WRITINGS OF SAl\I HOUSTON, 1838
219
The Commander-in-Chief being informed that Moreau Forest was a doctor, appointed him a surgeon to that place with in- structions to attend to the sick generally. From his own show- ing it appears that he remained there untn the 28th of October, charging the Government $488.00 for the length of time which he was there employed, as pay and perquisites, and for Medicine, $359.00 During the time that he was there, and for which he recd. pay from the government, I am not apprized that he ever at- tended a single patient without charging them as Private Patients, and in most cases charging them exorbitantly high. His charges were as high as $100 for a single attendance. Per- sons were c·ompelled to apply in many instances, to the Surgeon of the United States troops, stationed at that place and the medi- cines for which he charged the Public exorbitantly high must have been applied to his individual emolument when neither the Republic nor its Citizens derived any advantages which were in- tended at the time he was appointed. The Commander-in-Chief was entirely ignorant. of this state of things, and remained so until after his departure from that place. It appears that in the month of October, Moreau Forrest left Nacogdoches for Columbia; he was then appointed surgeon in the Navy, in which it appears that he was paid up to 1st January last, not as a Surgeon, but as he styled himself a Fleet Surgeon, which is a most rediculous assumption; 1st Because the laws of Texas did not provide for a Fleet Surgeon, and next, because Texas has had no fleet. Doctor Forrest has drawn from this gov- ernment the sum of $3221 and a fraction, and whether services have been rendered equivalent to it the President does not under- take to say. During the last session of the Hon. Congress, Dr. Forrest was ordered positively to repair to the Post at Galveston Island and to take charge of the sick Marines and Sailors who were remain- ing there, and with no discretion being left to him to leave without positive orders or leave of absence. Notwithstanding this fact, he frequently left there without pretense of business, and visited this place. He received a peremptory order to return to his duty and remain there; in the meantime, however, he took an excursion, abandoned his duty, and deserted his post. He gave orders to the owners of the Steam Boats upon the Govern- ment for the expense of these up and down trips. This under
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