Ben. C. Cutler to D. Fergusson, March 14, 1862

Maj. D. FERGUSSON, First Cavalry California Volunteers, ; Comdg. at Camp Carleton, near San Bernardino, Cal. : MAJOR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant. The colonel commanding directs that you send in one company at a time to encamp on the San Gabriel River, just below Dalton’s Mill, where there is good grazing. Supply them with ten days’ rations from Camp Carleton. Send the remainder of your provisions to Temescal under a guard of ten dismounted picked men, under the charge of Lieutenant Coleman. This guard can remain at your present camp until the wagons have returned from the San Gabriel, after they have moved in your last company. The result of this will be that all of the supplies that the colonel commanding has hitherto ordered you to send to Camp Wright will be at Temescal, under the charge of Lieutenant Coleman, a sergeant, and fourteen men (see letter from these headquarters under date of yesterday); that three cavalry companies will be encamped on the San Gabriel River, viz, Mead’s, Fritz’s, and Pishon’s, with ten days’ rations drawn from Camp Carleton. Lieutenant Hammond, regimental quartermaster First Infantry California Volunteers, will be on the San Gabriel River to stop Captain Mead’s company at that point and provide for it. These movements must be accomplished by your own means of transportation, in connection with the three wagons which took arms and equipments to you yesterday. Let the wagons which return from the San Gabriel River take corn from El Monte and distribute it along the road for the use of the next company as it comes in. So figure all this out that there may be no delays, no missing of cogs, and no mistakes. I am, major,

very respectfully, your obedient servant,