The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-27
COMMUNICATIONS
THE TEXAN NAVY.
a IN, Editor Of The Union

To the Editor Of The Union:
An article appeared IN your paper Of Friday last,
over the signature of "OsE lsTEREsrED," who mas
very unfairly placed before your readers one oil inc
Official documents of q. w. Hill, at the time secre
tary Of war and marine of the late repuohe o.
Texas which letter, he says, establishes mat inc
navy of Texas (before her adoption into me u5.onl
was by the constituted authority disbanded' in M
identical letter was published by Com. f.
Moore in the fall Of lS43 as evidence that Samuel
Houston believed he was captured by the enemy
when he published his proclamation OF piracy, &C
against him ON the 10th OF May, lS43-two days
afer the date Of this letter, which asserts That lhe
republic was left without navy IN consequence on
the step taken by Post Captain T.. W. MOORE
which step was that ofattacking more than Ten Ins
his force of Campeaehy, at the suggestion OF Com
missioner Jas. Morgan, who, in his evidence before
the special tribunal established by the Congress OF
Texas on February s. 1874, "for the impartial trial
of Post Captain L. w. Moore and others" says
s'that he had hazarded the responsibility OF sug-
gesting TO Commodore Moore to attack the Mexi-
can force off Campeachy, for the purpose of pre-
venting descent upon Galveston and OF saving the
republic, II we could"
QCommodore Moore also published at the same
Iime letter from the same secretary Of war and
marine TO another lieutenant Of the Texas navy, IN
which is the following;
"DIpARrMEsr OF WAR AND MARINE,
washington, Sept, |, lS43.
| SIR Your resignation ana suDscqucHt SOHHluHi
| cation Of the 18th alt. have been received.
"Upon receipt Of intelligence Of the arrival Of th'
ship Austin and brig Wharton, at Galveston, fur
loughs were Immediately forwarded TO the care o
4 the naval commissioners that the officers DESIRING
4 to do so might leave that city, and obviate TN
Inconvenience # which you complain.
sShould you accept furough, by informing In
department Of your residence, you will receive do
notice Of the action upon your resignation; whlci
will not deyiate from what may be considered Jus
tiee' to Yourself and most conducive TO the lnteres
and honor Of the nation and benefit TO the service
i 81 have the honor TO be,
"Your obedient servant
&c. w. HILL,
Secretary of War and Marine.
ITO Lieut.. A. G. GAY"
4 Dates are very important things, and in this in
stance the authority from whom the zone interested
has thought proper to quote to Establish" the IN
teresed and utterly groundess assertion m his artl
Gle referred to, proves directly the reverse whe
coupled with certain facts well known to the world
for where were the Austin aud Wharton at the dat
Of, and some time subsequent to, the letter from
u w Hill, secretary of war and marine, TO Lieut.
C. Bremen, dated May Ia, 1892 They were Of
the town Of Campeachy and h1o days after the date
that letter they hal the gallant action with the sp
parently overwhelming force opposed to them
which lasted over four bOursj and which broke ri
the blockade Of Campeachy and forced the Mexica
squadron to leave in the night, and abandon thei
war against Yucatan Commissioner Morgan, II
his testimony before the special tribunal states "tha
on that day (l6th of May, lS43) Com. Moore cha
sed them far out that they could not be seen from
the top of the house, which (then) was on"
The Austin and Wharton arrived at Galveston OF
the 18th o. July, l5i3; and G. W. Hill, secretary
war and marine, writes on the LIST Of the follo~n.
September, the letter to Lieut.. A. g. Gray, from
which have quoted above. The following session
of the Congress Of Texas, the President was GALES
on for estimates OF the amount required: ls to sup
port the navy for one year at sea; I'd, TO keep tn
vessels in ordinary for twelve monthsi and ID, to
the amount required, per month, TO maintain
watch on board for their preservation IN the harbo
of Galveston; which were responded to on the gu
December, lS43; and on the 5th Of February, 1874
an was approved and fifteen thousand dollars ap
i propriated, to keep the navy in ordinary; which
4 its condition on the 18th Of the present month wher
the governor Of the State of Texas was inaugpraed
During the whole time, since tho return of the YES
sells to Galveston in July, lS43, there have been or
duty on board Of them, one lieutenant, one purser
hoo midshipmen, and about hrsniy petty officers ant
| men.
II is neither my purpose nor nay wish to ente
into personalities, but must be allowed to expires,
| the hope that, in future when those "nterested'
wish to deprive the few officers of the Texas navy
\ whom death and the Gulf Of Mexico have spared
Of thar just rights to which they entitled unde
the bill passed by the last Congress of the United
1 States proposing annexation to the government ant
people Of Texas, that they will better inform them
selves of all the facts Of the case, and thereby
place before the public such papable misstaiemsnts
FRIEND TO JUSTICE.
WASHINGTON CRY, Feb. "a, 1896