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THE TEXAS SURRENDER.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, March 6, 1861.

Lieut. Col. L. THOMAS,

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Asst. Adjt. Gen., Hdqrs. of the Army, Washington, D. C. COLONEL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communications forwarded by Major Porter,* assistant adjutant-general, which were delivered to me on the 4th instant by Lieutenant Major, Second Cavalry. Major Porter was to leave Indianola on the 2d instant for Brazos Santiago.

The difficulty of placing provisions at Brazos Santiago for the use of the troops whilst awaiting the arrival of the transports, the collection of a large Texan force at Brownsville or in its vicinity, which would render a depot at that place insecure, and the small number of United States troops on the Rio Grande below Fort McIntosh, have induced me to change my arrangements so far as to have all the troops embark at Indianola. Should it, however, be deemed expedient hereafter to have a part of the troops embark at the Brazos, the transports can easily be ordered from Indianola to that point. I have, therefore, to request that all of the vessels sent out to take the troops may be directed to proceed to Indianola.

Two companies of the Third Infantry (Johns' and Clitz's) were ordered to Fort Brown from Ringgold Barracks to relieve the artillery, and as it is probable that they reached that post before the arrival at Brazos of the steamer Daniel Webster, I presume they embarked with the artillery. Major Porter wrote me that he would "make every effort to take with me [him] the garrison of Ringgold Barracks."

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. A. WAITE,

Colonel, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

P. S.-I beg that it may be borne in mind that I am dependent entirely on the commissioners on the part of Texas for the use of the means of transportation, which were heretofore under the control of the quartermaster's department. As difficulties are daily occurring to retard our operations, and frequently to delay the march of the troops, I cannot feel that certainty of having them at the points selected for concentration at any given time that I should do if entirely independent of the commissioners and free to act agreeably to my own judgment. Very respectfully,

C. A. WAITE, Colonel, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Washington, March 12, 1861.

Col. CARLOS A. WAITE, U. S. Army, or

SENIOR OFFICER ON DUTY WITH U. S. TROOPS

AT BRAZOS AND INDIANOLA, TEX.

SIR: The general-in-chief directs that the troops arriving at Brazos and at Indianola, Tex., for embarkation shall proceed to the harbor of New York, where they will receive further orders.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General.

*See Thomas to Waite, February 7, Series I, Vol. I, p. 587.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, March 12, 1861.

Lieut. Col. L. THOMAS,

Headquarters of the Army, Washington, D. C.

COLONEL: I have the honor to inform you that a communication, under date of 25th ultimo,* was received on the 8th instant from Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Reeve, captain, Eighth Infantry, advising me of the arrival at that post [Fort Bliss] of the "four companies of the Eighth Infantry recently stationed in the Department of New Mexico-the last one, Company B (Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Reeve's), arriving on the 21st instant" (February).

Brevet Major Sprague's company (E, Eighth Infantry) left Fort Bliss the 25th ultimo for Fort Davis, under Lieutenant Frank, Eighth Infantry. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. A. WAITE, Colonel, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,

Lieut. Col. L. THOMAS,

San Antonio, March 13, 1861.

Asst. Adjt. Gen., Hdqrs. of the Army, Washington, D. C. COLONEL: The want of co-operation on the part of the commissioners, who have the entire control of the means of transportation; the great distance from this place to El Paso; the uncertainty in relation to the condition of things at the several posts on the upper Rio Grande, especially in regard to their facilities for the transportation of baggage, supplies, &c., and the difficulties which attend the march of troops and the movement of trains at this season of the year over a large portion of the route-have caused so many delays that I was not able until yesterday to entirely complete the arrangements necessary to bring the troops down from those distant posts.

The three companies at El Paso will probably leave that post about the 25th of this month, and, with the four companies now at Fort Quitman, Fort Davis, and Fort Stockton, may be expected to be at the coast and ready to embark in about forty days from that date. The last returns show the strength of the several companies to be 14 officers and about 426 enlisted men, laundresses, &c. As it is not possible for the companies above mentioned to embark before the first week in May, transports for that number of troops will not be required until that time.

To a certain extent the same uncertainty as to the time the troops can be assembled and ready for embarkation which prevented my stating in any of my former communications the exact time the transports would be wanted still hangs over our future movements. This arises from the confused condition of affairs in this department, the interference of the commissioners, and my having but a limited control over the means necessary to move the troops.

I am now concentrating the troops at a camp established at Green Lake, some twenty miles from Indianola, the nearest point to the coast where pure water, fuel, and good grazing can easily be obtained.

By my present arrangements, I think I shall be able to assemble by the 10th of April and have ready for the transports some 45 officers and

* Omitted,

THE TEXAS SURRENDER.

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1,300 men, and by the 10th of May I hope to have the remainder of the troops in a position ready to embark. All the troops will embark at Indianola.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. A. WAITE,

Colonel, Commanding Department.

HEADQUARTERS DEFARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, March 16, 1861.

Lieut. Col. L. THOMAS,

Asst. Adjt. Gen., Army Headquarters, Washington, D. C. COLONEL: I have the honor to forward herewith a copy of a letter* received from Maj. C. C. Sibley, Third Infantry, reporting the movements of the troops on the Rio Grande. The distance from Fort Mclntosh to Fort Brown is about 230 miles, and Major Sibley's command may be expected to arrive at the latter place about the 24th instant.

I have not recently received any official information of the condition of affairs at Fort Brown, but, from the reports which have reached me, do not anticipate any difficulty with the State troops.

Colonel Bonneville being out of the department, and Colonel Backus having received a leave of absence on account of his health, the command of the Third Infantry will devolve on Major Sibley.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. A. WAITE,
Colonel, Commanding Department.

[For Reports, Orders, Correspondence, etc., relating to the surrender of Forts Brown, Chadbourne, and Camps Cooper and Colorado, in the State of Texas, and the seizure of public funds sent to pay the U. S. troops, see Series I, Vol. I, p. 535 et seq.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

San Antonio, March 27, 1861.

Headquarters of the Army, Washington, D. C.

SIR: In case the difficulty between the General Government and the seceding States should result in hostilities, there is reason to apprehend that an attempt may be made to prevent the embarkation of the troops and to detain them as prisoners of war. This can only be effected by their seizing and removing all lighters, preventing transports of light draught entering the bay at Indianola, and by cutting off our supplies of provisions, &c. To avoid an attempt of that kind, and to be prepared to meet it if made, I am concentrating the troops at the camp near Green Lake as rapidly as possible. This camp is full twenty miles from Indianola and is the nearest place to the coast where fresh water can be obtained. The difficulty, amounting almost to impossibility, of supplying the troops with water at Indianola prevents my moving them down to that place. Not a line has been received at these headquarters from

* See Series I, Vol. I, p. 534, for Sibley's letter.

the Headquarters of the Army or from the War Department since I entered upon duty as the department commander, except unimportant matters, and I am inclined to believe, from inspection of the envelopes, that they have been opened, and that all important communications have been withheld.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. A. WAITE,
Colonel, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

STEAMER DANIEL WEBSTER,

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

New York Harbor, March 30, 1861.

Headquarters of the Army, Washington City.

SIR: I have the honor to report my arrival to-day in this steamer with Companies M, Second Artillery, and C and E, Third Infantry, Capt. W. B. Johns commanding. The troops will land at Fort Hamilton in compliance with instructions to Major French.

In obedience to the orders of the general-in-chief* I sailed the 15th of February in this steamer for Brazos Santiago, with recruits, provisions, and medical stores for the garrisons of Forts Taylor and Jefferson, Fla., and provisions for the troops to embark at Brazos Santiago. The recruits (sixty-two) for Fort Taylor and all stores for the two forts were landed on the 23d and 25th of February. I landed at Indianola on the 2d of March and forwarded the dispatches in my possession addressed to the commander of the Department of Texas. On the 3d instant, on arriving off Brazos, I availed myself of an opportunity offered by a commissioner of the State coming on board to enter the harbor and proceed to Fort Brown, which place I arrived at that night at 12 o'clock.

As the garrison of Fort Duncan had not arrived nor been heard from, I delivered to the commander of Fort Brown the instructions for Major French, and under the authority of my instructions issued the annexed letters, the provisions in which I considered essential for the comfort and speedy embarkation of the command and the security of the public property at the post, and to suppress any meditated design or attempt at intimidation. I then proceeded to the mouth of the Rio Grande to prepare the means for a speedy embarkation. I returned to Fort Brown on the 6th instant.

Major French, with three companies of artillery, arrived on the 8th, and on the 11th, the earliest practicable moment, collected the command at the mouth of the river, whence all embarked on the night of the 19th instant. Brazos Santiago was occupied by Texas volunteers, and hence, deeming it prudent, I arranged to embark at the mouth of the Rio Grande, which proved of no disadvantage. The garrisons of Forts Jefferson and Taylor were re-enforced on the 24th instant by the companies assigned them in instructions. Assistant Surgeon L'Engle, the only medical officer available at Fort Brown, relieved Surgeon McLaren at Fort Jefferson.

In a separate communication I have stated my reasons for chartering the steamer General Rusk, but I wish to add here that without her aid the troops and batteries would now, in all probability, be on the Rio Grande. I was informed at Key West that certain parties (secessionists, some holding office) expressed themselves in strong and bitter

* For Porter's instructions see Series I, Vol. I, p. 588.

terms to the captain of the Rusk and against the agent of the company in Galveston for permitting the vessel to take re-enforcements to these forts. The Rusk was chartered with the knowledge (understanding) on the part of the captain and agent (E. B. Nichols, commissioner) that a portion of the troops destined for these forts would be placed on the Rusk. I make this last remark as I have heard the captain stated he was deceived in the terms of the charter. I am surprised to see in an annexed letter from Colonel Backus that the secretary of the commissioner (Mr. Waller) was urging the surrender of the barracks at Fort Brown, General Nichols having assured me on the 13th instant that the secretary had instructions not to make such a demand, and that the fort would not be asked for till the army was ready to embark. Accompanying this are copies of all correspondence connected with my mission.

In testimony of the character of that portion of the army which came under my observation on the Rio Grande, I wish to state that I never saw a more orderly and better disposed and more easily controlled body of men, each man apparently seconding every effort and wish of the officers to sustain under trying circumstances a well-earned reputation for discipline and loyalty. A few weak men yielded to temptation and persuasions and deserted their flag for another service. Whatever character they may assume with their confederates, that borne in our service is, in every case coming to my knowledge, sustained by their acts on deserting, and carries conviction that the army alone is the gainer.

am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. J. PORTER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

P. S.-Three days from Brazos Santiago, on the 22d instant, spoke the Star of the West, bound to that port. Three companies of the Third Infantry and two of the Second Cavalry, with Colonel Backus and Major Backus [Sibley], will probably embark upon her.

Lieut. Col. E. BACKUS,

[Inclosure No. 1.]

FORT BROWN, TEX., March 4, 1861.

Third Infantry, Commanding Ringgold Barracks, Tex. COLONEL: By authority and in the name of the general-in-chief I call upon you to act as circumstances may indicate the best for the service for the following purposes:

First. To dispatch the accompanying communication to the commander of Fort McIntosh, and in case the garrison of that post is marching or is to march in this direction, to expedite, if necessary, the movement and arrange that they do not want for provisions, &c.

Second. To hasten Major French's command to this post.

Third. To repair to this post, as soon as practicable, and also dispatch here Captain Bowman's company, giving the preference to the battery, if Major French's command has not passed your post and a steamer be available and his progress be expedited.

Fourth. To leave at your post in charge of agents appointed by you for the Government, or otherwise dispose of it according to regulations, property which will not be needed and interferes with your progress, and to bring the provisions on hand which will not be required for the troops above.

2 R R-SER II, VOL I

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