Edwin A. Rigg to James H. Carleton, March 30, 1862

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

COLONEL: Lieutenant Barrett, First Cavalry, stationed at Grinnel’s, forwarded a prisoner who said that he was just from Tucson, and I am satisfied of the truth of it. Heis of unsound mind, yet a close observer of things. I had him in confinement at.the post in January. He had also been confined for several weeks at Camp Wright. It seems from his statement that after he left here he had worked for a time for Grinnel, and also for White. From there he went to Tucson. He is the man mentioned by Buckner who had arrived in Tucson nearly naked, and who told them there that the Union troops were near there, which caused their fright and subsequent stampede of many of them. He says that he worked at Jones’ mill, at Tucson; that when Mr. Leonard arrived there (White’s half brother) in company with another person whom he did not know, he was employed by Mr. Leonard to go back to White’s, but Leonard was taken prisoner, and he kept himself concealed as much as possible to avoid being arrested. Being thought inoffensive he was, however, not molested, and upon several occasions went into town. He heard of the arrest of McCleave and White, and had their place or quarters pointed out to him. He heard that they offered to parole Captain MeCleave, but he had refused to give it. Their animals were kept grazing in front of where he worked. He came to the Pimas and found that White’s mill was not burned, but that his flour had been carried off and his animals also. Not a chicken was left, and his hogs, of which White had a great many, were all gone. His mill had been much injured. The leather bands and running gear had all been removed or destroyed, but he thought by the Indians. The wheat which White had on hand had been given to the Indians, and everything else that was not of value to Captain Hunter’s men. The burrs are all sound and uninjured, and a few hundred dollars will put the mill in operation again. In his rambling way he reasons that the Pimas have now a large quantity of wheat on hand; that White had but little flour ground and put up, and his stock of wheat had been returned to them to purchase their friendship with, and that he knows that they have it, and will sell it cheap to any one who will furnish them with manta, being much in want of that article. They have but little appreciation of money, but for manta all their wheat could be bought at avery low price. The Pima chief told him that Captain McCleave and his party were taken at White’s. He also learned at Tucson that Captain McCleave had arrived at the station this side of White’s before day, and that he had tried to get the occupants to open the door for him, but they refused, thinking that they were some of their own men. He then went on to White’s, getting there at daylight. Knocking at the door, he found a person who answered and of him inquired if Mr. White lived there. Receiving an answer in the affirmative he desired to see Mr. White personally. He was told that he should be called, and Captain Hunter, who was sleeping in the house at the time, was awakened and informed of an officer and two men of the U. S. troops being there. He came out and represented himself as Mr. White, asking Captain McCleave if those were all the men he had with him, to which the captain replied, “No; I have six more at the next station.” In the meantime more of Hunter’s men had collected, and Hunter suddenly drew his pistol and announced his being a captain in the Confederate Army, at the same time informing McCleave that he was his prisoner. McCleave had, however, thinking that he was amongst friends (seeing no uniforms), taken off his arms, and his men were putting up their horses. His story bears upon its face plausibility, and I have no doubt it is true, every word of it. The prisoner’s name is Samuel Phillips, born in Ohio. He was confined in the insane asylum in Stockton for some time. I will detain him here for the present.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,