488 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



from the headquarters of the army ; and, as I cannot 

 have copied, in season for transmission by the steamer 

 of the 1st proximo the military correspondence at 

 these headquarters, I respectfully submit, for the in- 

 formation of the commander-in-chief, a brief summary 

 of reports heretofore made in relation to military 

 affairs in this department. 



My attention was directed, on my arrival in this 

 country, to the unparalleled excitement in relation to 

 the mineral regions ; the imminent danger that our 

 troops, as they arrived, would desert to the ^^ placers,'* 

 and, instead of giving protection to the parties, and 

 aid in the preservation of order and tranquillity, would 

 themselves become the very worst element of dis- 

 order ; the great extent of Indian frontier to be 

 guarded, and the difficulties then apprehended from 

 the unsettled state of affairs in the mininoj districts. 

 An attentive consideration of these subjects impressed 

 me with the opinion that the policy most likely to 

 prove advantageous to the service, would be the con- 

 centration of all the troops serving in this department, 

 except the necessary guards for the depots at one or 

 more points in the immediate vicinity of the gold 

 regions, from whence a portion of them might be per- 

 mitted to visit the placers for the purpose of working 

 them for their own benefit — the remainder to be held 

 embodied in a proper state of discipline, in readiness 

 for any emergency that might occur. After the ex- 

 piration of the furlough of the first class, a second 

 class to be furloughed, and so in succession with the 

 remainder ; the troops stationed at points so distant 

 from the mines, that they could not be furloughed, to 

 be relieved by exchange with commands that have 

 been more favorably situated. The practice of grant- 



