Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-08-30
Late News from Texas.

The steamship Morgan arrived at New Or
lans from Galveston, with dates to the 10th in
slant. The Austin Gazette says:
The Pacific railroad contract has been finally
ratified, and with the understanding that 1t
shall not take effect till the 3lst instant. The
company will therefore have till the lst OF
March, 1856, to complete the first fifty miles.
1t seems from the following from the State
Times, that the contract embraces some condi-
tons not required by law
In addition to the provisions required by
law, the contract provides-lst. That the track
of the road shall be surveyed and located to
the Tooth degree of longitude west from Green
witch, which strikes the Colorado, near Port
Chadbourne, within two years and q half from
date of contract. I'd. That the survey and To-
cation shall be completed to the Rio Grande
within four years and a half Sd. 1t also
provides that the lands of the company shall
be aenated in case said company fails to
alianate them as required by law.
The object of the first three provisions Of the
contract, is to have the route of the road sur
veyed and located throughout the State within
four years and a half from the date of contract
or at least sufficiently definite as to enable all
parties to determine the limits of the reserved
lands, and retard the location of individual
claims and the settlement of territory adjacent
to the lines of reservation.
In the event of failure on the part Of the
company to comply with the three frst-named
provisions, they will be confined to line of
thirty miles on both sides the 32d degree Of
latitude north, for the selection Of their alter
nate sections.
Hons. Robert j. Walker and 7. Butler King
were expected in Galveston on the 18th.
The following is an extract from the Browns
vile Flag:
"For the last fortnight the Indians have
committed more depredations than I have
known since have been living in this part of
the country We are all on foot. On Tues
day last, in daylight, they entered my potrero
(6eld) and took off three fine American horses
two Of which cost three hundred dollars each
together with lot of mules. We pursued
them as soon as we could mount ourselves;
but they crossed over into Mexico, where they
are protected by the authorities! They are
Lipans, and they 60 in parties of from six to
twenty. On Monday they killed man within
few hundred yards of an infantry camp, and
afterwards passed upon the main road, by
another party of infantry, who of course can
do nothing, not being mounted. These Indians
have permission to come down into this wild,
authorities of Coakuila, to run mustangs and
cattle. They make their headquarters at San
Fernando, in Mexico, from whence we may
probably be enabled to purchase our horses
again, what little may be left of them.
Letter from. Persitor r. Smith to Coz. Pease.
HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
CORPUS CHRISTI, July 20, 1854.
To his Eacellency E. NJ. Peasc, Governor Of
the State Of Texas.
SIR: / have been instructed by the Secretary
of War "to call upon the governor of Texas
for aid should the exigencies of the service in
your opinion require it in repelling Indian
ncursions, and in such event you will make
requisition for such number of mounted men
from time to time as you may deem necessary,
who, while in service, will be supplied with
ammunition, forage and subsistence, by the
United States"
If the only evil to be avoided were the direct
injury from the Indian incursions should not
think the contingency contemplated by the
! Secretary had arrived for so many Of the re-
ports spread by the papers, are to my own
knowledge, entire fabrications, that the case
presented by the actual fact is not much as
to require more force than is now here. But
there are doubtless other serious evils that fol-
low murders and robberies that have really
happened, and the greatest is the sense Of gen.
eral insecurity on the frontier, which interrupts
industry, and prevents an increase of population
on the border where it is most desirable as the
best means Of defense.
If in the opinion of your excellency, the
presence of additional troops on the frontiers il
necessary to repel actual incursions, would
be unwilling to set my own opinion in opposi
ton TO that Of yourself, who represents the be
lief and wishes Of the people most interested
and if in the second place, you think feeling
of security so necessary and beneficial to tn,
border settlements, could only be prodsced b,
adding to the troops there, / would take you
opinion as the rule for my action, and decid,
that the case contemplated had arrived, il
which | was to call on your excellency 70
mounted men.
"But as the raising and support Of tempo
rary troops IRE very onerous both 10 the gov
! eminent and the troops themselves, It Is YER
desirable that they should be selected with car
for the particular service they are destined fol
and should be we'll mounted and armed.
would propose then, that if your opinion is i
: favor Of calling more companies into service
, that on the first day of November next si
mounted companies should be called into sci
vice, on which day four Of them will be mus
tered into the service Of the United States 70
twelve months, unless sooner discharged at o
near Fort Martin Scott, and two Of them at o
! near Forth Worth. This would give two an
I a half months to raise and organize and arr
+ the companies; they would be, during the win
!, Ter, placed on the frontier, and i would in tn
spring, as soon as the grass would answer
make two expeditions into the Indian countr,
. and endeavor to infict blow which should en-
sure the tranquility Of the border for the fu
= ture.
!, If your excellency will do me the favor {
. send your reply in duplicate--one to this plac
to the Assistant AdIutant General, and tb
Z other to the care Of the Assistant Quarter
: master at San Antonio, to be forwarded TO M
by express on my route to Las Moras.
II is to be observed that the troops are TO b
Supplied with ammunition, forage, and sui
!, sistence by the United States" OF cours
: they are to provide their arms, horses, an,
: equipments. The supply Of revolver pistol
= was limited one, and, presume, is exhausted