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^[[9216/2]]

[[circular stamp]]
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.
JAN 25 1867
[[/circular stamp]]

^[[Kennicotts Address to his party after the vessels left]]

I had hoped to avoid any formal organization of the party I have the honor to command, until I should have somewhat investigated the state of the singular outfit left for our use. (Under such [[strikethrough]] circumstances [[/strikethrough]] unprecedented circumstances, and in [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] the [[strikethrough]] state of [[/strikethrough]] confusion [[strikethrough]] as [[/strikethrough]] you have all seen) - with the view to correcting as far as possible the numerous errors in the receipts which Mr Bean and myself have been obliged by the peculiar [[strikethrough]] circumstances [[/strikethrough]] ^[[exigencies of the service]] to sign without ourselves examining the outfit we receipted for.

Among my other reasons for this course.  I would mention particulary that I have desired to make no appointments Till I could avoid placing upon officers of my own [[strikethrough]] creation [[/strikethrough]] choosing any responsibility for the errors committed by others. - I wishing to [[ap?]], before taking command of you, any responsibility that does not properly belong to the gentleman left in charge of part of the outfit landed here for this Expedition - 

For [[strikethrough]] gentlemen [[/strikethrough]] from the hour I do take official command of you, and this becomes a formal organization every member of my [[strikethrough]] command [[/strikethrough]] ^[[party must]] - in honor at least, - shares in some degree the responsibility for the proper use and care of the outfit placed in my hands, as he also does that for the success of the Expedition.

We cannot ^[[always]] take for precedent the Army Regulations in such a peculiar organization as this must be, not one of you can avoid [[strikethrough]] a great [[/strikethrough]] ^[[considerable]] responsibility, any more than you can [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] avoid each receiving a share of the aggregate credit earned by all, in addition to that earned by himself personally.

I was landed here Sept

I employed myself