18 Genl to Ins. Genl. Churchill commanding at San Antonio, with the confident hope and expectation that he would feel himself entirely authorized, upon reading it, to have the remaining three companies at once mustered into the service. In this, however, I regret to say, I have been disappointed. I herewith enclose to you a copy of Genl. Churchill's letter to me in reply, from which, as you will perceive, he declines hav- ing the companies of Cpt's Stapp & Smith mustered in, and at the same time authorizes those of Capt's Ross & McCulloch to be received. The last named company forms no part of the force raised under Col. Hamey's requisition-That of Cap't Ross does, as do also those of Capt's Stapp & Smith, and why the former should be mustered in, to the exclusion of the latter, I cannot conceive, unless it is to suit the convenience of the mustering in officer, who would be compelled to take a long and fatiguing ride to meet the two last mentioned companies. Two distinct requisitions were made by Col. Harney upon the Executive of this State for troops-first, upon Gov. Hender- son for seven companies, all of whom were received into service, and Col. Harney carried with him in his late trip to the Rio Grande five of them. All of these have since been disbanded, and have returned home. The last requisition (for five Companies) was made upon me, by my advice and suggestion, for the security of the fron- tier. After much trouble and long delay, three out of those five companies, haye at length been mustered in-Those of Capt's Stapp & Smith are still excluded without, as it seems to me, the shadow of reason. These two companies were intended for the protection of the extensive and exposed line of frontier, stretch- ing from the Brazos to the Red river, and it is all important for the peace of the Country, that they should be employed by the Government. They were fully ·organized and ready to be mus- tered into service-One on the 24th July, the other on the 2nd August last-Since then, up to the present time, relying upon the justice of the Government, I have taken upon myself the re- sponsibility of keeping them in active service, and have endeav- oured, from time to time, to calm their discontent, by assuring them that their reception into the service of the United States, could not be much longer delayed. Their patience, as well as my own, is now well nigh exhausted, and I will not conceal from you the mortification I have felt at being, time after time, pre- vented from carrying out the assurances I have given them, by the continued refusal on the part of the officers commanding at
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