
          Washington City Oct. [October] 21st 1848

My dear Sir

Yours of Septr [September] 26th team duly to hand, and all
apparent neglect in the answering of which together with your previous 
communications, will no doubt be overlooked, when I tell 
you that my family has been severely afflicted for the last 
two months, which resulted in the loss of our only Son; and 
that since the receipt of your last I have been laid up with 
a severe attack of scarlet fever, and I am now only able 
to sit up and scrawl you a few lines.

I'm pleased to learn that you have got hold of Col. [Colonel] Fremonts
last Californian collection of plants. do you find any 
thing like our Sarracenia among them? The Col [Colonel] thought that 
he had something like it among them; He has taken with him 
[on] this trip Bot. [Botanical] collector with whom I am acquainted, but
who I am afraid has got more consequence than knowledge 
for to suit the Col [Colonel], I like your idea of making public 
through the Smithsonian contributions some of the more new 
and interesting plants of the collections, but you do not say 
decididly [decidedly] from whose collections they are to be taken.

It adds pleasure in the prosecution of our labours, to reflect 
That all connected with the Botanical portion of the Expedition feel
Satisfied; And I hope you were able to make some arrangement 
With Mr Drayton regarding such drawings as you may
        