165
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1842
TO WASHINGTON H. SECREST 1 Executive Department, City of Houston, September 22, 1842 To Washington H. Secrest,!? Esq., Sir- Owing to the press of business in the War Department, I have concluded to communicate directly to you. You are hereby authorized to raise a spy company, and be subject to the orders of the officer who may be in command of the troops. I feel confident that the confidence reposed in your sagacity and valor will not be disappointed. You have been greatly useful on former occasions, and in the present emergency I rely upon you. Your characteristic activity, caution and valor will be of great use, and contribute much to the success of our arms. Let no man attach himself to your company who will not be obedient to your orders. God protect you ! Sam Houston. 1 Executive Record Book, No. 40, pp. 147-148, Texas State Library. 2 Washington H. Secrest immigrated to Texas with his brother, Fielding Secrest, in 1835. When the revolution broke out he joined the Texas army (See Gomptrolle1·'s Mil·ita111 Records, Texas State Library) and served from March 12, to September 22, 1836. His chief service during this time was as a spy with Deaf Smith, but he was a member of Henry Karnes's company. He received a headright certificate from the Land Board of Colorado qounty in 1838, while he was a resident of that county, and later the Governor of the state granted him a certificate for a league and labor of land (See Dixon and Kemp, Heroes of San Jae.into, 317). Homer S. ThraII, Histo111 of Jltlethoclism in Texas, 50-51, tells a story of u·nusual human interest concerning this man. Briefly, it is that when Mosley Baker's company burned San Felipe just before the battle of San Jacinto, the soldiers of his company were given permission to 1·ifle the stores of that town for what- soever they found that they could use. "Wash" Secrest was in command of a detail of the spy company, and was in charge of the soldiers who were rifling the largest store of the village. For his own part of the spoils he selected a small Bible, one of a collection of Bibles belonging to Sumner Bacon. His companions joked mirthfully about his selection, because Wash- ington Secrest was known as a sort of reckless·dare-devil among his com- panions-a man ready to undertake any sort of escapade. More than a decade later he joined the Methodist Church, and in his confession of conversion he stated that some irresistible impnlse forced him to choose the little Bible as his part of the spoils at San Felipe, and that he had secretly rend the book every day since he took it from the shelf of the San Felipe store. He died at Columbus in 1855.
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