The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 52, July 1948 - April, 1949 Page: 449

Texas Collection

writing is not entirely a lost art. Rare indeed are the opportuni-
ties afforded to read such a racy, stimulating historical letter as
the one below which bridged a hiatus of a quarter of a century
in the acquaintance of Colonel Scammell, the writer, and Dr.
Hackett, the recipient. Probably large numbers of the members
of the Association will be able to repay Colonel Scammell with
information on the Baylors and the California Column.
1332 Farragut St. NW
Washington, D. C.
7 October 1948
DR. CHARLES W. HACKETT,
los West 33d Street,
Austin, Texas.
Dear Charles:
Marius Scammell, writing. I want help.
1 am writing the story of the "Column from California" that
marched from the Pacific to the Rio Grande during the War of the
Rebellion and ran the Texans out of New Mexico.
That is the truth, and I can prove by Confederate records that the
Texans ran when the advance guard of the column reached the Rio
Grande; but it is not the whole truth. The Texans lost their trains
at Glorieta, and lost more during a retreat over terrible mountains,
and they were disorganized and starving. Their two campaigns in
New Mexico are no credit to the Union commander, and a great
credit to the Texas troops and their leaders.
Colonel John R. Baylor interests me especially. With some 3oo men
he captured some 5oo Federal Regulars. After that he stuck around,
and in the face of greatly superior forces led by the cautious Canby.
"With two more companies I would fight them," he wrote. He wrote
to Sibley, "Hurry up if you want a fight." He sent a company as far
as Tucson. There he organized the Arizona Brigade. Jeff Davis heard
of Baylor's infamous order to Captain Helm, Arizona Guard, to get
the Apaches into a peace conference and massacre them, and sell the
children into slavery. So Davis took away Baylor's commission as
Governor of Arizona and his military commission. So Baylor fought as
a private at Galveston. Then he organized the "Ladies Rangers" and
fought in Northern Texas. He was elected to the Congress of the Con-
federate States; and toward the end of the war, was authorized to raise
Texas troops to invade California.
There was another Baylor, George, who commanded a regiment
in the Arizona Brigade.
In that Brigade there were Californians also. Dan Showalter, who
drove a team for Fr6mont, was arrested below San Bernardino and

449