HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC,
San Francisco, Cal., August 8, 1864.

Honorable Mr. WILEY,

Superintendent of Indian Affairs, San Francisco:

SIR: The commanding general desires to be informed at your earliest convenience whether there are any Indians in the neighborhood of Fort Yuma of a sufficiently hostile character requiring the presence of troops at that point.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICHD. C. DRUM,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
Fort Churchill, Nev. Ter., August 8, 1864.

Lieutenant E. D. WAITE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Sacramento, Cal.:

SIR: I have the honor to herewith return Captain Wells' letter of July 22, 1864. * I would respectfully report for the information of the general commanding district that some trouble has recently taken place between the whites and Indians of Surprise Valley; to what extent I am unable at this time to state, but expect a report from Captain Wells in a few days, he having gone with a part of his company to the point where the disturbance took place. When I hear from him I will report at once to district headquarters. The Indians inhabiting Surprise Valley and that vicinity are of the Bannock and Pitt River tribes; also a few renegades from the Pi-Utes, and in order to prevent future troubles in this section of the country I am of the opinion it will be necessary to have some troops stationed in or near Surprise Valley.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHAS. McDERMIT,

Major, Second California Volunteer Cavalry, Commanding Post.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA,
Sacramento, August 12, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded to department headquarters, with the recommendation that the infantry company ordered to the Smoke Creek country by General Orders, Numbers 39, current series, be kept there for the present.

G. WRIGHT,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS,
Fort Boise, Idaho Ter., August 8, 1864.

ACTING ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Hdqrs. District of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter.:

SIR: Although nothing of sufficient importance has occurred at this post or information received from the scene of operations of the several expeditions in the field since the departure of Colonel Maury with his

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* See p. 915.

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