the colonel commandin g to E. A. Rigg, March 15, 1862

Maj. E. A. RIGG, First Infantry California Vols., Comdy. at Fort Yuma, Cal. : MAJOR: In answer to your letter of March 4, 1862, the colonel commanding directs me to say that you are authorized to pay Mr. Doten What is just for the services already performed by him in repairing wagons, &c., and for any services of a similar nature that he may render in future. The new ambulance should be repaired at once. Andrew J. Keene is to be borne upon your papers. The colonel commanding will send him to Fort Yuma when the public service will admit of his going there. You are at liberty to let Mr. Brady and Mr. Martin return to Sonora for their flour. Say to them that the colonel commanding has great confidence in their fidelity to the United States Government and to the Stars and Stripes, and while he will be glad for any information they may give for the cause, he will do all he can for them. You will have Mr. Kilbride take the oath of allegiance, and then, without his having any further communication with the other prisoners, set him across the river and release him, being first certain that he takes no letters with him. The colonel commanding supposes that Mr. Kilbride knows what the fate of a spy would be, or if he should give aid, intelligence, or comfort to the enemy. Say to Mr. Brady that the district commander is much obliged to him for his information in relation to the Beale route. You will send word to Mr. Grinnel to increase the amount of hay placed by him at the points named in your letter of the 6th instant to fifteen tons at each point, but in no event is this hay to be used without an especial order from the colonel commanding. As there will be an abundance of grass for ten miles up and down from Grinnel’s Station, you can send McCleave’s company to that point. His horses will keep fat by grazing, if they have not too much to do. The colonel commanding will shortly send another company of cavalry to join bim. If the,Tontos are hostile he is to shoot or hang every one he sees. This will be order enough for Captain McCleave; he will do the work effectually. If there is any danger of Hunters company coming over to the Pima Villages to destroy or consume Mr. White’s flour, push on the best company of infantry you have to that point, with . McCleave’s and forty of his best men, the remainder ot his company to remain at Grinnel’s to protect the barley, and not to eat up the hay or the barley. This company of infantry and McCleave’s men must select a site capable of defense, accessible to permanent water, even if invested by an enemy. This must be carefully and speedily intrenched, the men working if necessary night and day. Indians may be gotten to help at this work. All of White’s wheat and flour must be put inside of it, and such other subsistence stores as can be procured in that neighborhood, such as beans, peas, dried pumpkins, salted or dried meat, &c. By having a good understanding with the Pimas and Papagos this work cannot be surprised. If attacked it must be defended to the last extremity. Let McCleave have two mountain howitzers and a reasonable supply of ammunition for the defense of the work. The colonel has great confidence in Captain Calloway and his company. The site should be in the neighborhood of good and permanent grazing, if such a point can be found. It is represented here that the Sacaton is a good point for grass, but great pains must be taken in exploring the neighborhood to find the best place before breaking ground. In case this force goes there, as suggested, another company of cavalry will be added to it as soon as possible. It is therefore important that at least fifty tons of hay be at once put up under the guns of the fort on the leeward side, having reference to the prevailing winds, but so stacked as not to afford shelter to an enemy. There should be a good supply of wood corded up within or near the work; this having been done, it would take a large force and along time to drive McCleave out of it. Send with him all the empty sacks you have at the fort, and be sure that from this time every

59 R R—VOL L, PT I sack, and pork, molasses, and vinegar barrel shall be preserved for use as water barrels. Twenty of these must be carefully hooped and sent to Alamo Station, there to be filled with water to keep them from dropping to pieces until they are needed. By McCleave’s moving up, say to Fort Breckinridge (after he has been re-enforced by a cavalry company), and taking Tueson in reverse, say in the night, having first had the town carefully reconnoitered by Indian spies, he will be able to capture or destroy Mr. Hunter and his band of renegades and traitors. And again, there must be trails and by-paths off the great traveled road known to the Indians, through which such a force as McCleave’s could be piloted so as to fall upon the town unawares of a single person init. Of course no one must be permitted to pass on to that point, and no one coming out from Tucson to the Pima Villages must be permitted to return; so that the Texans will not know of McCleave’s being at the Pima Villages, or of any force in advance of Fort Yuma until they are attacked. You can say (confidentially) to all the officers at your post (except McCleave) that this force is going up to whip the Tontos, now so troublesome. By taking nothing but flour, sugar, and coffee, and beef on the hoof (the flour and beef to be replenished at Grinnel’s and the Pima Villages) the troops can travel light, carrying nothing else save ammunition and intrenching tools. The colonel commanding directs that you send Assistant Surgeon McKee with McCleave’s command. If the company of cavalry from here does not arrive in time, and McCleave through his spies finds that with the company of infantry and his own company he can capture or kill Hunter and his men, he need not leave any of his own men at Grinnel’s. These two companies must have at least 100 rounds of ammunition per man. Hunter and his men must not be underrated. They will fight well. They are armed with the cavalry musketoon and one or two revolvers per man. They are mounted on American horses and have no sabers. They have three wagons for transportation. If they are captured, they are to be sent on foot to California, the horses being retained at Grinnel’s for the use of the First Cavalry. Tell Captain McCleave that a copy of these instructions will be sent to General Wright, and that much will be expected of him and Captain Calloway whether they are attacking the Tontos, fortifying themselves at the Pimas, or making a demonstration on Hunter. In relation to water wagons, the colonel commanding directs me to say to you that he has not time to send to San Francisco for zine; they must be made tight with wood or lined with tin from ammunition boxes. You are authorized to employ the two citizen mechanics of whom you speak in your communication of March 4 to complete this work. You cannot cut too much hay, and you must imagine the points where it will be most needed, counting from Carriso Creek ‘eastward to the Pima Villages, but you must keep your own counsel about this. -All that is puton the road beyond Fort Yuma, it can be said, will be needed for the expedition against the Tontos. The colonel commanding directs that you say to Captain McCleave that if it should happen that he should goto Tucson, and should be successful, he must try to catch one Elias Brevoort, a spy and traitor, Jet him be where he may, in that vicinity, and when caught, let him be tried by a military commission; and if he be found guilty of playing the spy or traitor, let him be hung as speedily as possible. You must make some arrangements with Mr. Yager to pay the small debts contracted

by order of the colonel commandin g, and amounting to about $50. We will soon be in funds to liquidate all our debts.