now be given as will insure prompt action at points remote from the agencies. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, The ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENERAL, E. R. S. CANBY, Assistant Adjutant General. Division Headquarters, San Francisco, California. HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, California, June 2, 1849. SIR: I have the honor to report, for the information of the commanding general, that I shall leave this place for the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys, by the pass of San Miguel, as soon after the arrival of the steamer as possible, for the purpose of making such arrangements as may be necessary, or practicable, for the prevention of collisions between the whites and Indians of those neighborhoods. It is very desirable that a topographical examination of that part of the country should be made at the same time, and as I cannot, from present paucity of officers in the department, detach a line officer for that purpose, I shall be much gratified if the interests of the service will permit the temporary detachment of one of the topographical officers now at Benicia for the purpose of accompanying me. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, B. RILEY, Brevet Brigadier General, commanding the Department. ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENERAL, Division Headquarters. [No. 8.] HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, California, June 11, 1849. GENERAL: The orders and military correspondence to be transmitted by the next mail will furnish you with a history of the operations in this department since the date of my despatch of April 25. The troops now in the department occupy, or are en route for, the stations assigned them by department orders No. 16, except company "I," 2d infantry, which has in confinement at this place seventeen or eighteen deserters sentenced to be sent to the "Atlantic coast of the United States," and the movement of that company has been delayed to await the answer to an application, made to the commander of our naval forces, for authority to send them home by some one of our naval vessels. If no opportunity should occur within a limited period they will be transferred, with the remainder of the company, to San Diego, where they may be usefully employed upon some public work at that place. The route given company E, 1st dragoons, in my instructions of May 20, has been changed, (instructions to Lieutenant Wilson, 1st dragoons, of June 2,) in consequence of information received of several murders. recently committed upon inhabitants of this territory engaged in mining upon the Los Reyes rivers. The transport Mary and Adeline, with companies A and F, 2d infantry, has not yet arrived. The exposed situation of isolated parties in the mineral region offers many temptations for the commission of outrages by the Indians. These, confined in the first instances to thefts, and occasionally outrages of a more serious character, have been made the pretence, by the lawless and disorderly of our own people, for the commission of outrages of the most unprovoked character, extending, in several instances, to the harmless and inoffensive Indians of the rancherias. The Indian agents of the several districts are clothed with ample powers to arrest and punish the perpetrators of these outrages, but in the absence of troops in the vicinity of their agencies, to aid them in the execution of their duties, their authority has in several instances been set at defiance by a few lawless men. The establishment of troops on the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers, by putting them in a condition to make their authority respected, will, it is hoped, diminish the number of these outrages, if it does not prevent them entirely. For the purpose of establishing the troops in the mineral region, at the points best calculated to control the Indians and prevent unauthorized interference with them, I shall leave this place for the San Joaquin, and thence for the valley of the Sacramento, as soon as possible after the arri val of the next steamer. Being unable, at this time, to detach a line officer for topographical duty, I have applied to Major General Smith to detach temporarily one of the topographical engineers now on duty at division headquarters, for the purpose of making a topographical examination of the country through which it will be necessary to pass. The difficulties to be apprehended in the mineral region are not confined to Indian disturbances. The ill feeling existing between the Amer icans and foreign adventurers continues to be fostered by designing per sons; and although no serious collision has yet taken place, it is greatly to be feared that it may soon occur, and that many native Californians and good citizens will unavoidably be involved in it. I fear that the small force in that quarter will prove insufficient to preserve order. It will be seen, from the department returns for March and April, that desertions have been quite frequent in the past two months. The evil, however, has not been so great as I anticipated. Orders Nos. 16 and 19, and my proclamation of May 6, indicate the measures I have taken with the view of diminishing this evil: how far they will be successful, is yet to be determined. In consequence of the difficulty in procuring printing, and in the transmission of information, these papers have only been par tially distributed, and it will be some time before its operation can be fairly tested. I deem it important to call the attention of the War Department to the inadequate force now in this department to meet present, to say nothing of anticipated emergencies. The force now in the mineral region is not sufficient to meet the necessities of the service in that quarter; and this force, inadequate as it is, could only be obtained by stripping other por tions of the country of the troops needed for the protection of the property of their inhabitants. The estimate of the former department commander, based upon the anticipated wants of the service in a time of peace, was sufficiently limited. Since his requisition was made, the state of affairs in this country has entirely changed. The discovery of the gold placets has attracted hither thousands of foreign adventurers, many of them from the lowest classes of society, and has produced a state of affairs here that will require much stronger controlling force to preserve order than I can now command. Our relations with the Indians have also been materially changed. Although no combination appears to exist between the different tribes inhabiting the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, they are evidently hostile, and will seize every opportunity of committing outrages upon the inhabitants of the country. The murder recently committed upon the party of Mr. Garner, long a resident of this country, by a body of Indians upon the river Los Reyes, was done, as was stated by the Indians, to revenge themselves for the aggressions committed by Americans upon the Indians of the Sacramento; indicating an evident understanding between different tribes speaking dif ferent languages, and separated by a distance of two hundred and fifty miles. In a report made to the commander of the division, of this date, I have made an estimate of the force that I deem absolutely necessary in this department, until affairs assume a more settled conditions There are many difficulties in the way of keeping troops in this country-the danger of desertions, and the great expense of the military establishment; but, if measures be not taken speedily to maintain a respectable force here, the country will, in the end, be involved in expenses immensely greater than will be sustained by maintaining for the next two or three years a force that will effectually control the Indians, that part of our population disposed to commit aggressions upon them, and effectually to prevent collisions between the Americans and foreigners in this country. In sending recruits to this country, I strongly advise that authority be given to enlist married men for service at the depots and posts that it may be necessary to establish at points at considerable distance from the mines. I have not yet been able to obtain from Major Reading, paymaster of Colonel Fremont's battalion, the copies of muster-rolls of that battalion required by the instructions of the Secretary of War of October 9, 1848. He has repeatedly been written to, but no answer has been received. I learn, unofficially, that he is unwilling to furnish these rolls, for fear that it may prejudice the claims of members of the battalion for greater pay than was allowed by law. I shall probably see him in the course of the ensuing month, and will then endeavor to obtain the rolls, and forward the required copies. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, general, your obedient servant, B. RILEY, Brevet Brig. Gen., commanding the Department. General R. JONES, [No. 10.] HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, San Francisco, California, June 19, 1849. GENERAL: I have the honor to report that I came to this place on the 15th instant, at the request of Major General Smith, for the purpose of meeting the Hon. Thomas Butler King, and shall return to Monterey as soon as I have transacted the business on hand here. Very few of the New York volunteers discharged in this country have applied for the transportation home, authorized by the instructions of the Secretary of War of October 9, 1848. It has, therefore, been deemed proper to limit the period in which they can avail themselves of the provisions of those instructions. If it should be intended to extend this limit, I desire that I may receive instructions to that effect before its expiration. I have learned (unofficially) since my arrival at this place, that Colonel Abert's order, directing Brevet Major Linnard, topographical engineers, to report to me, has been countermanded; and I now respectfully repeat my application of April 25 for topographical engineers for service in this department. The want of these officers is severely felt. The number of medical officers in this department will be insufficient to meet the wants of the service, particularly in the unhealthy season of the year. I have not yet been able to supply the post at Sonoma; the escort of the commissioners are to discharge Assistant Surgeon Booth, 16th infantry. I request that three additional officers of the medical department be ordered to report to me. I have the honor to report the death of First Lieutenant C. E. Jarvis, 2d infantry, on the 8th instant, at Sonoma, California, to which place he had been ordered for the benefit of his health. His disease was chronic dysentery, contracted while on duty in Mexico. He was an active, enterprising officer, and his death will be a severe loss to his regiment and to the service. Very respectfully, general, your obedient servant, Brevet Brig. Gen., commanding the Department. Brevet Major General R. JONES, HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, San Francisco, California, June 19, 1849. GENERAL: I have the honor to enclose, herewith, printed copies of my proclamations of the 3d and 4th instant, as governor of this Territory. Copies of all official papers and correspondence connected with the civil government of the country will be forwarded by the regular mail steamer of the 1st proximo, for the information of the government at Washington. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, B. RILEY, Brevet Brig. Gen., and Governor of California. Major General R. JONES, [No. 13.] HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, GENERAL: I have the honor to report that, since my despatch No. 8, nothing of importance has occurred in this department, and that so far as accounts have been received, everything remains quiet on the frontier and in the mineral region. The experience of every day convinces me in the opinion, heretofore expressed, that without great forbearance on the part of all engaged in the mines, a collision between the Americans and foreigners will inevitably take place. The unfortunate results of such a collision need only be adverted to, to be appreciated in their fullest extent. The similarity of language and appearance of the native Californians, and the mass of adventurers in the mines, will unavoidably involve the former in the consequences of any acts of aggression committed against the latter. Men inflamed by passion will not delay long enough to discriminate; and, from the insufficiency of the military force now in the department, I fear the commission of many outrages upon the unoffending inhabitants of this country, whom, by treaty stipulations as well as by every principle of justice, we are bound to protect in their rights and to treat with respect and kindness. The occurrence of such an event will undoubtedly be seized by disor ganizers for the purpose of carrying out their scheme of opposition to the government and of involving everything in this country in anarchy and confusion. Great danger, too, is to be apprehended from the congregation of the miners in the towns on the seacoast, when driven from the mines by the inclemency of the rainy season; and for the purpose of preventing this evil, I shall, if possible, re-enforce the garrison of San Francisco and Monterey, and establish commands (for the winter only) at San José and Los Angeles, the points at which this danger is most to be apprehended. If unable to make this arrangement, I shall endeavor to organize an armed police force in each of the above places, of sufficient strength to aid ef fectually the civil authorities in the preservation of order and tranquillity. I deem it important to urge again upon the consideration of the proper authorities the immediate necessity of having an additional military force in this department. Aside from the considerations-and they are imperative-that demand an increased force for the protection of the frontier and the preservation of internal tranquillity, a compliance with the stipulations of the 11th article of the late treaty with Mexico will require a considerable force in the northeastern part of this department, and it is impossible, under present circumstances, to detach any command for that purpose. I desire also to call your attention to the great want of officers, both line and staff, in this department. I have now under my control but one officer of the quartermaster's department; one of engineers, Brevet Captain Halleck, secretary of state, under orders for division headquarters, but retained by the consent of the commander of the division, Lieutenant Derby, topographical engineers, (temporarily detached from division headquarters,) au insufficiency of medical officers, and none of the subsistence department. The duties devolved by law upon officers of those corps are necessarily performed by officers of the line, and the necessity of involving these officers in the performance of staff duties materially impairs the efficiency of every command in the department. Four of the eight companies of infantry now in the department have each but one officer with them, and but one company in California has its full complement of officers. The evils resulting from such a state of affairs, under ordinary circumstances, are of the greatest magnitude; but, in this country, where |