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'WRITINGS OF SAl\l HOUSTON, 1863
1863
TO JOHN B. MAGRUDER 1
January 7, 1863.
To General Magruder Dear Gen. It gives me great pleasure to mingle my congratu- lations with the many thousands that you have received. You, sir, have introduced a new era in Texas, by driving from our soil a ruthless enemy. You deserve, sir, not only my thanks, but the thanks of every Texan. Your advent was scarcely known in Texas when we were awakened from our revery to the reali- ties of your splendid victory. Its planning and execution reflect additional glory on your former fame, as well as on the arms of Texas. Most certainly do we trust that a new era has now dawned upon us, and that you may be enabled to restore Texas to her wonted security. We hope that Texas with so gallant a leader as you are, General, will yet show to the world that she is yet capable of defending her own soil, notwithstanding that she has already been drained of her only resources that have been transferred to other battlefields. You will find that all that Texans want is a General who is capable of .leading them to victory; and new having obtained that, I hope that you will find them ever ready to second your efforts, and that your future may be as glorious as your past. When you arrived here, Gen- eral, you found our country without organization, without plans for our defence, and our situation was most deplorable. What few resources we had were without organization, without dis- cipline, and without anything that was calculated to render what few means she had, efficient. You have breathed new life into everything; you have illustrated to Texans what they can do, and most sincerely do I trust that the past may be only the dawning of the future, and I pray that under the guidance of a Divine Being, you may be enabled to cany out the regenera- tion of Texas. It would give me pleasure, General, to call and pay my respects to you, were it not that I have been recently arisen from a sick bed. Very truly your friend, Sam Houston. [Endorsed on back]: To General McGruder, 7th Jany. 1863. 1The original letter is in the Collection of Mrs. Margaret John, Houston, Texas. This evidently is simply a first draft of the letter that Houston sent
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