DOCUMENTS.
131
I
DOCUMENTS. 131
(Report LVo. 2-Gen. Rogers's Mission.)
COMMITTrE ROOM, March 7, 1861.
To the lon. O. M. Roberts, President of the Convention:
The Committee on Public Safety beg leave to
report through you, to the Convention, that on
the fourteenth day of February they were in session
at the city of Galveston, and at that time
they felt the great necessity of having more arms
than were to be found in the State, and the Hon.
Geo. Williamson, Commissioner from Louisiana
to Texas, being then in that city, they caused
the Chairman of the Committee to address to
him a communication, which with the answer
thereto is herewith submitted.
GALVESTON, TEXAS, February 14,1861.
To Geo. Williamson, Commissioner from Louisiana
to the State of Texas:
DEAR SIR: The Committee of Public Safety
regret to have to make known to your State,
through yourself, the unfortunate condition of
Texas as to arms for her people. Should coercion
be the policy of the incoming Administration
at Washington, we hope to be able to bring into
the field as many strong arms and brave hearts,
as our Southern sisters ; but in this crisis we
must ask them to lend us whatever spare
arms they may have. The Committee beg to
know of you what assurances you can give to
Texas in behalf of your gallant State on this subject
? Especially, sir, would we ask of you your
individual efforts in our behalf, to secure for us
the two pieces of ordnance, well known in the
history of Texas as the "Twin Sisters." We are
informed that they are now in the hands of the
State of Louisiana, having been lately taken from
the Federal Government.
In conclusion, sir, al!ow me, in behalf of the
Committee, to extend to you the highest regards
of each member for yourself, personally, and
their best wishes for your welfare and happiness,
and that of your people.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. C. ROBERTSON,
Chairman of Committee of Public Safety.
GALVESTON, February 17, 1861.
Hon. J. C. Robertson, Chairman Committee of
I shall use every effort in my power to accomplish
your wishes, both in regard to the arms and to
the historic "Twin Sisters."
Permit me to suggest to your Committee the
propriety of sending a Commissioner to the State
of Louisiana, to negotiate for a loan of arms and
munitions of war, vested with full authority to
receipt for the same in the name of the State of
Texas. I shall heartily cooperate with him.
I beg leave to tender my thanks to yourself
and the Committee, for the courtesies extended
to me during my agreeable visit to your State.
With assurances of my kindest regards and
respect, I have the honor to be
Your obedient servant,
GEORGE WILLIAMSON,
Commissioner of the State of Louisana.
They further report that from the tenor of said
letters in answer to the communication from the
Committee, they were encouraged to make the
effort to obtain some of the arms with which the
State of Louisiana was so abundantly supplied.
They accordingly issued to James H. Rogers, one of
this Committee, a commission to proceed to accomplish
that object; which commission, together
with his instructions as to the disposition of
said arms, are herewith submitted:
" Commission."
COMMITTEE ROOM, GALVESTON, TEXAd,
February 20, 1861. f
To Gen. James ]. Rogers:
SIR: You are hereby commissioned as a sp.cial
officer, to proceed at once to the city of Baton
Rouge, in the State of Louisiana, and there confer
with the Governor of said State, or other le
gally constituted authority, for the purpose of procuring
therefrom as many arms as you can obtain,
for the use and benefit of the people of
Texas, and, in the event of your failing to obtain
the same, or a sufficient number thereof, from
said State to answer the present urgent demand
therefor in Texas, you shall, if in your judgment
it be right and proper so to do, proceed at once to
the State of Alabama, on a like mission.
JoiN C. ROBERTSON,
Chairman of the Committee of Public Safety.
[Attest] R. T. BROWNRI.G,
Secretary to the Committee.
Public Safety: ' i. "
DEAR SR : In reply to your note of this date, Istr on
I beg leave to state that owing to the timely and Resolved, That the Commlissioner appointed to
patriotic action of the Governor, in seizing the visit the State of Louisiana, for the purpose of
United States forts and arsenals in Louisiana, the procuring arms for the use of the State, be inState
is abundantly provided with arms. It is structed to dispose of the same in the following
needless for me to assure you that the State I manner, namely:
have the honor to represent as Commissioner, One half the arms to be obtained by him shall
feels the liveliest interest in everything that per
be shipped to J. M.
