letter to Robert Wood, 3 June 1846

Matamoros Mexico

June 3 d 1846 D r Doctor,

Your acceptable letters of the 29 th ult & first ins were duly rec d . I was satisfied from the late hour you fairly got under way for Point Isabell the day you left here for that place, in addition to the heat of the weather that you would be late in getting down, & as a matter of course would have an unpleasant and fatiguing trip ; but it appears you all got down safe, & a few days rest and quiet I trust will make all right or as it should be

The trip to Detroit I apprehend would be too great an undertaking for Mrs Taylor in her feeble state of health, or at any rate I am confi dent she would think so, I will however in my next letter mention the matter to her so as to enable her to make up her mind on the same

I felt satisfied Gen Brady would decidedly disapprove Cap Thompson s resigning at the time he did, & I regretted it on the Genl 8 acct . As Worth was a particular favorite with the old Gen I make no doubt he was mortified at his course & did not hesitate to condemn it in strong terms I regret on his W own ace his course at the Point which was caused I have no doubt by excitement from the effects of wine ; it seems to me under the circumstances in which he was placed, & that by his own willfulness, his course and bearing should have been on all occasions marked by great modesty ; and which has been the case since he got here ; but the fact is between ourselves, he has been pampered and bloated for things he never done, or acts he never performed, but from assumption, & getting others to state occurrencies the truth of which may be very well called in question, if stronger language could not be properly applied, and his flourish among the wounded was in keeping with many other of his acts, all for effect ; his situation at the time causing him to forget or overlook other important considerations. There are few if any officer or officers in service, who require more to make from the private soldier to make himself comfortable, or who would put himself to less inconvenience for their benefit in sickness or health, wounded or other wise than Gen W flies or no flies yet you ought not to have taken any notice of the matter, unless he had called your official conduct directly in question He has not alluded to the subject directly or indi rectly since his return to this place ; at any rate so as to come to my knowledge

The report as regards any contemplated movement on the part of Gen Smith, is entirely without foundation I contemplate sending the four comp s in a few days of the first Infy. to Rinoso fifty miles in advance, or higher up the river Transportation is very scarce rendered more so by the destruction of so many vessels by the late storm I truly regret the inconvenience & sufferings the sick and wounded were subjected to by the late storm I will direct the Long to be fitted up for a Hospital

I did not get the scrape of a pen by the Alabama from Washington or any where else which induces me to believe that Gen. Scott is on his way here, which I sincerely hope may be the case Mr. Crittends course in the Senate was truly gratifying, and more so as I fulfilled his high expectations to the letter

I was delighted to learn all was as well as usual at Detroit, give my love to them all when you write I rec d letters from B. Rouge dated the 18th they had heard of the affairs of the 8th & 9th , all were well. Nothing of interest here. The volunteers are getting quite impatient ; they want either to be led against the enemy or to go home. I have no time to write more.

Your Friend

Truly & sincerely,

Z. TAYLOR D K R. C. WOOD

U. S. Army

Point Isabel Texas

Cap c Bloss rec d his box of clothing by the last train brought out I believe by the Alabama.