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Bp. Polk
Nov. 4, '59
Washington, D.C.
Nov. 4th.

My dear Elliott:

I find it will be impossible for me to
get to you so soon as I expected. I shall therefore, appoint
the 25th of Nov. as the day of the meeting of the Com. in
Savannah. I shall notify others of the day.

I had a very interesting and for our work
useful visit to Lexington. I got out of Smith and his asso-
ciates some very useful hints. He has a noble institution
there and is doing a good work for the State of Va. and the whole
South. He can and will be of great use to us.

I came here day before yesterday. Since I
have been here I have been constantly employed in collecting
useful matter in various departments. I have failed in the
affair of the lanscape gardner [sic]. He would be perhaps the man
we want but his mother forbis [sic] his coming to us. We must look
elsewhere.

I examined with my friend Col. Anderson of
the Army the public buidings going up under the care of my old
friend Capt. Bowman of the Engineers in the Treasury Department
and have obtained a good many important ideas in that line and
established a connection for future uses.

Yesterday I spent the day and dined with
Professor Bache of the Coast Survey, another of my West Point
associates and friends. He invited Professor Henry of the
Smithsonian to join us and we went very freely into educational
matters and discussed our plans very fully. They are both very
deeply impressed with the importance of our work and enter into