Letter of the Day: February 27

Read Colonel C. L. Heizmann's endorsement from February 23

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 08162

War Department,
Office of the Surgeon General,
Washington

February 27, 1904

Brig. Gen. R. M. O'Reilly,
Surgeon General, U.S. Army,
Washington, D.C.

General:

I have the honor to state in reply to endorsement of Colonel C. L. Heizmann, Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Army, of February ___, 1905, reporting the fact of my absence from office and the cause, a copy of which has been furnished me, while his report as to the cause of my absence may be substantially correct, according to his information, I beg to mention in the same connection that I have been a great sufferer for a long time from catarrh and have been until about the 15th of February last under treatment of a specialist who gave me powders in which I found almost instant relief from pain, but my general health had been such that I consulted a physician, a friend, who came to my room, examined the powders I had been taking and destroyed them at once telling me that I had been taking poison, which accounted for my peculiar appearance and actions he had noticed, and from the effect of which drug it had taken me a long time to recover. I have only within the last week come to realize my condition and taken steps to commence life over again, as it were, by taking the pledge which I have never done before, and feel, after many years of honorable service, if given the opportunity, instead of being dismissed for drinking and disgraced

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Gen. O’Reilly……………2.

for all time to come as my action my perhaps deserve, no one will ever again have cause to find fault with me, and of this I am confident.

Asking you kind consideration of my case for the sake of those dependent upon me as well as for my own sake, so far as consistent with your official duties,

I have the honor to be, sir,

Your obedient servant,
P. M. Kelly
Clerk, Class I.