295
No. 207 LETTER FROM GOVERNOR H. R. RUNNELS TO JOHN H. REAGAN
Executive Office Austin Oct 30th 1858
Hon. John H. Reagan Dear Sir,
Yours of the 23rd inst. was received yesterday, ac- knowledging the receipt of an Extra of the State Gazette, con- taining the account of an engagement of the U. S. Troops under Van Dorn with the Indians, and also of an abstract from the Comptroller's Office, of the accounts of the State of Texas with the U. S. Government, of expenditures made by the State for the protection of the inhabitants against Indian depredations. In most instances the action of the Executive in authorizing the raising of companies of men for such purpose has been upon petition, remonstrance, and such other reliable information from the citi- zens, as established beyond doubt the existence of the necessary emergency. These evidences have from time to time as the Legis- lature has assembled been handed over to them for examination. and I presume never returned by the committees, who have had the subject under examination, such of them as could be found, and deemed necessary, have been copied at the request of Mr. Bryan and forwarded to him by due cou1·se of mail, for his own and the use of the delegation, in urging the restitution of the sev- eral amounts from the Federal Treasury. I had the honor to ad- dress a note to the Sec. of War accompanying a copy of the abstract forwarded each of the delegation, requesting him to have the amount included in the estimates of the department for the present year, subject however to be drawn by the State only when the vouchers, muster-rolls & c. should be presented from the office of the Comptroller, with the evidences of these amounts having been paid by the authorities of Texas. It seems to me they cannot object to this course. The depart- ment knows as well as we do here that Texas has not received her quota of protection, that her grievances have long been pre- sented to the authorities at Washington, and disregarded as of- ten as presented, until the recent authorization of the expedition of Maj. Van Dorn and they by this time must know that my rep- resentations to them of the insufficiency of the force under his
Powered by FlippingBook