& freely not alone verbally but without fear of committal record those opinions which if wrong responsibility may rest where it ought, which if right or wrong approval or disapproval may accordingly follow. What plan of operations ought al present be pursued by the army is the question? Some plan must necessarily follow the assembling of this Army at this point, for they were assembled here under the expectation of immediate action with the enemy, this expectation is the only principle of adhesion which [can] keep them to this spot. Let it disappear as it ... [torn] consequently falls to pieces like · a rope of sand- Reasonable excitements, [in the] shape of danger from the enemy, or constant action with some ostensible plan qf preparation to meet the enemy are sufficient- It is thus plain to every sensible mind the Army must for its preservation be moved. To my mind but four directions are left open- 1st. Retrogade east to the settlements & go into summer quarters where it is less healthy than at this point, which would destroy the army-not only by sickness but throw them into contact with the politics of the county & destroy them by dissension. 2nd. To go directly to some proper point upon Copano Bay & there fortify- This cannot be done without the Government sending the Army supplies by sea & ordering the Navy to cooperate. 3rd. To march directly to San Antonio-fortify-collect provisions, & await recruits from the U.S. treat with the Indians & make an early fall campaign against the line of the Rio Grande. If I cannot get one other plan which I will here propose I will yield my consent to the first because I believe our men would he healthy & we could provide for them plentifully there-We have to encounter the Travis, Bowie & Crockett prejudice with the soldiers in this plain, they may, I think be overcome. 4th. March immediately against the town of Matamoros with those soldiers who are anxious to go-I believe they will amount in one week to 13 or 14 hundred-immediately carry & burn the town destroy main people if they resist, & retreat by the best means either by sea or otherwise before they can have time lo recover from their panic- At the same time send out in that country proclamations in their own language that we will soon reinvade it, & do every other town in the valley the same way unless we get our own terms of peace. To prevent the happening of which the citizens of the Rio Grande will declare against our invading enemy-or our invading enemy will avert the calamity by
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