GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. HUMBOLDT MILITARY DISTRICT, Numbers 7.
Fort Gaston, Cal., December 22, 1863.

The headquarters of Humboldt Military District are hereby removed from Fort Humboldt, Humboldt County, to Fort Gaston, Klamath County, Cal., and are established at the last-named place until further orders.

By order of Lieutenant Colonel S. G. Whipple:

A. W. HANNA,

First Lieutenant and Adjt. First Batt. Mountaineers, Cal. Vols., Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

SANTA BARBARA, December 23, 1863.

General WRIGHT,

San Francisco:

DEAR SIR: There is a secession movement on foot here which thereatens serious consequence unless speedily checked. The Americans are arming on one side and the native Californians on the other. Some American traitors are in the ranks of the Californians. All the Californians, with perhaps the exception of half a dozen, in this county are at heart bitterly opposed to the Stars and Stripes. Some Frenchmen here are, I am just now informed, necouraging the movement, telling them that they will soon see the French flag flying here. I deem it absolutely and imperiosly necessary to prevent and outbreak that a force of at least fifty soldiers be sent here. Can you not direct by telegraph to Los Angeles that they come up? Union men here are few in number. The vast majority of this county is Californian, at least seven-eighths of it. I write in haste, as the stage is leaving. I am the district attorney of this county, and have held this office here some six years. Enternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

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

CHAS. E. HUSE.

[Indorsement.]

This, I think, is another vigilance committee.

R. C. DRUM.

HEADQUARTERS HUMBOLDT MILITARY DISTRICT,
Fort Gaston, Cal., December 23, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel R. C. DRUM, U. A. Army,

Asst. Adjt. General, Department of the Pacific, San Francisco:

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that the headquarters of the Military District of Humboldt are temporarily established at Fort Gaston, where I arrived on yesterday with the adjutant and sergeant-major of the battalion. Captain E. R. Theller, Company I, Second Infantry California Volunteers, is in command at Fort Humboldt, and I have relieved Major W. S. R. Taylor of the command of this post. Upon arriving at this place I find that affairs have assumed a very threatening aspect. A large number of valley Indians have left their villages and are int he mountains under the leadeship of two notoriously bad Indians known as Seranaltin John and Big Jim. They say they can at any time raise from 200 to 300 warriors. It is known that they have with them constantly nearly 100 warriors, well armed with refles and pistols, and that they have an abundance of ammunition.