WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
117
You are aware that I have been charged with befriending the Indians when I would suggest that white men might have a hand in it, and for all this abuse I have thought that there was a motive, and that the constant cry of "reserve Indians" had its object. If there had not been, there would not have been pains taken to get up affidavits of the fact of reserved Indians being seen and spoken to by persons who said they recognized them. All can now form their own opinions of my suspicions. This moment my secretary has returned after seeing the Sheriff who says the fellow may be here, as there are many strangers in the City. He will give notice to the other officers to be on the lookout. Should I get any news about Sprigs, I will communicate immediately. I close this letter with the hope that our frontiers may have peace and security. It would be well to get truthful and full confessions of the most intelligent of those who have been apprehended. Sam Houston.
1 Executive Reco1·ds, 1859-1861, p. 208, Texas State Library.
T'o JOHN B. FLOYD 1 Department of State, Austin, August 14, 1860.
Hon. John B. Floyd, Secretary of War:- Dear Sir, I, am instructed by His Excellency, Governor Hous- ton, to call your attention to two appropriations made by Con- gress to reimburse Texas for money paid out on account of Frontier defences. By the act approved March 3rd, 1859, there was appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, moneys advanced by Texas for the payment of six companies of Mounted Volunteers, called into service by General Persifer F. Smith, on the 1st of November, 1854, for three months. By the annexed Copy of Letter from Hon. C. R. Johns, Comp- troller of Public Accounts, it will be seen that the amount thus expended by Texas is $50,133.31. There was also appropriated by the last Congress, $127,000 in addition to the above for moneys expended by Texas since 1854. His Excellency desires to know the necessary steps to be taken in order to procure this Money. Whether certified copies of the
Powered by FlippingBook