Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/610

 present. He said: 'I wish it to be understood, for I speak what I do know, that the battle of San Jacinto was fought, and the victory was achieved, in spite of General Houston, and the wreath that now encircles his brow as the hero of that battle has not in it one green leaf.'

"I would not, my dear general, call your attention to this subject but for the reason that the details of the lecture are to be given elsewhere at the North; and, being a young man at the time the battle was fought, my whole theory of the ' auses and consequences,' and the part taken by yourself, has been utterly destroyed, so far as the reverend doctor could do it. May I inquire if you remember James H. Perry as your aide-de-camp, and what the part he took in the battle of San Jacinto? Your answer will not only gratify me, but hundreds who listened to the defamations of your honored and cherished renown.

"I am, very sincerely, your attached friend,

"General ."

Now, Mr. President, for twelve years this gentleman has been sedulously engaged in defaming the character of the Commander-in-chief, or attempting to do it. I was apprised of it before. Gentlemen of his denomination, of high respectability, assured me that a stop would be put to it. I see that he has broken out in a fresh place. It is necessary that I should give some of my knowledge of his character.

He came to the camp on the Colorado with letters of introduction from the President and other members of the Cabinet to the Commander-in-chief, recommending him as a graduate of West Point, or having been a student there. Being a good-looking gentleman, plausible in his manner, unembarrassed by diffidence, not very cultivated, still would do very well for a soldier or officer, his appearance being fine, the general appointed him a member of his staff. Shortly after, reports came on very detrimental to him. The general was not apprised of them, and ordered him to drill Colonel Burleson's regiment. Colonel Burleson objected to his drilling his regiment, for the reason that he did not consider him a man of good character; that he had come to New Orleans with his wife, or some other woman, as was reported, and taking a free yellow girl from the North, he had attempted to dispose of her, as a slave, in the South, and some difficulties originated from the fact. His "patriotism " that he speaks of, which caused him to enlist in the cause of Texas, I rather suppose, from the influence of disagreeable circumstances, prompted Iiim to seek a refuge in Texas. He came there. That was the reverend gentleman. He continued there, in his position as staff officer, until the arrival of the army on the Brazos.

An order was given by the general that no one should communicate from camp without the communication passing the general's eye; and whenever an express was to leave camp the letters were to be brought to him, so that he might know that nothing detrimental to the army should go out, or that anything necessary to be concealed would be disclosed to the world. An express was about to start. A letter of Major Perry, that then was, was brought to the general. It was sealed. He opened it, and found it contained the grossest defamation and slander of himself; he sent for Major Perry; he gave the letter to the Assistant Inspector-General, and told him to read it to Major Perry; it was so done. Major Perry, when asked by the Commander-in-chief what bethought of it, observed, it was stronger than he imagined, and may be it was wrong. He