The Nevada Journal

ARRIVAL OF THE OHIO.

The steamer Ohio, left San Diego on Friday the 2d inst., and arrived in San Francisco on the 7th. She brings news of great importance. From the San Diego Herald Extra, we learn that an express had arrived to Maj. McKinstry from Camp Yuma making an extraordinary quick trip. The Sierra Nevada (for whose safety some fears had been entertained) loaded with Government supplies, and carrying as passengers Major Andrews, Lieut. Frazer, and a small party of soldiers, arrived at the mouth of the Colorado Feb. 17th. It required nine days to put together their flat boats for the transportation of the supplies up the river The boatmen on their first trip up the river, were peculiarly unfortunate. One boat was swamped--boat and cargo was entirely lost. Maj. Heintzelman's command at Camp Yuma use up the stores about as fast as the contractors can deliver them. It is not expected that the delivery of the supplies will be completed before the 1st of July: in the meantime decisive steps must be taken by the authorities here to maintain the troops on the river, and enable them to prosecute a vigorous campaign against a foe that has become emboldened by a temporary success, growing out of their cowardly mode of warfare and their superior knowledge of the country. That portion of the country to which the Indians have fled. is represented as overgrown by a thick and almost impenetrable hammock, and crossed and re-crossed by sloughs, rendering it almost impossible for our troops to encounter an enemy who declines a fair and stand-up fight. On the 4th ult. Major Heintzelman dispatched Major Fitzgerald, with sixty men, with orders to proceed to the mouth of the Colorado. and ascertain whether the Sierra Nevada had arrived. At a point 22 miles down the river, a party of seven men, hunting up some pack-mules, were surprised and inhumanly killed, by a very large party of Indians armed with clubs. The Indians, after possessing themselves of the arms belonging to the murdered party, amused themselves that night by firing into Camp. The following are the names of the men killed :
Serg. T. B. Taylor, and Private Knorth, Simmons McCluen. Betts, Berries of Company E, 1st Dragoons: D. B. McCoy, teamster, Quartermaster's Department
Private Mullins, Company E, wounded.
Finding the Indians in great force, Major Heintzelman determined on forcing a passage to the mouth of the river, which he accomplished after great hardships and difficulties. For ten miles the troops were compelled to wade thro' water thigh deep The mule train is well used up, owing to the scarcity of forage. The grazing is next to nothing. and the Yumas do not fail to pick off any wandering animal in search of grass. The detachment of recruits that left here a few weeks since,arrived at Camp Yuma on the 25th ult. No one unacquainted with the section of country in which our troops are now compelled to operate, can form an idea of the difficulties they will have to contend with. It is evident that a most liberal outlay of money and supplies will be required to sustain our force on the Gila. The Indians roam over a country more than 2000 square miles in extent, covered with thickets as bad as any in Florida, interlaced with an interminable network of sloughs, that render it the easiest thing in the world for them to avoid the troops. Their planting season is not until July, and it will be long after that before the enemy will feel our power over them. The abandonment of Camp Yuma last winter has entailed a series of difficulties upon our suffering country, from which we will not easily recover. The Indians boast to the Sonoriens that they drove the Americans from the river and killed their soldiers. There is much truth in the first part of their story, and a fearful responsibility rests somewhere.

We have been permitted to copy the following additional particulars from a private letter, received by a gentleman in town, from a friend at the Colorado:

"There were six soldiers and one citizen teamster,who were herding the animals of Major Fitzgerald, cut off from the camp by a body of more than 200 Indians, and killed; after which, they made an open attack on the camp, and were repulsed with the loss four, and many wounded."