W. Scott Ketchum to Fourth Infantry, Commanding, October 7, 1861
Camp near San Bernardino, Cal., October 7, 1861.
Sir: The attention of the general commanding the department is respectfully called to such portions of the inclosed report as embrace le names of Morgan, Grooms, Greenwade, and Cline, secessionists, t able, a Union man; also that portion relating to Jack Hays. Morcan, at Temecula, Knight of the Golden Circle, and secessionist, states that e ght men were detailed from an organization of 300 men to seize the arms sent to Los Angeles for the Union men, or home guards, but some of the men backed out, consequently the arms were not seized. Had the arms been seized my camp was to have been attacked. Ferguson, said to be a lieutenant in Kelly’s band, gave Morgan this information. This confirms the report made to me by the Union men prior to the election. I understand that a law has been passed to prevent conspiracies and to punish conspirators, but I have received nothing of the kind, or, in fact, anything official from the War Department since General Orders, No. 43, of this year, or any general order from Army Headquarters since General Orders, No. 11, 1861. I judge from the map inclosed that Cable’s, or its vicinity, would be a good station for troops to look after and capture secessionists, if accoinpanied by a U.S. marshal and some authority for the capture. There should be a large command of foot and horsemen somewhere between the desert and this place with full powers to act. Supplies could be furnished trom New San Diego, which should have a sufficient force to escort the trains containing supplies, defend the depot, and operate toward Lower California. I have been told that there is a wagon road from Temecula, via San Luis Rey, to San Diego; distance about sixty-five or seventy miles. There is another wagon road from San Diego to Warner’s ranch, distance about the same as above, but as it crosses the San Pasqual Mountain, it is difficult to travel in wet weather. The San Pasqual Mountain is very high, and the road on the west side very narrow, very steep, and much washed or full of gullies. From what I
can learn, the road between Temecula and San Diego is much better than the other. Respectfully,
your obedient servant,
Major Fourth Infantry, Commanding.
ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, U.S. Army,
Hdqrs. Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal.
No. 2.
Report of Lieut. Thomas E. Turner, Fourth U. S. Infantry.
CAMP NEAR SAN BERNARDINO, CALs, October 5, 1861.
MAJOR: T have the honor herewith to ana the following report of