Edwin A. Rigg to James H. Carleton, January 1, 1862

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

COLONEL: I have the honor to inclose, for the information of the district commander, letter received this morning from Lieut. James Barrett, commanding detachment First Cavalry at Stanwix Ranch (Grinnel’s). The colonel will find that my fears expressed in a former communication have been realized. Captain McCleave is a prisoner with his detachment of eight men; also Mr. White, of the Pimas, and his mill burned, and grain, it is reasonable to suppose, destroyed. I have ordered Lieutenant Barrett to keep a good lookout on the road, and if they should approach his post in any numbers to fall back on the reserve. I have also ordered Lieutenant Nichols, who has relieved Lieutenant Harvey, at Mission Camp, on account of the ill health of the latter, to throw his detachment forward, so that he will be near to support Lieutenant Barrett if required. Detachment of First Infantry, under Lieutenant Taylor, at Mission Camp, is near enough to render them assistance if required. The detachments of cavalry are now so quartered at the different stations between Gila City and Grinnel’s that I receive dispatches from there in eight hours. I have instructed Lieutenants Barrett and Nichols that in the case of an equal number of their cavalry coming against them, to give them a fight and dispatch an express at once to me, in which case I can throw forward a howitzer to their assistance. My opinion is that they will approach in this direction very carefully, knowing, from the fact of meeting with Captain McCleave, that troops are on the road. I have employed the messenger I sent to Tucson. He is the Spaniard alluded to in Lieutenant Barrett’s dispatch, and can be depended upon. He is intelligent and faithful. The post is in a very good state of defense, and I have no fears of being able to hold it against any odds that may approach it. I have understood since I made the requisition on Lieu-

tenant-Colonel West, at Camp Wright, that Captain Mead’s company of cavalry had been ordered back to Camp Carleton, which is to be regretted, as I could use him to good advantage now. Rations and forage have been at Cooke’s Wells, Alamo, and Indian Well since the 16th for seventy-five men and animals. Indian Well will require repairing. There should be one-half-inch lumber sent there, and a new well dug. The lumber we have not at the post. I will, however, try and get some here, and send a few men out to fix it up. The water beds will be ready for use on the 26th. Their capacity will be nearly in return to reciprocate. Although a whole staff would not compensate us for the loss of Captain McCleave, his anxiety about the safety of Mr. Jones, as represented by Mr. Grinnel, induced him to advance so far forward, and the result has been his capture. I have just learned from Captain Johnson that we can get lumber enough from the steam-boat company to fix the well at Indian Well. I will have the frame made here and sent out with men enough to dig a new one, which will furnish an abundance of water for any ordinary purposes or number of animals. Captain Johnson arrived last evening with his mechanics to build anew boat. He looks for it about the Ist of April, and expects to have it running in six weeks from that time.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,