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HEADQUARTERS TENTII MILITARY DEPARTMENT,
Monterey, California, June 30, 1849.

MAJOR: I am instructed by the commanding general to acknowledge the receipt, on his return from San Francisco, of your report of the 3d instant.

Company I, 2d infantry, will sail for San Diego about the first proximo, and Major Heintzelman, 2d infantry, is instructed to fill up the infantry company of your escort to an efficient strength by transfers from the other companies of his command.

Under the supposition that company A, 2d infantry, will not be required immediately by you, two officers of that company have been placed upon the detail for a general court-martial ordered at San Diego. This detail will not interfere with your operations, as Major Heintzelman is instructed not to assemble the court if those officers should be required before its proceedings can be completed. General Riley will be pleased to receive any suggestions that may in your estimation tend to facilitate your operations.

If the companies of your command are not supplied with the necessary blanks for returns, &c., you will oblige me by making requisitions for them at your earliest convenience.

Very respectfully, major, your obedient servant,

Major W. H. EMORY,

E. R. S. CANBY, Assistant Adjutant General.

U.S. A., commanding escort of commissioners,

San Diego, California.

HEADQUARTERS TENTII MILITARY DEPARTMENT,

Monterey, California, June 30, 1849.

MAJOR: Your several communications of May 24th and 31st, and June 1, 2, 4, and 5, have been received and submitted to the commanding general, who directs that the charges preferred against Lieutenant Sweeney, by Brevet Captains Hayden and Lyon, be returned for the endorsement required by paragraph 924 of general regulations. The endorsement is necessary to enable the commanding general to act understandingly where the interests of the "service or the officer are concerned;" and is peculiarly so when serious charges are preferred against an officer. The applications of Lieutenants Sweeney and Slaughter have been approved and recommended until the result of the application for transfer is known. Lieutenant Slaughter will be continued on duty with the company to which he is now attached.

The artillery required by you, with the necessary equipments and ammunition, will be sent down with company 1, 2d infantry, which leaves this place in the schooner Sylphide about the first proximo.

The general directs that the company designated for the escort of the commissioners be filled up to an effective strength by transfers from the other companies of your coinmand.

The commutation of quarters should be regulated by the customary rents at San Diego, provided it does not exceed $15 per month for each

room. This linrit has been fixed by Major Vinton, the senior quartermaster on the Pacific coast.

For fuel, the commutation will, of course, be regulated by the market price.

The general desires that you will quiet any uneasiness that may exist in the minds of the inhabitants of your neighborhood by assuring them that he will use all the means under his control to give them an adequate protection. The necessity for having more troops in the south is fully felt, and has been represented to the proper authorities. He hopes to have it in his power in the course of a few months to establish troops in such positions as will effectually prevent the occurrence of the dangers which they apprehend.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Major S. P. HEINTZELMAN,

E. R. S. CANBY, Assistant Adjutant General

2d Infantry, commanding, San Diego.

HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT,

Sacramento City, July 22, 1849.

COLONEL: I have the honor to report, for the information of the commanding general, that, from a partial examination of the country south of this place, and from information collected at Monterey before leaving that place, and while upon the road, I am satisfied that the most important point for a military post in the San Joaquin valley will be at or near the junction of the Los Reyes river with its most southern branch, distant 120 to 140 miles from Monterey, and from 15 to 20 miles east of the Yuba lake.

The rapidly-increasing white population on the headwaters of the Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne rivers, is driving the Indians from those rivers to the south, where they concentrate about the headwaters of the San Joaquin and Los Reyes rivers. The Indian population of these rivers, with the exception of two or three tribes, have given evidence of the most friendly disposition towards the Americans. The country bordering on these rivers is rich in minerals, and the population now in the southern mines is moving to the south, and the close contact that must result will' inevitably lead to many aggressions committed by the one party upon the other. It is important that our own citizens be protected against Indian hostilities; and the dictates of policy, as well as humanity, require that the Indians should be secured against the aggressions of the whites.

The establishment of a military post on the Los Reyes river will give protection to the country east of the San Luis Obispo, which frequently suffers from the depredations of Indian horse thieves.

There will be much difficulty at present in supplying a post so remote from the coast; and, of the routes by which supplies may be sent, I am not yet able to decide which will be the best, but I expect, on my arrival at Benicia, to receive a report from Lieutenant Wilson, 1st dragoons,

which will determine this point; and, when that report is received, I shall be able to report more definitively.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Lieut. Col. J. HOOKER,

B. RILEY,

Brevet Brigadier General.

Assistant Adjutant General, Headquarters, 3d Division.

HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT,

Monterey, California, August 9, 1849.

COLONEL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of June 21, and, in reply to so much of it as desires aid "to direet Major Kingsbury to proceed to his destination at or near Feather river without further delay," to state that, at the date of your letter, Major Kingsbury had received no instructions from me, nor from any other source through me, to establish himself on or near Feather river. He was ordered to establish his camp in the vicinity of Sutter's Fort, for the immediate object, suggested by the major general commanding the division, of "looking into certain Indian troubles that have recently occurred on the American fork;" and I did not intend he should go beyond that neighborhood until the selection of a position for a military post on the Upper Sacramento, ordered by the commander of this department in January last, could be made.

Before leaving San Francisco, Major Kingsbury had indicated, for the temporary encampment of his cominand, a point on the Cosumnes river, distant from Sutter's Fort 18 or 20 miles. His selection was approved by me, as it was the seat of the principal Indian disturbances referred to in the communication in division headquarters of May 4. He now reports that, previous to the receipt of your communication of July 10, he had no order to remove to Feather river, or any instructions going beyond those given him from department headquarters; and that, in encamping his command -at Sutter city, he was governed by the advice of the Indian agent of that district, and the information communicated to him from me-that, so soon as the necessary arrangements could be made, a topographical examination of that part of the country would be ordered for the purpose of determining a more permanent position for his command. My recent visit to the Sacramento river was for the purpose of determining this position, when it was arrested by the selection announced in your communication to Major Kingsbury of July 10.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Lieut. Col. J. HOOKER,

B. RILEY,

Brevet Brigadier General, commanding.

Assistant Adjutant General U. S. A., Sononia.

HEADQUARTERS TENTII MILITARY DEPARTMENT,
Monterey, California, August 9, 1849.

CAPTAIN: I am instructed by the commanding general to say that you will cause the government reserves at San Francisco to be properly marked out, and notice to be given in one or more papers published in that town, forbidding trespasses by the erection of buildings, or in any other manner whatsoever.

Mr. Thompson and Mr. Steineberger are the only persons authorized to occupy any portion of these lands; and without authority communicated to you through or from department headquarters, you will permit no one else to occupy them.

Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

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E. R. S. CANBY, Assistant Adjutant General.

HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT,

Monterey, California, August 14, 1849.

MAJOR: I am instructed by the commanding general to enclose for your information a copy of a letter to the assistant quartermaster at San Francisco, in relation to the land on which the post office agent at San Francisco was authorized by you to erect a building. This portion of the reserve is covered by a grant to Mr. A. B. Thompson, given by the Mexican authorities in 1838, which, although not considered good, was recognised by Governor Mason, the former governor of California, himself, to the extent of "occupancy of the house, and right of way to the water." The remainder of the reservation is in possession of Mr. Steineberger, under authority given him by the assistant quartermaster at San Francisco, which was not submitted to the commanding. general of this depart

ment.

Mr. Allen's application to General Riley, and your conditional permission, have been forwarded to division headquarters disapproved.

Doctor E. Jones, mentioned in the enclosed communication, was the igent or assignee of Mr. Thompson, and the papers therein referred to are on file at the presidio of San Francisco.

Very respectfully, major, your obedient servant,

Major R. ALLen,

E. R. S. CANBY, Assistant Adjutant General.

Assistant Quartermaster, San Francisco.

HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT,

Monterey, California, August 9, 1849.

SIR: I am instructed by the commanding general, in reply to your communication of the 7th instant, to say that the ground on which you have commenced building is covered by a grant to Mr. A. B, Thompson,

given by the Mexican authorities in 1838, which, although not considered good, has been recognised by Governor Mason and himself to the extent of "occupancy of the house, and right of way to the water," until His chim be submitted to the United States government.

Until this title matter is decided by the authorities at home, he has no disposition to interfere. The remainder of the reserve is already in the possession of Ma Steineberger. It is proper to say that your application would not have been approved, as the reservation has been selected for military purposes by a board of engineer officers, and the selection approved by the Secretary of War.

Your application has been forwarded to division headquarters disapproved.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. T. P. ALLEN, Esq.,

Post Office Agent, San Francisco.

E. R. S. CANBY. Assistant Adjutant General.

HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT,

Monterey, California, August 10, 1849.

SIR: You will herewith receive a letter from the alcalde of Santa Barbara, giving information that a Chilian brig, the "Imperial," which put into that place in distress, has been condemned as unseaworthy, and her cargo landed and stored; and that the alcalde has allowed a small portion of these goods to be sold, and now holds the duties on them at the disposal of the government.

General Riley directs that you immediately proceed to Santa Barbara, and reserve the duties so collected by the alcalde; and also collect the duties and fees that may be due on the ship and balance of her cargo.

It has also been reported that other foreign vessels have recently landed passengers and freights in the ports of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, in violation of the revenue laws of the United States. It will be your duty to inquire into these matters, and take such measures as may be found necessary to enforce the revenue laws; and, for this purpose, you are authorized to call in the assistance of the local magistrates of those districts. But should you meet on the way, or find at Santa Barbara, the collector or deputy collector appointed for the ports on this coast, you will turn the whole matter over to them, and immediately return to department headquarters.

You will probably find at Santa Barbara, among the custom-house papers, a MS. copy of the tariff of 1846, but as it may be possible that copy is lost, you will, if possible, procure one at this place, and take it with you as your guide in collecting the duties and fees.

As soon as you have completed these duties, you will immediately return to this post, and bring with you the moneys so collected, which will be paid over as "civil funds" to the quartermaster at this place.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. R. S. CANBY, Assistant Adjutant General.

Lieutenant J. HAMILTON, 3d Artillery.

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