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the war with vigor, by gaining the cooperation of the Comanches through a friendly trade in horses, mules, sheep, and cattle plundered from the inhabitants of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Chihuahua, and by laying waste the northern Mexican states.[40] Others suggested driving off the numerous herds of cattle on the Nueces, San Antonio, and other streams, and removing "the provisions in the country about San Antonio; and . . . [compelling] the Mexican citizens there to manifest their intentions with respect to the war," by moving either to the east or to the west.[41] On August 8 Burnet authorized R. R. Royall to raise a company of "Independent Rangers, numbering one hundred or more men as the commanding general of the army might determine, to be employed in collecting and driving in the large herds of cattle between the Nueces and the Río Grande that "have no ostensible owner and many of which are supposed to belong to Mexican citizens resident beyond the Río Grande." If the war was renewed, it would be extremely difficult for the Mexican army to cross an extended wilderness, from which the stock had been driven off; whereas, the supply of cattle and horses for the Texan army would have been increased. Should the Mexicans be able to march an army to the Guadalupe without finding any supplies along its route, the men would probably be unfit for duty from fatigue for having packed provisions so far.[42] General Huston sought to support Royall in securing what cattle the Mexicans had not driven from the Nueces and San Antonio rivers in their evacuation of Texas. He offered to volunteers who would get up an expedition to drive cattle from that part of the country an interest in the stock thus obtained. An officer of the army was to accompany the expedition, and an adequate supply of ammunition was promised the unit for use against attacks by parties of Indians or Mexicans. Soon an expedition was in the process of being formed in the vicinity of the Navidad and the Lavaca, in the neighborhood of the Texan army at Camp Johnston on the Lavaca, 40. A. C. Allen to My Fellow Citizens in Arms and the Volunteers from the United States, Head Quarters, Texian Army, Victoria, July 23, 1836, in ibid.; John J. Linn to William H. Jack, Secretary of State, New Orleans, August 11, 1836, in Executive Department Journals (Texas), Mar. 1836-Sept. 1836, pp. 72-79. 41. Telegraph and Texas Register, Oct. 25, 1836. 42. Ibid.; David G. Burnet to [R. R. Royall], Executive Department, Velasco, Aug. 8, 1836, in Executive Department Journals (Texas), Mar. 1836-Sept. 1836, pp. 139-140. |