WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1857
451
line. Capt. Baker was not disposed to march for the reason that there would be no fighting, and Captain Martin refused to march for various reasons. Gen. Houston perceiving a spirit of mutiny, made a virtue of necessity, and ordered Capt. Martin to Robbins' ferry on the Trinity, to assist and protect the women and children. Thus, was the insubordination gotten over. Captain Baker fell into line and the march was continued that day eighteen miles, to McKinney's, through quicksand prairies! From Mr. Sher- man's account this was the time that the spirit of mutiny was at its height, and Mr. Lamar corroborates his statement, for what it is worth. Strange Commander-in-Chief not fighting, when there was no enemy in the vicinity of the army, and when the whole army was aware that Santa Anna had advanced upon Harrisburg, to which place the General was making forced marches ! It was not that the Commander-in-Chief did not in- tend to fight, but that some of these autogenous heroes did not wish to fight, as was subsequently shown by their votes in the Council of War, in which no one of truth ever said Mr. Lamar was present or called his name in connexion with the Council. In this te1-rible sf;ate of affairs, and general discontent in the army, why was not a council of war requested by some one of the mutineers, when something tangible would have been fixed upon the Commander-in-Chief? The discontent was at the great- est height and pitch, according to the heroes, while the army was advancing to meet the enemy. The army was not discontented, but a few weak and ambitious would-be leaders were. But why did not these heroic spirits urge upon the General to call a council of war? It was because they well knew they would meet with rebuff. The General had not called a Council of War at Gon- zales, at the Colorado, or at the Brazos. He kept his own counsel, and gave his own orders, nor did he ever receive any order from Col. Rusk, Secretary of War, during the campaign, or from any one else. He received Col. Rusk on the Brazos, and treated him as a guest and as a friend, but felt that he alone was responsible for the conduct and for the success of the army. So much for Mr. Burnet's letter. It would now be well to make disposition of Judge Burnet, and this I cannot do without giving some samples of his fine taste, as he prides himself on the elegance of his diction. In proof of his classic purity, as well as the Christian spirit, of which he boasts, I will submit to the erudite and literary world the fol- lowing specimen of taste in the selection of epithets "fearfull.y
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