WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1838
200
APRIL, 1838
ENDORSEMENT ON CAPTAIN WHEELWRIGHT'S LETTER 1
City of Houston, 16 April 1838 Notify Captain G. WheelwrighF that he is no longer in the service, as he refuses to take the oath prescribed in the Consti- tution. You will order John W. Taylor 3 Esqr. to assume the command so soon as Capn. Wheelwright shall receive your order; let great care be taken so as to prevent the destruction or mis- application of Naval Stores as well as all papers needful for the Naval Dept. of Govt. Let things be promptly attended to in relation to· this matter. Sam Houston 1 Navy Papers, Texas State Library. 2 George Wheelwright was, in 1838, the commander of the schooner Libe1·ty. In 1840-1841 he was the captain of the Wharton. He was nominated and confirmed master commander on December 1, 1836 (E. W. Winkler (ed.), The Secret Journals of the Senate, Republic of Texas, 1896-1845, 27). In 1837, Wheelwright was captain of the Independence (Lamar Pape,·s, I, 663). Thus, it appears that he had seen service on pretty nearly all of the ships of the Texas navy. See also William C. Binkley, Official Correspondence of the Texan Revolution, I, 166, 208, II, 820, 892, 1026. 3 John W. Taylor, in a letter to President Lamar, August 25, 1839, says of himself, that he had been brought up from an early age in the naval schools of the United States, and had devoted his whole life to the service, consequently was not fit for anything else (The Quarterly, Texas State Historical Association, XII, 270-272), and he protests against being dis- missed from the service. In 1835, Taylor was a lieutenant under Wheel- wright on the Independence, when that ship was captured by two Mexican ships, and Wheelwright wounded, he made the official report of the battle (see Telegraph and ·Texas Register, June 8, 1837. The Qua,·terly, Texas State Historical Association, XII, 272-273.
To THE TEXAS CONGRESS 1 Executive Department, Texas City of Houston, April 16th 1838.
Gentlemen: The president has the pleasure of transmitting to the honorable congress, a special report 2 from the Hon. secre- tary of state, on the subject of public printing, with the hope that it will claim the earliest attention of the honorable body. The subject appears most clearly presented. It is of vital importance
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