and 10, 1862. The course indicated in your letter of the 6th of January, concerning the payment, of volunteers, is the one which prevails under existing regulations, so far as the rank and file are concerned; but commissioned officers can only be paid from the date of minimum organization of their respective commands.

I am, sir, &c.,

L. THOMAS.

Adjutant-General

CONFIDENTIAL.] U. S. ENGINEER OFFICE,

San Francisco, Cal., February 13, 1862.

Brigadier General G. WRIGHT U. S. Army,

Commanding Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal.:

GENERAL: Your letter of yesterday finds me still unprepared to make a full report upon the points which have been examined, selected, and are to be recommended for the defenses of this harbor, but the following imperfect report will probably suffice to give to the Governor and the military committee of the Legislature an idea of what should be done to guard against the approaches to this city. At the Golden Gate it is proposed in addition to the present defenses to place twenty guns in a temporary battery on the beach between the wharf and the fort at Fort Point, to construct the platforms of the 10-gun battery on the hill, and to mount ten 42-pounders thereon immediately; to occupy the cove at Lime Point, opposite Fort Point, with a battery of twenty heavy guns, some of them to be used for hot shot. These would give fifty efficient guns more on the entrance into the harbor at the Gate, and, including those at the fort at Fort Point already mounted and to be mounted, would give a total of 181 guns bearing on the pass. In connection with Alcatraz Island, forming the second line of defense within the harbor, it is recommended to construct a battery on Black Point or Point San Jose of at least twenty heavy guns and one of ten guns on Blunt's Point on Angel Island. These thirty guns, in connection with those on Alcatraz Island (77), would give 107 guns on that line. As an enemy would seek, if possible, to avoid this second line and to pass through Raccoon Strait toward the navy-yard and Benicia, it would be well to establish battaries on the point of Angel Island, called Stewart's Point. There a battery of twenty or thirty guns would be of great advantage, and finally to prevent the occupation of the anchorage, between the Island of Yerba Buena and the city which is at too great a distance from Alcatraz to be reached from that point, guns should be placed in position on Yerba Buena Island to command the anchorage and to protect the city. With these defenses it is supposed that until the permanent fort on Lime Point can be constructed the harbor may be made quite defensive against a large fleet. As has been before mentioned, a fleet might instead of exposing itself to the heavy fire of the second line, force its way up Raccoon Strait and aim a blow at the navy-yard and the arsenal at Benicia. To guard against such an attempt, Point San Pable and Point San Pedro have been examined and found good positions for batteries. They are within proper distances of each other and command the entrance of San Pable Bay, where the navy-yard is constructed and from where it is supposed there will always be some ships to co-operate with the batteries. This synopsis or general view of the subject can hardly be presented as a report, inasmuch as the number of guns at the several points indicated may be changed when the ground or position becomes more or less important. Indeed, it is presented as a plan for the general defenses of the harbor of San Francisco. It becomes now important to examine the approaches to this city by land. Nature seems to have a strong