[3900] [BURNET to RUSK]
Executive Department Velasco 7 Augt. 1836
To Brig. Genl. T. J. Rusk Comr. Sir
Accompanying this you will receive an order concerning Lt. Col. Henry Millard. That Order is dictated by a sense of public duty, I now transmit you for your Satisfaction some documents relating to the conduct of thal gentleman during his last tarry at this place- In your letter of 31. July you remark that some of the powers conceded to the Commanding General of the Army interfere with the powers of the Secty of War and of the Navy. No such concession was intended in the letter I addressed to you on the 18th Ulto. the object of which letter was to conciliate the Army, which we understood was in a state of feverish excitement, and to assure you of a fact which I think you ought to have been sensible of without such assurance that the Civil Government had no disposition lo interfere with and control the immediate Operation of lhe Army. Its general movements we certainly expect to control when it may become necessary. But this matter is irrelevant to the subject in hand. However great the concession of power to the Commanding General may have been you will find by reference to the document marked A which in the absence of the Secty of War was sent to me, all cut and dried and ready for signature by Col. Millard, that the powers conceded in my letter of 18th ullo. were not sufficient to satisfy his voracity, and that for some purpose, which he did not condescent lo disclose, a more absolute control of the Navy was desirable. I also send you my answer to that proposition. It is proper to remark that a copy of my letter lo you of 18th was with entirely too much condescension I admit furnished to Col. Millard for his "special satisfaction." I send you copy of an Order lo Capt. Allen issued by Col. Millard soon after his arrival. the Approval of thal pragmatic order is amusing. Thos Dave Owings is a Stranger here, and has as much
L47
Powered by FlippingBook