Joseph Rodman West, also known as J. Rodman West, was a United States senator from Louisiana, a Union general in the United States Army during and after the American Civil War and the chief executive of the District of Columbia. As a commander of militia, he gave the order to torture and murder Apache chief Mangas Coloradas, who had come to meet with him under a flag of truce to discuss terms of peace.
Los Angeles Los Angeles, October 16, 1861. Lieut. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, First California Infantry, en route to Fort Yuma: COLONEL: You are ordered with three companies of the First…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., October 22, 1861. Lieut. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, En route to Fort Yuma: I have received and forwarded Captain McMahon’s resignation, but it was…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., November 25, 1861. Lieut. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, First Infantry California Vols., Comdg. Fort Yuma, Cal. : COLONEL: The following dispatch I have just…
SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO, December 5, 1861. General WRIGHT: be (Care of Captain McAllister, U. S. Army, Benicia, Cal.) Dispatch from Major Rigg reports the arrest of Showalter and seventeen…
HEADQUARTERS NEW SAN DIEGO BARRACKS, January 31, 1862. January 31, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First California Volunteer Infantry, San Pedro: COLONEL: I have the honor to acknowledge the…
HEADQUARTERS, Fort Yuma, February 4, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First California Vol. Infty., Comdg. Dist., New San Pedro, Cal.: COLONEL: I would respectfully call your attention to the…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., February 8, 1862. First California Volunteer Infantry, Comdg. Camp Wright: COLONEL: Having assumed command at Camp Wright in compliance with instructions dated at these…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., February 10, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First California Vol. Infty., Comdg. Camp Wright, Cal. : COLONEL: Send with Veck’s train the remaining…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., February 11, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First Infantry California Vols., Comdg. Camp Wright, Cal.: COLONEL: Should the commander of Fort Yuma require…
HEADQUARTERS, February 16, 1862. > Fort Yuma, February 16, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, Camp Wright, Cal. : COLONEL: I have just time to say that Captain McCleave with…
j Los Angeles, Cal. j Los Angeles, Cal., March 5, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First Infty. California Vols., Comdg. at Camp Wright, Cal. : COLONEL: Order Captain Mead’s…
Sunday Evening Sunday Evening, March 16, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First Infantry California Vols., Comdg. at Camp Wright, Cal.: COLONEL: Order Captain Greene’s company to march to Fort…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., March 20, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First Infantry California Vols., Comdg. at Camp Wright, Cal.: COLONEL: Soper’s company may come via Temecula,…
Los Angeles, Cul. Los Angeles, Cul., March 29, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First Infty. California Vols., Comdg. at Camp Wright, Cal.: COLONEL: Some days since I caused a…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., March 31, 1862. Lieut. Col. J. R. WEST, First Infty. California Vols., Comdg. at Camp Wright, Cal.: COLONEL: The colonel commanding the district directs…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., April 1, 1862. Lieut. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, Commanding at Camp Wright, Cal. : Sir: As you will not take tents for your men…
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal., April 3, 1862. Lieut. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, Commanding at Camp Wright, Cal.: SIR: The party guarding supplies at Carriso Creek must be made…
TUCSON, ARIZ. TER. TUCSON, ARIZ. TER., June 25, 1862. Col. J. R. WEST, e First Infantry California Volunteers, Commanding, Present: SIR: I have the honor to report that in compliance…
TUCSON, ARIZ. TER. TUCSON, ARIZ. TER., June 25, 1862. Col. J. R. WEST, e First Infantry California Volunteers, Commanding, Present: SIR: I have the honor to report that in compliance…
Tucson, Ariz., July 8, 1862. First Infantry California Vols., Comdg. at Tucson, Ariz.: COLONEL: You will order a sergeant and nine trusty infantry soldiers and three first-rate cavalry soldiers to…
Miembres River, Ariz. Miembres River, Ariz., August 6, 1862. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, First California Volunteer Infantry, Commanding Camp: COLONEL: I have been credibly informed that there are some twenty…
Jornada del Muerto, N. Mex. Jornada del Muerto, N. Mex., September 8, 1862. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, Commanding District of Arizona, Mesilla, Ariz.: COLONEL: I met this morning some paroled…
Fort Craig, N. Mex. Fort Craig, N. Mex., September 9, 1862. Col. JOSEPH R. WEST, Commanding District of Arizona, Mesilla, Ariz. : COLONEL: Captain Archer, commissary of subsistence at this…
Albuquerque, N. Mex. Albuquerque, N. Mex., September 14, 1862. First California Volunteer Infantry, Comdg. Dist. of Arizona: CoLONEL: By the same express which carries this letter you will receive an…