The treachery in Texas, the secession of Texas, and the arrest of the United States officers and soldiers serving in Texas. Read before the New-York Historical Society, June 25, 1861. By Major J. T. Sprague, U. S. A. Page: 14 of 36
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120
REBELLION RECORD, 1860-61.
12 RBLINRCR,80-1
hundred citizens of San Antonio, and those from
the Medina and Atascosa-the Alamo, Commissary
and Arsenal buildings were surrounded and
commanding positions secured before daylight on
the roofs of the adjoining buildings. At six o'clock
A.M., a demand, in writing, in accordance with their
instructions, was again made on Gen. Twiggs, for
the surrender of all public property and posts,
and the interview between that officer and the
undersigned, resulted in the surrender of the
posts held by the Federal troops, and the delivery
of all public property in San Antonio to the
Comlnissioners. The United States troops were
permitted to retain their clothing, etc., etc., and
marched out that evening to encamp at the San
Pedro Springs, about one mile from the city,
there to remain until transportation was furnished
to convey them to the coast.
The property and posts in the city are held
and guarded by seventy citizen soldiers. Negotiations
were continued during the seventeenth,
and on the evening of the eighteenth were terminated,
by Gen. Twiggs agreeing that all posts
held by the Federal troops, should be yielded to
the Commissioners, as likewise all public property
under his control; that the troops should
retain the arms belonging to the respective corps,
which included two batteries of light artillery,
the clothing of the men, the necessary stores,
etc., etc., for an orderly movement to the coast;
the transportation facilities, on reaching the coast,
to be delivered up to the agents authorized to receive
them.
The arrangements entered into between the
Commissioners and the General Commanding the
Federal Troops in Texas, it is believed, are the
best (so far as regards the safety of the State,
its honor, and pecuniary interest) that could be
made. At the same time, no humiliating conditions
or unnecessary restrictions have been imposed
on the officers of the late United States
Government. The departure of the troops, by
way of the coast, was viewed from the beginning,
by the Commissioners, as a measure of precaution,
coupled with a question of property--both
ends having been attained. The permitting of
two batteries of light artillery to leave the State,
has been a subject of complaint on the part of
some of our people. Those persons, however, do
not consider or ignore the fact that these batteries
belong to, and constitute as completely the
arms of an artillery corps, as do the muskets of
the infantry, or sabre, or carbine of the cavalry;
that with Texas it was a mere question of property
not exceeding eight thousand dollars in
value; with Gen. Twiggs, his officers and men,
it was a question of honor
a principle dear to
the humblest as to the highest soldier in the
army; that Gen. Twiggs had repeatedly declared
that he would sacrifice his life sooner than see
his men dishonored or disgraced by being deprived
of their arms. It is true the eight guns
could have been secured, but at a cost to the
State of more than twenty times their value, in
the payment and subsistence of the volunteer
force necessary for that purpose, to which mightbe added the probabilities of a collision with its
attendant loss of life, and the grave consequences
necessarily resulting therefrom. In addition to
this, may be stated the loss to Texas of all the
mule teams, cavalry horses, etc., at the upper
posts of Bliss, Quitman, Davis, Stockton, Lancaster,
Hudson, and Fort Clarke, which would
have been carried with the troops at these posts
into New-Mexico, with the humiliation of a distinguished
and honored soldier, and the officers
and men under his command.
For the correspondence between the undersigned,
Gen. Twiggs, Col. McCulloch, and the Military
Commission, see documents numbered from
one to sixteen inclusive.
In estimating the value of the property secured
to the State, no exact statement can be made of
the amount remaining at the different posts, until
inventories are received from the agents despatched
to those points. The entire value secured
to the State, may be estimated, at a fair valuation,
as being worth not less than $1,600,000.
It consists as follows:
At the San Antonio Depot, cost of
Arsenal grounds, buildings, and
material of every kind on the
ground, ....... . 51,500 00
Ordnance stores, including arms,
powder and ammunition, of every
kind, . ...... 282,132 26
Brass guns, howitzers, etc., etc.,
at different posts in Texas, . 24,635 00
Quartermaster's stores, . . 178,666 00
Commissary stores, . .... 19,702 87
Medical and hospital stores, . . 30,175 00
Soldiers' clothing, camp and garrison
equipage, . ..... 194,997 26
Total amount of property at San
Antonio, including cannon at different
posts valued at $24,635, 781,808 39
It is estimated that the mules, cavalry
horses, transportation facilities,
camels, provisions, and
other property at the various
posts, exclusive of buildings, will
amount, at first cost, to not less
than . ....... . 700,000 00
Making, in all, available to the State
for purposes connected with the
defence of the frontier, and for
other uses, should the same become
necessary.
Total, ..... . $1,481,808 39
The cost of placing the above property at its
various locations, has cost the Federal Government
not less than $100,000.
Surplus of funds seized in San Antonio, estimated
at $23,472.
For lists of the above property, see exhibits
marked A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K.
For lists of person retained, for the present, in
the public employment, in connection with the
Quartermaster's and Commissary Department, see
report of agent, marked Exhibit L.
The successor of Gen. Twiggs, CoL C. A. Waite,
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Sprague, John Titcomb. The treachery in Texas, the secession of Texas, and the arrest of the United States officers and soldiers serving in Texas. Read before the New-York Historical Society, June 25, 1861. By Major J. T. Sprague, U. S. A., book, 1862; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6102/m1/14/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .