WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1857
452
abhorent, impotent spleen, falsehood, lurking 1nalig11:ity, imblu1;h- in;g audacity, as a wily rogue posseses over an honest ·man, co111,- mon liar." The man who indulges in such low Billingsgate does not merit the notice of any decent man, and I could not stoop to notice him, were the statements made by him confined to Texas only. What he intends to imply when he speaks of the advantages of "a wily rogue over an honest man" I cannot imagine. Surely, I have never charged him with being a wily rogue, nor have I ever treated the opinions of his neighbors with so little respect as even to suspect him of being a~ honest man! I will not notice many of the errors which he has stated as truths, but one thing I will notice, in the letter, which he parades with so much exulta- tion and apparent joy. In the last paragraph of his letter writ- ten to the Hon. T. J. Rusk, Secretary of War, dated Galveston, 23rd. April, 1836, two days after the battle of San Jacinto, of which event he was not then apprised, he says, "We have highly flattering accounts from the United States. Let us hold on a few more weeks and succor, ample succor will be had. The Com- mander-in-Chief has a heavy responsibility upon his head, and not the Secretary of War, therefore he most devoutly wished him success!" That he devoutly wished the General success no one will doubt, for he had fled to the last point of escape. Now this same Judge Burnet when he was Vice President of Texas, assaulted me in private life. He wrote or published eleven num- bers over the signature of "Publius," and has written (I believe three pamphlets) since then, abusive of me. In his recent assault he has reproduced "Publius," and all the ridiculous hearsays and reports, which never had any foundation in truth! I will in- stance one in relation to the strength of the army at the Colorado, which is corroborated by certificates as well as by the statement of Gen. Sherman. This roorback I will nail to the counter. I have a letter from Major R. M. Williamson of the battalion of Rangers, who was stationed at Bastrop, to defend that portion of the frontier, as well as to watch the upper Division of the Mexican army, under Gen. Gaona, on the advance to the Trinity. After speaking of the receipt of an order from the Commander- in-Chief, he says: "I received an additional order from Col. Burleson, on the 18th of March, 1836, the day following, dated at the same place, in which he estimates the troops thereat, to be five hundred." Col. Burleson's order I have seen. It was dated at Burnham's, and the only companies which we met on arriving at Beeson's were Capt. Wiley Martin's, and Capt. Henry
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