Justus Steinberger, May 19, 1862

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, Headquarters Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal. :

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge by the steamship Pacific, arrived at Portland on the 17th instant, your communication of the 6th referring to the disposition of the regiment of cavalry under Colonel Cornelius. Before the reception of your letter the two companies of this regiment referred to in my communication of the 14th instant had arrived here in pursuance of directions for that purpose. Believing that the commanding general was not informed of the supply of cavalry equipment available*at the depot here, and that under the advisement of my letter of the 14th instant approval will be given to the movement of the troops as indicated therein, Colonel Cornelius with his staff and Jompanies B and E, of his regiment, will leave to-morrow morning for Fort Dalles by water, en route for Fort Walla Walla. I have much confidence that the general commanding will agree with me as to the urgent necessity of this movement, from the reasons mentioned in the letter referred to, and will sanction this departure from his instructions in your letter of the 6th instant. Information is given me by Colonel Cornelius that Lieutenant-Colonel Maury with four companies of the Oregon cavalry will be at Camp Barlow, two miles north of Oregon City. It is the place selected by him for encampment in conformity to instructions to him from department headquarters, “to concentrate his force in the Willamette Valley preparatory to his proceeding east of the mountains.” Until further directions are received for the movement of these four companies no arrangements will be made for their march. The past winter has been an unusually severe and prolonged one, and since the reception of your letter Colonel Cornelius reports to me that it would be unsafe to attempt to cross the Cascade Mountains until the lst of August. Other well informed persons agree in this opinion. The march in that direction will even then be a hard one and attended with some risk. For any operations this summer as a cavalry force, I respectfully submit that it is important that the regiment should be at Walla Walla at the earliest practicable moment. The presence of one company at the Nez Percé Reservation is already urged by the Indian superintendent as of great necessity for the preservation of our friendly relations with that tribe of Indians. For operations in the Salmon River country and along the emigrant trail I am fearful the object would be defeated if we were compelled to wait for the snow to melt on the Cascade Mountains before marching these troops. Forage of every description is selling at very high rates in the valley and in this neighborhood, and the difference in the cost of supporting these four companies at Camp Barlow and east of the mountains would go far toward paying the transportation by water to Fort Dalles. At Camp Barlow and, indeed, throughout the Willamette Valley, grazing must be hired and short forage purchased, while east of the Cascade Mountains the season is further advanced and forage of all kinds to be procured at less cost to the Government. As some time will of necessity elapse before they can be equipped to move in either direction, the commanding general will have full opportunity to become informed of the proper route to take for these companies. I am well impressed that to promote the successful employment of these troops in the movements indicated in the letter of instructions to myself on leaving San Francisco, that it would be eminently advisable to send them by water to Fort Dalles, and thence to Fort Walla Walla by land as soon as they are in readiness to move.

Trusting that my action in the case of Colonel Cornelius, his staff, and Companies B and E will be approved, and awaiting further directions as to the balance of the regiment, L am,

very respectfully, your