James H. Carleton to Richard C. Drum, April 1, 1862

Maj. RICHARD C. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant-General, U. S. Army, San Francisco, Cal.: MAJOR: Inclosed herewith you will find letters and orders recently issued from these headquarters, which move some of the troops in this district toward Arizona.* I have ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Olney from Santa Barbara, where, with his two companies of the Second Infantry California Volunteers, he is now of no service, to San Diego, where he can replace Lieutenant-Colonel Dobbins, who will join Colonel Bowie at Camp Wright. This will give Colonel Bowie all his regiment at Fort Yuma and in advance of that post. Thus you can have calculations made of the amount of rations and forage which will be needed at Fort Yuma to supply, say, one battery of light artillery, two regiments of infantry, six companies of cavalry, 250 teamsters and employés, and say, 1,200 mules. The provisions now there are all we can count upon as certain. The rice has not yet arrived. It is problematical

*Not found as inclosures, but see Carleton to Bowie and Carleton to West, March 31, pp. 968,969. See also Special Orders, No. 40, District of Southern California, March, 31, p. 968.

when the Jesup will get there; yet once upon the desert these mouths must eat or we have disaster, and the only way I can see to put this question beyond a doubt is for the general to order supplies at once by steam to the mouth of the Colorado. Time, now the hot weather is so rapidly coming on the desert, is everything. Wecannot afford any delay atall. Ishall do my best, but the doubts and delays hanging over the matter of having a plenty of supplies at Fort Yuma at once weigh upon me like an incubus. I cannot venture to put all these troops in motion out upon the desert without seeing beyond a doubt what they are to eat. See my letter on this point written last December, That was when I was counting on performing certain duties with 1,600 men. Sibley’s advance and probable successes against Canby make it important now to increase the force. Increase proportionately the stores and have no delay. I trust the money asked for, also proportionately increased in amount to suit the new aspect of affairs, will be sent down on the return boat. Until a good supply of stores has been deposited at Fort Yuma we cannot afford the time it takes for sailing vessels to go around Cape Saint Lucas and beat up the Gulf of California to the mouth of the Colorado. I shall venture to get as many troops on this edge of the desert, and at and in advance of Fort Yuma as will be safe from the present state of our commissariat at Fort Yuma. The troops have to cross the Yuma Desert a company at a time. The movements I have ordered get some over at once and have others ready, so I gain all the time possible. By getting Lieutenant-Colonels West and Eyre at the Pima Villages, small parties of the enemy will not annoy me. The cavalry horses will become recruited a little, and we shall be ready to make another stride as soon as the rear reaches the Colorado; that stride will be Tucson; the next Mesilla Valley. I do not intend to arrive on the Rio Grande in disarray if I can help it, and if not in disarray, I trust with God’s help to be able to strike one good blow for our country.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,