(12691 [AUSTIN to PERRY)
Before Bexar Novr. 22 1835
Dr Brother,
My health has been very bad since I left the Cibolo, more than a month ago, and I have been unable lo attend personally to the du ties of my station with that activity which the service required-I believe however that all has been done that could have been-I have al various limes submilled the question of storming the fortifications to a council of officers and they have uniformly decided against it-yesterday I was in hopes the Army was prepared to do it, and I issued a positive order, to storm at day light this morning, but on trial I found it impossible to get half the men willing for the measure, and il was abandoned from rieccssity I begin to doubt whether much more can be done here, than to leave a force in winter quarters al the missions below town, say 250 men, untill the necessary regular force and guns and other supplies, come out- My health is better than it has been and is improving fast-I shall make another effort to gel the army lo storm if it cannot be effected, I shaU leave as many as will slay in winter quarters and go to the U. S. under the appointment they have given me as commissioner- So far as may own wishes and feelings are concerned, I much prefer an appointment out of Texas, then in it-I am ready to serve the country in any way I can-I accept the appointment I now hold here, because I could not do otherwise, I never sought it, nor wished for it-my constitution is loo much worn out and loo feeble for the exposure and hardships and activity of a winters campaign, destitute of everything like comforts. I have done the best I could This army has always been ,;omposed of discordant materials, and is without proper organization-The volunteer sistem will not do for such a service, I have had a hard and difficult task lo perform-and am really so worn out, that I begin to require rest- I could have been of more use in the convention than here-and I can be of service lo Texas by going lo the U.S. and l wish to go there. Love lo all- The boys are well-we are about 600 yards from the fortifications and we have a battery within 340 yards but have no balls to do much good) This place must fall of itself in a short time-They arc
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