Justus Steinberger, June 6, 1862

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Headquarters Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal.: SIR: In pursuance of directions from the commanding general of the department, Company B, Second Infantry California Volunteers, at Fort Hoskins, will be relieved by Company D, First Washington Territory Infantry, Captain Seidenstriker. I have selected this company, composed almost entirely of Germans, for duty at that place from my impression of their entire reliability in the trusts involved. The officers are intelligent, worthy, and well informed, and the men particularly subordinate. A detachment of the company at present posted at Fort Hoskins is now serving at Fort Umpqua, and should this latter post be deemed of sufficient importance it will be necessary to relieve it. I have recently been in communication with well-informed persons from that section of country (among others Major Alvord, lately returned from Fort Umpqua), and am impressed of the entire inutility of a military force of any size at the mouth of the Umpqua. When first established it was the thoroughfare of the Indians from the reservation on

Alsea River to Port Oxford, and on account of hostilities then existing near the latter place served no doubt a valuable purpose. The Indians about Port Oxford have been for two years thoroughly subdued and altogether incapable of any outbreak, besides on the reservation they are contented, peaceable, and all engaged in the cultivation of lands which they consider their proper homes. The trail that Fort Umpqua professes to guard is not used by Indians and has not been for some time. Fort Umpqua serves no other purpose for military defense or protection, and from its position entails upon the Government an unwarranted expense. 1 have respectfully to recommend that on the withdrawal of the detachment of Company B, Second California Volunteer Infantry, under Lieutenant Watson, the post be abandoned and the public property be put in charge of an employé of the quartermaster’s department. Should any necessity occur in the future for the presence of troops at that point, it can in the fall of the year be promptly supplied from Fort Hoskins. The company at Fort Hoskins will be of necessity divided, part required at the Siletz Reservation. A further division will seriously impair the efficiency of the company.

Trusting to have the decision of the commanding general on the subject, I am,

very respectfully, your obedient servant,