Colonel Lippitt to William M. Johns, June 13, 1862

Capt. WILLIAM M. JOHNS, Third Infantry California Volunteers, Comdg. Fort Gaston :

CAPTAIN: By an order from department headquarters, Company G, Second Infantry California Volunteers, at Fort Ter-Waw, is directed to proceed to Smith’s River, calling in the detachment at Elk Camp. You are hereby directed to send a detachment of twenty men with an officer to that post immediately to relieve Lieutenant Shepheard and his command stationed there. You will not detach Lieutenant Schindler or Lieutenant Campbell from their companies, if if can possibly be avoided. The officer you send in command will promptly report to these headquarters his arrival there, and the departure of Lieutenant Shepheard’s command. Leaving always a sufficient force at his post for its protection, he will be instructed to operate actively against the Indians in every direction, taking care not to molest the Klamath or Hoopa Indians unless they should commit or threaten some act of hostility. He will make regular reports of his operations on the Ist and 15th of every month to the commanding officer at Fort Gaston, who will transmit them te these headquarters, He will continue under tiie orders of the commander at Fort Gaston, but will draw his supplies from Fort Humboldt. Rations for twenty men to the 6th of July are now at Elk Camp.

By order of Colonel Lippitt: