New Orkans 011 his own hm,incss and would defray his own expenses and al lhc same lime procure the articles wanted for the boat. Thal no time Sould be lost, as he would return in the same vessel he went in or the first that sailed after his arrival. Under this view of the Subject I con8ctllccl to his going and 1 am not Sensil,le of anything like favoritism in the mailer. The boat was lo be employed in culling wood. In regard to Capt. Harcourt 1 have to say that I know nol.hing of his particular friends "at Court." When he was here I told him expressly that You commanded the Island and all upon it and that he was subject to your orders in general. If he is insuborditwlc let hirn be arreslt:d and tried. As the highest officer in the engineers, he is Chief of that Corps and within the peculiar functions of thal. department of the Service I presume he would be subject alone to the war office, but in general police of the island he is clearly subject lo your orders. On the subject of the prisioners. lt is not intended that any more of them shall be hired out-neith would any have been had we Known that there was employment for them all on Lhe island. The saving of provisions was something for I greatly fear we shall yet find a want of provisions a vast difficulty. If Capt. Harris has appropriated any public corn or any other public properly to himself, I hope he will be fully exposed and brought lo a Sever accountability. Peculation in office is as mean as dirt and I would not countenance it in my brother. Lieut. Stilwell bothered me here for two days. On the first day he was drunk and saucy and I sent off in short words. The next he was sober and apologised for his rudeness. He wanted a court of inquiry, and I told him I did not doubt you would gratify him. He said he belonged to the engineer corps and asked, if as such he was not under the orders of Col. Harcourt. I told him he was immediately-but that You commanded Lhe Island and that Harcourt was subordinate to You as Commandant of the Post. Now I donl know how I could have bett~r got along with these Lillie matters. Thal you have your own lroublcs I doubt not-that I have mine, you know. I have mtwh l.o do and a very sick child calling upon me day and night. Your ,~c 0avid G. Burnet
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