Indian Papers of Texas and the Southwest, Vol. III

TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1846-1859

74

No. 73 LETTER FROM A. C. HORTON TO J. K. POLK Executive Department Austin August 10th 1846

To/

His Excellency

James K. Polk

President of the U. States Sir,

A requisition was made upon me on the 26th June last, by Col. Harney, then commanding officer at San Antonio, for five companies of mounted rangers. This was done at my request, in order that the western frontier of this State which was altogether exposed, might be adequately pro- tected. These companies were promptly raised, and in all respects complete and ready to be mustered into the service of the U. States, (an officer having already been appointed for that pur- pose) when, to my surprize and mortification, I received, under date of July 29th a letter from Major Fauntleroy at San An- tonio, who had been appointed to the command of this frontier on the departure of Col. Harney for the Rio Grande, informing me that they would not be required. In reply, I wrote to him, urging, for various reasons, that he would withdraw the order, and allow the troops to be received into the service. This, however, he does not think he can do, consistently with the order lately received by him from Genl. Taylor. From the tenor of Major Fauntleroy's letter of the 29th ult. as also of a verbal communication received from him in reply to my last letter, he being so ill that he could not send me a written answer, I infer that the order alluded to, is simply a direction from Genl. Taylor, that no more volunteers should be thereafter received into the service of the United States for a less period than 12 months. The volunteers in question were intended to serve for six months only, another, I apprehend, is the sole difficulty, which prevents their reception by Major Fauntleroy. Genl. Taylor, in giving that order, doubtless, ·in- tended that it should apply only to volunteers destined to act

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