The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906 Page: 255
ix, 294 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Texan Revolutionary Army.
255
Into the tangle of the Matamoras expedition it is, fortunately,
not necessary to enter very deeply. Governor Smith had already
conceived the plan, and by his order General Houston had pro-
visionally instructed James Bowie to undertake it on the 17th.
Bowie did not go, and Houston was opposed to going himself. The.
council being determined, however, appointed, at his own request,
F. W. Johnson to lead the expedition (January 3). He had al-
ready started 200 men to Copano under his aid, Dr. Grant, for
this very purpose, and the council was surprised to receive a letter-
from him on the 6th, saying that he had decided not to go. Fan--.
nin was then appointed to collect volunteers and lead the expedi-
tion, and he entered upon his duties immediately. But on the
7th Johnson announced that he had changed his mind again, and
would go after all, and he forthwith issued his proclamation call-
ing for volunteers. The council, seeing that he meant business,
ratified his acts on the 14th, but at the same time specifically de-
clared that no authority was withdrawn thereby from Fannin. To
make matters worse, Colonel Bowie had appeared on the 6th and
"exhibited to the Council orders from the Commander-in-Chief
of the army to proceed against Matamoras, and took leave of the
Council for his departure." And now Governor Smith, acting
under the council's resolution of December 27, ordered Houston
to take charge of all the troops, and direct the expedition himself.
Houston departed immediately, and found a number of men at
Goliad and Refugio. He made addresses at both places, and suc-
ceeded in convincing most of the men that he alone had the right
to command them. Johnson's force was thereby too much reduced
for him to proceed to Matamoras, so he moved on down to San
Patricio with about a hundred men, and there remained until
surprised by Urrea, February 27. Houston's force was also too
small, so he left the men in camp and returned to San Felipe, when
Governor Smith gave him a furlough until March 1, and he went
to East Texas to arrange a treaty with the Indians. Fannin's
forces gathered too slowly to enable him to make the expedition,
and the early part of February he went into quarters at Goliad.1
'Proceedings of the General Council, 230, 250, 265, 270, 273-74, 287,
304, 315-17. For a detailed description of the confusion of the Mata-
moras expedition, see the QUARTERLY, V 312-45, in W. Roy Smith's "The
Quarrel between Governor Smith and the Council," etc. See also Hous--
ton to Smith, January 30, 1836, in Yoakum, II 460-70.
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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/m1/259/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.