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: 27 of 36
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DOCUMENTS.
133
DOCUMENTS. 133
confident that this delicate demonstration of
regard for our State, will be duly appreciated by
yourselves and the gallant people of Texas,
whose interests you represent.
iaving been instructed to make application to
the State of Alabama, for a similar loan of arms,
etc., whilst in New-Orleans, I telegraphed our
delegates at Montgomery, enquiring as to the
chance of success in that quarter, and received
from the Hon. W. B. Ochiltree, the following
reply:
MONTGOMERY, February 22, 1861.
GEN. J. H. ROGERS: Alabama having to support
Florida, can spare no arms to Texas for the
present. W. B. OCHILTREE.
I therefore did not prosecute that branch of
my mission further, deeming it unnecessary to
do so. An invoice of ordnance and ordnance
Stores, receipted for by me, I herewith transmit to
you, (marked "B,") together with other documents
referred to, for your inspection. I cannot close
this report without expressing my heartfelt gratitude,
as a citizen of Texas, to his Excellency Gov.
Thomas O. Moore, to Gen. Bragg, and to Col. Geo.
Williamson, for their generous kindness to me,
whilst acting as your agent. Trusting that I
have satisfactorily discharged the duty imposed
upon me, I have the honor to remain,
Yours most resteotfiillvrand commercial, which have grown up and so
closely entwine each, lmake the interests and
future destiny of Texas and Louisiana the same.
The idea of a separate republic has never been
seriously entertained by the people of Texas.
The enemies of secession have attempted to
embarrass immediate action, by intimating such
a course. I beg to assure you, as the recent
action of our Convention, in sending delegates to
the Montgomery Convention, indicates, that Texas
will link her destinies with the fortunes of her
sister cotton and sugar-growing States, and the
banner which waves over their patriotic sons, in
peace or war, will float over the undaunted sons
of the Lone Star State.
The mansion and cottage hearth-stone shall
be made desolate, and the west bank of the Red
River become a frontier, before hostile Federal
troops will from her direction, ever place foot
upon the soil of Louisiana.
Circumstances require that Texas should appeal
to Louisiana for arms in this emergency,
and I have the honor to be commissioned for this
purpose. I am prepared to guarantee to your
Excellency their proper use, and unless lost in
glorious battle for freedom and equal rights,
their safe return.
I have the honor to be, sir,
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,-
-' `F"wKtult*^ , UdAXL6 1 L. 11ULIM.
JAMES H. ROGERS,
Commissioner. (Communication NVo. 2.)
(Communication No 1.) EXECTIVE OFFICE, BATON ROCGE, LA,
February 25, 1861. t
NEW-ORLEANS, February 23, 1861. To Gen. James H. Rogers, Agent of the State oJ
hi s Excellency the Governor of the Sovereign Texas.
State of Louuiiana: SIR: In consequence of the news this day reSIR:
I have been honored by the State of ceived, of the withdrawal of Gen. Twiggs and his
Texas, with the performance of a duty alike re
command from Texas, and of the State's thus getsponsible
and delicate. Your Excellency has ting possession of large quantities of military mubeen
notified that on the first of February, 1861, nitions, I presume there no longer exists the want
the Ordinance ratifying and acceding to the arti
of arms which you were sent here to procure.
cles of annexation, passed on the fourth of July, But as the arms, etc., surrendered by the retiring
1845, were formally annulled by a Convention of corps of the United States troops, are in Western
the people of Texas, assembled at our capital Texas, leaving Eastern Texas comparatively desticity,
Austin. The ordinance of secession was tute, I have ordered one thousand stand of mussubmitted
for ratification or rejection to the peo
kets to be issued, for the purpose of being sent to
ple of the State, to be determined at the ballot
Jefferson for distribution in that portion of the
box, on this the twenty-third of this month. State.
Such has been the confidence of the delegates Should my inference from the reported retiring
in the action of the people, that although the of Gen. Twiggs and command prove erroneous, I
Convention has taken a recess until the second shall respond to a renewal of your call for a loan
of March next, active measures have been in the of arms, by promptly shipping such as we may
mean time taken, to provide against the threatened then be able to spare.
attempt at coercion. Entertaining a lingering Fully approving the active preparation made
hope that a returning sense of justice would in
by the authorities of Texas for her defence, and
duce the dominant party of the old Union, to desirous of aiding them in every proper way, I
pursue such course as would justify a continu
remain, very respectfully,
ance of that Union, our people have permitted the Your obedient servant,
day of results to dawn upon them unprepared to THOMAS O. MOORE,
a great extent for the collision that now seems in
Governor of the State of Louisiana.
evitable. The determination of the people ofocumet
Texas is fixed! Whatever may be the conse
(Doment
quences, Texas has thrown her influence, and Statement from P. Rotchford, Agent for the
will throw her sword into the scales, with her Du Pont's powder.
sister Southern States. The relations, both social United States cannon powder, .... $6
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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/m1/27/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.