WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1843
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JOHN W. SMITH'S COMMISSION TO COLl,ECT INDIAN PRISONERS 1 I, Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas, reposing special trust and full confidence in the honor, fidelity, skill and capacity of John W. Smith,2 esquire, do, by these presents, and in conformity to an act, entitled, "an act to provide for collecting and conveying Indian prisoners to the Waco village," approved 28th Dec., 1842, appoint and commission him, the said John W. Smith, Esquire, to demand, collect, and receive, in the name of the said law, each and every Indian, male and female, now being and remaining in the possession, or under the control of any person or persons, whatsoever, or otherwise, of any and every tribe of Indians; and convey him, her, or them, to the Council ground at the Waco Village, on or before the 9th and 15th day of February next, and there place them in the hands of the commissioners duly appointed to deliver them up in ex- change for our own prisoners held by them, and as a pledge of the sincerity of our intentions and good faith towards them. Giving and granting to him, the said John W. Smith, Esquire, full power and authority in the premises, with all the honors, prerequisites and pay appertaining, under the law, to a due per- formance of his duties. Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the Republic at Washington, on the 10th day of January, 1843, and of the inde- pendence of the Republic the seventh year. By the President, Sam Houston. Anson Jones, Secretary of State. 1 John W. Smith Pape1·s, Originals in the Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio; typed copies in University of Texas Library. Teleu1·aph and Texas Register, January 3, 1844. The Morning Sta,·, December 30, 1843. 2 John W. Smith, alias William W. Smith (March 4, 1792-February 12, 1845), was born in Virginia, but in early manhood remov-ed from his Vir- ginia home to Hannibal, Ralls County, Missouri, where in 1821, he was married to Harriett Stone, a sister of Samuel and Theophelus Stone. He served as sheriff of Ralls County from 1822 to 1826, and according to the statement of twelve of his fellow citizens of Ralls County (See the letter of recommendation given to Smith by twelve citizens of Ralls County, Missouri, April 18, 1826, The University of Texas Library.) "he was and had always been a man of correct habits and principles, and of good moral character." But his domestic life had not 1·un smoothly, so he left his family in April of 1826, and set out for Texas. Upon arrival in Texas he settled first in the colony of Green DeWitt, and in 1827 was listed as a
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