Enemy is upward of four Thousand effective men and a heavy pack of Artillery, they have a large quantity of supplies at La Bahia where I have no doubt they intend to call a halt they are driving off all the Cattle they have refused to give up the negroes they have denied five or six prisoners in the Camps passports The officers have told all who have escaped from them that the National honor is [illegible] by their retreat and that another Campaign will be made against us if it is expected I shall drive them from La Bahia I must have an Army & supplies for one if it is expected I shall recover the property taken to San Antonio I must have a force of at least six or seven hundred men to do it with the orders for a draft which you gave me have been sent but they only applied to Nacogdoches Shelby San Augustine Red River & Liberty give me a sufficient force and my plan of operation will be to drive them if they do not go from LaBahia & San Antonio and drive back the Cattle from there into the Colonies To talk of patTiotism will not do Men must be forced to do their duty before they will do it they all say the War is over and that there is no necessity for joining the Army they have turned back at least one hundred and fifty men who were on their way to join the Army I should be pleased to receive the instruction of the Cabinet as I am not acting under an order to "march on in the rear of the enemy & not approch near enough to produce any Collision as it was the intention of the Cabinet that hostilities should cease for the present" If you expect reinforce- ments to reach me soon they should be sent by way of Coxes point; I hope Woods or Turner with their Commands will be immediately sent on their Surely the Cabinet can force Militia Enough into service to guard the Prisoners I desire you would be careful not to permit Genl Wool to have any communication with the Mexican Army if Either of the two are to go to them I would as soon see any one of the prisoners as him go there Let me again say to you a regular Army is necessary for the Salvation of Texas if we are without one on the first of October we shall regret it in my opinion I do hope no exertions will be spared to reinforce the Army and I hope as much as possible it may be reinforced by permanent Troops Excuse the incoherent manner in which I have written as it is clone while preparing to march- I have the honor to be with great respect Your obedient Servant Tho J Rusk Brig Gen) Comd-
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