WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1859
395
in the business, trying to place it to Cortinas's credit, as you so truly said would be the case." Soon ·after this time, however, Cortina was driven into the interior of Mexico, and Houston decided that it would be unneces- sary to keep Hill's spy company on the border, so the captain and his men were honorably discharged. (See documents among the Ranger Papers, Texas State Library.) Alexander C. Hill was a strong anti-secessionist, but after the Civil War had begun, he enlisted (1862) at Austin, as a private in the Confederate army and served throughout the war. He was paroled in 1865, as a first lieutenant adjutant. (See Confederate muster-rolls and other papers, Texas State Library.) - He was married twice. In 1861 he married Mary Bolling Gregg, of the Manor community, by whom he had three sons: William Allen; Walter Hickman; and John Gregg. The last named is still living near Austin, Texas. Mrs. Hill died on May 1, 1871, and on June 4, 1872, her husband married Louisa Hadassah Maxwell, by whom he had five children: Eula Louisa (Mrs. C. F. Elkins, Lubbock, Texas); Annie Campbell, Austin, Texas; Jessie May, Austin, Texas; Sarah Addelee (l\frs. R. L. Ramsdell, Austin, Texas) ; and Owen Hickman who died in infancy. In 1886, A. C. Hill moved from his farm to Austin, where he established a real estate and loan business which he operated until his death. After the Civil War he became a devout churchman and was ordained a minister of the Christian church. He never held a regular pastorate, but for many years he preached regularly in Christian churches throughout Central Texas, always striving to supply any church that was without a pastor. For this service he would never accept any remuneration. (Besides various documents in the State and the University Libraries, we are indebted for certain details of this sketch, to Miss Annie Campbell Hill, of The University of Texas Library staff, and to Miss Lenore Johnson, Austin, Texas.)
JANUARY, 1860
ORDERS TO ANGEL NAVARRO AND ROBERT H. TAYLOR 1 Executive Department, Austin, Texas, January 2, 1860. Messrs. Angel Navarro, and Robert H. Taylor, Commissioners: Gentlemen, In accordance with your commission, you will forthwith proceed with the greatest dispatch to the city of Brownsville, on the Rio Grande, there to enquire into the cause, origin, and progress of the disturbances existing in that region. You will dilligently avail yourselves of all means of reliable information within your reach, in order to obtain from correct sources, such testimony as will fulfill the objects of your mission, and will, without delay lay the Same before this Department. You will freely confer with Maj. Hein[t] zelman/ or other U. S. Officer commanding the Troops at Brownsville; and all neces- sary discretion and authority is conferred upon you, either to
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