Peach Point near Brazoria Oct. 30th 1836
Jos. Ficklin
My dear Sir
I have recd, several letters from you, and I fear you have accused me of
neglect in not answering them sooner, As an apology I have to say that
on my arrival at Velasco, (mouth of Brazos) on 27 June I was called up the
country on important business, and was in motion the whole of July and
August— The last of August I was taken sick, with fever, at the head
quarters of the Army at Victoria on Guadalupe and with difficulty reached
this place (the residence of my brother in law Mr James F. Perry) I have
had a severe attack, but am now convalescent, tho dispeptic to a great
degree, and so debilitated that I am barely able to get about—
There have been some few local or isolated excitements produced
principally by the various constructions that were put upon some of the acts of
the march Convention, which have no doubt been greatly magnified abroad,
but they have all terminated— The administration of Genl. Houston has
entered upon its duties under the most favorable auspices, and the utmost
harmony, and union prevails in all the departments and also in the
community at large— The Santa Anna excitement (as it was called) I believe
is dead—when I arrived in June it was at its extreme point, and there was
a strong disposition to take him to the army and court martial him— I
opposed this measure by every means in my power, and in consequence soon
drew upon myself the hatred of most of the army and the ill will of a large
portion of the community— All that however was temporary—it has
passed away. What might be considered an act of retributive justice, at the
time Santa Anna was taken, on the field of battle, before The country was
compromised by receiving him as a prisoner of war, and treating with him;
would evidently have been quite the reverse afterwards— This at least
was the view I took of it, and this is the view which Congress and the people
now take of it— That dreadful excitement consequently entirely subsided
The volunteer excitement as it was called, has also entirely subsided, so
that we have union and harmony in all quarters—
I pass to another subject which is purely individual and only interesting
to myself— On my arrival in Orleans in June on my way home I met with
Messrs Collinsworth and Grayson, the new commissioners or
representatives of Texas to washington City— These gentlemen were direct from
Velasco, the then seat of Government and stated that in all probability there
would be no more hostilities in Texas until late in the fall, that provisions
and supplies were scarce, that it was doubtful whether volunteers would
be needed immediately, that the sickly season was coming on etc. What
these gentlmen said, they believed to be facts and subsequent events have
positively proved that they were facts, for altho a report came on afterwards
of the advance of the Mexican army and the govt, here acted upon it, and
called out the country en masse, it was erroneous, the mexican forces
never moved from Matamoros towards Texas and have not been able to
move—
Under these circumstances I was asked by some of the volunteers in
Orleans, and amongst the rest by some from Lexington, what was the news
from Texas— I of course, could only state what the above named
commissioners direct from their Govt, stated I did so, as it was my duty to do
if I said anything, and for so doing I have understood I have been censured,
and accused of discouraging the volunteers etc. My motives and those of
Collinsworth and Grayson have been misconstrued,—our object, clearly
and evidently was to benefit the volunteers, by informing them of the true
situation of things in Texas, to avoid disappointment and discontent when
they reached there. In all my acts and conversations while in the U. S. I
endeavored to be very cautions in holding out high or exaggerated
inducements of immediate profit, or personal comforts to volunteers— I
considered it to be a matter of consciencious duty to do so, in order not to
excite expectations—which I had no doubts would not be fully realized—
I recollect that I was asked some where (either at Louisville or Lexington
I believe) whether volunteers would receive league tracts of land, besides
their bounty, and that I replyed, I had no instructions or authority as
commissioner, to promise any thing of the kind, which was the fact— my
uniform rule has been to state facts the plain truth so far as I was informed,
and to try and operate upon the judgement and the sound moral principles
of the heart rather than upon the passions, or any momentary excitement or
a mere passing enthusiasm, which, altho wild and unbounded for a time,
too often ends in the oposite extreme of disappointment, disgust and even
hostility— I have [been] censured for pursuing this course I feel I
should have deserved censure, had I pursued a different one, for besides the
evils that would result to the volunteers themselves from too sanguine
hopes, those which this country would suffer from a large body of
disappointed and enraged men, would be incalculable as what has already
transpired on a small scale has sufficiently demonstrated— such evils in fact
are more to be dreaded [than] our common enemy I have also been told
I have been accused of not treating our Lexington friends with sufficient
attention etc— This has mortified me very much for I do not merit it—
I have no house, not a roof in all Texas, that I can call my own— The only
one I had was burnt at San Felipe during the late invasion of the enemy,
I make my home where the business of the country calls me There is none
here at the farm of my brother in law who only began to open this place
three years ago, and is still in the primitive log cabbins and wild shrubbery
of the forest— I have no farm, no cotton plantation, no income, no money,
no comforts— I have spent the prime of my life and worn out my
constitution in trying to colonize this country. Many persons boast of their
300 and 400 leagues acquired by speculation without personal labor or the
sacrifice of years or even days, I shall be content to save twenty leagues
or about nineteen [ninety] thousand acres, acquired very hard and very
dear indeed. All my wealth is prospective and contingent upon the events
of the future, what I have been able from time to time to realise in active
means, has gone as fast as realised, and much faster (for I am still in debt
for the expences of my trip to Mexico in 1833 -34 and 35) where my health
and strength and time have gone, which is in the service of Texas and I am
therefore not ashamed of my present poverty. In this situation what
attentions could I have offered to any one? I only saw Capt. Poslethwaite for
a moment and expected to see him again at the head quarters of the army
where I was just starting and understood he was going, I met him coming
out of President Burnetts office, and offered him my services if they could
be useful. I never saw Col Wilson— I held no office; had no office, had
no power, and was then unpopular with the army and many others, on
account of the Santa Anna excitement etc I mention these things to you—
they are not for publication, far from it my only object is to inform my
old and esteemed and dearly cherished friends of the facts so far as relates
to myself— As to other matters I have nothing to say, for I have had no
participation in them— I must say however that great injustice has been
done to Texas in some respects—no doubt from misconceptions—
Denunciations of a bitter and abusive character, especially when made against a
whole community and that too under very peculiar circumstances,
generally carry upon their face, a sufficient and satisfactory answer I deeply
most deeply regret that any difficulty or dissatisfaction should have
occured with the volunteers— it is a misfortune, but it ought not, and
certainly cannot injure the cause of this country. Please to remember me to
my old friends. I hope before March the U. S. flag will wave all over
Texas, God grant it may
S. F. Austin
A Copy. M A Bryan