Edwin A. Rigg to James H. Carleton, January 23, 1862

Col. JAMES H. CARLETON, Commanding Southern District, Los Angeles, Cal. :

COLONEL: I have the honor to report to you that Fort Yuma is now an island. The river at this point commenced rising on the 20th instant, and at 1 o’clock this morning reached its highest point. The rise yesterday afternoon was so sudden that in three hours it rose from

its already high stage nearly six feet, overflowing its banks and carrying everything before it. Colorado City is entirely washed away; Mr.

Hooper’s dwelling house and Captain Johnson’s are the only buildings left standing on that side of the river. The rise was so sudden that Mr. Hinton, Mr. Hooper’s partner, could only save a portion of their goods, and although I rendered him and others all the assistance m my power, very little was saved. It was impossible to send many men to their assistance. Two boat loads (twenty men) passed over safely. The boats not being able to return, I could send no more. The ferryboat dared not venture out for fear of being carried away. The principal losers are Messrs. Hooper & Hinton; store entirely washed away ; the steam-boat company’s machine shop and store with contents washed away; Mr. Samuel Wells, store washed away, and but a small portion of his stock of goods saved; Mr. Gage’s billiard and ten-pin alley entirely destroyed and entire contents lost. All of the dwellings on hat side of the river are washed away, including Mr. Jones’, four miles up the Gila. A boy of his was taken from a tree near the house this morning, who had been there during the night. The whole country is submerged between here and Pilot Knob and impassable for anything but boats. Mr. Yager made a narrow escape. The water came up to his house and corral, but did no damage of a serious nature. I felt greatly alarmed for the safety of the Government hay at that point (seventy tons). It, however, is all safe. The water submerged the post water-works. I, however, had all the machinery taken out that was movable, and it will be in working order again in a week. At one time last night I was greatly alarmed for the safety of the quartermaster’s and commissary store-houses, as well as the corral. I had all the commissary stores placed in safety, also the most important quartermaster’s stores, including the hay in the corral. The men worked bravely and deserve credit for it. We continued working until 1 o’clock this morning, when the water commenced falling; the water had then nearly reached the corral, If the water had continued to rise one hour longer as rapidly as it had for the same length of time preceding I fear the adobe store-houses would have been destroyed. We will have no difficulty in getting a sufficient quantity of water to supply the command. The reservoir was full at the time. We kept pumping until the water covered the mules’ feet, and I fortunately had the water carts in good repair. We will have to economize on wood until the water recedes from the flat. We were fortunate in having the three teams brought by Captain Gorley here. Captain Gorley arrived with his detachment on the afternoon of the 20th, having in charge seven prisonevs under general charges, and two political prisoners, Morgan and Jiamilton, The road between here and Pilot Knob has been impassable for animals since the 21st instant. Allcommunication etween the fort and Yager’s has been with boats since that time. A large number of cattle have been drowned between here and the Lagoon mines, and all along the river to Gonzales’. Yager’s wood wagon, twelve miles below, has been carried away, and his stock, or a large portion of it, drowned. He has, however, enough in his corral to meet any demands upon him, besides fifty head on the desert coming over, unless New River or Carriso Creek are impassable. I feel alarmed about sixteen men that were cutting hay eighteen miles from Gila City. It is scarcely possible that they could be cut off, but may want provisions, and none can be sent to them now. The Gila River extends as far as the sandhills on the right and to the foot-hills on the left. It would be impossible to send p-ovisions to them before the river falls. They have enough to last them for a week yet, and by that time I hope to hear from them, I will send an Indian to-morrow morning to find them, I de expect to hear of the hay that they have cut being all washed away. I will know on the 26th whether my fears are realized or not; also about Mr. Rhodes’ cattle. Keene should be here to-morrow if no accident has happened to him. He has now been gone fourteen days; he calculated to make the round trip in ten days. The steam-boat is below, and them I am also anxious to hear from. If they have landed the stores on shore, it is reasonable to suppose that they will be lost, or a portion of them, if the boat itself is not in great danger. This unprecedented rise has been so sudden that no calculation could be made for it, and everything has been swept away by its irresistible current. The fear is that she will not be able to get wood and no place of shelter to run into or to tie up to. Lieutenant Benson, who was with the boat the last trip, thinks that her situation must be a critical one. I will send one of the Indians down to-morrow in a boat to look for her, and take Captain Johnson’s news of the loss of their property here and, if possible, bring tidings of her back. It will take a long time to get a small boat back from there—at least two weeks in this current—and since the overflow land communication is cut off with the mouth of the river; but if he is all safe he will return at once with a load of stores for this post, and the vessels will have to lay there until he returns. At this stage of water he certainly cannot land them there. As soon as I can hear from him I will write to you, also in reference to all other matters. The Hoffman trail from here to Gaston at present is impassable. The water yesterday between the post and the lagoon (six miles) in some places was fifteen feet deep. I took one man out from his house (Larkin) who was in water up to his middle. Two squaws swam to the post from Reed’s—over a mile. The Indians, it is feared, have lost all of their crops and taken to the high Jands. Much suffering must result to them. They are all off, and cannot come here until the waters fall, which, however, I am happy to state, is going on rapidly. The river has fallen four feet since 2 o’clock this morning. I send this communication to you by an Indian who goes as far as Pilot Knob in a boat with the Indian who goes to the mouth of the river. He will take a horse from Pasqual (chief of the Yumas), and go on if the road 1s passable for a horse; if not, he will go on foot as far as San Felipe, from which place Mr. Gregor will have it forwarded to Camp Wright. The San Bernardino route, I should think, would be best now for quick communication to this point. I respectfully suggest this, from the fact that both Doctor Prentiss and Lieutenant Nichols made quick trips (four and a half days) from there here, and Doctor Dickey thinks it could be made in less time with ease. The general court-martial has met and adjourned for three days. No orders have been received here in relation to the change of the judge-advocate, substituting Doctor Meacham for Doctor Prentiss except a notice to that effect recalling Doctor Prentiss. Captain Dresher is absent in command of a detachment with the boat. I sent him instead of a junior because he was too unwell for garrison duty. Lieutenant MacGowan, who is one of the detail, is himself in arrest by Lieut. Col. J. R. West, leaving but five to form the court. I would also respectfully call the attention of the colonel to the fact that the charges against Jones and others have not been sent here as yet. I cannot give you positive information about the hay Mr. Yager expected to have at Cooke’s Wells. He cannot hear from that point until the water recedes, which, it is thought by him, will take a week. Weare now perfectly safe from any attack from any enemy, being surrounded by water. As soon as I can get returns from

52 R R—VOL L, PT 1 my messengers I will at once forward to you an express with all the information I can collect. The three wagons which arrived with Captain Gorley’s command I will send back as directed as soon as they can get over the road, which will be, in all probability, within a week.

Very respectfully,