WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1828
126
as you understood it, was confined to gen. [sic] Jackson alone; and that you cannot withhold the expression of your surprise that J should have seen anythin,q in it, which I could intervret as personal to 1nyself 01· disparaging to the troops com:manclecl by general Ja.ckson. This is no answer to the question propounded, nor will I admit your understanding to be a plea in bar to my inquiry! According to my understanding of the passage in the address, it does not, and cannot apply to gen. Jackson alone, but it is a stigma upon the troops engaged in the action, unless gen. ,T ackson had given orders to that effect; and had the address charged him,, with that fact, the case would to some extent, have been different, but even then, the inference left, must have been disreputab!e to the soldiers; for I maintain that even private soldiers, in the American ranks, are not placed under the neces- sity, by their officer's command, to violate humanity, or commit a cold blooded 1nassac1·e, nor have we any example of it in the annals of our country! Whenever a massacre is perpetrated, whether by the excite- ment induced by a hard fought action or by the recollection of companions slaughtered, (which are sometimes urged in extenua- tion 9f excesses), or, in cold blood, it is still in violation of humanity! Gen. Jackson never gave such order, either directly or impliedly; and if for political effect, it had been necessary to assail Ms 1·eputation contrary to facts, why not make the charge distinctly against him? You say the i1nputation was intended to be confined to gen. Jackson alone! I doubt not but it was intended to affect him alone! But if for special reasons, you chose to cast any imputation calculated to affect a community; any single mem- ber thereof, has a right to place his interpretation upon it, and demand of its author, or authors, a recantation of the charge, if it is unfounded in truth. In the exercise of this right, I addressed you, as well in my own behalf, as that of my brave and generous companions, with whom I had the honor to be associated in the battle of the Horse-shoe-beliE:ving, that you would satisfy your- self, of the correctness of a statement, (made without reflection, as I supposed), and that a sacred regard to truth and your own reputation, if you had no regai'd for that of others, would induce you at once, without hesitation, to retract a charge which in truth you cannot sustain. I take leave to mention to you, that I neither consider it com- plimentary, nor disparaging· to me in any respect, that "neither my name nor my conduct is any where mentioned, implicated or
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