152
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1830
Maj. W. B. Lewis 8 [Addressed] Major Wm. B. Lewis 2nd Auditor Washington City 1 Jackson MSS., U.S. Congressional Library. Photostat, The University of Texas Library. Historical Commission of Tennessee. ~Edmund Pendleton Gaines (March 20, 1777-June 6, 1849), soldier, was born in Culpeper County, Virginia. He spent almost his entire life in the United States Army, and on the frontier, rising from the i-ank of ensign to that of general. Besides controlling the military affairs, he also had a great deal of the responsibility concerning the administration of the frontiers- especially Florida and the Mississippi Territory. See Dictionary of A mer- ican Biography, VII, 92-93. 3 See Houston to Jackson, January 19, 1823. 4 This refers to resolutions that a group of gentlemen of Sumner County, Tennessee, published after the separation of Houston and his first wife, Eliza Allen. For the full text of this report, see Jos. C. Guild, Old Times in Tennessee, 269-274. 5 For a biographical sketch of General Eastin Morris, see Guild, Old Times in Tenness6e, 270. °Cantonment Gibson, a military post and trading station on the east bank of the Grand River in Arkansas Territory, was three miles from the Verdigris River, and an equal distance from the famous trading post of the Choi.Jteaus. Houston went to Cantonment Gibson when he left Nashville in April, 1829. 7 E. W. du Val (Duval) was agent to the Cherokees, 1829-1830. He was one of the corrupt agents whom Houston so persistently arraigned for cheating and otherwise mistreating the Indians. In 1830, du Val and three or four other Indian administrators were removed from office because of graft and fraud. See G.rant Foreman, Pioneer l)ciys in the Ea1·ly Southwest, 184-185. 8 See Houston to Jackson, August 3, 1822.
HOUSTON TO JOHN EATON 1
Wigwam Neosho, 13th June 1830 Sir: Not long since I addressed you from the mouth of White River by letter, on the subject of Sutler to the Post of Can- tonment Gibson, under the belief that General Nicks 2 would be removed, owing to a difference which he had with Major Phillips (Pay Master.) Since my arrival in this country, I am satisfied that the conduct of Genl. Nicks was not such as to authorize his removal for that, or any other cause. And as I suggested that I did not require his removal to make way for me, you were only at liberty to consider me as disposed to accept the place, if vacated for good cause. · But, Sir, if the situation were now offered to me by yo~ as a man of principle and honor I should feel bound to reject it,
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