soon after they report to you as practicable. Should any further infantry troops arrive than those that have already been referred to, do your best to get them through to the Rio Grande, and you will be assisted from this side as soon as I can hear of any coming.

Third. Directing that you be placed in command of your regiment; issue your regimental order to that effect. If you decide to make Tucson your headquarters retain command of that post also, and send by my authogimental staff and records.

If you remove to Fort West, direct Major McCleave to report for duty to me. I have applied for permission to bring the command from Fort West onto the Rio Grande, and it will be well for you to wait until you can learn whether such steps meet the approval of the department commander before you remove there.

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

J. R. WEST,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARIZONA,
Las Cruces, N. Mex., May 15, 1863.

Captain BEN. C. CUTLER,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Santa Fe:

CAPTAIN: Since my communication by last mail nothing new has been heard from the enemy's movements. The scouts sent out by Lieutenant-Colonel McMullen are still absent, and it is too soon to hear from the special agent sent by myself to the Presidio del Norte. I inclose a copy of a letter eceived to-day from Mr. Creel, of Chihuahua. * You will observe that Mr. Creel's confidence in his ability to keep me advised of the enemy's movements extends only to the time when an advance this way shall have commenced from San Antonio. He cannot learn whether they are preparing to move. This being the case, they may be fifteen or twenty days on the road before I am

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*See May 3, p. 425.

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28 R R - VOL L, PT II