place. Make me a full report of your examination, including, particularly, the ages of the boats. Captain H. C. WAYNE, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Assistant Quartermaster, Savannah, Ga. JUNE 29, 1816. SIR: I have received your letter of the 26th. If you think proper, you can have the De Rossett altered to burn coal, if you receive her and and can readily obtain coal. Should you take one of the other boats, you will also have her altered for coal on the same condition. Having entire reliance on you, I authorize you to do, in regard to the one or two boats which you may receive, whatsoever you may consider best for the public interest. Captain H. C. WAYNE, TH. S. JESUp, Quartermaster General. Assistant Quartermaster, Savannah. JULY 2, 1846. SIR: Your letter, without date, in reference to wagons, harness, &c., has been received. You will take all the wagons that can be made by the 1st September, and send them, as they are received, to Lieutenant Colonel Hunt. You will send the boats, also, as soon as completed. Captain E. HARDING, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Allegheny Arsenal. JULY 2, 1846. SIR: I have received your letter, without date, covering an estimate of funds for purchase of mules, horses, wagons, &c., and have required a remittance in your favor of $20,000, on account of the appropriation for Mexican hostilities. Captain S. P. HEINTZELMAN, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Assistant Quartermaster, Louisville, Ky. 38 JULY 2, 1846. SIR: Your letter of June 20 is received. I have a report from Lieutenant Colonel Hunt, in which he informs me that he has purchased several boats, which, with others which I have ordered for ' service on the Rio Grande, will be sufficient. There will, therefore, be no necessity for purchasing boats in Georgia or Alabama. TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Captain M. M. CLARK, Assistant Quartermaster, Columbus, Ga. JULY 3, 1846. SIR: I have received your letter of the 29th ultimo, with the reports of Messrs. Willink and Griffin in relation to Mr. Lamar's boat. I return the reports to you, to govern in the repairs and alterations of the boat. When those repairs and alterations shall be made by Mr. Lamar or his agent, you will receive the boat. For the alteration of the furnace so as to adapt it to the burning of coal, the expense will devolve on the public. "The planking of the deck will also be a charge against the public; but the renewal or repair of the water-wheels, the repair of the wheel-houses, and all other repairs or renewals of wood, must be done at the expense of the present owner. All the repairs and alterations of the iron work, suggested by Mr. Griffin, must be made, except the cutting off the three legs. That, I apprehend, would take too much time. If it can be done, however, without loss of time, you may cause it to be done. Since writing the above I have received your letter of the 30th ultimo. You will not purchase any other boat than the De Rossett, and that only on the repairs stated above, including the plank, shear, and bulwarks, being made. Captain H. C. WAYNE, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Assistant Quartermaster, Savannah, Ga. JULY 5, 1846. SIR: I have received your letter of the 1st instant. If you can get the Mary Somers, say for a sum from twelve to eighteen or twenty thousand dollars, you are authorized to purchase her. Also the other boat, which you state in your letter of the 30th, will probably be for sale. Get them at as low a price as possible; but as we can now do without them, I would not give, by six or seven thousand dollars each, as much as I would have given at the time you left this city. I trust to your judgment and energy to do that which shall be best for the public interests. Captain H. C. WAYNE, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Assistant Quartermaster, Savannah, Ga. JULY 6, 1846. SIR: In addition to the remittance of $200,000, of which I advised you this morning, I have red the sum of $60,000 to enable you to pay for five steamers recently purchased by Captain Sanders in Pittsburg, which have been or will be sent to you for service with the army of occupation. Lieutenant Colonel THOS. F. HUNT, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Deputy Quartermaster General, New Orleans, La. JULY 8, 1846. SIR: Enclosed you will receive a letter addressed to this office by Mr. D. Tomlinson, of Pembroke, New York, describing certain wagons which he offers to sell to this department. In a previous letter he states that he has upwards of a hundred. You will proceed to Pembroke and examine whether the wagons referred to are suitable for our service in Texas and Mexico; and if so, you are authorized to purchase them on the best practicable terms, and send them to Lieutenant Colonel Hunt, New Orleans, by the most expeditious route. If by the lakes, a careful conductor should be sent with them. I also enclose a letter from Mr. Jonathan Smith, master of the sloop J. Lawrence, of New London, on the subject of a claim for transporting a quantity of old copper, iron, brass, and lead from Fort Trumbull to New York. I wish a report of the facts in the case, which can probably be given by Mr. Stinson. Return both letters when you have done with them. Captain D. H. VINTON, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Assistant Quartermaster, New York. JULY 10, 1846. SIR: I employed Benjamin Robertson, of Lexington, Kentucky, to purchase mules for the service of the United States, (four hun dred in number.) I understand he has purchased the whole number authorized. I wish you to go to Lexington and examine the mules and receive them, and have them sent by water to New Orleans, or to the most favorable point on the Mississippi or Red river. Whether you send them to New Orleans, or to some point above on the Mississippi, they must be placed under the direction of careful and faithful agents. If sent to New Orleans, they will be delivered to Lieutenant Colonel Hunt.. If to any other point above that city, they must be driven by land to the Rio Grande, through Texas. You will decide which route shall be taken; and if they be sent through Texas, all the necessary arrangements must be made to support them on the route. If Robertson could be induced to take them on, I have every assurance that the best care would be taken of them. I made you a remittance a few days ago, to pay for these mules and for their expenses. If a further sum is necessary, estimate for it. If Robertson cannot be employed to take them on, one of the assistant quartermasters, say Captain Heintzelman, might be directed to take them on. Captain Heintzelman has signified his intention. to leave the department; but I hope he would, before leaving it, consent to perform this important service. Major D. D. TOMPKINS, Quartermaster, Cincinnati, Ohio. TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. JULY 13, 1846. SIR: Your letter of the 11th instant has been received. You will proceed to complete the two hundred and five additional saddles. Captain H. L. THISTLE, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. JULY 14, 1846. SIR: You will examine some eighteen wagons offered for sale to the department by Mr. William Warner, of Savannah, and purchase them if suitable, whether for horses or oxen, at the lowest rates for which they may be had-say about $90 apiece. The letter of Mr. Warner is enclosed. Captain H. C. WAYNE, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Assistant Quartermaster, Savannah, Ga. 597 JULY 17, 18 SIR: I have received your letters of the 9th and 10th instant have this day required that a deposite be made to your credit i Bank of Commerce, New York, of seventy-five thousand dolla You will purchase 400 mules in addition to the number ordered the 13th ultimo, and those ordered by General Wool, and send the to the army of occupation. Enclosed is a copy of a letter from Major T. B. Eastland, o this department, which contains information which may be of service to you as to the best route by which to send mules to Texas, &c. Captain A. R. HETZEL, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Assistant Quartermaster, St. Louis, Mo. JULY 17, 1846. SIR: If Captain Cross decides to remain in the department, let him be sent into Texas to purchase mules and draught horses for the army on the Rio Grande. If animals can be had at a reasonable price, as many as 400 may be purchased; also wagons and harness, if to be had of a serviceable description. Lieutenant Colonel T. F. HUNT, TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General. Deputy Quartermaster General, New Orleans.] JULY 17, 1846. SIR: In my letter of this morning I directed that you should in-crease the number of mules to 600, in addition to those ordered by General Wool. To this you will add all the wagons and harness that can be procured; have the mules sent, by careful persons on whom you can rely, to some point near the mouth of Red river, and send them thence by land to the Rio Grande. If necessary, in your, opinion, you must see the mules well on their way through Texas. Employ any agents that may be necessary. The wagons and harness may be sent down to Lieutenant Colonel Hunt by Lieutenant Colonel Mackay. I apprehend that General Wool has not directed a full train for his command; he had complete authority to order whatever was in his opinion necessary to his most efficient movements. If he has not already gone forward, it might be well to call his attention to the subject. All the mules that I have directed you to purchase are for General Taylor's division. You must en |