the Indians. Timber convenient for hutting will be an indespensable consideration. If by any accident this letter gets to you too late, after you have made a commencement at Rock Creek, you will make no change. In whatever place you establish yourself you will call it Camp Watson.

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

J. W. HOPKINS,

First Lieutenant, First Oregon Cavalry, Actg. Asst. Adjt. General

BEND CITY, September 25, 1864.

Major-General McDOWELL:

RESPECTED SIR: The petition accompanying this letter was placed in my hands to be forwarded to you. From my personal observation, I am satisfied that the dangers set forth in the petition are not imaginar. Conversations with the friendly Indians have elicited facts which go to prove that offers have been made and inducements have been held out to them by the Pah-Utes and other tribes to the east of our Inyo range. Their plan appears to be to wait for a while until the valley becomes comparatively depopulated, then join tribes and make the raid of the valley, which they can easily do, knowing our weakness and their own strength.

In haste, yours, respectfully,

W. R. BLANCHARD.

[Inclosure.]

Major-General McDOWELL,

Commander of the Forces of California:

HONORED SIR: We, the undersigned citizens of Bend City, Owen's River Valley, would respectfully submit to your consideration the following petition, together with the facts moving us thereunto. The discovery of the precious metals, as also the agricultural and grazing lands of this valley, some three years since, brought here the American to develop the country and add to the name and wealth of California. That development so much desired has been greatly retarded by the treachery of the Indians of this region. Not quite a year since they began and waged an unprovoked warfare upon us, which cost us some valuable lives and our State a sum by no means small in the infliction of a chastisement and the removal of a portion of our Indians, most of whom have since returned. The great influx of population last spring gave us a force that warranted our safety and justified the Government in removing our soldiers, but capital having been wanting to give employment to our population, they have been compelled to leave, until our force is wholly inadequate for self-defense. Among those who remain are some thirty families, whose means and interests render it most difficult for them to get away. It is for these and for those who are laboring in our mines that we are constrained to ask protection at the hands of the Government. The conduct of our Indians has been such as to force coviction upon the minds of your petitioners that the Owen's River Indians, assisted by the Pah-Utes, intend a war upon us during the coming winter. It is to prevent this war, save our lives and property, that we most earnestly petition you to station a company of soldiers among us for the coming winter and spring. We believe one company of cavalry would be a sufficient force to co-operate with our citizens to prevent them from driving off our vast herds or murdering