WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1858
146
Gaines commanded the division of the South. He had the un- limited confidence of General Jackson. Jackson regarded him as one of the fairest and bravest soldiers of the Army, and a most accomplished gentleman. He assigned to him at one time the command immediately bordering on Texas, at the time of her revolution; and there he acquitted himself as became an officer, in maintaining peace and in vindicating the honor of the flag of the United States. He maintained neutrality under exciting circumstances, most commendable to him. Well, sir, his widow now comes forward as a claimant of a pension. Fifty dollars per month has been accorded to others; and, taking the relative rank of the officers whose widows have thus been provided for, and General Gaines, her allowance should be nearly one hundred dollars per month. The scale regulating pensions in the Army graduates them according to the pay the officers received. The gentleman from Georgia chooses to refer to a captain who was accidentally called into service on a contin- gency, and for the single occasion acted as lieutenant colonel. That was a privilege he had on account of being the senior cap- tain, on that occasion .when the field officers were withdrawn from their regular situations. That contingency he availed him- self of. He had the glory of his position; but he had no real rank beyond that of a captain; and the regulations of the army of the United States did not entitle those claiming, in virtue of his death, to any superior advantages over other captains. I sincerely hope that justice will be meted out according to the relative circumstances and positions of the different individuals in whose behalf we are acting; and it is commendable and hon- orable in the Senate to do it. Sir, if you recompense gallantry by generosity, you will have gallant men. How are you to get an army if men have no stimulus to enter the ranks of their country, and to defend its standards? and if he can say to himself, "if I fall in defending the liberties of the country, my family, who are dependent on the pittance I draw from the Government, will be left beggars in the world, friendless, and pointed at as the mis- erable remnants of a reputation of a father, who commended himself to the confidence of his country by the sacrifice of his life." Sir, you will never in that way commend gallantry to honorable minds like that of Gaines, who was distinguished for his generosity, his truth, his nobleness, his chivalry, and what crowned all, was his matchless generosity. Sir, if he had the power to dispense benefits, feeling as he did, he never could be
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