WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1836
414
My country will do justice to those who serve her. The rights for which we fight will be secured and Texas free. Sam Houston, Commander, &c P. S. Colonel Rusk 0 is in the field. To Col. Henry Raguet 10 [ Addressed] : To Colonel Henry Raguet Nacogdoches Texas 1 Rag11et Pavers, The University of Te)!:as Library. Yoakum, History of ·Texas, II, 498. Texas Almanac (1860). Telegravh and Texas Register, June 3. 1837. Yoakum, History of Texas,• II, 181. Brown, History of Texas, II, 15-16. Morphis, History of Texas, 300-301. Foote, Texas and Texans, IT, 181. The copy used here is taken from the Rctguct Papers. Brown, Yoakum, Morphis, and the other sources cited are practically the same. Brown gives the full names of the men mentioned except that of the
Volunteer aide Perry, which he omits altogether. ~see Houston to William T. Austin, March 15, 1836. 3 See Houston to D. C. Barrett, January 2, 1836.
•Although a native of Georgia, Albert Clinton Horton came to Texas from Alabama, arriving in the late months of 1834. He opened a large plantation on Caney Creek in territory now included in Wharton County. Having been a member of the Alabama Legislature, and active in politics of that State, it was natural that he should have immediatley taken an uctive interest in the unsettled conditions in Texas. At the outbreak of the Texas Revolution he went to Alabama to raise troops and solicit other aid for the Texas cause. In the spring of 1836 he marched, with a small cavalry company that he had raised, to the assistance of Fannin at Goliad. He also took along several yoke of oxen for transportation of the artillery. Arriving at Goliad on March 16, he was called upon to go, on the next day, and reconnoiter the territory for the retreat of Fannin's army from Goliad. In a short time he met and had a skirmish with Urrea's cavalry. Dr. Jack Shackleford seeing that Horton was greatly outnumbered by the Mexicans, sought and obtained permission from Fannin to go out with his "Red Rovers" to lend assistance. The Mexicans fearing the recruited strength of Horton's force, retreated, whereupon the Texans returned to Goliad. On the morning of March 19, Horton was sent to investigate the crossing of Coleto Creek, and to spy out the best route for the retreat of the Texans at Goliad. He reached the stream and awaited the arrival of Fannin in order to guide his troops across it; wondering at the unexpected delay, he and a small party of his men returned to see what had detained the army. He discovered that Fannin had been entirely surrounded by the Mexicans, and his small band was chased away by the Mexican sen- tries. Upon returning to his men on the Coleto he held a conference and urged his soldiers to go to Fannin's rescue; but the opinion of the majo~-i~y was against his carrying out his desire. He then determined to JOm Dimmit at Victoria, but soon learned that Dimmit has retired to the Colorado. Horton has been greatly criticized by many for not going on to the assistance of Fannin. Dr. Jack Shackleford, however, always argued that Horton did the wise thing in not 1·eturning, as so small a force as he had could have given no effective assistance, and it would only have
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