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Re: Coastal Forts-Texas
In Response To: Re: Coastal Forts ()

SAN ANTONIO, December 13, 1860.

Lient. Gen. W. SCOTT, Gommanding U. S. Army, New York:

GENERAL: I think there can be no doubt that many of the Southern
States will secede from the Union. The State of Texas will be among
the number, and, from all appearances at present, it will be at an early
day, certainly before the 4th of March next. What is to be done with
public property in charge of’ the Army? The arsenal at this place has
some ordnance and other munitions of war. I do not expect an order
for the present for the disposition of them, but I would be pleased to
receive your views and suggestions. My course as respects myself will
be to remain at my post and protect this frontier as long as I can, and
then, when turned adrift, make my way home, if I have one. I would
be pleased to hear from you at your earliest convenience.
I am, general, with sentiments of respect and regard, yours, &c.,
D. E. TWIGGS.

WASHINGTON, December 28, 1860.
Maj. Gen. D. E. TwIGGS:

M~ DEAR GENERAL: The General-in-Chief hiu~self laboring for the
time under an attack of sickness, desires me to acknowledge and thank
you for your letter of the 13th instant, the spirit of which he highly
approves. He says you will understand its reminding him vividly of
the interviexv he had with you in Angusta in 1832.

In cases of political disturbance, involving local conflict with the
authority of the General Government, the General-in-Chief considers
that the military questions, snch as you snggest, contain a political ele-
ment, with due regard to which, and in due deference to the chief exec-
utive anthority, no extraordinary instructions concerning them must be
issued without the consent of such authority.
He has labored hard in suggesting and urging proper measures to
vindicate the laws and protect the property of the United States with-
ont waging war or acting offensively against any State or community.
All such snggestions, though long since made in good time to have
been peaceably and efficiently carried out, have failed to secure the fav-
orable attention of the Government.

The President has listened to him with due friendliness and respect,
but the War Department has been little communicative. Up to this
time he has not been shown the written instructions of Major Anderson,
nor been informed of the purport of those more recently conveyed to Fort
Moultrie verbally by Major Buell.

Probably the policy of the Government in regard to the forts and
depots within the limits of seceding States will have been clearly indi-
cated before events can have caused a practical issue to be made up in
Texas.

The General does not see at this moment that he can tender you any
special advice, but leaves the administration of your command in your
own hands, with the laws and regulations to guide, in the full confidence
that your discretion, firmness, and patriotism will effect all of good that
the sad state of the times may permit. He adds his best wishes for
your health and happiness; which are cordially shared by

Yours, very truly and respectfully, GEORGE W. LAY.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, County of Travis:

By virtue of the authority vested in the committee of public safety,
as will appear by the accompanying resolutions, adopted by the Con-
vention of the People of the State of Texas, by their delegates in Con-
vention assembled, at the city of Austin, on the 28th day of January,
1861, you, Thomas J. Devine, Samuel A. Maverick, P. N. Luckett, and
J. II. Rogers, are hereby appointed commissioners to visit Major-Gen-
eral Twiggs, commanding the Eighth Division, stationed at San Antonio,
and confer with him, and in the name and by the authority of the peo-
ple of Texas, in Convention assembled, to demand, receive, and receipt

S. A. MAVERWK,
P. N. LUcKETT,
Commssioners on behalf of the Gonvention of the People of Texas.

for all military, medical, commissary, and ordnance stores, arms, muni—
tion~ of war, and public moneys, &c., nnder his control, within the
limits of the State of Texas, exercising all due discretion for the securing
and safe-keeping of the same, to be held by you without loss or injury,
subject to the orders of the committee of public safety, and in obedience
to the provisions of such rules as the Convention may prescribe.

Witness my hand and the order of the committee of safety. iDone at
the city of Austin, this 5th day of Febi-nary, 1861.
JOHN C. ROBERTSON,
Chairman of Committee of Public Safety.

Attest:
Tuos. S. LITBEOCK.
JOHN A. GREEN.
[Inclosuro No. 5.]

Resolved, By the People of the State of Texas, by delegates in Conven.
tion assembled, That should the standing committee of public safety
(leem it essential to the public safety to appoint commissioners offic
ers,
or persons, in reference to taking possession of any of the Federal prop-
erty within the limits of this State, they shall have power to appoint
such, and assign to them their duties, and give them the instructions
under which they shall act; but this power shall only extend to such
cases in which the committee may deem prompt action and secrecy
absolutely necessary.

That a copy of this resolution, signed by the president of this Conven-
tion, arid the appointment and instructions signed by the Hon. J. C.
Robertson, chairman of said committee, shall be frill authority to the
person or persons acting under the same, and a full justification for all
acts done in pursuance thereof.

Done by the People of Texas, in Convention assembled, by their dele-
gates, at the city of Austin, this 2d February, A. ID. 1861
0. M. ROBERTS,
President of the Convention.

Attest:
JOHN A. GREEN.

[Inclosure No. 6.]

Resolved That Samuel A. Maverick, Thomas J. Devine, Philip N.
Luckett, and James H. Rogers be appointed commissioners to confer
with General D. E. Twiggs with regard to the public arms, stores,
munitions of war, &c., under his control, and belonging to the United
States, with power to demand in the name of the People of the State of
Texas, and that said commissioners be clothed with full power to carry
into effect the powers herein delegated, and retain possession of said
tirms, munitions, stores, &c., subject to the order of the Convention of
the People of the State of Texas, and report their acts and doings in the
premises to the committee of public safety.

I certify the foregoing to be a trne copy of the resolution adopted by
the committee of public safety on the 4th day of February, 1861.

Witness my hand, this 4th day of February, A. ID. 1861.
JOHN C. ROBERTSON,
Chairman of Committee of Public Safety.

Attest:
THOS. S. LUBBOCK.
JOHN A. GREEN.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, February 17, 1861.

GENTLEMEN: In reply to your communication of this date, I have to
say that you are already aware of my views in regard to the delivery of
the public property of this department, and I now repeat tliat I will
direct the positions held by the Federal troops to be turned over to the
authorized agents of the State of Texas, provided the troops retain their
arms and clothing, camp and garrison equipage, quartermaster’s stores,
subsistence, medical, hospital stores, and such means of transportation
of every kind as may be necessary for an efficient and orderly movement
of the troops from Texas, prepared for attack or defense against aggres-
smon from any source.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
D. E. TWJGGS,
Brevet Major- General, U. S. Army, C1omdg. Dept.
Messrs. Tilos. J. DEVINE,
S. A. MAVERICK,
P. N. LUCKETT,
Commissioners on behalf of the Convention of the People of Texas.

[Inclosure No. 12.1

SAN ANTONIO, February 17, 1861.

SIR: in reply to your communication of this date, we have to say that
we accept the terms therein set forth, with the conditions stated in our
note of the 14th instant, viz, that the troops shall leave Texas by the
way of the coast, afid, upon arriving at the point or points of embarka-
tion, xvill deliver np to the authorized agents, appointed for that pur-
pose, all means of transportation of every kind used by them, as like-
wise the artillery, if any be taken.

Respectfully, &c., THOS. ~. DEYIINE,

S. A. MAVERICK,
P. N. LUCKETT,

Commissioners on behalf of the Committee of Public Safety.
Bvt. Maj. Gen. DAVID E. TWIGGS, U. S. Army,
Gommanding Department of Texas.

HEADQUARTERS DEPART~IENT OF TEXAS,
San Antonio, February iS, 1861.

GENTL~rE~: Your ominnnication of the 17th instant, which you
say is a reply to mine wiitten yesterday, the 17th instant, was received
last night. I consent to th~e conditions that the troops shall le~1ve Texas
by the way of the coast, with the provision expressed in my cornmuni-
cation of yesterday.

As to the condition of surren(lering the guns of the light batteries,
that, you must see, would be an act which would cast a lasting disgrace
upon the arms of the United States, and nnder no circumstances can I
believe that the State of Texas would demand such a sacrifice at my
hands, and more particularly so, after 1 have yielded so much to meet
what I deemed to be due to the State and to avoid any unnecessary
collision between the Federal and State troops. In this view of the
case, I am sure you will not insist in a demand which, you must see, I
am not at liberty to grant.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
D. E. TWIGGS,
Brevet Major- General, U. S. Army, Coindg. Dept.

Messrs. Trios. J. DEVINE,
S. A. MAVEnIcK,
P. N. LUCKETT,
Commissioners on behalf of the Conrention of the People of Texas.

[Inclosure No. 14.]

SAN ANTONJO~ February 18, 1861.

Sir: In reply to your communication of this date, we have to say
that we accept the terms therein stated, viz, that the two batteries of
light artillery, with the arms for the infantry and cavalry, shall be
retained by the troops under your command; all other public property,
as set forth in our previous communication, to be delivered up to agents
authorized to receive it.
We remain, respectfully, your obedient servants,
THOS. J. DEVINE,
P. N. LUCKETT,
S. A. MAVEIRICK,

Commissioners on behalf of Corn ittee of Public Safety
Bvt Maj. Gen. DAVID E. TwJGGS, U. S. Army
Commanding Department of Texas.

~Thc1osure No. 15.]
GENERAL ORDERS, ~ HDQRS. DEPARTMENT O~~’ TEXAS,

No. 5. San Antonio, February 18, 1861.

The State of Texas having demanded, through its commissioners,
the delivery of the military posts and public property within the limits
of this command, and the commanding general desiring to avoid even
the possibility of a collisioii between the Federal and State troops, the
posts will be evacuated by their garrisons, and these will take up, as
soon as the necessary preparations can be made, the line of march out
of Texas by way of the coast, marching out with their arms (the light
batteries with their guns), clothing, camp and garrison equipage, quar-
~ stores, subsistence, medical, hospital stores, and such means
of transportation of every kind as may be neessary for an efficient and
orderly movement of the troops, prepared for attack or defense against
aggressions from any source.
The troops will carry with them provisions as far as the coast.
By order of Brevet Major-General Twiggs:

W. A. NICHOLS,

Assistant Adjutant- General.

(Inclosure No. 16.]
CIRCULAR.] SAN ANTONIO, February 18, 1861.

The nndersigned, commissioners on the part of the State of Texas,
fully empowered to exercise the authority undertaken by them, have
formally and solemnly agreed with Bvt. Maj. Gen. David E. Twiggs,
U. S. Army, commanding the Department of Texas, that the troops of
the United States shall leave the soil of the State by the way of the
coast; that they shall take with them the arms of the respective corps,
including the battery of light artillery at Fort Duncan and the battery
of the same character at Fort Brown, and shall be allowed the necessary
means for regular and comfortable movement, provisions, tents, &c.,
and transportation.

It is the desire of the commission that there shall be no infraction of
this agreement on the part of the people of the State. It is their wish,
on the contrary, that every facility shall be afforded the troops. They
are our friends. They have heretofore afforded to our people all the
protection in their power, and we owe them every consideration.

The public property at the various posts, other than that above recited
for the use of the troops, will be turned over to agents to be appointed
by the commission, who will give due and proper receipts for the whole
to the officers of the Army whom they relieve from the custody of the
public property. THOS. J. DEVINE,

P. N. LUCKETT,

S. A. MAVERICK
Commissioners on behalf of Committee of Public s~4afety.

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Good stuff! *NM*
Re: Coastal Forts
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