Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-10-20

| cans and r. erans. Icannot, however.
admit that have erred in requesting OF
your Excellency the Reg't Of Mounted
1unmen in question.
have, during the last and presens
month, been strongly impressed with
tao belief that the whole Of this FROM
tier would be involved la an Indian war
~ soon a. the threatened hostilities
between our blood thirsty n~eighbors Of
the West should 30 renewed.
Whom | learned from the Secretary
OF War that the President ofthe United
States approved my views, reported to
him in March mud April last, to assem-
bio upon this frontier M effective force
ofmounted men equal to thar Of either
Of the helligcrcnts--a force that would
enable me to speak to both in q Ian
guage they could not fail to hear and
to heed and when at tho same time
found myself expressly instructed by 4
letter from the Department Of War.
dated May 4, l636-(of which a copy
is annexed. No. I-fhdt the President
piH sanction the employment OF srhater.
sr force may be necessary 10 protect the
Western frontier Of the United States
from hostile ~incarsions and that the
Department Of War had addressed tho
Governors of the States Of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and
Alabama, reqncsting them to call into
the service such militia force as I may
find necessary in carrying into eject the
Instructions heretofore given 10 me, add.
ing, " the theatre Of operations is so
distant from the seat Of Government
that much must be trusted to your dis
erection !" "The two great objects
you have 10 attain are, first, the pro-
lection Of the frontiers, and, secondly,
as strict a performance Of the neutral
duties Of the United States as the great
object of self.defence will permit "
and when to this is added the Secreta-
rvs letter to you Of the same date, Of
which the following is an extract al
am instructed by the President to re-
quest your Excellency to call into tho
service of the United States tie number
Of militia rhich hare been or may Be re-
CURED BY Gen. Gaines" there can DO
no ground to doubt hat | was fully au-
thorized TO request Of you the regiment
in question.
That from 1000 to 5000 Indian
warriors will be employed against the
inhabitants Of the disputed territory, as
500 as tho theatre of war between
Mexico and Texas is extended to tho
lett bank Of the Brassos, | have no
doubt unless, indeed, the prospect OF
our having on this frontier sufficient.
mounted force to repel the invasion Of
the disputed territory, and afford to tho
d~elencoless inhabitants that protection
which we have promised TO afford them.
am more than willing to risk my.
self with 1900 men for the protection
ola thinly settled frontier OF 400 miles
in extent but with full authority from
the Department OF War L call for
whatever force | may deem necessary
and proper for the purpose, | am not
willing to have less force than / have
called ; for, without d force of 1000
men held ready for action npon this
frontier, the Indians a in one month
destroy nine.tehths Of the Inhabitants
within the disputed territory, with d
great part Of the adjacent settlements,
including those upon the Red river
from Alexandra to Fort Towson, en-.
bracing a large portion Of the original
inhabitants when coded to the United
States, with the finest cotton. growing
section Of the United States, whose an
nuaI crop has already amounted 10
millions ofdollars.
Ifit be true hat the Indians have
determined to commence hostilities as
as the Mexicans approach the set
Elements cast Of the Brassos, (and That
this is their settled plan | have not a
then it must be evident that we
cannot obtain from Tennessee, or from
any of the central or western States,
force to prevent the appre-
depredations, as they may be-
to a great extent perpetrated, whilst
the acquisitions for force are on the
route to the States authorized to fur.
nish it. With this impression, | can
not but consider our promise of protec-
lion to this frontier wholly u~nsubstan-
lial, and calculated to excite hopes md
expectations which we shall not have
the sure means Of fulfilling. cannot
willingly be instrumental ir producing
on this border. scenes such as have oc-
Cured in East FI6rida-a frontier ra.
and desolated Lefore troofs for
its protection have been marched or
authorized to march from their homes.
In my letter to the Secretary Of War
Of the 5th of June, acknowledging the
receipt Of his letters Of the 25th Of
April and 4th Of May, | concluded as
follows: although have upon the
whole Of this frontier about 1000 re-
gular troops, mostly infantry, yet il
will be recollected that this force has
" N