The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906 Page: 231
ix, 294 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Texan Revolutionary Army.
231
organize the regular forces. The military committee replied that,
considering "the press of business and the distracted state of af-
fairs," they had done as much as they could, and been as expe-
ditious as possible, a good deal of their time being necessarily con-
sumed in trying to provide for the volunteer army. They were
of the opinion, moreover, that it would not be good policy, anyway,
to appoint all of the officers of the regular army at that time. If
the war should be prolonged, Texas would be compelled, they said,
to depend largely upon aid from abroad, and they thought that
men of superior qualifications would hardly be attracted from the
United States if every door to promotion were closed.' In con-
clusion, they urged that the governor be requested to issue a procla-
mation fixing the headquarters of the army at Gonzales or some
other point on the frontier.2
On December 7 and 8 the field officers for both infantry and
artillery were elected,3 but in accordance with the above report,
1This was in complete agreement with the policy of the consultation.
In his inaugural address the chairman of that body had said, "Some of
our brethren of the United States of the North . .. have generously
come to our aid, many more ere long will be with us. . . The path
to promotion must be open, they must know that deeds of chivalry and
heroism will meet their rewards" (Journals of the consultation, 8). But
the greatest influence was probably exerted on the committee by a letter
from J. W. Fannin, Jr., which they had considered on December 4. Fan-
nin was sure that many West Point graduates would come to Texas, if
commands were reserved for them.--Fannin to Smith, November 31 [sio],
1835, in archives of Texas, D, file 6, No. 555. Part of the letter is printed
in the QUARTERLY, VII 324-25.)
'Proceedings of the General Council, 52, 71, 107, 116-17. For Hous-
ton's letter see Yoakum, History of Texas, II 447. General Houston de-
clared that the chairman of the military committee (Wyatt Hanks)
through personal dislike for him was throwing obstacles in the way of
the organization of the army. And the above report, he said, originally
contained such indecorous remarks about him that the council had thought
it necessary to expunge them.-Houston to Smith, December 17, 1835, in
Yoakum, II 453. The indecorous matter seems to have been to the effect
that the importance of supplying the volunteer army could not be neg-
lected by proceeding immediately, simply "to gratify the wishes of Gen-
eral Sam Houston," to the election of officers for the regular army. See
W. Roy Smith's "The Quarrel between Governor Smith and the General
Council," etc.. in the QUARTERLY, V 310.
8Of the artillery J. W. Fannin, Jr., was elected colonel, James C. Neill
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906, periodical, 1906; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101036/m1/235/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.