The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917 Page: 278

The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

lines for the present that is, East of the Rio Grande, I think
that some mischeivous schemes will be baffled. Those schemes
are, first. The immediate Military occupation of Texas by
United States troops, which it is believed would close this Sub-
ject beyond all risk of retraction or serious discussion by the
next Congress of the United States, otherwise, a doubtful point.
And, Secondly, the advance of part of the Force to the Brassos
del Norte and left bank of the Rio Grande. Hence all the
rumours of the Mexican Movement beyond that river in the
prints of this Country and Texas, and the extreme vexation
which followed the President's proclamation of the 4th Ultimo.
Adverting however to the movement of United States troops
into Texas at this time of year and for the advance to the Rio
Grande I would observe that I do not believe there are more
than 1500 Men of all arms at Fort Jessup, an insufficient as
well as unsuitable force for the supposed objects. The diffi-
culties of movement in the Country through which they must
pass, and the absolute necessity of transporting all their Mate-
rial, both provisions and of War, warrant the opinion that more
than half that strength of regular troops would be in the hos-
pitals before they had reached the Trinity. A great part of the
Country is desert, and even the cultivated parts of Texas are
wholly without the means of supporting in an adequate manner
even this small addition to the people upon them.
If heavy rain should fall too, as sometimes happens at this
Season there would be no possibility of getting on their Ma-
terial, and if there should be a want of rain water also must
be transported for a great part of the way, for it is not only
very bad and unwholesome but extremely scarce over almost the
whole face of the Country. The only mode by which I believe
it would be practicable to place an organized American force
in Texas in any thing like an effective condition would be to
convey them from the Mouth of the Mississipi to the places
on the Coast nearest to the points they are to move upon. In
fact whilst advance by land is out of the question at this Sea-
son of the year on account of the heat of the weather (at
least beyond the Settlements in Texas) and full of difficulty in
the Autumn and Winter Months on account of the state of the
routes, movement by Sea is also extremely inconvenient owing

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