Unknown to D. Fergusson, March 15, 1862

Maj. D. FERGUSSON, First Cavalry California Volunteers, Comdg. at Camp Carleton: MAJOR: Order Captain Pishon and his company, First Cavalry California Volunteers, to proceed without delay to Fort Yuma, Cal. See that every man of his company who is fit to take the field is furnished with a good horse, a good Sharps carbine, a good revolver (navy size), and a good saber (ground sharp). To do this you will be obliged to take some of these articles from other companies. Those companies will have all such articles replaced here. Give the company 10,000 rounds of Sharps carbine ball cartridges, and 5,000 rounds navy-revolver cartridges. You can replenish your supply from New San Pedro. This company need not take tents, so Captain Mead can receipt for them. No one but Captain Pishon need know to what point the company is ordered. As it passes Temescal you will give Captain Pishon orders to arrest one Mr. Greenwade, who lives there, and without fail to take him to Fort Yuma and turn him over to Major Rigg or the commander of that post, as a political prisoner. Give Captain Pishon detailed instructions how best to accomplish this duty. To-morrow I shall send from New San Pedro fifteen wagons laden with provisions and ammunition and forage en route to Fort Yuma. Captain Pishon’s company may accompany this train. You can give such orders as will insure his meeting it at some point between Chino Ranch and Temecula. When he joins this train the wagons he has used up to that point he will send back to you; two of the fifteen wagons above alluded to will be his means of transportation on from that point. Perhaps Temescal would be the best place where to intersect this train. I hope all this will be done without any mistakes or delays. It is important that Pishon’s cavalry be at Yuma at the earliest possible moment, and if you and he can figure out any way in which this can be done without injuring his horses, more expeditiously than the manner indicated by myself, act on such plan and report his departure to me. Keep the condemned horses until the general’s orders are known. It may be well for Pishon to know he will surely have a fight. If he could go direct and not break down, it would be better. I shall send carbine and pistol ammunition from here by the fifteen wagons, but if Pishon goes on in advance he must take his ammunition from your camp, as he will need it long before the wagons come. I hope this time the whole public need not know to what point these troops are destined. I have great confidence in Pishon’s resources and energy, and I feel sure that if any one can get a cavalry company to Fort Yuma quickly and without breaking down he can. Have the rest of your force moved as heretofore ordered, and hold it in hand for field service. I am, major,

very respectfully, your obedient servant,