85
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1842
The man does not deserve liberty who will not defend it. Repair to the camps immediately. Let no excuse detain you. Sam Houston Comd in Chief [Below Houston's signature is the following] : The remainder of the troops of the 1st and 2nd classes of the 3rd Regiment, Montgomery County, are hereby commanded to rendyvous at Whitesides near the Brasos, and be ready to march for the West on thursday Morning the 27th Inst. in accordance with the above order R. Smither/ Major 3rd Regiment 2nd Bri. L. W Montgomery County Texas 19th October, 1842. 1 Houston Letters, 1836-1860, Texas State Library. No satisfactory ex- planation has been found for the postscript's being dated and written so long after the date of Houston's letter, unless the letter was held by Smither until the soldiers of the Third Regiment could be organized into companies, etc. ::Robert Goodloe Smither (November 21, 1811-September 10, 1853), was born at \Vashington, Rappahannock County, Virginia. He was a merchant of ordinary education who gave his whole attention to his business. Like most of the pioneers of his day he moved westward by degrees, stopping first in Mississippi, and then in Louisiana; but he reached Texas in the early 1830's, locating in Walker County, a few miles from Huntsville. He later moved to the town and became one of the leading merchants of the place. During the Texas revolution he served in the Texas army with the ·rank of major. He also participated in the campaigns of 1842 against Vasquez and Woll, who invaded Texas in the spring and the fall of that year. Robert G. Smither married Elizabeth Emmeline Calmes of South Carolina. They had seven children, six of whom became worthy citizens of Huntsville, Texas. Robert Smither was a Democrat, an Odd Fellow, and a devout church member. He died at Grand-Ecore, Louisiana, while return- ing from New York where he had gone to purchase goods for his store. See Johnson-Barker, Texas and Texans, IV, 1767.
TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1
Executive Depart_ment, City of Houston, July 4h., 1842.
To the Honorable the House of Representatives: In compliance with a resolution of your Honorable Body of the 2d., instant, I herewith transmit a complete exhibit of the trans- actions and correspondence of this Department in reference to our Indian relations; from which may be ascertained what agents
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