562
TEX.\S STATE LrnR.\RY
No. 576 1837 July 14., A. LE R.\ Y DE CIL\U)JO~T 'l'O ~I. B. LA:'lfAR, [::\IACOX, GEORGIA]
Camp ~lilam 14 July 1~37
Dear Sir.
I should have written to yon long before this, but for two reasons: In the first place, until I arrived in camp, I have not been long enough in one place to take up the pen; and sinc:e my arrival here the nature of my duties has been so different from what I expected, that the diffi- culty was as great to effect my purpose. But, although I am writing . on my knees and am intet-rnpted at e\·ery moment I can not delay longer fufilling my promise the performance of which I assure yon is very agreeable to me & offers me a relaxation from my duties- These are of a very clfsagreable nature: I expected to have only a command cf a company of horse: but 'instead, ever since I have been in camp I have been charge with the snpcrintendance of the whole, being ob- liged to reimplace a furlough 'd officer-I have·had therefore to learn every thing at once instead of by degrees-To add to my difficulties I command a sett of raw and un<lisciplin 'd men who have nothing of a regular eorps but the name and so much the harder to govern that half of them arc either bare footed or bare leg'd- They have been given to understand since some time that provisions and clothing: were coming on but seeing none they have by degrees gone more & morP. dissatisfied: and if they do not arrive shortly we may be placed in the same situation as the main army. I only received my commission 0~1 the 22d april-I had even to go to Huston after it, notwithstanding repeated assurances I would have it deliver'cl me at Columbia- ' .,\!ready the first mentioned place was a lively ,·illage, almost as larg-e a,<; Rrazoria-1 SU\\" the President going to the ball in a superb snit of hlack velvet lined with white satin, and a large hat ornamented with waving plumes! The english consul Crawford in citizens clothes was walking along sille of him; and the great speculator Allen ou the other.-1 felt relieved on lc>aving Hus~on au<l posted on to the army where 1 found things completely disorg-anised-so mncb so that Gen. Johnson wished heartily for some one to reimplace him as he could not attend to his duties bciu~ confined to his bed: and a few days subsequently poor Tcalc was shot iu his tent by one of his own men! 'l'hey threatened the same fate to several other officers, which caused many to resign: among others the general himself left the army, being hclple,:s. At the burial an ofliccr said publicly that 110\\' was the time for Felix II11sto11 to come! I mistake it was at a bo11rcli11g table on the day of the burial-Before le.win:.{ the army I uccompaniecl 1111 expe- dition or embassy to the Carnukawns but they hucl left their villnge & we searchNl for them :-evrral <lays in vain. Arri\·ed here I fmrnd the rc~iment, or tl111t part rcmaininJ?, ns it were in a stale of mutiny. Col. Knrnci; was out on nu expedition with
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