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copies of letters have been received from the Honora-
ble Secretary of the Navy :
NAVY DEPARTMENT,
February 18th, 1850.
SIR:—
Your letter of the fifteenth instant, reporting your
arrival with the U. S. Ship Germantown, in the Chesa-
peake bay, on your way to Norfolk, has been received.
It gives me great pleasure to say, that you have served
in command of the Germantown, to the entire satis-
faction of the Department. It also gives me great
pleasure to enclose to you a copy of a letter from Com-
modore Ferry, of the eleventh ultimo, which is placed
on the files of the Department. Commander Charles
Lowndes will be ordered to relieve you. On his re-
porting, you will regard yourself as detached from the
command of the Germantown, with a leave of ab-
sence for three months, at the expiration of which,
you will report to the Department.
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. Y. MASON,
Commander FRANKLIN BUCHANAN,
Comd'g U. S. Ship Germantown,
Norfolk, Va.
NAVY YARD, VERA CRUZ,
11th January, 1848,
SIR:—
The return of Commander Franklin Buchanan to
the United States, and his probable detachment from
my command, gives me an opportunity of testifying
to the department the high opinion I entertain of the
merits of that excellent officer. Setting an example
in his own person, of promptitude, cheerfulness and
obedience in the execution of all orders, he exacts
the same qualities from those under him; and I do him
no more than justice in saying, that for courage, en-
ergy and judgment, he has not, in my opinion, a su-
perior in the service. Commander Buchanan has
headed detachments from his own ship, in the expe-
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