Edwin M. Stanton to William H. Seward, August 28, 1861

Mr. SEWARD: * * * * * * *

Mr. Pickett, commissioner from what he denominates the Confederate States, is still here. He and three Southern persons sojourning in this city were engaged last night in rejoicing over the victory at Bull Kun and Manassas Gap. The sketch of that battle in the New York Herald of the 23d July reached here yesterday. The paper came here from Havana by private conveyance. Mr. Pickett has learned that Mexico had granted the United States the privilege of marching troops through Mexican territory to Arizona. He has informed the Government here that this will be considered as offensive to the Confederate States, as New Mexico had placed herself under the protection of those States. He had said in private conversation that if this decree is not annulled Mexico will lose the State of Tamaulipas in sixty days. By looking on any map of Mexico it will be seen that Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Sonora all adjoin Texas or New Mexico. Tamaulipas is easily approached by her port Tampico, on the Mexican Gulf, and also by land from Texas. All the others of these States can be reached by land from Texas or New Mexico. Guaymas is the great port on the Gulf of California, from and to which shipments are made for the States of Sonora and Chihuahua and also to our Territory of New Mexico, including Arizona. It is therefore reasonable enough to conclude that U. S. troops from California could be landed at Guaymas in seven days by steamers, and with a safe passage through Sonora could confront any rebel force operating in Arizona or New Mexico proper, and also be in position to act against any filibustering enemy which might attack any of the Mexican States bordering on Texas. It is no doubt the design of the Southern Confederation, whenever it can, to seize all of these States—indeed, to possess itself of the entire Tierra Caliente of Mexico, that being well adapted to Slave labor. If Mexico should be attacked under the pretense that she had justly offended the Confederate States by the grant of passage through Sonora, every obligation of honor would seem to require that our troops should be ready to enforce our laws against filibustering expeditions from our Territories against the territories of a nation with whom we are at peace. Such troops would at the same time be efficient to restore our lawful dominion in Texas and New Mexico. Upper California, Oregon, and Washington Territory could furnish a respectable force for all these purposes, which could be conveyed by water to Guaymas and from thence by land over good roads to their proper points of operation. The States bordering on Texas and our New Mexico frontier are very weak in population and wealth, and could be conquered by a comparatively small force. Tamaulipas has only 108,000, of all ages, races, and sexes. The entire population of the five Mexican States above named is stated in the most reliable census to be 628,000, of all ages, sexes, and races, covering an area of 67,563 square miles. I am informed that recent discoveries of mineral wealth in Sonora and Chihuahua have invited large bodies of men from California to those two States. It is suspected that they are of a class easily induced to unite with the Southern rebels in an attack on these and their neighboring Mexican States, as well as to promote Southern pretensions in New Mexico and Texas. I suggest whether a prudent forecast would not invite our Government to raise in California and Oregon a force which should pass from Guaymas through Sonora to our possessions in New Mexico and Arizona for the purposes suggested

San Francisco, September 20, 1861.

Quartermaster-General, Washington, D. O.:

GENERAL: There are some things that are next to impossible and among them is to raise an army without money. We have received no money for your department since the estimate for March last, and the expenses of the Government have been greatly increased thereby (at least 20 per cent). I would beg you to comply with my estimates as early as possible. I hope you will make no contracts at Washington for transportation or anything else for my command. I can control these matters much better here than you can there. If I should find any collusion against the Government I can throw these people off altogether and resort to some other expedient. If the steamship companies should be at all unreasonable I can hire sailing ships for transports, and there would be but little difference in time in running south, as the prevailing winds are northerly on this coast at this season of the year.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,