WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
113
TO MIDDLETON T. JOHNSON 1 Executive Department, Austin, August 4th, 1860.
Colonel M. T. Johnson, Comg. Texas Rangers, Sir: Your communication of the 1'5th Ulto. was received three days since, and I have delayed answering until the present moment in hopes that additional intelligence from camp would arrive. You seem in your letter to have no plan digested for future operations. The troops cannot remain inactive at such expense to the Government. If there is no possibility of meeting and chastizing the Indians you will order the troops back to the different points, or counties in which they were formed, and there have them mustered out of the service, with all possible dispatch, having the muster rolls carefully prepared and sworn to before a Notary Public or Chief Justice of the County in which they were mustered out of service. These orders refer to all troops raised at Waco and East and North East of that point. If provisions and ammunitions can be provided, I wish the Companies of Captain Dalrymple and Captain Burleson to form a Battalion and elect a Major and make a campaign by way of the Salt Fork of the Colorado across to the Corichio, and down that stream to the settlements. This plan is suggested, unless your command can make a successful dash upon the Indians. By the route from Radsminski, the Battalion will cross all the trails which come to or have gone from our frontier. Should ·you see no possibility of prosecuting a successful campaign, you will carry out the orders given as to the other troops. You will, if your command cannot make a successful march on the enemy, order an election to be held in Dalrymple's and Burle- son's companies, for a Major, and you will give to the person elected, a certificate of his election. If you have given up further operations against the enemy, and should return as before suggested, you will authorize ·Dal- rymple and Burleson to receive into their companies as many more men as will make each company consist of 83 men, which will be done before the election is held. Should any vacancies of officers take place in the two companies, they will be filled by election and certified by the commanding officer of the Regiment. I will write an order, in the event that your campaign ceases, to the officer who may be elected Major as to the duty which I desire to be performed by him and his command.
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