375
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1841
In 1844, Houston again nominated Reily charge d'affciires to the United States, but the nomination failed of confirmation due to Reily's expressed opposition to the annexation of Texas. Notwithstanding his opposition to the annexation of Texas to the United States, he commanded a Texas 1·egi- ment in the Mexican \Var. In 1856 Buchanan desir:ng to compliment Texas by appointing one of its citizens to a foreign post, made a close investiga- tion of the characteristics and qualifications of various Texans who were diplomatic possibilities. His choice fell upon James Reily, and he was ap- pointed Minister from the United States to Russia. Reily performed his duties so well as to gain the approval not only of the Buchanan adminis- tration, but of his fellow citizens without distinction of party. When the Civil .\Var broke out he was a colonel of an Arizona brigade under General Sibley; he cheerfully gave up his command in the field to go, at Sibley's command, on a delicate diplomatic mission to Mexico. This was accom- plished with only partial success, as he had not lea1·ned to cope with the Mexican type of diplomacy that politely promised one thing while an en- tirely different course was planned. It was about the close of the New Mexican campaign before Reily made his report concerning conditions in Mexico, and rejoined his regiment, which was sent into Louisiana to resist the invasion under General Banks. Oran Roberts in Evans, Con/ederate Militco·y Histo1·y, XL, 132, tells that "James Reily met his death while at the-head of his brigade, leading them into the battle." This was at the battle of Camp Bisland on Teche Bayou, near the Town of Franklin in southern Louisiana, April 14, 1863. By many authorities this engagement is called the "Battle of Franklin" and they give April 13, 1863 as the date of Reily's death. His daughter, however, says that he was killed on the second day of that battle-April 14. Reily was a vestry-man in the Epis- copal Church, and was always a devout Christian; even while in the field, he regularly held preaching services and prayer meetings among his troops. He was also a Mason, having become a member of that organization as a very young man in Kentucky. Photographs both of him and of his wife are to be found in the archives of the Texas State Library, presented by his daughter, Mrs. Ellen Reily Smith, of Houston, Texas. On presenting the photographs, she wrote a letter giving some personal incidents in her father's and mother's lives, among which is this one ~oncerning the death of her father: "My father was killed at the Battle of Franklin, April 14, 1863, while leading his regiment into battle. When he was shot, he immediately realized that it was a mortal blow, but cried out to his soldiers, 'Go on Boys; there is not a man to spare to carry me off; let me die on the field of battle.' And the army did rush on, but soon a group of his friends returned to bear his body away. They found h:m with limbs composed, his hands crossed over his breast, and his face covered. No doubt, he had prepared himself for burial.'' See Telcgrciph ancl Texas Registe1·, July 24, 1839; Oran Roberts in Evans, Confederate Militm·y History, XI, 13.2; Thrall, A Pictorial History of Texas, 600; The Southwestern Histo1·ical Q11arterly, XIX, 63, also XXII, 300; F. R. Lubbock, Memoirs, 409; G. P. Garrison (ed.), Diplomatic Cor- responclenc.e of the Re])ublic of Te~·as, I, 6'10, 542, 552, 595; also II passim. Mrs. Ellen Smith's statements on presenting the photographs of het· parents to the Texas State Library.
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