AUGUST 29, 1846.

SIR: Major Baker has been instructed from the ordnance office to send you twenty four sets of horse harness remaining at Watervliet arsenal, of a quantity sent to that place at the close of the Florida war. You will send it to Mexico in some one of the transports taking supplies from New York.

TH. S. JESUP,

Quartermaster General.

SEPTEMBER 4, 1846.

SIR: I will thank you to send all the wagons you may have on hand, together with all you may receive under present engagements up to the 15th of this month, to Lieutenant Colonel Eneas Mackay, deputy quartermaster general, St. Louis, Missouri. We shall want no more after the 15th.

To Captain E. HARDING,

Pittsburg, Penn.

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

SEPTEMBER 4, 1846.

SIR: I have received your letter of the 28th ultimo. I wish you to get the steamers off as soon as practicable. Send them either to New Orleans or Brazos San Iago, and to avoid danger as much as possible, direct that they be kept as near the coast as practicable.

No wagons must be received but such as are made of well seasoned timber, and all should be rigidly inspected by practical mechanics.

To Captain HENRY C. WAYNE,

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

Savannah, Georgia.

[Extract.]

SEPTEMBER 5, 1846.

SIR: By all means get the boats off. Take as few wagons as possible from Mr. Warner, and take none that are not made of the best seasoned timber, and in the best manner. . Such has been the energy of the officers in the different sections of the country, that we have now a greater number of wagons than the service requires. As soon as you get the boats off you will return hither, where your services are much wanted.

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

To Captain HENRY C. WAYNE,

Savannah, Georgia.

SEPTEMBER 5, 1846.

SIR: The Topographical department has two small steamers at Louisville which they offer to me for service on the Rio del Norte. I will thank you to examine them, and inform me whether they require any repairs or alterations to fit them for our purpose. Report their present value.

Major D. D. TOMPKINS,

Cincinnati, Ohio.

TH. S. JESUP,

Quartermaster General.

SEPTEMBER 5, 1846.

SIR: I received, several days ago, your letter of the 22d of last month. The delay at Pittsburg in completing and delivering wagons contracted for has been a serious inconvenience to the public service. In consequence of that delay I have been obliged to purchase at other places to supply the deficiency, and no more are required or can be taken.

To Mr. R. A. MCKEE,

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

Alleghany Town, Butler county, Pa..

SEPTEMBER 21, 1846.

MAJOR: You will proceed to New Orleans and report to Lieut. Col. Hunt for duty in the department at that station.

Information has been received at this office that the Palmetto, which was freighted with wagons and other government stores at Philadelphia, and bound for Brazos island, was forced to put into Charleston harbor in distress. On arriving at Charleston you will ascertain to what extent she has been injured, and whether or not she will be able to proceed on her voyage immediately; and if not, you will take measures to see that the property is sent to its destination without delay.

There were several hired mechanics on board, destined for Brazos. Should they still be in Charleston, you will provide transportation for them.

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

Major THOMAS B. EASTLAND,

Washington city.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1846. COLONEL: You are requested to purchase two hundred and fifty horses, one hundred and twenty-five for draught and one hundred and twenty-five for dragoon service, and send them to Colonel Hunt at New Orleans. You are authorized to employ as many agents to assist you as you consider necessary to enable you to perform the service as early as practicable. Should any of the volunteer quartermasters be at St. Louis, you will also avail yourself of their services. You will also employ fifty good mule teamsters, to assist in transporting the horses to New Orleans, and for service in Mexico. They must contract to serve six months, unless sooner discharged; and, as security, one-third of their monthly pay to be retained until the contract is fulfilled.

To Lieut. Col. ENEAS MACKAY,

St Louis, Missouri.

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1846.

SIR: Lieutenant Colonel Long has two steamboats at Louisville, the Gopher and the Dragon, which he has been directed by the chief of his department to turn over to the quartermaster's department. I desire you to take charge of them, and employ competent captains and crews and proceed with them to New Orleans, and deliver them to Lieutenant Colonel Hunt, or to Major Thomas B. Eastland, should he have arrived and entered on duty at that port. Having accomplished this duty, you will proceed to this city for the settlement of your accounts. Lieutenant Colonel Long will transfer to you the sum of two thousand dollars, which I required in his name, fearing you might have left Louisville.

To Captain S. P. HEINTZELMAN,

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

Louisville, Kentucky.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1846.

MAJOR: You will, as soon as practicable, purchase two hundred horses, one hundred for draught and one hundred for dragoon service, and send them to Colonel Hunt at New Orleans. You are authorized to employ as many agents as you consider necessary to assist you in making the purchase. See that none but the best horses are purchased-such as are sound, wind and limb, and free from faults and blemishes, and exclude also natural pacers and

mares.

You will also employ fifty good teamsters to assist in conducting the horses to New Orleans, and for service in Mexico. They must

enter into a contract to serve at least six months, unless sooner discharged; and, as security, the government to withhold one-third of their pay until the contract is fulfilled.

To carry out these instructions a remittance of twenty thousand dollars has been this day required in your favor.

To Major NATHANIEL ANDERSON,

Memphis, Tennesee.

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1846.

SIR: There are two steamboats at Louisville, the Dragon and the Gopher, which have been transferred from the topographical to the quartermaster's department. You are appointed to the command of one of them; and I desire you to proceed to Louisville as soon as you conveniently can, and enter upon your duty as captain.

Lieutenant Colonel Long has at present the charge of the boats; and should Captain Heintzelman, of the army, have left Louisville, the colonel will put you in charge of one of them, and will aid you in shipping a proper crew. If the captain be there, he will place you in command of the boat, and will probably accompany you to

New Orleans.

I desire that the boats be loaded with coal, provided a cargo can be taken in, say at Hawsville, without delaying more than a day or two; but I would not take any loading that would endanger the passage of the boats out of the Ohio river.

As you pass down, I wish you to examine the snag-boats at Paducah, and if you think them suitable for the navigation of rapid rivers, or for lighters over the bars of the southern coasts, I desire you to report the fact to me, as well as the condition of the boats, and the amount of the repairs they require.

To Captain H. H. HARRISON,

TII. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

Of Tennessee, now at Washington city.

[Extract.]

SEPTEMBER 23, 1846.

MAJOR: As Soon after your arrival at New Orleans as possible, you will purchase the steamers of which I gave you a memorandum to-day, and have them in as perfect order as possible for service. TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

To Major THOMAS B. EASTLAND,

Washington city.

[BY TELEGRAPH.

SEPTEMBER 23, 1846.

SIR: You will ship on board the vessel chartered to take the dragoons to Texas eight or ten wagons, with harness complete.

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

To Captain D. H. VINTON,

New York.

SEPTEMBER 24, 1846.

SIR: If the mules are at Blakely, let them remain there under the direction of Captain Howard, and make provision for foraging them. They will be required in the course of next month; they are, as you are aware, a reserve from which to supply deficiencies in the transportation of the army. They can be foraged for less at Blakely than at New Orleans, and can be as readily transported from thence to the point where they may be required as from New Orleans, and the transportation will be saved.

To Major T. B. EASTLAND,

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

Mobile, Ala.—Duplicate to Charleston.)

SEPTEMBER 25. 1846.

SIR: If the wagons you were directed to put on board the vessel chartered to take Captain Hunter's company to Texas have not been shipped, you will consider that order as being countermanded, there being a sufficient number now at Point Isabel. Apprise Captain Hunter of this.

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

To Captain D. H. VINTON,

New York.

SEPTEMBER 26, 1846.

COLONEL Charter the Massachusetts for a month; or if Major Eastland has entered upon duty, direct him to charter her. I will write you more fully in a day or two.

TH. S. JESUP, Quartermaster General.

the u.

New Orleans.