WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1843
283
exertion used by the Commander-in-Chief, he could only rally about seven hundred men at the Colorado, and but little more than that number fought with him at San Jacinto. Had no disaster befallen our troops at the commencement of the invasion our men would have rallied, and Texas in all human probability, would not have lost twenty men in repulsing the enemy and driving them beyond the Rio Grande. The loss arising to Texas from this cause was immense. Her gallant soldiery already disciplined, and her arms and ammunition of the first quality, could they have been concentrated, would have composed a force amounting to little short of one thousand men, and have formed a nucleus on which the militia of the country could have rallied and prevented the advance of the enemy to the East of the Guadalupe. At this time we have no organized force- We have no ammu- nition, and our arms are in bad order; and so far distant from where there may be a probable demand for distribution, that should troops arrive from the East, marching by this place or Houston, to sustain the West, and be deficient in arms, the evil could not be remedied. The artillery is scattered from Bexar to Galveston-the harness has been destroyed- the carriages out of repair, and not a public wagon or team at the disposition of the Government. There is not now a single pound of lead nor a single keg of rifle powder in possession of the Government for the public defence! An appropriation of at least three thousand dollars is imperatively required for the purchase of a reasonable supply. These facts are not stated with a view to alarm the Honorable Congress; nor are they presented in the language of complaint. They, however, do exist, and by no fault of the present adminis- tration. If it had possessed the means, some, if not all, of the evils existing would have been obviated. It is a picture of our situation unpleasant to present; but the facts generally have been at various times laid before the Congress for its consideration. The Executive has asked for means to enable him to collect and secure such public property as would be eminently useful in the event of invasion. He presented the subject at the commencement of the session in his general message. If rt has not elicited their consideration and action, he nevertheless feels that he has per- formed his duty. It is estimated that there are two thousand stands of arms scattered throughout the Republic, which, with the necessary
Powered by FlippingBook