Before the expiration of my leave, the war men of the company procured the passage of an act by Congress, authorizing their discharge from the service. Under that act nearly all the men of the company, who had served in Mexico, immediately obtained their discharge from the army. This virtually reduced the company to the detachment of recruits which had been collected and retained at West Point.
At the expiration of my leave of absence I was formally relieved from further direct service with the engineer company; and at the request of the Chief Engineer, consented to undertake the enlistment of new recruits to fill the places in the company vacated by the war men, who had been discharged. That business was finished within a few months. I was then ordered on other engineer duty and, thus, my connection with the engineer company ended.
[5] Frederick W. Gerber, was enlisted in Co. "A." June 29, 1846, after previous service in the 4th Infantry, which he joined in 1839, and under the Act of March 3, 1849, was discharged April 6, 1849. He was reenlisted the same day and continued in the service until his death at the Post of Willets Point, N. Y., November 10, 1875. He was appointed Artificer, April 18, 1847, Corporal, August 1, 1848, Sergeant, February 1, 1849, and was Sergeant Major of the Battalion of Engineers from February 21, 1867, to the date of his death.
BRIEF EXTRACTS, FROM WILCOX'S HISTORY OF THE MEXICAN WAR, 1892.
"General Patterson was ordered to march [December, 1846,] from Matamoros to Victoria with three regiments of volunteers, two pieces of artillery, and the engineer company under Lieut. G. W. Smith". (p. 187.)
VERA CRUZ. "This line of investment, through the chaparral and over the sand hills, was located by Lieut. G. W. Smith, of the engineers, assisted by Lieut. G. B. McClellan, and a roadway along the line was made under the supervision of these two lieutenants with the engineer company and a party of several hundred soldiers". (p. 246.)
CERRO GORDO. "On the arrival of the engineer company and train at Plan del Rio [April 17th, 1847], Lieut. G. B. McClellan with a party of ten men reported to General Pillow, and Lieut. G. W. Smith with [the rest of] his men and a portion of the train to General Twiggs".