WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1859
239
eleven league grant; also with the grant in the Ufford and Dykes suit; and with the forged power of attorney introduced into both these suits. Further: we find that, simultaneous with the !nst.itution of the Cavazos suit (which involved an immense amount of prop- erty-an embryo city, a port of entry, numerous villages, and valuable Government improvements-and in which Judge Wat- rous's conduct was charged to have been fraudulent and corrupt), a branch bank is established at Brownsville, which is included in the Cavazos grant. Of this branch bank, Reynolds, one of the land company, and its active agent, is appointed manager, or president. He appears to have entered into these banking oper- ations with great spirit, judging from his letters in relation to the affairs of the land company, in which he speaks of import- ing "trunks full" of notes, and adverts to the lands on the Rio Grande, where his bank was located, as "an empire worth fight- ing for." I will read extracts from these letters, as they throw light on the general subject, which may be instructive: "New York, Novembe1· 14, 1847. Dear Sir : The first plate is done, and the sec- ond is under full way. We had a very pleasant time when Klemm and McMillan were here. Mr. Williams, with whom you have become acquainted, was here, and we had a supper at Delmonico's. Johnson was with us, also Lake and Judge Watrous. Mr. Lake is hurrying like Jehu, and says we must be off, so that you, Mc. and I shall leave New Orleans by the 10th. I am not half ready to leave, but suppose I shall be tumbled off with a trunk full. J. N. Reynolds." "To ___ New York, May 6, 1847. My Dear Sir: I shall endeavor to leave here for Philadelphia on Monday next. I am extremely anxious to see you; and Mr. Phalen, the president of our asso- ciation, has business in Baltimore-he will leave on Saturday-as that on his return through your city we may all have an interview together. I send you a map of our survey on the Rio Grande- an empire worth fighting for. . . . J. N. Reynolds. To 0. F. Johnson, Esq."
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