Ship Massachusetts Off Lobos 28 Feb 1847 Dear Major I ought to have in the bank of Commerce N. Y. Somewhere about $1000, which on coming away I thought might be a commercial fund for me to draw on. I have not had occasion to do so, & as now foresee none, I am unwilling it should lie longer idle. Will you therefore do me the favor to invest it for me, either in Ohio, Kentucky or U. S. 6 prcents, as you may find most advantageous unless you find something better. I always have a little of Ohio & Kenty (Kentucky)all things being equal, would prefer the Kenty. Above you have my check in blank which please fill up with a required amt. for $1000 of Bonds, & send the certificate to “Mrs R E Lee, Arlington near Alexa D. C.” It has been a long time since I have written to you & longer since I have heard. I wrote from Saltillo or its vicinity giving you brief accounts to that point. You may therefore be suspicious at finding me here, unless you recd information of what was intended before I did, as the Genl tells me it was so arranged before he left Washington. Here I am then a member of the Grand Armee. (Page 2) My orders however did not reach me till about 10 days after Genl Worths Division had left, which gave me a solitary aide to Camayo & some trouble to wend my way through Canales County. I got through however unharmed & reached Brazos about a fortnight before the Genl & suite sailed. We called at Tampico on our way here & staid there a day. It is one pf the prettiest places I have seen in Mex: Situtated on the N. Side of the Panuco, about 5 miles from its mouth & immediately below its junction with the Tamesi. About 1 mile below the town, the Tampico or Montezuma enters the Panuco from the South & communicates with Sagious & the Tamiagua in that direction. The town is watered from the Tamesi & one of our Steamboats, “May Somers” ascended the Panuco 130 miles. The present Tampico as you know is not older than about 20 years. The houses are consequently in good preservation & are moreover well built. There are some fine buildings among them, pitched roofs, glazed windows, venetian blinds etc. It looked more like home than anything I had seen. Some of the houses are three storied. The lower floor of the house occupied by Genl Patterson was paved by tessalative marble. Does that not approximate the “Marble Halls.” Beauregard was just completing the defenses of the land approaches to the city. They are a system of field works, well placed & (Page 3) calculated for the object & will require a garrison of at least 1000 men. I believe Col: DeRussys Regt: of Louis a (Louisiana) Vols. & Capt Wise’s Compy. of Arty. have been left to defend them. The market was well filled with vegetables, Green corn, tomatoes, sweet irish potatoes, snap beans, greens, onions etc were among the number. The only fruit I saw were sweet oranges & bananas. The fish were beautiful to behold & in great abundance, but ask Major Smith about the chocolate. I saw the tree growing with the fruit on it & the coconut also. In fact I was charmed with Tampico & if it depends upon my vote, it will never fall back to Mexico. It would not be characteristic of the Anglo Saxon race to permit it. The Panuco is very pretty river, but there is not more than 12' water on the bar. This Isd: is about 56 miles S. of Tampico, & about the same distance N. of Tuspan. It is a small island covered with evergreen about1/3 miles in circumference & some 8 or 10 miles from the main. It is surrounded by a coral reef, which in the E & W. direction I should think was nearly two miles long, though less in the N. & S. It is this reef which a shelter from the Northers. The water between the reef & Isd is perfectly smooth, no matter how rough the sea is outside, & there is a narrow pretty river, but there is not more than 12' water on the bar. This Isd: is about 56 miles S. of Tampico, & about the same distance N. of Tuspan. It is a small island covered with evergreen about1/3 miles in circumference & some 8 or 10 miles from the main. It is surrounded by a coral reef, which in the E & W. direction I should think was nearly two miles long, though less in the N. & S. It is this reef which a shelter from the Northers. The water between the reef & Isd is perfectly smooth, no matter how rough the sea is outside, & there is a narrow pretty river, but there is not more than 12' water on the bar. This Isd: is about 56 miles S. of Tampico, & about the same distance N. of Tuspan. It is a small island covered with evergreen about1/3 miles in circumference & some 8 or 10 miles from the main. It is surrounded by a coral reef, which in the E & W. direction I should think was nearly two miles long, though less in the N. & S. It is this reef which a shelter from the Northers. The water between the reef & Isd is perfectly smooth, no matter how rough the sea is outside, & there is a narrow pretty river, but there is not more than 12' water on the bar. This Isd: is about 56 miles S. of Tampico, & about the same distance N. of Tuspan. It is a small island covered with evergreen about1/3 miles in circumference & some 8 or 10 miles from the main. It is surrounded by a coral reef, which in the E & W. direction I should think was nearly two miles long, though less in the N. & S. It is this reef which a shelter from the Northers. The water between the reef & Isd is perfectly smooth, no matter how rough the sea is outside, & there is a narrow pretty river, but there is not more than 12' water on the bar. This Isd: is about 56 miles S. of Tampico, & about the same distance N. of Tuspan. It is a small island covered with evergreen about1/3 miles in circumference & some 8 or 10 miles from the main. It is surrounded by a coral reef, which in the E & W. direction I should think was nearly two miles long, though less in the N. & S. It is this reef which a shelter from the Northers. The water between the reef & Isd is perfectly smooth, no matter how rough the sea is outside, & there is a narrow