Unknown, July 17, 1862

No. 10. f Tucson, Ariz., July 17, 1862.

The Column from California will move to the Rio Grande in the following order:

I. On the 20th instant Col. Joseph R. West, First California Volunteer Infantry, with Companies B, ©, and K of his regiment, and Company G, of the Fifth California Volunteer Infantry. This command at the Rio de Sauz will receive the addition of Company E, of West’s regiment, and Thompson’s mountain howitzers. Maj. Theodore A. Coult, of the Fifth California Volunteer Infantry, is assigned to duty with this command. Colonel West will take 40,000 rounds of riflemusket ammunition.

If. On the 21st instant a second command, consisting of Shinn’s light battery, Third U.S. Artillery, and Companies A, First, and B, Fifth California Volunteer Infantry, will take up its line of march for the Rio Grande. This command will be supplied with all the artillery ammunition now here which pertains to Shinn’s battery and 17,000 rounds of ammunition for the rifle musket.

II. On the 23d instant a third command, under Lieut. Col. Edwin A. Rigg, consisting of Companies I, F, D, and H, First California

“Not found. t See p. 120, t See p. 124, § See p. 126.

Volunteer Infantry, will start for the Rio Grande. This command will have 28,000 rounds of ammunition for the rifle musket.

IV. Each of these commands will be supplied with subsistence for thirty days, with at least two tents for each company and with a good supply of intrenching tools. Each command will also have one hospital tent complete and an ambulance for the sick and wounded, and will have a forge and material for shoeing horses and mules, and also a water tank and a good supply of water-kegs.

V. On the 31st instant a train of wagons laden with forty days’ supplies of subsistence for the whole command hereby ordered forward, with the following ammunition, viz, 40,000 rounds for the rifle musket, 30,000 rounds for the Sharps carbine, and 20,000 rounds for the navysize Colt revolver, together with such other supplies of clothing, tents, tools, spare wagon timbers, leather, wagon grease, horseshoes, muleshoes, horseshoe-nails, stationery, &c., as may be required, will leave Tucson for the Rio Grande, escorted by Companies A, Fifth California Volunteer Infantry, and A, First California Volunteer Cavalry, each furnished with sixty days’ rations. This command will have an ambulance, forge, and water-tank, and such other articles as may be required to render it efficient.

VI. Company D, First California Volunteer Cavalry, will move from Tubac directly for the crossing of the San Pedro, where it will arrive on the 22d instant. From that point it will form the advance guard of the column, and habitually, unless otherwise ordered, will march one day in front of West’s command.

VII. Captain Cremony’s company (B, of the Second California Volunteer Cavalry) will march near the head of the column, to serve as flankers or as vedettes, as occasion may require.

VIII. The staff officers attached to these headquarters, except the chief commissary, will, until further orders, move with West’s command. Surgeon Prentiss, First California Volunteer Cavalry, will move with the second command, and Surgeon Wooster, Fifth California Volunteer Infantry, will move with Riggs command.

IX. The chief quartermaster, chief commissary, and medical director are charged with giving the most perfect efficiency possible to all matters pertaining to the public service in their several departments, keeping in mind the fact that this column is presumed now to move forward prepared at all points to engage the enemy at any moment by night or by day. Let nothing be omitted or neglected which will give due effect to this idea, whether on the march or on the field of battle.

X. That every soldier may move forward with a light, free step, now that we approach the enemy, he will no longer be required to carry his knapsack.

XI. This is the time when every soldier in this column looks forward with a confident hope that he, too, will have the distinguished honor of striking a blow for the old Stars and Stripes; when he, too, feels in his heart that he is the champion of the holiest cause that has ever yet nerved the arm of a patriot. The general commanding the column desires that such a time shall be remembered by all, but more particularly by those who from their guilt have been so unfortunate as to be prisoners on such an occasion. He therefore orders that all soldiers under his command who may be now held in confinement shall be at once released.

By command of Brigadier-General Carleton: _ f