TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1860-1916
435
His Excellency 0. M. Roberts
Governor of Texas, Austin Texas
Dear Sir Your letter of December 29th was duly received, and would have been answered before this but for delay cause by my ef- forts to collect information bearing on the questions. By to-days mail I send you my annual reports Since I as- sumed command of this department, also the reports of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, 45th Congress; wherein, I think, you will find much information bearing upon the Subject, See, in this connection, Governor Coke's letter of April 24. 1875 page 129, Appendix B. I considered then, and So Stated in evidence before congres- sional committees, that the State Troops of Texas had rendered very important Services against invading Indians, from the United States territory. and the frequent and desolating in- vasions from Mexico. When I took command of this department, and for Some time afterwards, these Mexican invasions, by organized bands, were So frequent, and the bands remained within the State So long, that, in certain districts, no American was Safe; and the Country was, for a time, given up to the invaders. The first Severe blow Struck, and which Somewhat demoralized them, was by the State troops under the command of the gallant Cap. tain McNally, in 1875. (See my comments relative to it in the annual report of that year) ; and I am quite sure that, had it not been for the Services rendered by Captain McNally and the State troops, the invaders, acting under the orders of Cor-' tina, who then commanded at Matamoras, would have held the Country terrorized for a much longer period. At that time, and to June 1. 1877, the insufficient force at my command to repel Such invasions, left the State the alterna- tive of allowing her citizens to be murdered, and driven from their lands, or that She Should avail herself of the constitu- tional proviso, in Such emergency, to raise troops, herself, to repel the invasions, trusting to the justice of the general gov- ernment for reinbursment, under the Article of the Constitu- tion which makes it the duty of the United States to protect each State from foreign invasion. I have the honor to be Sir, Your obedient Servant,
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