WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1836
501
that port. By this service he secured a sufficient number to complete two companies, one of which was sworn in as regulars. He was commissioned captain of this company on February 4, 1836, and John Hart was made captain of the other, but was soon succeeded by Richard Roman. Captain Turner's company reached Gonzales on March 27. On August 28, 1836, Captain Turner was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the first company of infantry, and later was made colonel of the regiment in command at t.he post of Galveston. After the annexation of Texas to the United States, he represented Lavaca County in the Fifth Legislature (1850-1851). He was a member of the Senate, 1852-1853. During the Civil War he was provost marshal of Lavaca County. At the close of the war he moved to Gonzales, where he lived until his death. See E. W. Winkler (ed.), Secret Jonrnals of the Senate, Re1n1blic of Texas, 1896-1845, 34, 51. Also, Thrall, 629. Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas, 274. The Encyclopedia of the New West, 425-426. Dixon and KE:mp, 109-110. • 1 James M. Swisher (May 31, 1819-March 11, 1891), son of James Gibson Swisher and nephew of Harvey H. Swisher, was born in Williamson County, Tennessee, and moved with his parents to Texas in 1833, settling first in the Milam municipality. When only fourteen years old he opened a school at Tenoxtitlan, but soon abandoned teaching for farming. His father com- manded a company at the Storming of Bexar in 1835, but would not con- sent to his young son's entering the army; nevertheless, young John Milton joined the same company with his uncle Harvey on March 1, 1836, and fought with him at San Jacinto. After San Jacinto he clerked for the next three years in his father's store on his farm in Washington County. In 1839, he moved to Austin, where he obtained a clerical position in the Treasury Department, and within a year was promoted to the chief clerk- ship. In 1841, he was appointed first lieutenant of marines but soon resigned. His next public position was that of chief clerk in the auditor's office; he was also clerk in the Ninth and last Congress of the Texas Republic, and also to the Constitutional Convention of 1845. In 1848, he was appointed State Auditor of Public Accounts. In 1852, he entered the banking business at Austin. In 1860, Governor Houston appointed him paymaster of the State troops, a position he held till secession. After the Civil War and until 1868 he ran a banking and commission house at Gal- veston. Then, he organized a stock company and built the Austin street railway, of which he was elected president. He held this posit.ion till 1870. When he died, March 11, 1891, he was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Aus- tin, Texas. Secret Journals of the Senate of the Republic of Texas, 1836- 1845, 49-50. Dixon and Kemp, 247-248. A Biographical E11cyclopcdia of Texas, 112-116.
To JOHN A. WHARTON 1
Columbia, 12th Deer. 1836 To Col. Jno A. Wharton~ Late Adjutant General of the Army of Texas Sir, This you will consider as a duplicate of the Verbal order given you on the Morning of the 21st day of April, 1836-re- quiring you to proceed immediately to the house of Lorenzo De
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