yictory in the five days siege of this place. Such men in such a condition and under all the gloomy embarrassments surrounding, call aloud upon you and their country for aid, praise, and sympathy. We have l 04 men and two distinct fortresses lo garrison, and about twenty-four pieces of artillery. You, doubtless, have learned that we have no provisions or clothing since Johnson and Grant left. If there has ever been a dollar here, I have no knowledge of it. The clothing sent here by the aid and patriotic exertions of the honorable council was taken from us by the arbitrary measures of Johnson and Grant, taken from men who endured all the hardships of winter and who were not even sufficiently clad for summer, many of them having but one blanket and one shirt, and what was intended for them given away to men, some of whom had not been inthe army more than four days, and many not exceeding two weeks. If a divide had been made of them, the most needy of my men could have been made comfortable by the stocks of clothing and provisions taken from here. About two hundred of the men who had volunteered to garrison this town for four months left my command contrary to my orders and thereby vitiated the policy of their enlistment.... I want here, for this garrison, at all times 200 men, and I think 300 men, until the repairs and improvement of fortifications are completed....
Yr. obt. servant. J.C. Neill, Lt.-Col. Commanding.
[January 6, 1836J
[1709)
[HOUSTON Lo SMITHJ
Headquarters, Washington, January 6, 1836
Sir:
I have the honor to enclose lo your excellency the report of Leu tenant-Colonel J. C. Neill, of the artillery; and most respectfully request that you will render to the cause of Texas and humanity the justice of bestowing upon it your serious aUcnuns, and referring it to the general council of the provisional government, in secret session. These, I may be permitted to hopc. you will attend in person, that all the essential functionaries of tht•
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