The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-01-14


such fluctuations Of opinion could not have been sne
paied and necessarily emarrasses my efforts TO cooperate
with you. In my letter Of January u stated that the
force assigned 10 your department known be mad
equate the duties required OF IT, In your report OF Feb
ruary 70 you stated that increase Of force 70 guard
against difficulties with the Indians In California, Utah.
Oregon and Washington Indispensable Tour letter
Of March IA forwards reports Of Indian difficulties in Ore
and the necessity Of an increase OF oree 70 pro-
ect the Indians we'll the whites from mutual aggres
sons In your letter OF March 81 the commanding gem
era YOU say the difficulty Of preserving the OF the
country Is daily increasing owing 20 the increase Of emf
grants who consequently eneroaehng upon the lndi-
and deprivng them OF their improvements This pro-
duces collisions between the two races, white and red
which too frequently end in hloodshed To keep them
quiet and preserve peace large military force is inds
pensable We have less than 900 men to guard and
defend California Oregon Washington and Utah. altogether
in size empire of itself To guard this department and to
defend IT, with almost innomerabe number OF Indian
tribes requires at least regiment oartery two OF dfa
goons aud three Of infantry force certainly small 70 pre-
aud keep quiet extended country. Allow noe TO
request General that YOU will urge upon the War Depart
nent send another regiment practicable In
your letter Of May 80 you explain at large your reasons
for calling for more troops represent the peace Of the
country almost daily threatened by whites aud Indians
On the 18th of June you received order TO remove from
the Presdio the troops which believed to be greatly
needed here and establish your headquarters at
Bencia The order given ia endorsement upon let
ters from yourself and staff representing the insaeeney
of the allowance made you rent quarters for yourself AT
San Francisco, and applying for increase OF commute
ton. About the time there according TO the
report from the Quartermaster General forty assgna-
bic in the public quarters Al Benie WORTH at the
rates you asked 70 be allowed S2ss00 per annuu The
order intended to relieve at the officers nom
and the government from unnecessary expense II was
however received with great dissatisfaction and numerous
objections TO leaving San Francisco stated ia letter
written the day you received the order among them was
the singular statement that you found yourself embar
raised what do with the companies which We're to
be removed from the Preside One OF them you could find
place for but not for the other all The quarters Mt the
various posts occupied and there quarters or
barracks for either officers men, except at Monterey
You Judged correctly that explanation was necessary
reconcile this with your call for troops and ex-
plain it ia these words That these remarks may not
Inconsistent with the representations have hereto
fore made Of the of troops in this department. and
especially in my letter Major General Scott Of March 81
that instructions from the honorable Seere
tary of War extend my command over Utah that when
left the East, il supposed law would be passed IN
creasing the number of regiments IN service and in view
of that Increase hoped to receive regiments
be posted in Utah The late communications of the
Secretary of War TO make me hesitate TO assume the
responsibility of erecting quarters al any Of the posts
and by the disposition already made OF the troops IN THIS
State Oregon and Washington Territories, all the quarters
fully occupied or cannot send two or three
companies Utah. Hence my present embarrassment IN
relation sationing the two companies AT the Pres-
dio, and the two under Lieut. Col. Steptoe
must remark upon this that the purpose for which YOU
here declare desired the troops you had SO urgently
called foryz to take post in Uths first put forth IN this
letter. and is rreconcilable with the objects declared in
earlier letters which represented the most pressing neces-
sity for them Ia Oregon Washington, and the northern
part Of G As for your hoping to receive one or
more regu 10 be posted in Utah" can only regard il
a ulry The entire addition to the army
asked for but three regiments and how could you
have expected more OF these to be sent to that re-
portion of the department when troops were so much
wanted in other parts of your command That this idea
could have been seriously entertained H made manifest
by your letter Of Ocoher23 in which you satisfacto
rily showwhat the department well knew-that troops
intended for Utah should not be sent to the Pacific
all but go overland. Those you asked to be sent to
YOU therefore, could not have been intended for tab
Your alluson u communication from the Secretary
Of War; which you hesitate to erect barracks
the troops ran only apply 10 that Of April 10 declining %
1raffs hsy finds
storehouse az Baniea There was no appropriation
legally applcape to the erection or such building and
this stated to the reason for the of
your draft, while il admitted at the time, that
the accommodation necessary, and you informed
that appropriation had been asked for it. The barracks
the contrary, could have been built from the ordinary
appropriation which has failed to be made annually
provide shelter for the troops and which then avail
Having shown the 18th June that you had means
of disposng of single company adyanageously the
l4th September you report that you have not company
available to establish post represented TO be mnch
needed in the northern part Of Washington and again
the 23d of October earnestly demonstrate against the
9th infantry being TO Your department before next
spring On the whole il appears TO me that your CORE
spondence this subject manitess want OF definite pur
pose and system in the disposal of the troops which
only attribute to the devotion of undue portion Of
time and attention TO other than the proper duties Of
command.
In the conclusion Of your letter you present group of
services for which you claim cred-he preservation OF
peace in the Indian country the erection at small expense
OF temporary batteries for the protection of San Francisco
establishment of post the Indian reservation at
the TETON Pass and preventing the loss of million doll
lars worth of public property at the Pesido Upon these
points, since you urge them upon my attention, viii
briefly remark. II
1t would surely be very gratifying TO could |
knowledge your claim for having preserved peace in the
Indian country but do this should have forget
only the ontrages Won yourself have reported but others
equal in atrocy any that took place during the time Of
your predecessor
The propriety OF erecting the temporary batteries to
which refer depends the necessity This has not
been fully shown the department and in the time
rests in the presumption that you have exercised sound
discretion armament sent TO San Francisco,
other places similarly situated, meet any emergency
which might arise before the completion Of the oratons
under construction Your order to the engineer officers
mount twenty guns readily complied WITH the
that guns and carriages had been them and
matter OF surprise that with earhen epaulemen,s
this could be done at very small expense But the tenn
porary works will have to be leveled when the forts
completed and the guns placed in their proper
positions The double expenditure therefore to be nsi
fed only by emergency requiring prompt prepara
ton for defence than consistent with the plan Of the
permanent works which had been approved and for which
the appropriations had been made.
The necessity for additional Beuica
known before you took command and appropriation
bad been asked in the annual estimates for the
ton Of arsenal there You had building erected be-
fore the appropriation made and without taxing those
respecting title TO the safe which the law requires
certainly Anticipated the action Of Congress but do
raised money by drawing drafts which could be