PERSONAL ACCOUNT. 



7 



commission,) I now desire, for reasons which, in my judgment, form an Insurmountable ob- 

 stacle to the proper performance of these duties, to be relieved from all duty on the commission. 

 I request the person may be designated to Avhom the instruments in my custody shall Ikj 

 turned over. They are at present distributed between Captain ITa 



dcastle. Lieut. T\' 



]\Ir. A. B. Gray, and myself. In due season an account will be rendered of my astronomical 

 determinations on this work, and the commission will be furnished with the result. 



By the time of receiving my recall, I hope to have finished the determination of the astrono- 



ndary between the Pacific and the mouth of tlie Gila river, and it 



i a convenient i>oint for the transfer of the work to otlu 



****** *4c 



I am, sir, very resncctfullv, vour obedient scrviir 



* * 



W. IT. E3I0KY. 



In reply to this letter I received, almost simultaneously, the two following letters : 



WA.<ni.\(;TON, Novemher 21, 1810. 



Sir: Your letter of the 15th of Sei»tomber has been received. I learn from it with rerrrct 

 that you wish to be relieved from your duties as aptronoracr and topogra]diical cn<Mneer in 

 connexion with the commission, on the part of the United States, for marking the boundary 

 pursuant to the treaty of Guadalupe Ilidalgo. Tour claims and peculiar aptitude for tliat 

 service were so generously acknowledged, that there was every reason to hope you might not be 

 severed from the commission until the close of the business confided to it. Entertaining no 

 doubt, however, that the reasons to which you allude arc sound, and that the public will derive 

 advantage from your employment in any other professional duty which may be assigned to 

 you, your request is acceded to, and in a letter of this date I have requested tlie Secretary of 



ar to designate your successor. In regard to the civil assistants to whom you refer, it is 

 presumed that it would be best for them to remain, with a view to aid your successor in the 

 discharge of his duties. 



^ 



I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



J. M. CLAYTON. 



Wasiiingtox, Novemher 28, 1S49. 

 Sir : The letter addressed to you by this department under date of 2l8t has been detained 



offi 



r 



successor. 



Crawford 



of which is enclosed, that the order for your relief, wliich had been requested of him, would be 

 so greatly inconvenient to the military service that he deems himself constrained to deny the 

 request. 



Und 



o 



man 



by which you have attained your high professional and personal character. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



Major W. H. Emory, Astronomer, do., dc. 



J. M. CLAYTON 



It might be supposed, after the receipt of these letters, that the desperate condition in which 



commission 



