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Believing it to he of great importance to our country, as well as Texas and Mexico, and indeed to the whole people of the continent of America, that our Government should he prepared lo act promptly upon the anticipated application of the people of Texas for admission; and desiring, as fervently as any one of the early friends of the President can possibly desire, that this magnificent acquisition to our Union should be made within the period of his presidential term, and apprehending that unlo?ked for changes and embarrassing interferences by foreign Powers might result from delaying our national action upon the subject to another session of Congress, I have taken leave to order to the city of Washington Captain E. A. Hitchcock, acting as inspector general, whose discriminating mind and perfect integrity and honor will enable him to communicate more fully than my present delicate health (much impaired by a succession of bad colds) will allow me to write, the facts and circumstances connected with this interesting subject, the opinions and wishes of the inhabitants of the eastern border of Texas, together with the la le occurrences, and present state of my command. I avail my.sdf of the vccasic,n to request that a legal provision may be recommended by the President, which will enable me lo have an assistant adjutant general and an assistant inspector general permanently attached to my staff; by which means I should have, in the appropriate way, the services of my aid-de-camp, and be thereby relieved of much of the sedentary labor of copying, and of many other duties such as usually, in all respectable armies, devolve upon aids-de-camp, but which have long occupied much of my time, and have tended, of late, to deprive me of that portion of exercise which my former habits have rendered essential to my health. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Edmund P. Gaines, Major General commanding.
To the Secretary of War, Washington City.
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