Today in History:

1044 Series I Volume L-I Serial 105 - Pacific Part I

Page 1044 OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII.


HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
Fort Yuma, Cal., May 2, 1862.

Senor Gobernador Don IGNACIO PESQUEIRA,

Ures or Hermosillo, Sonora, Republic of Mexico:

SIR: Your Excellency is doubtless aware that for certain military considerations the general commanding the United States forces on the Pacific Coast interdicted the crossing by any person of the Colorado River unless such person had a passport signed by himself. This excluded many of the citizens of the State of Sonora in the friendly Republic of Mexico from coming to work in the rich mines recently discovered on the Colorado River in California, and also excluded others from coming to Fort Yuma to seel provisions and other of the products and commodities of your State. The restrictions as to the crossing of the Colorado applied no less to citizens of the United States than to the citizens of our sister Republic. Thus you will see that no individous distinction was made favoring Americans in preference to the people of Your Excellency. It is now my good fortune to be able to say to Your Excellency that the prohibitions about crossing the river are removed, and the people of Sonorar are at liberty to come and work in our mines, or to sell their provisions, forage, fruits, &c., within our lines. The forces of the United States under my command, now passing up the gila River to the Pima Villages, and thence on to occupy the Territory of Arizona, though abundantly furnished with every necessary artictle of subsistence and forage, with adequate means of transportation for all additional supplies from the depot at Fort Yuma which they may need, yet if the people of Sonora desire to bring flour, pork, beef, mutton, sugar, coffee, wheat, barley, fruit, vegetables, &c., to the Pima Villages or to Tucson, after I hace occupied it, they will be paid a fair price in gold and silver coin for what they sell. It is our sincere desire, as well as our true policy, to mafriendly relations with the citizens of all nations, but more particularly with those who, like ourselves, and like our neighbors of Mexico, are endeavoring to prove to the world that any brave and intelligent people are capable of being governmend by laws made by themselves, and by rulers chosen by and from among themselves. Therefore Your Excellency may rest assured that nothing will be done on our part to disturb the kind feelings which happily subsist between your people and those of the United States. The people in the South, who are in open rebellion against the Government of the United States, having an unjust cause, can never suceed in establishing themselves as an independent nation. As the war which they have wantonly commenced is an unrighteous one, they have not the sympathies of a single Christian nation in the world. Such being the case, you can judge how incredulous I was when I heard that an officer of rank int he army of the so-styled Confederate States, who has recently been to visit you, had stated publicly in Arizona, on his return from Sonora, that he had made such arrangements with Your Excellency that what supplies he might need for his troops could be landed in the ports of Sonora, and be transported, without let or hindrance, thence through that State to Tucson. I know that Your Excellency is well aware that the very people whose emissary it is alleged thus comes to ask of you these commerical privileges, would, as fulibusters, usurp the power you yourself hold, and subjugate your own State, if they had but the ability to do so. Therefore you can judge of my astonishment at such intelligence. I will not even ask Your Excellency if what I have heard is true, as such an utter want of faith toward a friendly neighbor would be so unworthy of


Page 1044 OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII.