La Paz— a port in lower California; our Company is at Santa Barbara— and our garrisons seem to be scattered about over the country in like force— San Diego an important point will be left entirely without a garrison and the only force in this section of the country will be one Company of Dragoons dismounted, and two companies of N.Y. Volunteers— We have threats made constantly against us— and yet our governors and Commandants by their acts would seem to invite a revolution— by keeping all their force in the north, both army and Navy— On the morning of the 5*^ of July a most bar- barous assassination was committed on a frenchman [Julien Bertalot] by whom the act was committed is not known but suspicion attaches to one of our Dragoons by name [Samuel E.] Cooper— also a Store was Robbed the same night of a large amount of money— This Robbery was no doubt com- mitted by Soldiers of the Volunteer Regiment, and one Dragoon— On the night of the 4*^ we had a ball given by the ojfHcers in honor of the day,^^^, and also one by the non commissioned officers— everything went off very pleasantly except one little circumstance. Don Jose Antonio Carrillo thought proper to express his decided disapprobation of the mode of dancing of the American officers— and said they were like all the rest of their nation beasts. The officers hearing of this determined to kick up a small fuss— the Colonel Stevenson hearing of the affair determined to call all hands to his quarters next morning and at supper accordingly invited every body— we assembled the next morning had a speech from the Coronel defining our position Sec- One remark he made was not exactly agreed to by the Juniors, that was that an officer receiving an insult from a Calif ornian the affair should be taken notice of by the Authorities— & Vice Versa— This was objected to, as the officers claimed the right of looking out for their own private quarrels- One of the Mormon officers who was more particularly alluded to than the rest had determined to castigate the Don, but the public manner in which the Colonel had noticed it seemed to preclude any course of the kind, and particularly as the persons then and there did take a drink to the said Don Jose Antonio— Jose Antonio acknowledged the soft impeachment of having called us a parcel of beasts but declared he had no intention of making it public a great deal of gass was expended on the occasion— but the affair was settled— and without some farther provocation, I suppose there will hardly be a fight. Col Burton brought us the news of Gen^ Scotts two vic- tories of Vera Cruz and Puenta Nacional, a salute was fired in consequence— and notices stuck up at the alcalde's office which were duly cut to pieces and destroyed during the night. Our friends here have no good will toward us, and would if they only dared cut our throats with great pleasure.
There has been considerable sickness of late among the troops stationed here— an Epidemic Catarrh, very obstinate and attended with fever. On the morning of the 4th of July about 2/2 AM Hammerly [John Hemerle] of Co C ist Dragoons died— of Typhoid Fever— He had been a prisoner, and
