[3167] [OFFICERS to BURNET]
Encampment at Victoria, May 26th, 1836.
To His Excellency, David G. Burnell
Sir: The undersigned, officers of the army of Texas, for themselves and the citizen soldiers under their command, have determined, in a general meeting held, that the present situation of things requires that a free interchange of ideas between the army and the Cabinet is proper and indispensably necessary. We address you as the army of Texas, composed of.citizen soldiers, and we speak in the name of those who compose the bone and sinew of the country, who have proven themselves the vindicators of her honor and the protectors of her soil and her citizens. We shall speak plainly and candidly, because it is one of the most invaluable privileges of free men to do so. We shall address you in language intelligible, because duty to ourselves and duty to Texas requires it. We shall not, however, address you in that spirit of irritation and indignation which pervades every one in this army; but in the tone which should ever characterize the intercourse behveen the ruling parties in a country, even when they conceive great injury to have been done them and great cause existing for complaint. It is unnecessary to remind your Excellency of the peculiar circumstances under which the companies composing the army first marched out, nor shall we attempt to describe to you the toil and fatigue, the privations and hardships, which they have encountered from the commencement of the war up to this period. Language will not admit of description, but if it will be any information, or in the lease degree prove beneficial, we will state that during much of the time the army was supported on beef without bread and frequently without salt, and that to most of the army, sugar and coffee have for some time been perfect strangers. Many have been barefoot, and most without a change of clothes. Notwithstanding, however, all this, they complained not, because the independence of Texas, and the preservation of the women and children, were paramount to all considerations, and
379
Powered by FlippingBook