WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, l8 1 l2
99
to discover that the resignation of General Felix Huston 2 has been tendered; but, in consequence of the unsettled state of his accounts, with the Department, it was not accepted. Sam Houston. 1 "Messages of the Presidents," Congressional Papers, Sixth Congress; also Exec11tive Recorcl Boole, No. 40, p. 115, Texas State Library. :?See Houston to Felix Huston, December 20, 1836. To GENERAL JAMES DAv1s 1 Executive Department, City of Houston, July 10, 1842. To Acting Adjutant General James Davis: Sir,- Your communications of the 3d. and Gd. instant, have been duly received. Their contents have been noted with peculiar interest. I regret to learn from the first, that your ammunition in camp has been exhausted, and that you have no arms! These circum- stances / inf er from the fact that you permitted a portion of your command to march off in despite of your authority in open day, and that you did not interpose force to prevent it. No officer would permit such a thing, when he had the means of enforcing his commands and vindicating his character. Had the orders of the Executive and War Department been rigidly enforced according to your first and subsequent instruc- tions, such scenes would never have transpired. Had you had recourse to dishonorable discharge, or the enforcement of martial law, no trouble would ever have existed. You were required, from the first order giving you command, up to this date, never to permit the introduction of liquor within the limits of your command, but to have all destroyed. You were commanded to report all deserters-neither of these orders has been obeyed. My orders for the restoration of stolen property were not executed. To this fact you may ascribe the present reputed invasion. To preserve order, maintain discipline and defend the frontier, it was only necessary to have obeyed the orders receh·ed from the Department and the Executive. Can I hope that they will be hereafter executed? If not, every effort at successful warfare is worse than in vain.
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