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[Inclosure No. 1.]

Proceedings of a military commission constituted by virtue of the following order, viz:

SPECIAL ORDERS,

No. 20.

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HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, February 9, 1861.

A military commission, to consist of Maj. David H. Vinton, quartermaster, Maj. Sackfield Maclin, paymaster, and Capt. Robert H. K. Whiteley, Ordnance Department, is hereby appointed to meet the commissioners on behalf of the convention of the people of Texas-Messrs. Thomas J. Devine, Samuel A. Maverick, and P. N. Luckettat such times and places as may be agreed upon, to transact such business as relates to the disposition of the public property upon the demand of the State of Texas. By order of Brevet Major-General Twiggs:

W. A. NICHOLS, Assistant Adjutant-General.

The commission met at 4 p. m. February 9, 1861.

Present: Maj. D. H. Vinton, quartermaster; Maj. S. Maclin, paymaster; Capt. R. H. K. Whiteley, Ordnance Department.*

[FEBRUARY 16, 1861.]

The military commission met pursuant to adjournment, and finding that during the past night the town of San Antonio had been invaded by armed bodies of Texans, who had seized the property belonging to the United States, it was deemed that no further proceedings on the part of the commission would be of any avail, and they therefore respectfully submit their proceedings at this point for the consideration of the major-general commanding the department, and adjourned sine die.

Approved.

D. H. VINTON,

Major and Quartermaster, SACKFIELD MACLIN,

Paymaster, U. S. Ármy,

R. H. K. WHITELEY,
Captain of Ordnance,
Military Commission.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,

San Antonio, February 16, 1861.

D. E. TWIGGS,

Brevet Major-General, U. S. Army.

[Inclosure No. 2.]

SAN ANTONIO, February 16, 1861-6 a. m.

OFFICER IN COMMAND OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS.

SIR: You are hereby required, in the name and by the authority of the people of the State of Texas, in convention assembled, to deliver up all military posts and public property held by or under your control.

Respectfully, yours, &c.,

Commissioners on behalf of the

THOS. J. DEVINE,
S. A. MAVERICK,
P. N. LUCKETT,
Committee of Public Safety.

Proceedings of this commission omitted; for which see Series I, Vol. I, pp. 504510. For the order appointing the commissioners of the State of Texas and the authority therefor, see p. 25 of this volume.

[Inclosure No. 3.]

Bvt. Maj. Gen. DAVID E. TWIGGS,

SAN ANTONIO, February 17, 1861.

Commanding Department of Texas.

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SIR: In our communication of the 16th instant we required a delivery up by you of the positions held and public property held by or under your control as commander in this department. As no reply, save your verbal declaration (which declaration was that you gave up everything"), has been given to our note, and as the undersigned are most anxious to avoid even the possibility of a collision between the Federal troops and the force acting on behalf of the State of Texasa collision which all reflecting persons desire to avoid, and the consequences of which no man can predict-we again demand the surrender up to the undersigned of all the posts and public property held by you or under your control in this department.

Please answer immediately.

We have the honor to remain, your obedient servants,
THOS. J. DEVINE,
S. A. MAVERICK,
P. N. LUCKETT,

Commissioners on behalf of the Committee of Public Safety.

[Inclosure No. 4.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,

San Antonio, February 17, 1861.

Messrs. THOS. J. DEVINE, S. A. MAVERICK, P. N. LUCKETT,

Commissioners on behalf of the Convention of the People of Texas. GENTLEMEN: In reply to your communication of this date, I have to say that you are already aware of my views in regard to the delivery of the public property of this department, and I now repeat that I will direct the positions held by the Federal troops to be turned over to the authorized agents of the State of Texas, provided the troops retain their arms and clothing, camp and garrison equipage, quartermaster's stores, subsistence. medical, hospital stores, and such means of transportation of every kind as may be necessary for an efficient and orderly movement of the troops from Texas, prepared for attack or defense against aggression from any source.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. E. TWIGGS,

Brevet Major-General, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

[Inclosure No. 5.]

SAN ANTONIO, February 17, 1861.

Bvt. Maj. Gen. DAVID E. TWIGGS, U. S. Army,

Commanding Department of Texas.

SIR: In reply to your communication of this date, we have to say that we accept the terms therein set forth, with the conditions stated in our note of the 14th instant, viz, that the troops shall leave Texas by the way of the coast, and, upon arriving at the point or points of embarkation, will deliver up to the authorized agents appointed for that purpose all means of transportation of every kind used by them, as likewise the artillery, if any be taken.

Respectfully, &c.,

THOS. J. DEVINE,

S. A. MAVERICK,
P. N. LUCKETT,

Commissioners on behalf of the Committee of Public Safety.

[Inclosure No. 6.]

HEADQUARTERS. DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, February 18, 1861.

Messrs. THOS. J. DEVINE, S. A. MAVERICK, P. N. LUCKETT,

Commissioners on behalf of the Convention of the People of Texas. GENTLEMEN: Your communication of the 17th instant, which you say is a reply to mine written yesterday, the 17th instant, was received last night. I consent to the conditions that the troops shall leave Texas by the way of the coast, with the provision expressed in my communication of yesterday.

As to the condition of surrendering the guns of the light batteries, that, you must see, would be an act which would cast a lasting disgrace upon the arms of the United States, and under no circumstances can I believe that the State of Texas would demand such a sacrifice at my hands, and more particularly so after I have yielded so much to meet what I deemed to be due to the State, and to avoid any unnecessary collision between the Federal and State troops. In this view of the case, I am sure you will not insist in a demand which, you must see, I am not at liberty to grant.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. E. TWIGGS,

Brevet Major-General, U. S. Army, Commanding Department.

[Inclosure No. 7.]

SAN ANTONIO, February 18, 1861.

Bvt. Maj. Gen. DAVID E. TWIGGS, U. S. Army,

Commanding Department of Texas.

SIR: In reply to your communication of this date, we have to say that we accept the terms therein stated, viz, that the two batteries of light artillery, with the arms for the infantry and cavalry, shall be retained by the troops under your command; all other public property, as set forth in our previous communication, to be delivered up to agents authorized to receive it.

We remain, respectfully, your obedient servants,

THOS. J. DEVINE,
P. N. LUCKETT,

S. A. MAVERICK,

Commissioners on behalf of Committee on Public Safety.

[Inclosure No. 8.]

GENERAL ORDERS, Į HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS, San Antonio, February 18, 1861.

No. 5.

The State of Texas having demanded through its commissioners the delivery of the military posts and public property within the limits of this command, and the commanding general desiring to avoid even the possibility of a collision between the Federal and State troops, the posts will be evacuated by their garrisons, and these will take up as soon as the necessary preparations can be made the line of march out of Texas by way of the coast, marching out with their arms (the light batteries with their guns), clothing, camp and garrison equipage, quartermaster's stores, subsistence, medical, hospital stores, and such means

of transportation of every kind as may be necessary for an efficient and orderly movement of the troops, prepared for attack or defense against aggressions from any source.

The troops will carry with them provisions as far as the coast.
By order of Brevet Major-General Twiggs:

CIRCULAR.]

[Inclosure No. 9.]

W. A. NICHOLS, Assistant Adjutant-General.

SAN ANTONIO, February 18, 1861.

The undersigned, commissioners on the part of the State of Texas, fully empowered to exercise the authority undertaken by them, have formally and solemnly agreed with Bvt. Maj. Gen. David E. Twiggs, U. S. Army, commanding the Department of Texas, that the troops of the United States shall leave the soil of the State by the way of the coast; that they shall take with them the arms of the respective corps, including the battery of light artillery at Fort Duncan and the battery of the same character at Fort Brown, and shall be allowed the necessary means for regular and comfortable movement, provisions, tents, &c., and transportation.

It is the desire of the commission that there shall be no infraction of this agreement on the part of the people of the State. It is their wish, on the contrary, that every facility shall be afforded the troops. They are our friends. They have heretofore afforded to our people all the protection in their power, and we owe them every consideration.

The public property at the various posts, other than that above recited for the use of the troops, will be turned over to agents to be appointed by the commission, who will give due and proper receipts for the whole to the officers of the Army whom they relieve from the custody of the public property.

THOS. J. DEVINE,
P. N. LUCKETT,
S. A. MAVERICK,

Commissioners on behalf of Committee of Public Safety.

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I. The State troops having taken possession of the city of San Antonio and the property that belonged to the Federal Government, the officers of the general staff-viz, Bvt. Maj. W. A. Nichols, assistant adjutantgeneral; Maj. D. H. Vinton, quartermaster; Capt. A. W. Reynolds, assistant quartermaster; Military Store-keeper R. M. Potter; Capt. W. B. Blair, commissary of subsistence; Surg. E. H. Abadie, Medical Department; Maj. S. Maclin, paymaster; Maj. D. McClure, paymaster; Bvt. Second Lieuts. W. H. Échols and Nicolas Bowen, Topographical Engineers, and Capt. R. H. K. Whiteley, Ordnance Department-will, as soon as their several functions shall cease, proceed to Washington City, D. C., and report to the chiefs of their respective bureaus. The chief quartermaster will advance to each officer named the mileage from this place to Washington City.

By order of Brevet Major-General Twiggs:

W. A. NICHOLS, Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
SPECIAL ORDERS,

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, February 24, 1861.

The commissioners on the part of the State of Texas having_turned over to the Quartermaster's Department twenty-six wagons and teams for the movement of the troops on the line above Fort Clark, those posts— viz, Fort Bliss, Fort Quitman, Fort Davis, Fort Stockton, Fort Lancaster, and Camp Hudson-will be evacuated by their garrisons in the following manner: The most remote garrison will move first, and the garrison of each succeeding post two days after the passage of the command which precedes it. They will direct their march upon Indianola, where transports will be in readiness for their embarkation. The troops will march with their arms and ammunition, the necessary clothing and camp equipage, and, as the means of transportation are limited, no extra baggage will be allowed. Lieut. Henry W. Freedley, Third Infantry, is appointed acting assistant quartermaster of the train. Special instructions will be given to him. Agents on the part of the State will be sent up to the several posts to receive the public property. By order of Col. C. A. Waite:

CIRCULAR.]

W. A. NICHOLS, Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,

San Antonio, February 25, 1861.

As some of the companies in the department have already evacuated their posts, deeming the requirements of General Orders, No. 5, immediate, the department commander calls the attention of post commanders to the condition therein expressed, viz., as soon as the necessary preparations can be made." The "necessary preparations" will be made at these headquarters, and no troops will be put in motion until orders for such purpose shall be issued from the department. Should, however, any of the companies within this command have left their stations and be found, on receipt of these instructions, on the march for the coast, they will not consider the above requirements as operative upon them, but will continue their line of march.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. A. NICHOLS, Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,

San Antonio, February 26, 1861.

Lieut. Col. L. THOMAS, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Hdqrs. Army, New York. COLONEL: I have the honor to inclose herewith a statement of the number of troops serving in the Department of Texas, and have to request that transportation may be furnished for them from Indianola and Brazos Santiago to such points as the lieutenant-general_commanding the Army shall direct. My arrangements are that the Third Infantry and two companies of the Second Cavalry shall embark at the Brazos, and that the remaining eight companies of the Second Cavalry, the five companies of the First Infantry, and the nine companies of the Eighth Infantry shall proceed to Indianola and take shipping at that place.

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

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