of the northern frontier counties, western frontier counties, southwestern frontier counties with the exception of Victoria, and coastal counties with the exception of Matagorda and Brazoria (divided) voted against impeachment and the recall of the navy. Taking into consideration Liberty County, already mentioned, the only interior counties supporting Lamar were Montgomery and Nacogdoches (divided). Montgomery County supported a firm policy against Mexico, and its militiamen comprised later an important segment of the Somervell Expedition to the Río Grande in 1842. While the debate on the recall of the navy was in progress, news of the capture of the Santa Fé Expedition was published at Houston on December 8 by the Telegraph and Texas Register, quoting from the New Orleans Bulletin under date line of Villa de Passo, September 28; and on the eve of the second inauguration of "Old Sam" the information reached Austin from San Antonio.[36] Three days later, at Austin, the Weekly Texian was able to declare that the sad fate of the expedition was "almost indisputably confirmed." Further confirmation of the failure of Lamar's ambitious project was received at Houston on January 19 from the Missouri Republican.[37] News of the failure of the expedition, wrote the new Secretary of State from Austin, . . . has thrown a perceptible gloom over our city for several days past. . . . I now occupy the room a short time since used by H. McLeod, the Commander of that ill-starred and foolish enterprise. It is now the office of Secretary of State. In this room the expedition was principally planned. Here was the headquarters of the late administration. Now ask for all that crowd, of fools and knaves and flatterers of power who basked in the smiles of | |||||||||||||||
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Ibid., II, 160, 175-176. 36. Anson Jones to Mrs. Mary Jones (wife), Austin, Dec. 13, 1841, in Anson Jones Papers, ms. 37. As quoted in the Telegraph and Texas Register, Dec. 8, 1841; Jan. 5 and 19, 1842; Weekly Texian, Dec. 15, 1841; José María Elias González, Comandancia, principal del distrito del Paso á Escmo. Sr. Comandante general del departamento de Chihuahua, Villa del Paso, Septiembre 28, 1841 (conveys news of Salazar's defeat of Texan Santa Fé Expedition), El Cosmopolita (Mexico City), Oct. 16, 1841. |