The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 52, July 1948 - April, 1949 Page: 110

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

the loss of four or five men in these affairs, while the poor powder
they used almost secured us from any injury by their guns. ... I have
many times seen their cannon shot bounding and rolling by us like
foot-balls; and our men, after picking them up, would return them
in earnest with our double Dupont.4
The firm of McKinney and Williams, of Quintana at the mouth
of the Brazos, has been said to have advanced the Texas Revolu-
tion about $150,000, mostly in arms and ammunition. The Sam-
uel May Williams papers in the Rosenberg Library at Galveston,
Texas, reveal the following letter in point:
Samuel M. Williams Esq Philader 14 Nov 1835
N/Y
D SIR.
On receipt of your letter of to ins I engaged 75 kegs of Duponts first
quality Powder-Viz
50 Kegs Cannon
13 do Musket
12 do Rifle
We expected from what the agent said to me that it would have been
shipped, this day, from Marcus Hook, via the Canal, for Baltimore,
we have been disappointed and it will not be ready until Wednesday,
by the Evening Mail I write to your Brother to know if it will be in
time, if not to advise me by return mail-I wrote to him the day the
purchase was made saying it would be shipped today but have not
heard from him I addressed the letter to Mr. Hy Williams Baltimore
I will be pleased to see you on your arrival here-
No news from Texas
I am truly,
D. Sir
Your obsvt
JAMES HODGE
Addressed:
Single
Mr. Samuel M. Williams
New York5
The following statement is also significant in connection with
the powder used by Texans in the War for Independence:
4Ibid., 252.
sCopies of this letter from Hodge to Williams have been furnished the writer
through the courtesy of G. Lamar Wallis, Librarian of the Rosenberg Library,
Galveston, Texas. It is apparently the only surviving document relating to the
purchase of Du Pont powder by McKinney and Williams. The James Morgan
collection in the same library was examined but with no returns.

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