Today in History:

514 Series I Volume L-I Serial 105 - Pacific Part I

Page 514 OPERTIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII.

WAR DEPARTMENT, June 13, 1861.

Colonel J. D. STEVENSON,

San Francisco:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th ultimo, with inclosur, offering to raise a regiment or brigade in California for service in that State. The Department has full confidence in your ability to command such a force, and in your loyalty to the Government, so well attested by your former well-known services, but I cannot at present give the leave asked for to raise the proposed regiment or brigade. Circumstances may hereafter occur to render such a step necessary, but existing circumstances do not seem to warrant it.

Respectfully,

SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War.


SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Numbers 102.
Sant Francisco, June 14, 1861.

I. In pursuance of Special Orders, Numbers 136, from the Adjutant-General's Office, the engineer detachment at Alcatraz Island will sail on the steamer of the 21st for the East. The three men of the detachment recently ordered on reconnaissance with Lieutenant McPherson will accompany it.

* * * *

By order of Brigadier-General Sumner:

D. C. BUELL,
Assistant Adjutant-General.


HEADQUARTERS DEISTICT OF OREGON,

Fort Vancouver, Wash. Ter., June 14, 1861.

Major D. C. BUELL,

Asst. Adjt. General, Hdqrs. Dept. of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal.:

MAJOR: On receipt of Department Special Orders, Numbers 93, on the 10th instant, I ordered two companies to proceed to Sant Francisco, although the order left it discretionary with me whether I would send a second company or not. On the night of the 11th instant I received Department Special Orders, Numbers 97, and immediately issuded instrucctions in compliance therewith, which you will receive by this mail. Under the circumstances of the case I was compelled to consider the second company, detachment by me under Special Order, Numbers 93, as one of the sevent required by Special orders, Numbers 97. I have been compelled to withdraw the troops entirely from Forts Cascades, Yamhill, and Townsend, as well as Camps Pickett and Chehalis. I have taken measures for the removal of the public property and the security of the buildings until required again for troops. Since August last fifteen companies have been withdraw from this district, leaving now only thirteen, many of them much in want of recruits, the companies of the Ninth Infantry, on Puget Sound, being only about half full. I shall send down by the Cortez Captain Wallen, with his company (H), Fourth Infantry, and Lieutenant Fleming, with Company E, Ninth Infantry. The remaining six companies scannot possibly be sent before the return of the Pacific. Although nothing was said in the orders about the medical officers, yet, presuming that their services might be required with the troops, and not being required in this district, I ordered all


Page 514 OPERTIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII.