1st Edition 1846. Message of the President [James K. Polk] of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress, 2nd Session, 29th Congress". United States Senate Document No. 1. Washington: Government Printing Office (GPO). Printed by Ritchie & Heiss 1846. This scarce historically important document is 142pp long, and contains President Polk's Message and the report of W. L. Marcy, the Secretary of War;; this includes 4 large folding charts depicting ..1) the Organisation of the Army; 2) the General Returns of the Army 3); the Position and Distribution of Troops in the Eastern Division; and 4) the Position and Distribution of Troops in the Western Division; The document has some superb early California, Texas, and Mexican War content, beginning with the Message from the President, pp. 1-33: followed by several pages of Papers from Department of State, including the Mexican General A Lopez De Santa Anna's " Plan " and copies of his correspondence, It contains a vital series of government documents nearly a hundred and seventy-five years old, containing Polk's and War Secretary Marcy's reports on the progress of the Mexican War, with details of General Taylor's army advance into Texas and the taking-up a position at Corpus Christi in August 1845. Polk believed that Mexico provoked the War by crossing the Rio Grande, despite the difficulties of agreeing the exact location of the Texas-Mexico boundary and his policy of annexing Texas, which was to all intents and purposes a Mexican state. He berated Mexico for insisting that Texas was "… only a rebellious province and not an independent State". In his Message, Polk reviews Texas's history, arguing that annexation by the USA in 1845 was no cause for Mexican aggression. Later, he refers to the policy of moving native Americans west of the Mississippi. The Department of State's report follows Polk's message, with copies of correspondence and details of General Santa Anna's planned revolution, contains valuable material; The lengthy report of the Secretary of War, giving much detailed account and despatches of military activities in the field of the Mexican war by Generals Taylor and Kearny, and Lieutenant Colonel John C. Fremont. There is a lengthy report by Generals Taylor and Wood, from "Headquarters, Army of Occupation, Camp Before Monterey", dated September 24 1846, with superb detailed accounts of the battle for, and taking of, Monterey; also 4 large folding charts showing organisation of the Army, positions and distribution of troops, forts, military outposts, etc. Headings in the Secretary of War Report and Appendices are …. 1)Report of the Adjutant General with Returns of the Army etc. 2)Report of General Taylor of operations at Monterey and report by Gen Wood of 19th Oct of the progress of his march. 3)Report of the Chief of Engineers. 4)Report of the Chief of Topographical Engineers. Bound into the front of the document is a Pamphlet Public Documents Printed By Order of the Senate of the United States During the Second session of the Twenty-Ninth Congress Begun and Held at the City of Washington December 7, 1846. This is a 49 page index list of documents that would have been part of a three volume edition. These are not present. The two booklets are in average condition with general usage marks, age toning to the pages. Light repairs to pull out documents. Bound up in blue card cover. Probably taken from a bound up volume.