The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959 Page: 305
617 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Problem of Command in the Texas Army
An order dated on November 24 suggests that the President
may have felt he was making some progress in breaking his
senior commander to the saddle. At least Houston was willing to
try a directive which listed six specific things to be done: establish
a daily record of strength and events, inventory all government
property each month, appraise the value of the horses of men
who were in the army for the duration of hostilities, follow the
United States Army Regulations in preparing reports, fill va-
cancies in command positions by promoting the senior line officer
of the unit, and have the articles of war read at a regimental
formation twice each month."6 Evident in the list, of course, is
the implication that room still existed for improvement in both
administration and discipline; nor was the commander left to
search for things to improve. By the end of the month the list had
been augmented by eleven items concerning everything from con-
servation of supplies to firing guns in camp, but most heavily
stressing security measures.27 By early December the granting of
discharges became a War Department rather than an army func-
tion, and all officers except two, only one of whom could be of
field grade, were restricted to the area of the camp after retreat.28
Congress, in the meantime, was considering the army. In No-
vember it passed a joint resolution authorizing the President to
reorganize the army according to the regulations of the United
States Army, unless otherwise prescribed.20 The act was more an
acknowledgment of fact than a change, since such organization as
the army had was in keeping with United States patterns. In the
next month Congress passed a bill establishing regulations for
governing the army, and providing for their publication, but
President Houston vetoed the measure on grounds of economy
and the adequacy of the United States Army Regulations already
being used.30 More than two years later, Congress again approved
a set of regulations, which were printed in Houston in 1839.31
2sCooke to Huston, November 24, 1836, ibid.
27Cooke to Huston, November 3o, 1836, ibid.
28Cooke to Huston, December 7, 1836, ibid.
29Gammel, Laws of Texas, I, 1112-1113.
soHouston to Congress, December ig, 1836, in Williams and Barker (eds.),
Writings of Sam Houston, I, 511-512.
alGovernment of the Army of the Republic of Texas, Printed in Accordance with
a Joint Resolution of Congress, Approved January 23rd, x839.305
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959, periodical, 1959; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101173/m1/368/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.