308
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1835
If, in the range of human occurrances, it shall be proper or even necessary for the army of the people before Bexar to fall back, because of the men not being prepared with proper clothing for winter, and the want of necessary artillery and munitions of war, I would suggest to you the advantage of retiring in good order, and sending the cannon, baggage, and sick, in advance, so that they can at least reach the Cibolo under conduct of a strong guard, and a vigilant officer to command it, before the enemy should be formed in two divisions, one to pursue the route to LaBahia, and the other that of Gonzales. There ought to be a sufficient force left at La Bahia to make a firm defence at that place, and all possible means used for that purpose. Gonzales being, in my opinion, the most important interior key to Texas (proper), should also be placed in a condition for de- fence, with a force of from one to two hundred placed there, un- der a firm and prudent commander, who will at once establish discipline and organization; and using the greatest vigilance, retaining a few horses to keep out scouts. This, it seems to me, must be a rallying point for Texas. Sam Houston. 1 Yoakum, History of Texas, II, 446-447. Brown, History of Texas, I, 407. This copy is taken from Yoakum. 2 Wyly Martin, an early settler of Texas, was born in Georgia in 1776. In his early manhood he engaged in a variety of occupations, that of clerk in a store being his favorite. He participated in the War of 1812, serving under General B:arrison as a scout. He fought under General Jackson at the Horseshoe, from which engagement he emerged a captain. But in 1825 h~ resigned his commission in the United States Army and immigrated to Texas, where he became the alcalde in Austin's Colony, and in 1835, the acting Political Chief of the Department. He was a member of the faction known .as the "Peace Party" and opposed the Declaration of Texas Inde- pendence as premature; but notwithstanding his sincere opinion, he raised a. company of soldiers in 1836, and joined Houston's army at Columbus. This army was sent to Fort Bend to guard the crossing of the river, but there were too few men to guard both ferries, so while part of the Mexican forces attracted Martin's attention at the upper ferry, another part crossed the river at the lower ferry, about where the town of Richmond now stands. Disgusted and angered because he had been given so few soldiers to guard so important a post, Martin marched his men to Houston's headquarters ,md surrendered the command of his company. He was relatively inactive during the remainder of 1836. At the time of his death-in Fort Bend County in 1842-he was a member of the Texas Congress. See Yoakum, History of Texas, I, 341, 344, and II, 40. Brown, History of Texas, II, 12-13. Thrall, A Pictorial History of Texas, 588.
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