To

            His Excellency

            Z. Taylor

            President of the                                                 Trenton, New Jersey

            U. States.                                                                     August 7, 1849

 

            Sir,

Having seen an article in a Newspaper stating that several prisoners had been kept in Prison in Jalapa, Mexico since June 1848 and being anxious to find a man by the name of Constantine Fagioli, a private of Company G, 10^th Regiment of Infantry and supposing it probable he may be one of those prisoners, I will thank you Sir, to inform me if there are any one amongst them of that name; or if his name appears among those that were killed at that time.  It is at the request of his family I write these lines, Constantine's father & mother are deceased, and there are due to Constantine about six hundred Dollars from the Estate, his family are very poor, the Executor will not pay over the money until it can be ascertained that he is dead.  I have written to Adjutant Gen. Jones he sent me a Certificate that he deserted from Fort Paredes, Mexico – he was of a respectable family, but at times would drink to excess.  His friends suppose that when intoxicated he wandered from the camp, was taken prisoner or killed by the Mexicans.

 

            Description, born in Trenton, New Jersey aged 28 years, hazle (sp) eyes, brown

            hair, dark complexion, 5 feet ___ inches high, by occupation a plasterer.

                                   

                                                            With the Highest regard

                                                            for your health and hap-

                                                            piness (happinefs).

 

                                                                        I am Sir, Your Servant

                                                            Samuel B. Stafford

 

P. S., I am gratified to learn that our fellow Townsman Mr. Alfred Mitchell has been appointed Consul to Cork, Ireland, he is a gentleman of Integrity, and no doubt will fill the office with honor to himself and Country – also Mr. Charles W. Fenton of Washington,  (D. C.) a native of this town, appointed Consul to Southampton or Cowes (?), a gentleman every way qualified to fill the office respectably, I observe that Mr. Peter Hagner has resigned the Auditorship, which he has held forty nine years and I humbly hope, and trust that James L. Edwards, Commissioner (Commifsioner) of Pensions will either resign, or be removed from that office, as he has been in office for very many years, the offices descending from father to son, is repugnant to our Republican Government, and therefore if it is profitable, then they have held office long enough, or if unprofitable it is time they were removed so they can follow some other business (businefs) for their support, and lay (Pay?) up for sickness (sicknefs) & old age-

 

                                                                                    Your Humble Servant

                                                                                    Samuel B. Stafford

 

**Outside of document; address and response**

 

Trenton, NJ postmark, August 8

 

To His Excellency Z. Taylor, President of the United States, Washington City, D. C.

 

461 (in red ink)    *

Trenton NJ

August 7, 1849

Sam'l B. Stafford

Enquires after Constantine

Fagioli                          Co. G.,10  Infantry (in red ink)

S252

9 Aug. 1849

 

Answer

Constantine Fagioli,

a private of Comp'y G,

10^th Infantry enlisted

11^th March, 1847 for the

war and Deserted

10^th July 1847 from Fort

Paredes, Mexico.  Nothing

more is known of him.

 

                        Initialed by Unknown

Adjutant General's Office

August 14, 1849

 

                        Signed by Unknown

 

 

Manuscript ID #444 - TG