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296 Head Quarters Sub Dist of Alabama Montgomery Ala Dec 18th 1866 Thomas Maj Genl George H. Comdg Dept of the Tenn General I am this morning in receipt of your telegram of yesterday inquiring what necessity exists for turning over the Marine Hospital at Mobile, to the Freedmens Bureau. Reply was made immediately by telegraph and the following is submitted by way of further answers. A number of months ago having great need of a large building for school purposes in Mobile, and being satisfied that the Marine Hospital could be vacated without injury to any one, I presented the matter to General Woods then Commanding Department, and to his Medical Director, Dr. Getty. These officers being both of opinion that for the Army patients at least it was unwise on several grounds to maintain a large general Hospital at Mobile. I made application for the building to the President. The Application was considered in a meeting of the Cabinet and I was furnished with a letter from the Secretary of War to the Department Commander requesting a transfer in due form. This was thought to be all that was necessary as the building is considered still in the custody of the War Department, as captured property. The Treasury officials at Mobile denied this and although their patients were and still are cared for by the Army, they protested. I was then furnished with a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury authorizing me to transfer the Marine patients as soon as I could local them as suitably elsewhere. (It is proper to say that both classes were only about one tenth at that time of what the building would accommodate,) by the time these papers were complete the number of patients had remarkably increased and the threatening proximity of cholera and Yellow fever to Mobile induced me to defer action until the warm weather was past. I then called on General Woods to comply with the request of the Secretary of War. The delay that had intervened induced that officer to refer the matter to superior Head Quarters and I suppose my request was forwarded to the Secty for without any other action on my part there came back an order 297 to complete the transfer by his direction. Still anxious to do no one any wrong, I waited till December and then directed that after a day then three weeks distant no more Military patients be received, at the same time taking steps which I thought would be sufficient and satisfactory as to the remainder. Genl Woods approved my action here last week. The Surgeon began by effecting an arrangement by which they do not report to me or to my Volunteer Surg in Chief. They have since entirely disregarded me and treated my Surgeon in Chief (Bvt Lt Col Kipp) with decided incivility. But for my anxiety and effort to keep the Bureau free from quarrels, I should have long ago arrested them. The number of patients they have now in hospital is a large percentage of the entire force, you can compare it with the proportion of sick elsewhere. I am sorry to trouble you with so long a communication but the object is one which promises great usefulness to the Bureau without injury to any one and with considerable saving of rents non paid for buildings wholly inadequate and I confess I am not willing to thwart the settled purpose of the people of Mobile who burned down several churches that we shall not have this building which they cannot set on fire. I am General Very Respectfully Your Obdt Servant Maj Gen & Asst Commr Head Quarters Sub Dist of Alabama Montgomery Ala Dec 20th 1866 278/304 Tracy Bvt Maj Geo. H. Supt Bureau R.F. & A.L. Mobile Ala. Major I have the honor to forward herewith by express the communication of sentence of Geo Morrison (colored) condemned to be hung on the 28th inst. You will please acknowledge receipt of this, and cause it to be at once safely delivered to the Sheriff of Mobile Co. I am Very Respectfully Your Obt Servant OD Kinsman Supt
