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Head Q rs Army of Occupation or Invasion Matamoros Mexico June 12th 1846 Dear Doctor,

Your communication of the 10th ins f on the subject of Dr Hawkin s course in regard to the sick & wounded sent to & left at S c Josephs Island was rec d & has been duly considered ; I need not say the course pursued by Dr H. highly objectionable and improper, and orders will be given to prevent its occurrence I trust for the time to come

Your esteemed letter of the 8th was duly rec d and I was very much gratified to hear those brave fellows in whom I take the most lively & I may say deepest interest were generally on the mend

I observe you complain of the annoyance of the Volunteers, they are trifling to what I have to undergo & submit to, but which I will try & get through in the best way I can & with at least all the good feelings & temper I can command even should they drive me out of my tent ; but I hope all those who arrived some time since have got over to the Boreta & will be sent there from the Brasos depot as fast as they arrive there, without coming to Fort Polk You know my opinion of sutlers & therefore hardly need expatiate on their merits or demerits ; their object is to make money regardless of consequences I truly and sin cerely thank you for your congratulation on the flattering manner the country has approbated my late conduct as connected with the recent suc cess of our arms, far beyond what I expected, and no doubt in the opinion of many very far beyond what it deserved ; at any rate I can truly say I feel not only truly gratified but greatly honored by the same ; I would feel doubly so could I have any surety it would have the effect in the remotest degree to prompt my descendants to tread the path of honor by pursuing a bold, manly, and honest course in all the relations and situatis of life, which I sincerely hope will be the case ; Dick 1 was to have come out in the Galveston & I wrote home that he had reached Point Isabel, having been so informed ; but afterwards learned he had or would come out in the N. York, by which vessel I rec d a letter from Judge Butler that when those vessels left N. Orleans where he the Judge then was, that he was quite unwell, so much so, that he had advised him to consult Dr McGormick whether situated as he was, he had not better return to Baton Rouge ; since when I have understood he would come out in the Allabama, & Dr M c would come out with him, as a looker on ; so I do not now know whether to expect him or not ; but hope if his health is at all precarious or doubtful, he will not attempt to come, as it is no place for any one in poor health, much less one who is quite sick

I rec d a letter from Gen Scott saying he had been assigned to the command of the troops to invade Mexico, but that he did not expect to join immediately, in the meantime I would go on with my operations as I thought most to the interest of the public service ; that no Gen plan of opperations had been determined, &c It is strange passing strange that I have heard nothing from Washing since my official report of the battles of the 8th & 9th reached there, which I have seen published in in the National Intelligencer & Union, the receipt of them have not been acknowledged Something is going on at Gen h d quarters in regard to this matter that we are not aware of A report has reached here that after my reports reached Washington, the Southern & Western members waited on the President & protested against my being superseded in my present command by any one which he assured them should not be done ; if so I very much regret it, as I consider this command properly his, & I have no wish to prevent his exercising it, but much rather he would do so than otherwis

A committee reached here app d by the Louisiana legislature to tender to me & the officers & soldiers of the army under my command the thanks of that body for the manner we had discharged our duty & sustained the honor & character of the American armies in the two recent engagements with the enemy ; they are a high set of gentlemen some of them have been on a frolic pretty much ever since they have been here ; I understand they will leave tomorrow, or perhaps a portion of them to-day

I found one letter from Detroit in the postoffice for you, with several n. papers 1 which I sent down by Capt. May yesterday evening to his camp, & who has promised to forward them to Fort Polk in the morning

We have nothing new or of interest here, things going on about as usual ; the steamboat Cincinnati is in sight I suppose loaded with provisions, but we shall not be able to move from here until two or three of the steamboats sent for to N. Orleans arrive, when that will be god only knows My respects Munroe & the gentlemen of the medical Staff

With great respect and esteem

Your Friend

Truly

Z. TAYLOR SURG N R. C. WOOD,

U. S. A Fort Polk Texas