WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 184-2
115
To JAMES DAv1s 1
Private
City of Houston, May 31, 1842.
To Acting Adjutant General Davis: My Dear Sir, Since writing to you from New Washington, nothing of importance has occurred, except a disclosure of the fact that the troops sent from N [ew] Orleans to Galveston, and reported as well supplied, are found to be destitute of every need- ful supply. You are aware of the peremptory orders which were given to send none, unless well supplied with every requisite. Apology after apology has been set for their coming to Galveston instead of Corpus Christi. Orders were returned by every boat to send no more, and as often disobeyed. vVater is not to be had on the Island; and the effect is, that the troops have come up the bay for food and water. The expense is considerable, and such things are done without orders from the Government. ·when an evil once begins, there is no knowing where it will end. Information reached here that a man by the name of Owensby (Captain) is on the frontier, acting without orders for the Gov- ernment. If such is the fact, I direct that he, or any other, under similar circumstances, be seized and held in custody and safely guarded, until orders from the War Department may be given for their trial. There shall be subordination in the service. Vi/e cannot permit the rogues any longer to frequent our frontier, and to arrest them we must punish them. You will have Captain McLean with Hay's command, to put a stop to such atrocious vil- lainies as have been practised on our South Western frontier. You have martial law in your command, and let it be enforced. If such men as go without orders, are permitted to be associated with the army, our reputation must suffer. No man is to be with, or about the army, who is not subject to the regulations of the army. If spirits are attempted to be introduced into your command, my orders are: that all those engaged in the transaction be pun- ished, and the liquor destroyed. There can no more be order and subordination in a camp where there is ardent spirits vended than in Bedlam, where madmen are associated •all in one ward. If it is possible, you should send an express as far as Victoria weekly, as the mails, I hope, will again travel. If they should not, let the express extend to Houston. It is all important that
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