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Chappel reported the men as standing the exposure splendidly, but the greater portion of them entirely unfit for hard labor, and that he was pushing ahead the work of construction as fast as his limited means, and the weather would permit.  I trust it will not be amiss here to express my admiration of Chappel's pluck and endurance.  I found him prostrated with a painful bodily ailment from which he had been suffering for three weeks, and yet when urged by me, to be relieved, declined positively insisting that as long as he was able, he would superintend personally the work entrusted to his care.  And [[insert]]this[[/insert]] he did until obliged to draw off for want of food.  At Chappel's camp I left Lieut Smith.  I then proceeded to Unalachleet from whence I travelled to Lieut F.M. Smith's camp and found him busily engaged driving ahead the work, seventeen miles of poles having been erected.  Lt Smith reported the men standing the cold very well, his as well as Chappel's [[insert]]men[[/insert]] and having lived in open camp during the months of Jan, Feb, March