upon the frontier has begun: Protection lo the living citizens rather than lo the ashes of the slain." You did right therefore lo call for Arkansas troops, and the sooner you can have them ready for efficient service al Gibson the heller. I shall immediately request the Governor of the State of Missouri lo furnish One Thousand now- one half mounted- and shall desire General Atkinson to place the half of this force at Leavenworth and you the other half Gibson,- or if they should not be needed there they will be ordered to Towson.- Viz 250 Mounted men and 250 Infantry al Leavenworth and a like number al Gibson. Without this force called out soon, added lo all that you and I have recently called for, we cannot say truly that we are prepared to afford to this most important and very slender frontier that protection of which I have been speaking whilst 10,000 to 15,000 troops backed by 6 lo 10,000 Indians are employed in a war of extermination near us. To Brig. Genl. Arbuckle Command. &c. Fort Gibson Arks. With great Respect &c. E. P. Gaines Maj. Genl. Commanding [3945) [GOROSTJZA to DICKINS I Philadelphia, August 10, 1836. The undersigned has the honor to address the honorable Asbury Dickins, acting Secretary of Slate of the United States, and acknowledging the receipt of his informal note of the 4th instant, at the same time thanks him for having taken the trouble, al the request of the undersigned, to cause inquiries lo be made al the War Department for the purpose of ascertaining the dales of the last despatches from General Gaines, and the places whence they were dated. 13y the said note, the undersigned is informed that, up lo the 4th instant, nothing else had been officially received on the subject, than General Gaines's letter of the 28th of June, wrillen al Camp Sabine, and that consequently it was not then known al Washington officially that any clctachmcnl of his troops had crossed the Sabine. As this unfortunate movement may however have lwl'n since effected, and as fresh despatches may at any moment arriw
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