The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920 Page: 87
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James W. Fanin, Jr., in the Texas Revolution
repel the Mexicans. We shall later notice how, strangely enough,
Fannin was stationed at La Bahia, while Houston took charge of
the army at Gonzales.
After leaving the army, Fannin was not idle in public affairs.
We hear of him a few days later advising the government as to
the organization of the army. On November 31, 1835, he wrote8"
Governor Smith calling his attention to the qualifications of sev-
eral young officers of the United States army, who had signified
their willingness to come to Texas in case a stable government
should be formed.
"They are," [he says,] "all Civil, Military and Topl. [topo-
graphical] Engineers. In war you need them to protect your forti-
fications on the Coast and survey your Harbours, Coast, Railways,
Rivers, and Canals. In short you wish them and must have them
to organize and direct your army, and protect your coast, and place
your country in that attitude, that it will (be) dangerous to in-
vade it."
Fannin believed that the regular army created by the Consulta-
tion was too small to accomplish its purpose, and recommended
to the Council that at least it should be doubled. No doubt be-
cause of this recommendation the Council on December 5 passed
an ordinance to establish "an auxiliary volunteer corps to the army
of Texas," which was to be composed of permanent volunteers,
or those who entered the army for the duration of the war, and
other volunteers who enlisted for three months or even a shorter
period.82
Five days after the creation of this volunteer corps, information
having been received that the assault on Bexar had begun and
that the army was in need of supplies and reinforcements, -the
Council (December 10) appointed Fannin, along with Thos. J.
Rusk, to enlist reinforcements for the army for thirty days. This
was three days after Fannin's appointment as colonel in the regu-
lar army. Fannin's "province" was west of the Trinity, and
"Fannin to Smith, November 31, 1835. THE QUARTERL.Y, VII, 324-5.
"Barker, "The Texas Revolutionary Army," in THE QUARTERLY, IX,
227-261.
The permanent volunteers of the auxiliary corps were to have the
special privilege of choosing their own officers, and at the expiration of
the war each soldier so volunteered was entitled to a land bounty of six
hundred and forty acres. Most of the volunteers from the United States
entered this branch of the army.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920, periodical, 1920; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101075/m1/93/?rotate=270: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.