WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1858
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his conduct on that occasion, to have been characterized as that of a courageous as well as humane soldier." The findings of the court was signed by Col. Sherman as Presi- dent, and by Lieutenant Tinsley as Judge Advocate. It was approved by the Commander-in-Chief, and concurred in by Gen- eral T. J. Rusk, Secretary of War. Now, if Mr. Labadie was in possession of the facts which he charges against Colonel Forbes, and witnessed shortly after other acts of cruelty (by Col. Forbes) but which he forbears to recount, why did he not appear before the court and make his charges good? Only, because at that time, his imagination, prolific as it is, had not produced them, or if otherwise, he was most culpable for not presenting himself, for the thing was not done in a corner. Mr. Labadie states that he spoke to me, and that he knew me as well as I did him! If he knew me at all, he had the advantage of me, for I have no recollection of ever having seen him until 1840, in Galveston. I have only to add that so far as I know and believe from good authority, Mr. L. has not truthfully narrated one single fact, that I have seen as contained in the extract from the Texas Almanac, and, I believe, many a brave man who did his duty in the Army of San Jacinto, will so testify. Thine truly, Sam Houston. tThe Texas Republican, November 19, 1858. There is a long article in the Texas Alma.nae /01· 1859, pp. 30-71, entitled, "The Texas Revolution," written by N. D. Labadie. Extracts from this article in the Almanac, were published in advance in the Houston Telegraph. Among the extracts was one describing the death of Colonel Bertrand, of San Antonio, representing that Bertrand had been cruelly murdered and then robbed by John Forbes. As soon as this Telegraph came out, John Forbes wrote an article that was published in the Civilian (Galveston), October 18, 1858, in which he em- phatically denied the charges made by Labadie; but that did not end the matter, for Forbes brought a libel suit against Labadie, in which the Galveston News, publisher of the Texas Almanac, was involved. Among Mrs. Madge W. Hearne's collection of Houston materials-photostatic copies of which are to be found at both the Texas State Library, and The Uni- versity of Texas Library-there are several letters (originals) and other papers from Forbes to Houston, concerning this Labadie publication. The Texas Republican, November 19, 1858, also printed the slanderous story that Labadie wrote for the Texas Almanac, 1859. And this paper likewise printed Labadie's reply when Forbes's denial of the charges was shown to him. Forbes had stated that Labadie's statements as published in the Texas Almanac, 1859, were "false, infamous, grossly slanderous, and libelous, and basely lying from beginning to end."
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