WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1842
171
assure him and all the brave and subordinate men in the field that the troops of the country and the confidence of the Executive point to them as objects of constant solicitude. Insubordination and a disregard of command will bring ruin and disgrace upon our arms. God speed you! Sam Houston. 1 Appendix to the Jom·nals of the House of Rr.p1·esentati1,es of the Revublic of Texas, Seventh Congress (1842-1843), 3--4. The Soztthwestern Historical Quarterly, XXIII, 112-113; Execut·ive Record Book, No. 40, pp. 149-150, Texas State Library; The Red-Lander, October 27, 1842; Mr. Al Dealey's Collection of Houston Letters, Dallas, Texas; also, The Nation.al Arch-ives, Washington, D. C., Records of the Department of State, Communications from Agents of Texas, Volume I (March 2, 1836-November 6, 1845). The document in the National Archives is an official copy of Houston's letter, presented to the United States State Department by Isaac Van Zandt on February 3, 1843, and again with a note in March, 1843. The sentence arrangement of this copy differs slightly from the others, and there is a difference of two words, but no difference in meaning. ~see Houston to Alexander s·omervell, March 10, 1842. The name is spelled in various ways, and Somervell himself seems to have signed both Some1·vell and Somerville.
To THOMAS M. BAGBYL
Washington, 6th Oct. 1842. Dear Bagby/ I thank you for your favor and kindness ac- companying. I will always be ready to give you a clean hand, when I have the pleasure to meet you! I will try and keep clean hands here, and if possible wash the country some too.- A little Cast Steel soap, or steel without the soap, well applied would have prevented the Mexicans ever leaving Texas- but so the world wags !! ! ! We reached here on the 2nd after sundry bothers and mishaps. The roads are changed, and to miss the right one, I found an tasy matter. We did not break down, for that would have been too bad-as I am "cleanly" broke up. \Ve will soon get down to business and move on a~ usual. But what will be done in war matters I cannot pretend to say! Since I came here Col. Bennett=L passed on with part of his com- mand, and as they wished me, I gave them a speech, and urged them to cross the Rio Grande, not doubting that they will find
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