First Infantry California Volunteers to Thomas E. Ketcham, March 8, 1862

No. 8. } San Francisco, Cal., March 8, 1862.

I. The public interest requires that all officers and soldiers should be at their posts. Accordingly, all leaves of absence or furloughs for a longer period than seven days are prohibited. ‘

II. At the posts and camps in the vicinity of San Francisco commanders will not grant leaves of absence or furloughs for a longer period than forty-eight hours, without previous reference to department headquarters. i

By order of Brigadier-General Wright:

R. ©. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant- General.

March 8, 1862. Lieut. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, Commanding Camp Wright, Cal. :

COLONEL: You will not order Captain Ffrench’s company from San Diego to Camp Wright until further instructions on this point from these headquarters. If after the arrival of Captain Roberts’ company atCamp Wright you can spare your teams for that purpose, it is important that they return to San Diego for subsistence stores for your command. Every pound you can get from there will save hauling from San Pedro. If one of the San Diego post teams can be spared for this purpose, and Captain Roberts will know, press it into service by my authority. The new knapsacks (for the First Infantry California Volunteers only) are on Winston’s train en route to Camp Wright. Have as many issued to the companies of the First at your camp as may be required, and have the remainder carefully packed and sent by the first convenient opportunity to Fort Yuma. Have the old knapsacks now in the hands of the men turned in on the receipt of the new ones and transferred by Winston’s train to Lieutenant French, acting assistant quartermaster, Camp Drum, near New San Pedro, Cal. If there is an abundance of subsistence stores at New San Diego (and Captain Roberts will know), and if it is possible to get forage in that neighborhood, or from the public stores already on hand at New San Diego, you are at liberty to send Winston’s train for one load of those stores before you order it to return to Camp Drum. If I can avoid hauling subsistence from San Pedro, the expedition need not wait so long for mules from above. Four companies of infantry left Camp Latham yesterday under Major Coult, with orders to report to the commanding officer at

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Camp Wright. If the men of Captain Willis’ company who decided not to drill with the knapsacks on are still in confinement, you can exercise your discretion whether to keep them there and have them tried, or whether, in the event that they will now obey the order, you will release them. In case you decide to have them tried, forward without delay the charges against them. Notify your beef contractor of the prospective increase of the strength of your command. I am, colonel,

very respectfully, your obedient servant,