WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1831-1836
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TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY AT SAN FELIPE 1 Army Orders Head Quarters, Camp near Beason's, March 21, 1836. The Chairman of the Committee of Safety at San Felipe, will take such immediate measures as will arrest the deserters from the army-all persons leaving the country in a direction from the enemy will be required to return, or their arms taken from them for the use of the army. Families moving for safety will be entitled to one armed man for their protection. Victory is in- evitable, if unity of action and good order is preserved. The force of the enemy before us is yet small, and if reinforcements should not arrive to him, his defeat is certain, if discipline and subordination are firmly established. Our spies have had a skir- mish with a reconnoitering party in his advance, and evidently checked his movements. I have sent a force of near 200 men on the west side of the river. In a few days I hope to have force sufficient to capture the enemy before he can reach the guadaloupe. Sam Houston, Commander-in-Chief. 1 Teleg1·ci7Jh and Te-xas Registe1·, March 24, 1836; also, Public Printing Papers, Texas State Library. A_ PETITION GRANTED 1 Head Quarters, Camp West of Brazos, 4th April, 1836. The Comt. in Chief has ordered this petition 2 to be Granted! SAM HOUSTON, Comt. in Chief. 1 From the collection of Mr. W. A. Philpott, Jr., Dallas, Texas. 2 Houston wrote the line granting the request of the following petition: Army Camp Near the Brazos, April 4th, 1836. Gen'l Samuel Houston, Commander in Chief of the Army of Texas. Your petitioners represent to you that Private A. Scales, under sentence of death, is very penitent, and has made a promise of a faithful performance of his duty as a soldier in the future for his term of service could he be pardoned for his present offence; and wishes his officers to intercede for him, and your petitioners verily believe ~im sincere, and will be punctual in the performance of his duty. Your petitioners would the1·efore most earnestly pray you to reprieve and pardon the condemned.
Amasa Turner, Capt. Inf. Lieutenant Miller -do. W. \V. Summers.
In presenting this document to the editors of The l-Vriti11gs of Sam Houston, Mr. Philpott has the following to say: '.'For your information,
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