
          Newburgh March 26th 1846


 Dear Sir,


 I received your kind letter on Saturday evening last it should
 have been answered immediately had not my abscence from home prevented
 I have just received a letter from Washington of which I send you a copy —
 You will percieve that Mr Bancroft does not say such an expedition has
 not been thought of not that it is abandoned but seems to imply that it
 depends upon some action of the Senate. My information on the subject was
 derived from navy officers, one of whom Lieutenant Case had just returned
 from the Navy department said the Expedition was strongly talked of
 as a certainty and Lieutenant Off Perry had been promised the command.
 It was not known whether it be an overland of a naval one: if overland
 there is time enough to prepare. Capt. Fremont did not leave the 
 frontiers until June 1st and his route to the Mountains was very indirect.


 Before leaving this subject I must return you my most sincere thanks
 for the trouble you have taken in my behalf and for kindness as gratuitous as it
 in unmerited it may be in my power at some future time to prove to you that
 it is not soon forgotten.


 The weather has been very mild during the mont the Hepatica
 triloba is in flower on the warm hillsides. The common Alnus & symplocarpus along
 the streams. We had a violent Hailstorm last evening wind S.E. accompanied
 with vivid lightning. it lasted about 20 minutes. The hailstones which
 were of the size of filberts caused considerable damage indeed
 I noticed that an elm tree situated near the house is almost
        