have I said and am able lo prove, lo convince lhc commanclinu officer that I had no intention of avoiding a participation in th~ war. I acted as I thought in obedience to this commands of my officer. I had nothing lo do al all ,v-ith capt chance.
Respectfully Yr obt servl Amos Gates
(3195] [GILLESPIE to RUSK]
Camp Victoria May 29th 1836 To Genl Rusk Dr Sir
As you have been so crowded for the last l~vo or three days I have not had the oportunity of conversing freely with you as I have desired, on the suLject of giving me a discharge with.two or three others who came with me from Tennessee and have thought that il is not out of the way to write you a Linc or two on the subject slating my reasons. As soon as I heard of the disturbances in Texas I hastened from home leaving all my business there unsettled. I bore the expences of three young men lo this country who were in the fight and have provid themselves soldiers thro-out this campain I should have been glad to have----- more so great was ----- in the cause of Texas. I expected to come to the country and serve a three months tour and return immediately at the expiration of that time to attend to my business at home. We left home about the 25 of November 1835 was in Texas on Christmas and received the right of citizenship and enrolled our names as volunteers about the 15 January we were then ready to do any service the country demanded we remained you know in Nacogdoches sometime and were furnished with means to move on towards the frontier of the country, by the ---------- of a few individuals, among whom we rank you among the most---------- the small fund we received was exhausted before we got to Washington. We were then again on our own hook. We consulted Genl. Houston whom we found at-----, as to what course was most advisable to pursue he gave us no s.itisfaetion as we thought we then wen l to San Felipe the scat of government hoping that the government would make some disposition of us but unfortunately we found the Governor & Council al war with each othrr, neither
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