l 1 s 12 l [HOUSTON to COOKE]
Head Quarters, Goliad 17th Jany, 1836.
To Capt. Cook of the San Antonio Greys.
Sir, I have the pleasure to acknowledge the tender of your services, and those of your company; to Texas, for three months. The same is accepted with pleasure for three months in behalf of Texas, and any time will be allowed that service will admit of. The time will be computed from the 15th Instant Sam Houston, Comdr in Chief of the Army [ 1813] [HOUSTON to SMITH]
To Governor Henry Smith
Head Quarters Goliad Jany 17 1836
To His Excellency Henry Smith Sir: I have the honor to enclose for your information a communica- tion from Lt. Col. J.C. Neill, under dale of the 14th inst. Colonel Bowie will leave here in a few hours for Bexar with a detachment of from thirty lo fifty men. Capt. Patton's Company, it is believed, are now there. I have ordered the fortifications in the town of Bexar to be demolished, and, if you should think well of it, I will remove all the cannon and other munitions of war to Gonzales and Copano, blow up the Alamo and abandon the place, as it will be impossible to keep up the Station with volunteers, the sooner I can be authorized the better it will be for the country. In an hour I will take up the line of march for Refugio Mission with about 209 efficient men, where I will await orders from your Excellency, believing that the army should not advance with a small force upon Matamoras with the hope or belief that the Mexicans will cooperate with us. I have no confidence in them and the disaster at Tampico should teach us a lesson to he noted in our future operations. I have learned that Colonel Gonzales is somewhere on the Nueces with one hundred and seventy men, but accounts vary as lo the actual number. They are to cooperate in the eastern Con fed- eracy, I am told. I will leave Captain Wyatt in command at this post until I can relieve him with thirty-five regulars now al Refugio. 1 pray that your Excellency will cause all the regulars now enlisted lo he formed into companies, and march to headquarters. It will he
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