I have the honor to acknowlege [acknowledge] the recpt [receipt] of yr [year] letter of the 10th Uti [Ultima] with its enclosure

On the recpt [receipt] thereof I referred it to the asst [assistant] Surgion [Surgeon] general for his report therean [therein]. Shortly after I was attacked with my old complaint, with unusual violence, that confined me to my bed, and from which I am just recovering, much emancipate & debilitated. yesturday [yesterday] was the first day, that I could sit so long as to write even a short note, which will account to you for the delay attendant on my aswer [answer].

I herewith enclose you the asst [assistant] Surgion [Surgeon] General's report, from which you will find, that there never did exist such a Division order as Doctor Gale refers to in his report.

The order of the 21st August 1816 was long previous to the present organization of the Medical Staff — That of the 18 August 1818 was merely to change the reports required to be made to the Asst. [Assistant] Generals office, to that of the Asst. [Assistant]Surgion [Surgeon] general's of Division These reports were intended for my own information as to the health of the army, and did not, nor were intended to have interference with the orders of the Surgion [Surgeon] General. From the orders required

to be made of Surgn [Surgeon] General, I discovered that no report was ordered to be made to me. It was not only my duty, but all important for me to know the state, condition, and health of my troops; and have the Medical Staff performed their duty; that if — neglect existed, a speedy remedy might be applied, for without the health of an army be preserved it cannot be effective; and to have knowlge [knowledge] of this without lending in the least to interfere with the Surgn [Surgeon] Generals Department was my alone object

Your order directing the arest [arrest] of Col [Colonel] King 4th Infantry come duly to hand, & has been promptly attended to, of which you have been advised by my adjt. [adjutant] General. Genl. [General] Gaines has communicated to me the recpt [receipt] of the orders to him, on this subject, & of his prompt attention thereto. Will you permit me to remark that the manner of the arrest of Col. [Colonel] King is I think without precedent. Permitting subordinate officers, charged with high military offenses, — under arrest, & a court ordered for their trial, to prefer charges against their superior, and to send them to you contrary to possitive [positive] rule; [added:

of the superior is had, is to destroy all subordination in the army. This precedent may be insisted on in cases hereafter, and will produce the worst consiquences [consequences], exciting subordinate officers in all like cases to prefer charges against their superiors by way of revenge, & to procrastinate their own fate

I have also the honor to acknowlge [acknowledge] the recpt [receipt] of your adjt. [adjutant] & Inspector Genls. [Generals] letter of the 10th ult [ultimo] with its enclosures. Before its recpt [receipt] B Brig Genl [Brigadier General] Bissel had been detailed on the court for trial of Col. [Colonel] King. I have ordered him to join his regiment on a dissolution of the court, & duplicate orders are sent to him

I expect to be be compelled to prefer charges against Genl. [General] Ripley , which if I do will be laid before you, for your consideration; when a detail of either a full court from the Northern Division; or a President for the court now detailed for the trial of Col. [Colonel] King will be necessary, as there is no officer in my division of Genl. [General] Ripleys grade that can preside.... I can not get a report from him on the subject of the [unclear: relatory? ] road, or how the troops are, or have been, employed

I am very respectfully yo mo obt sert [your most obedient servant]

Andrew Jackson

The Honble [Honorable] J.C. Calhoun} sec [secretary ] of war}

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Nashville 7 Sept. [September] 1819 Genl. A. Jackson Acknowledge the receipt of letter 10 ulto [ultimo] & reports relative to the Medical Dept [Department]— On the subject of Col [Colonel] Kings' arrest— Shall prefer charges agt. [against] Genl [General] Riply.—