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lately raised under the requisition made upon me by Col Harvey, will not be mustered into the service. I had a letter prepared on yesterday to send by the mail to you in answer to yours of the 28th ult, but the mail had closed before it could be deposited in the office. It will be handed to you, however, by Capt. Grumbles, the bearer of the present communication. You will find enclosed therein, a copy of the requisition made upon me by Col. Harvey, who, equally with myself, was convinced of the importance of raising their companies and sta- tioning them at suitable points, in order to afford adequate pro- tection to our exposed frontier. In my estimation this necessity exists now as strongly as it then did. I cannot perceive how a column of even 4000 men, marching en route, from Robin's Ferry on the Trinity, to San Antonio, and passing for the greater part of the way through a thickly settled portion of the State, can be of any protection to the exposed settlements lying on the line of the frontier. In relation to the order which you mention having received from Headquarters, "requiring all troops here- after called for to be mustered in for no less a period than 12 months" I have only to observe that the five companies now waiting to be mustered in, were called for by Col. Harvey, on the 26th June last, and the order referred to cannot be supposed to embrace them. It is my decided opinion that if these volunteers are dis- banded, it will be the signal for the Indians to commence depre- dations upon the frontier, and that those will lead to collisions which may be productive of the most disastrous consequences. Besides this consideration which I doubt not will be properly estimated by you, I would respectfully represent to you the in-· jury, not say actual injustice, which will be done the volunteers themselves should they be at this time disbanded. _Most of them have had to encounter great expense as well as trouble in pur- chasing horses, having them shod, furnishing themselves with suitable arms & c. Dr. Robertson, whom I had appointed Assist- ant Surgeon of the troops, has already sent to LaGrange, under authority given by Col. Harvey, for a stock of medicines which he expects to receive in a few days and the cost of which will not be less, perhaps, than one hundred dollars. Cap't Thos. T. Smiths Company, and that of Cap't Stapp will be at the Falls of the Brazos, the first on the 2nd and the latter on the 8th of the present month ready to be mustered into the service. To reach that point of rendezvous, the first will be compelled to march eighty, and the latter about one hundred and fifty miles.
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