[about May 1, 1826.]
F[ellow] S[itizens]
You are therefore now called upon to protect your own homes,
your own property, to shield your wives and children from the
arrows of a savage and merciless enemy—your adopted country now
also called upon you to rally around the national flag and fight its
enemies the Wacos and Tahuacanies—every honorable and ardent
impulse Therefore that can animate the bosoms of free men burns
in yours and urges you forward to meet the enemy—the defence of
your firesides—of your wives and childen, your friends—yourselves—
your property and your country, fellow S. the motives which have
caused you to take up arms is a sufficient guarantee that you will use
those arms as becomes brave men fighting in a just cause. You are
decendants of freemen—the decendants of brave soldiers also
Americans—the blood that fills your viens has warmed the hearts of those
who fought in the American Revolution fought and conquered the
oppressors of American Liberty. Perhaps the spirits of your Fathers
watch over the conduct of their decendants, perhaps their eyes as
well as those of your friends, your countrymen and your adopted
Govt are upon you They see the great importance of the duties,
before you, that the prosperity the safety of an infant and flourishing
new colony depends in a great degree on your bravery and good
conduct in this first effort to humble and punish our enemies. Shall their
hopes, their prairs be disappointed—No. Your conduct since the first
commencement of this colony, the union and determined spirit that
now animates you are guarantees that the only obstacle to your
complete tryumph will be the flight of your enemies before you can find
them.
The depradations of your enemies the W. and T. indians and there
hostile preparations, has driven us to the necessity of taking up arms
in self defence. The frontier is menaced—The whole colony is
threatened—under these circumstances it became my duty to call the
militia to the frontier to repel the threatened attacks and to teach
our enemies to fear and respect us.—It is with feelings of the deepest
regret that I have yielded to a sense of duty in agreeing not to go out
in person on this expedition, not because I think there is any
necessity for my presence, or that the officers who command you will need
my aid, but because I wish to share equally with you in all your
labors, and all your fatigues in defending this colony—but my duty
to the settlers in attending to the unfinished business of the Co. and
completing the genl system for our defence which is in contemplation
to adopt and the wishes of the people strongly urged upon me
requires that I should remain at home. I shall not be idle in your
absence. The command therefore of the expedition agreebly to the
militia law devolves upon Capt A. C. B [Aylett C. Buckner] and
the most prompt and attentive obedience to his orders is expected
from all the officers and men composing the expedition.
Mr. John C. Quick has been appointed Adjutant during the
expedition and it will be a part of his duty to drill the officers and men
and instruct them in their duty under the orders of the Commander
whenever it may be deemd necessary to do so—The utmost attention
is necessary to this part of your duties—A body of armed men
acting in union and with system are formidable, frequently irresistable
and always prepared to act on the defensive, whilst the same body
without discipline or system are incapable of acting efficiently on the
offensive and fall an easy prey to an attacking force.
Your own security, your own strength and your own interests
therefore requires that you should patiently and attentively attend
to drilling, and apply all your leisure moments on the march to this
highly important and essential branch of your duty—I present the
Adjutant to you recommended by a long course of practice in
military duties both as an officer of the U. S. regular army and of U. S.
militia in active service, and also recommended as a man of honor
and confidence and I feel no hesitation in believing that you will find
him a valuable officer—and that you will strictly attend to his
instructions—a rigid obedience to orders is the basis of all military
discipline and organization—The officers who command you are
responsible for their conduct to their superior and their duty as well as
their honor imperiously requires strictest obedience to the orders
issued to them so also with the privates, their duty as soldiers, and their
honor as such, as good citizens, requires the most rigid attention and
obedience or their part to the order they may receive from their
officers—
This is the commencement of hostile movements on our part in the
only war of any consequence we have had since our settlement in this
country, and I feel confident that your decisive conduct on this first
expedition will so harrass our enemies that they will seek safety by
humbling themselves and sue for peace—Much however very much
depends on our first efforts—If we strike a decissive blow our future
peace and security will probably be the result
friends and f—s I close by saying that your friends, your officers,
and your country are confident that you will do your duty as soldiers
fighting in a just cause, their prairs and blessings therefore go with
you—their welcome and thanks will hail your tryumphant return.
[Stephen F. Austin.]