F. H. Waterman to George Wright, April 7, 1862

Brig. Gen. G. WRIGHT, Commanding U. S. Forces of the Pacific :

Str: I deem it my duty to inform you of all the facts in relation to the detention and recovery of the U.S. mail on yesterday. The steamer Saint Louis arrived at the wharf in this city yesterday at 12 m. with eight bags of U.S. mail matter from Acapulco, Panama, and South America. When the boat touched the wharf the mail carrier and one of my clerks (both sworn officers of the United States Government) were on the wharf and requested the purser of the ship to deliver the mails, so that they might be brought immediately to the post-office. This he refused to do, without a written order from Messrs. Forbes & Babcock, agents for the steamer. My clerk went immediately to the oftice of Messrs. Forbes & Babcock and found a clerk, who declined to issue the order. My clerk reported these facts to me. I then went to the office myself and the clerk said he would send up to the church for Mr. Babcock, and he would notify me at the post-office of the result. After waiting at my office an hour I called on you for the force which you kindly furnished for the purpose of seizing the mail by force, if necessary, and conveying it to the post-office. I preceded the soldiers about five minutes to the ship. I found the captain had left and the ship was in charge of the first officer. The first officer said there was no mail on board the ship and said he should forbid my searching the ship. At this moment the soldiers arrived, and an agent of the com. pany in a moment after. The mails, consisting of eight bags of letters and papers, were delivered to me and brought to the post-office, where they arrived about 3 p. m.—they should have been at the office in ten minutes after the arrival of the ship. For your prompt answer to my call for assistance, I return my sincere thanks.

Yours, very truly, S. H. PARKER, Postmaster.

GUAYMAS, SONORA, MEXICO, April 7, 1862. Brigadier-General WRIGHT, U. S. Army, Commanding Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal. : SIR: As a loyal citizen of the United States I take the liberty of addressing to you this communication, and inclosing to you the accompanying correspondence,* obtained while at Ures, the capital of Sonora

_ “See Sibley to the Governor of the State of Sonora, December 16, 1861, p. 766, and inclosures Nos. 1 to 6 to letter of Alden to Wright, April 26, p. 1030,

Cuap, LXIT.] CORRESPONDENCE—UNION AND CONFEDERATE.

(from whence I returned three days since), through the politeness of Don Manuel Escalante, a reputed confidential friend of Governor Pesqueira and at present deputy from Hermosillo to the Sonoran Legislature, now in session. This correspondence was obtained with the understanding that it would be communicated directly to San Francisco to yourself, and to the Evening Bulletin for publication. Mr. W. G. Moody, the correspondent for the above-named paper, accompanied me in my trip. The replies of Governor Pesqueira to the communications of Sibley and Reily were positively promised us, and we were told that they were being translated for us, for which reason we delayed two days in Ures beyond our time of departure, but were unsuccessful in obtaining them. This morning’s mail brought a note (copy of which is marked G) to Mr. Moody, requesting the correspondence to be withheld until the next steamer. Now, for what reason this request is made, why copies of the Governor’s replies were withheld after being promised, and what the contents of those replies were, is to a considerable extent a matter of conjecture. Escalante represented to me positively, and such was the belief in Ures and Hermosillo, that Pesqueira denied the privilege of pursuing Indians into Sonora and of a depot at Guaymas, and that he declined to answer Sibley’s interrogatory whether he respected the convention of the United States and Mexico relative to the right of transit for troops and munitions. Reily, however, while in this city boasted that he had obtained all the privileges asked for, and even more; that Pesqueira was friendly to them and their cause, and was only restrained from more open demonstrations of his good will by the opposition of his people and their fears of the designs of the Confederates. I do not credit, however, the assertions of Reily, for it is well understood that Pesqueira is friendly to the North, and I have no doubt that such is the fact. Such at least is the unmistakable feeling of every Mexican in Sonora. They fear the Confederates for evident reasons. There is considerable apprehension felt on the part of the Government here, and freely expressed, that it is the design of the Confederates to make an incursion into this State under some pretext or another, and that the privileges asked for by Sibley are in pursuance of that plan. That such is their plan I infer, not only from the nature of the case, but from intimations of Reily when here and the boastful tone of secessionists in this city since his departure. That Reily made arrangements while in this place for obtaining supplies from San Francisco and other places I have no doubt. That he made proposals to that effect to parties here I am positively informed. I hope to obtain particulars before this letter is mailed. The complications of Sonora politics and their relations to the interests of the United States are somewhat interesting and curious, and possibly important, and I may be pardoned in saying a few words relative thereto. It is currently reported and believed here that the convention of the allied powers with the Juarez Government has resulted in a scheme whereby the local and State governments are to be shorn of much of their present power and looseness of obligation to the central Government. The import duties and revenues generally are to be collected by new appointees under foreign direction and control, and the proceeds applied to the new administration of the Government; the balance to the payment of foreign bonds and reimbursement for present advances.

L have reliable information that Pesqueira has openly declared that rather than submit to such terms he will resist and throw Sonora into the arms of the United States. That he is determined to be in a state of preparedness for future contingencies of some sort is evidenced by the new activity prevailing at present in his military establishment. It must be remembered that Sonora has for several years maintained a quasi independence of the central Government; that Pesqueira has refused the control of the custom-house to the appointees of the central Government, and that its revenues are paid out on his (Pesqueira’s) orders for State expenses. The above alleged terms of the allied conivention are universally considered to be disgraceful, and it is’ the freely spoken opinion of intelligent Mexicans that Sonora has but one course left, viz, annexation to the United States. Should such an event happen as that above indicated, that and the evident designs of Confederates upon this State, together with the interests of the foreign powers, would present a somewhat curious entanglement. Of the present measures to be taken, if any are necessary, you are the judge. My intention is only to put you in possession of such facts and current beliefs and opinions as fall under my observation and which it may be important for you to know. I may be allowed to say, however, that it is the belief of all Americans that the interests of the United States demand the presence of a man-of-war in this port. In the opinion above expressed, as to the disposition of Governor Pesqueira toward the United States and the nature of his replies to Sibley, I have endeavored to do full justice to the Governor, but from his desire to suppress, or at least delay, the publication of his correspondence it is not improbable that he may have somehow entangled himself with them. That he fears them and their designs I am positively informed, and that he may have resorted to finesse is pretty evident. As Iam an entire stranger to you, I take the liberty to refer you for information concerning myself to Collector Rankin, Senators Shafter, Hathaway, and Perkins; also my friend L. R. Lull.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,