James H. Carleton to R. C. Drum, U.s. Army, December 17, 1861

Maj. R. C. DRUM, U.S. Army, Assistant Adjutant-General, San Francisco, Cal. :

MAJOR: The following articles it will take time to prepare, and if they are not needed in this direction they will be needed on the Overland Mail Route in the spring, so nothing will be lost by having them procured at once. There should be prepared to ship to Fort Yuma two sets of shoes each for, say,-1,200 mules. In round numbers, say 10,000 muleshoes. They should be hand-made shoes and fitted ready to set. For this number of shoes there should be procured a plenty of horseshoe nails of the proper size. The shoes should one by one be carefully inspected by a practical shoer before they are boxed. Machine-made shoes we have no time or appliances or coal to work over into proper shape en route. There should be prepared to ship to Fort Yuma two sets of shoes each for, say, 550 cavalry and artillery horses, including officers’ horses; say 4,400 horseshoes. These should be hand-made and fitted ready to set. A plenty of horseshoe nails of proper size should be sent with them, and each shoe before it is boxed should be inspected by a practical shoer. I shall require 1,500 pairs of woolen overalls or trousers, of strong material and well made, and 1,500 woolen blouses, and 3,000 pairs of stockings, and 2,000 pairs of good strong shoes. These should be made or be got ready to ship to Yuma. This is all the clothing I desire to have at that point for supplying the troops while on the expedition. Each article should be of the best material and substantially made. In a few days I will have prepared all the estimates for the supplies I need.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,