George Wright to Lorenzo Thomas, May 15, 1862

Brig. Gen. L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. O.:

GENERAL: I have nothing of importance to report since my letter of the 13th instant. At the earnest request of the superintendent of Indian affairs for Oregon, I have left one company of Oregon cavalry in the Rogue River Valley, near Jacksonville, to afford protection against Indian depredations in that quarter. The remaining three companies, enrolled in Southern Oregon, will move as soon as practicable, under command of Lieut. Col. R. F. Maury, Oregon cavalry, to the valley of the Columbia, where, uniting with the two companies now there, the whole under Colonel Cornelius will move eastward to Fort Walla Walla, with a view to carry out the plan of operations for the summer as already indicated in my communication to you. My latest reports from the remote posts of Colville and Walla Walla, as well as from the mining districts, represent the Indians as peaceable and quiet. At the special request of Mr. Victor Smith, the U. S. collector at Port Townsend, Wash. Ter., I have authorized him to take possession of the buildings at Fort Townsend for a marine hospital, until such time as they may be required for military purposes. I have done this without any special authority from the War Department, assuming that it would be approved, as the garrison buildings will be better taken care of by an officer of the Government, and much expense saved to the Treasury Department, by using them for a marine hospital. The mail leaves here by steamer for New York four times a month and my dispatches will be habitually made up to the steamer day.

Very respecttully,

your obedient servant, i