Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-10-18

WOulu give lIeI, tiIS iiliai ioSuit, uio SHh
commotions of Mexico out of the question,
must be yet considered very doubtful. And
this brings me to the subjec, with which
my mind was occupied when sat down to
write-the military interposition oft the Uni
ted States.
On my return through Texas, an acci.
dent detained me number of days at Ma
cogdoches, seventy miles west ofthe Sabine,
the United States boundary. There found
encamped two regiments of our Army
dragons and infantry, and felt myself tortu'
nate to find among them an old friend,
wanderer like myself from the far North.
10 him | am indebted for most ofthe parta-
culars that follow.
General GAINES, retiring in January last
from Florida, hurried
to this frontier. A re-
giment was first ordered from the North to
constitute the nucleus Of his "army of OBJ
servation." On hearing report IN April
of rapid invasion of Texas, and panic
among the women, he marched his forces to
the banks of the Sabine, and made call
upon the Governors of many States for vol
unteers in all to six thousand or eight thou.
sand men. By the time these draughts
were mustered into service, the rumors on
which this most important step was founded
proved TO be in great measure false. The
volunteers were discharged the service, but
in the mean time large supplies for their use
and consumption had been purchased and
transported many hundreds of miles by wa
ter and land. 10 state one article: there
arc now at Camp Sabine l36,5OO bushels
of corn! (sec General Galnes's letter to
Governor Carroll, "corn for 5000 horses
Tor six months.'') This is now said to be
all rotten.
The President of Mexico being captured
and his army destroyed at the memorable
battle of San Jacinto, and Texas rid ofthe
last of her invaders, stray captain or two,
called commissioners" prisoners at Met
amoras, Mexico, wrote letter bidding the
Texans to prepare for another immediate
invasion; at the same time some reports OF
Indian murdersin Teras were raised by
the interested. Fired by this rumor ofwar
only 800 miles beyond our frontier, and
the Indian stories, our venerable General
again called upon the Governors for many
more regiments of volunteers, and, attract
ing bv this grand parade the public atten-
ton to himself on the right side of the Sa-
bine-the Rubicon of national honor-pass-
es it obscurely with the garrison of Fort
Gibson.
For. Gibson, the most exposed OF our
out.posts, the centre of all the emlgratlng
tribes, the immediate region where the sui
len and blood stained savages of the South
are sent, being thus left with a nominal gar.
rison, the Governor Of Arkansas was called
upon to send 1000 men to reinforce Fort
Touson, on Red river, in the midst of the
Choctaws race who strangeto say, nerer
scalped white man, and who had recently
volunteered to fight for the United States
against her enemies, whoever they might
be.
One ofthe ostensible causes of this per-
manent military occupation Of Texas is the
reported disaffected state of number OF
tribes, or fragments of tribes, Texan In
dians, and some that once lived on the Uni
ted States territory. The inhabitants OF
Texas, rejoicing at the countenance OF our
troops to their cause, (and perhaps pleased
with their expenditures are highly interes-
ted in their presence, and, with great policy
raise or spread rumors and reports Of these
threatened attacks, &c. being apare, per.
haps, that such monstrous propositions as
the following would be seriously listened TO
in the proper quarter, and promote their
views, to wit That these scattered bands
Of Indians, set on by Mexicans, (not one OF
whom now treads the soil Of Texas,) con-
spired the immediate destruction of Nacog.
doches, in the presence oftwo regiments OF
regulars, their protectors the same Indians
who, before their arrival, when Santa Ana,
flushed with victory, penetrated the heart OF
Texas, and the few citizens ofNacogdoches
present were stricken, remained quiet
> as lambs
These details may not prove so interest
ing as circumstances made them to me.
> Suffice it, that our Army has taken a part
of much importance in this war; that now,
while all is peace in Texas, and they are en-
gagged organizing civil Government our
troops have been stationed more than a
month among them, and their winter sup
plies have been sent for 400 miles to fort
Gibson, where their presence is so much
needed; that General Games is embodyng
Oh the frontier large bodies ofmilitia, who,
hetells Governor Carroll, (see his published
Ietter,) may calculate on a " comfortable as
well as profitable tour Of service" and, hav'
ing learned their tactics. "would then, when