letter to Smith, 28 August 1845

FOURTEEN MILES FROM CINCINNATI, August 28, 1845.

I WRITE before reaching the city, as there I shall be entirely occupied in transporting our baggage to the river, a mile by land from the canal. Our journey has been exceedingly uncomfortable, the heat more oppressive than I ever knew it, and the mosquitoes in swarms at night. Whipple presented himself this morning as completely speckled as a plum pudding, and his face swelled out of all shape from the bites. I escaped this torment by having a mosquito bar, which Dr. Wood kindly lent me from the hospital. We have been detained two days by a break in the bank of the canal. The General [Brooke], Marcy, and Deas left us yesterday and rode to the city where we shall join them this evening. There are no orders for us at CINCINNATI, but the news from Texas is such, that there can be but little doubt that we must be ordered almost immediately to that field. A letter from Lieutenant Beaman at New Orleans states that General Paredes with seven thousand men is only one hundred and twenty miles from General Taylor, who, if this be so, is in a very critical situation. General Gaines has made a requisition on the Governor of Louisiana for one thousand men to reenforce General Taylor if practicable. It seems to me seven years in stead of seven days since we parted, so tedious and lonely has been this canal route, though, for the last three days, passing through the finest country I have ever beheld.

P. S. On board transport " Plymouth " eleven o clock at night.

I am almost tired out, have been on my feet in the hot sun on the rough pavements for eight hours, get ting my command embarked, but cannot go to bed until I close my sheet to you. On our arrival at two o clock today we found an order for the battalion to proceed immediately to Corpus Christi, under my command. We shall probably reach Texas in about twelve days. Our companies are strengthened by fifty recruits from the rendezvous here. I shall have a very pretty command for a captain, and if there is anything to be done, I think I shall have a chance.