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places and times for meeting those disposed to offer stock for sale.

I found this morning that Captain Howard had returned last night, ordered back by Lieutenant Colonel Hunt. I shall send him out with another party, and have already directed him to issue handbills to-day in his own name.

HENRY C. WAYNE,

Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

Major General THOS. S. JESUP, Washington.

MACON, GA., August 17, 1846.

GENERAL: My last was from Columbus, dated the 13th instant. I have now the honor to report my arrival here yesterday evening.

Captain Howard was to have left Columbus yesterday morning, have issued his handbills, and completed his arrangements. Aided and assisted by his father's knowledge of the country, I have reason to believe that he will do well. His orders are to purchase 50 wagons and 400 mules, and to report to me every two or three days the result of his operations.

My agent here has engaged 110 good, strong, well broke mules. I have given him orders to collect them to day and to morrow, and on Wednesday 1 shall start with them direct for South Alabama. Agents will precede me to look up, and bring in to certain points in my road, such stock as will answer our purposes. I shall probably accompany the drove as far as Montgomery, whence I shall despatch it under careful drivers to Mobile. A trusty agent will accompany it, to buy up long the road whatever he finds that will suit us.

Captain Howard is to meet me with his purchases at Columbus on the 28th instant, and by the 30th I hope to have him on the road to Mobile.

The prospects are pretty good, and I expect to be able to comply with your wishes. My advices from South Alabama are confirmatory of the information you received. I have ordered Captain Howard, and all of my agents, to deal directly with the planters, and to refuse in all cases the intervention of a third party. By this I hope to prevent speculation, and consequently to purchase at reasonable rates. It is an arrangement, besides, more satisfactory to the planters themselves.

HENRY C. WAYNE, Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

Major General THOS. S. JESUP, Washington.

[Extract.]

MACON, GA., August 20, 1846. GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge your letters of the 10th and 11th instant, referring to the shafts and crank-wheel of the De Rossett.

My departure from this place has been delayed a day, as I found myself in a better market than I had anticipated. To-morrow L shall, at day-break, put on the road to Mobile, passing through South Alabama, a drove of three hundred mules and sixteen wagons, which have been selected from eight or nine hundred offered, and I hope to be able to get at least six hundred on my way through. The prospects seem better every day, and my advices lead me to suppose that we shall find in Alabama even a better market than we have had here.

I had yesterday a letter from Mr. Griffin. The work on both the Summers and De Rossett was going on well, though somewhat interrupted by the rains, which still continue.

HENRY C. WAYNE, Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

Major General THOS. S. JESUP, Washington.

COLUMBUS, GA., August 28, 1846.

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 22d, informing me of the requisition in my favor for $36,000. The draft has not yet arrived; but on your letter I made arrangements with one of the banks, by which I can procure what funds I require.

When I parted with the drove it numbered six horses, twentysix wagons, and three hundred and seventy-two mules. My sickness compelled me to stop operations, or I should have increased the number to six hundred. As it was, I direc ed it to proceed to Blakely, opposite Mobile, via Montgomery, following down the east side of the Alabama river, as upon inquiry I found that it was the best, quickest, and most economical road, having fewer tolls and ferriages. At Blakely the drove can be shipped as easily and readily as at Mobile itself.

I heard from Mr. Griffin on the 24th. The work on the Summers he states was rapidly advancing to completion. He was about to leave for Charleston, by my order, to carry out your instructions as to the shafts and crank-wheel of the De Rossett. HENRY C. WAYNE, Captain and Assistant Quartermaster U. S. Army. Washington.

Major General THOS. S. JESUP,

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, June 29, 1846.

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant, directing me to purchase 172 horses for the 2d dragoons, and 200 mules for the army of occupation. It was forwarded to me from Memphis, not having reached that place until after I left, which was on the 20th instant. I shall return to Memphis to-day, for the purpose of fulfilling your instructions. My first intention was to have purchased them here, but I found, on inquiry, that in consequence of Captain Heintzelman having purchased a considerable number in this vicinity, they could not be obtained on as favorable terms as they can be at Memphis. Many of those purchased by Captain H. cost as high as $95.

A. R. HETZEL,

Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

Major General T. S. JESUP,
Quartermaster General, Washington city.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, July 9, 1846. GENERAL: On my arrival at Memphis from Louisville, I found that no more horses and mules could be purchased in West Tennessee to advantage than were required to complete the train of the two mounted regiments from Kentucky and Tennessee. I was making preparations to purchase those you ordered in your letter of the 13th in Middle and East Tennessee, when General [Wool] arrived, and, from information derived from him and from an intelligent agent of the department who was with him, (Colonel March, of Illinois,) I became satisfied they could be obtained at least 20 per cent. lower in Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois, than in any part of Tennessee, and in a much shorter time. General Wool, therefore, directed me to come to this place and make the purchase; and in addition to the mules you ordered for the army of occupation, he has required me to purchase 200 to be sent to La Vaca.

A. R. HETZEL,

Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, July 10, 1846.

GENERAL: I have the honor to enclose herewith a duplicate of a letter mailed to your address yesterday. I find that I was not mistaken in saying that the horses and mules could be purchased here 20 per cent. lower than in Kentucky or Tennessee. The horses I have already bought average less than $60, and the mules just $60. I am assisted by Colonel March, of Illinois, and Colonels Gillespie and McEwen, of Tennessee. I shall employ subordinate agents from time to time, as their services become necessary. A. R. HETZEL, Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, July 20, 1846. GENERAL: I shall make one shipment of horses and mules to New Orleans to-day, and another on Wednesday-in all 250. The horses are nearly all purchased. Mules are scarce, but I am sparing no exertions to obtain them. In the course of two weeks, at farthest, I hope to complete the purchase of all that have been ordered. A. R. HETZEL,

Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, July 27, 1846. GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 17th and 18th instant.

On the 21st I sent 46 mules and 36 horses to Colonel Hunt, and on the 23d 100 horses and 50 mules. In consequence of there being no vessels of sufficiently light draught in port, I have made no shipments since; but to-day I succeeded in getting three vessels to start on Wednesday and Thursday, by which I shall send the remainder of the horses ordered in your letter of the, 13th ult. for the 2d dragoons, and mules for the army of occupation, together with the 200 mules and 24 horses ordered by General Wool.

The 600 mules ordered in your letters of the 17th and 18th I am collecting as rapidly as possible. I hope by the middle of next week to have completed the purchase, and have them ready for transportation to the mouth of Red river.

I have two very efficient agents-Colonel March, of Illinois, and Colonel Gillespie, of Tennessee-men in whom I can repose the utmost copadence. The former, as soon as the mules are purchased, shall send to the mouth of Red river to receive them, and arrange them in droves, with proper drivers, whom I am hiring here. The latter I shall despatch, as soon as he returns from Hannibal, where he is now purchasing animals, to Memphis, Vicksburg, and Natchez, for the purpose of securing all the wagons that can he purchased.

I apprehend considerable difficulty in obtaining wagons. This part of the country was exhausted by the demand consequent upon General Kearny's movement upon Santa Fe.

A. R. HETZEL, Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, July 28, 1846.

GENERAL: I have purchased upwards of 750 animals, at an average cost of from 70 to 80 dollars, including all expensesforage, hire of agents, teamsters, &c.

I have purchased a few wagons, and have all the good saddlers in the place engaged in making harness, halters, &c. Wagons,

as I informed you in my letter of yesterday, are scarce-in fact, none of any consequence can be obtained here. I shall, however, procure all that can be purchased at Memphis, Vicksburg, and Natchez. Any number could be obtained in Middle and East Tennessee, but the waters of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers are not in boating order, and therefore, if purchased there, they could not be transported to the Mississippi within any thing like a reasonable time.

A. R. HETZEL, Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, August 2, 1846.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on the 30th ult. the purchase and shipment for New Orleans of the horses and mules ordered in your letter of the 13th of June, and those ordered by General Wool, was completed. The whole number shipped from here amounted to 397 mules and 233 horses. Before leaving Louisville I wrote to Major Tompkins, and requested him to purchase some mules I heard were in the vicinity of Columbus. He informed me on the 15th ult. that he had purchased 45, and expected to obtain 15 more, which he would send to Colonel Hunt. Even if he did not obtain the 15 mentioned, the order will still have been more than filled.

On the 31st ult. I sent 9 horses and 91 mules to the mouth of the Red river in charge of an agent, G. Robinson. I find great difficulty in obtaining the services of suitable agents to assist me. Should the mules leave the mouth of Red river on or before the 20th instant, they will reach the Rio Grande certainly before the Tennessee volunteers, who left Memphis on the 27th ult., and as soon, if not sooner, than the Kentuckians, who left on the 16th, as they will have nearly 200 miles less to travel, and can be driven farther in one day than the volunteers will march in two.

Unfortunately, Colonel March, to whom I intended to entrust the general management of the droves, is sick, and Colonel Gillespie's health is not such as would justify him in taking the trip. The latter leaves to-morrow morning for Paducah, with orders to ascend the Tennessee river from 30 to 40 miles, and purchase all the wagons and mules he can obtain there. It is a part of the country from which no supplies of any kind have been drawn for the war as yet; and no matter how low the water may be in the Ohio, there is no dificulty in making shipments for Paducah. Should not the wagons leave New Orleans before the 1st of September, they will still be on the Rio Grande before the arrival of the mounted volunteers. I shall send an agent to morrow to purchase all that can be procured at Memphis, Vicksburg, and Natchez, and the country around.

A. R. HETZEL, Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

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