document,

Matamoros July 14th 1846 My dear Doctor,

Your several letters of the 9th & 12th ins r were duly rec d the men referred to as necessary for Hospital purpose have been detailed & announced in orders. The case of Kelly was promptly attended to on the receipt of your first communication on the subject ; being referred to the Adj t Gen of the army, with an urgent request that if nothing could be done for him without, that the matter be brought before congress L { Eaton forwarded Miller a letter of recommendation to the Adj c Gen on the subject of Bealls leaving, I consider it was improper he should have done so under the circumstances, at any rate until another pay master relieved him ; he however is of but little account ; I look on him as pretty much broken down, at any rate whenever seperated from his family or rather wife ; I am fully aware of the difficulties you have to contend with, in the way of giving or withholding where officers are concerned, sick certificates

I truly regret to hear that the Gov r Continues so seriously indisposed ; it is quite likely a trip from Fort Polk by water to this place, in addition to change of diet, may prove beneficial to him, at any rate I hope so The irregularity as well as the long intervals between the mails from N. Orleans have become a serious evil, if not an abuse ; we have had but one mail for the last 36 days ; I know of but one way to correct the same, which is to remove Q r Masters not from one station to another, but to civil life. I was pleased to hear that Col Mclntosh had taken his departure for N. Orleans, and his doing so must be a great relief to the Medical dep 1

I am thankful to Cap c Ramsey for his kind remembrance which is fully reciprocated ; if the report be true, that a compy of artillery had been sent by water to Callifornia, we may abandon all expectation of a peace with Mexico in any reasonable time ; & we will be fortunate if the result is not a war with some of the great European powers. Alth there appears to be a fatality attending every thing connected with the Q r M. department from Matamoros to N. Orleans, yet I trust the steamer reported to have left N. Orleans with a mail is safe, at any rate the wag gons throw over board will never be recovered, & must be replaced if at all, by others which will have to be made ; so that I have abandoned all hopes of getting supplies to Cormargo which will enable me to make a forward movement in any reasonable time, so that the campaign in question must prove a failure in part, if not entirely ; the result will be, that I must be sacrificed, by the folly & imbecility of others I presume Col Taylor will be out in the Alabama, & will I make no doubt give you some pleasant news in regard to your family, a well as matters of interest going on about Washington The Rio Grande is rapidly falling & I presume the road between this & Point Isabel will be passable in a few days, if it is not very good

Col Whiting did not visit Fort Polk as I expected he would have done when he went to the mouth of the river a short time since, but presume he will attend to all the suggestions made by you in regard to wood & every thing else connected with the Hospital ; if not very energetic he appears to be a very gentlemanly person, & I have no doubt disposed to do what is right & proper. Majr Brown 1 who I learn is a man of energy, will be left in command of Fort Polk with his strong company ; removing all the militia from there. Cap 1 Vinton s 2 company got here last evening I hope the country will be in such a situation as to enable me to move foot & mounted troops in any direction in 6 or 8 days ; with loaded waggons it is doubtful when I can do so As to Ann s change of location, that of course must be left to future events, at any rate in a great measure ; I hope you will be able to attend to her removal to some more desirable position in person in October. At any rate if in com mand here I calculate on giving you a leave for that object in October

There is so many applicants for situations in the staff, I feel no wish for Dick to take any situation of the kind, & prefer his continuing with me, even if unemployed rather than to be the subject of remarks by any one, alth idleness is here & everywhere else a growing evil ; I have not as yet made up my mind as to the occupation in life it would be best for him to adopt or pursue. I sincerely hope there will be no necessity for the app 1 of any additional Gen officers by the president under the recent law for that object, nor even if done, would I regret or feel out raged if the appt was given to an other, I am too far advanced in life to be able much longer to discharge the duties appertaining to that station Gen Jesup 1 may receive the app 1 in question, but I hardly think not, but should he not do so, he will hardly throw away his bread and butter, by resigning I feel confident that our ambitious views of conquest & agrandisement at the expense of a weak power will only be restrained & circumscribed by our inability to carry out our view, & in six or eight months if the Mexicans hold out that long, we will be fully as anxious to make peace as they are ; for by that time we will have expended with very little effect or purpose all the money in the treasury, when our gov c will have to resort to loans & taxation to carry on the war ; a course never palatable to our people We have nothing of interest here I send you down a map of Mexico no very correct one, but the best we have I was gratified to learn your health was tolerable, & hope it will get no worse if it does not improve, but hope the latter will be the case. I hope the next mail will bring you good news from Detroit Give my love to Ann & the children when you write them My respects to Ramsey & Dr. Wells & wishing you continued health I remain with respect & esteem

Your Friend

Truly

Z. TAYLOR DR R. G. WOOD

U. S. Army

Fort Polk Texas.

Your pay accts with your note was turned over to Denny who promised the matter should be attended to the mail is just in but brings nothing of importance, I have rec d my com" as Majr Gen so that I may dispense for the future with my Brevt. in signing my name officially

Z. T.

I had nearly finished my letter to you when the mail man left with out my knowing it ; the fact is the only time I have to write or in fact to attend to any private business, is from day light to breakfast, the balance of my time is completely occupied with public & other matters. My eyes will not admit or permit my writing by candle light.

The mail man come in the morning & brought a good many letters, but nothing of importance Nothing from the Alabama I feel very uneasy about ner, but hope she has run back to Galveston, or got into some other safe harbor, we shall know all about her in a day or two.

Yours truly

Z. T. D R R. C. WOOD

U. S. A Fort Polk

Tex Matamoros Mexico

July 15th 1846