Hill, to control the harbor of San Francisco, is received. The effect of building and arming these batteries would be to bring a certain portion of the bay under fire which is not under fire. But the vessels could find many other places to anchor, and still be out of reach of any batteries we might establish. A board of engineers has within a year considered the subject of additional defenses at San Francisco, and has come to the conclusion that it is best to bring a certain belt, or part of the harbor, through which all vessels entering it from sea must pass, under as heavy fire as practicable at the earliest day, in the first place, and after this is effected the subject of covering other portions of the bay with fire is to be undertaken in connection with floating defenses. This appears to me to be a prudent policy, and the most that we can undertake while our supply of ordnance suitable for these purpose is so very limited. I think your best remedy at present might be to procure a general harbor regulation from the proper authority (say the State Department) requiring all foreign warships to anchor only within certain defined limits, which you shall prescribe, where they will be subject to the fire of existing forts and batteries, a common practice with Europeans. A due proportion of such ordnance as we have been able to obtain has heretofore been allotted to San Francisco, and, upon notice just received from the Ordnance Department that there are now some guns available for distribution, I shall ask to have sent to San Francisco the following: Three 15-inch guns, ten 100-pounder rifles, two 200-pounder rifles. In response to your request for General McPherson's reports, I have asked Colonel De Russy by telegraph to place those papers in your hands for examination. Please to regard them as strictly confidential, and return them to him as soon as you are done with them. I will request Colonel De Russy to put you in possession of all information he may have on the subject of the defense of San Francisco and California generally. A board of engineers has just been ordered to make and devise plans for covering the rear of the works at Fort Point against a land attack, as also the heights still farther in rear to cover the approaches to the rear of Fort Point, and at the same time protect the city. I calculate the labors of this Board will meet your views on this subject. The amount appropriated for these land defenses is $177,000.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICHD. DELAFIELD,

General and Chief Engineer.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Numbers 40.
San Francisco, Cal., August 10, 1864.

I. Owing to the great scarcity and high price of hay and grain in this department, costing the Government in certain places as high, respectively, as 8 1/2 and 23 1/4 cents per pound, the greatest economy consistend with efficiency must be enforced.

Where companies of cavalry are at their posts or camps and not engaged in active duty only half rations of grain will be fed the public animals. When what is called oat hay (oats cut green when the grain is in the milk) is supplied, but quarter rations of grain will be allowed. Commanding officers of cavalry companies will report monthly to department headquarters the amount and kind of forage they have used, and officers of the quartermaster's department will make similar