command, and march direct ahead, and execute your orders, and the volunteers are, willing lo submit Lo il, or a reasonable part, of them, I shall not say nay, but will do all in my power to produce harmony and concert of action, and will go forward in any, capacity. You will all allow that we already have too much division; and one cause of complaint is this very expedition, and that il is intended lo displace general Houston. Not, one member of your body, or any man living, can impute lo me such motives by any past act or word; and I am resolved, that no future one shall be so intended. Bul rest assured of one thing, I will go where you have sent me, and will do what you have ordered me, if possible. Let me again call your attention to ordering all of our provisions lo Copano, as also volunteers. Inform our agents and commercial men in New Orleans, that they may ship there: also the fortifying of Galveston Island and the Pas Cavallo at Matagorda Bay; there are sufficient cannon here to do it, and prevent the enemy taking possession and making a descent into the heart of the country, and destroying our towns and commerce. A company al each place will be amply sufficient for all present use; and by ditching, and the use of drift logs lying al hand, strong field temporary fortifications can be erected, which will forbid the disembarkmenl of an hostile force on our shores. Volunteers for one or two months, for the express occasion, can be raised, and these are the only safe dependance to be relied on at present. It is folly to speak of waiting for regular troops lo do it. You may rely upon it, that we will not have one thousand of them in Texas, by May;and if this expedition prospers as contemplated, you need not desire il. I am forced to say, that I dread a large regular army in this country, or an auxiliary one of volunteers, if commanded and used as contempleled by some. I have seen a letter from "his excellency Henry Smith, Governor of Texas," lo an officer commanding the volunteers, urging him and his men lo attend particularly to the elections, and to suspect and dislrucl all who were in anywise opposed to their voting, and an immediate declaration of independence. All such were denounced in the bitterest terms, as traitors to the country; and your own honorable body were declared a corrupt, unprincipled set of men who had sold themselves lo the opposition or anliadminislralion men. The following is nearly, if
104
Powered by FlippingBook