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Growth of War Spirit in the West

of the Pedernales on the Colorado River crosses the same which shall be called the Military Colony of Little River; one post on the Pedernales or Colorado near the junction of the Colorado and Pedernales to be called the Military Colony of Colorado; one post on the Río Blanco on and north of the Post Road from Austin to San Antonio to be called the Military Colony of Blanco; one post on the Guadalupe at or near the crossing of the old San Antonio and Nacogdoches road to be called the Military Colony of Guadalupe; one post at or near the head of the Cíbolo to be called the Military Colony of the Cíbolo; one post at or near the head of the Canon ford of the Medina to be called the Military Colony of the Medina; one post at or near the mouth of the Río Frio to be called the Military Colony of Río Frio; one post at or near San Patricio to be called the Military Colony of San Patricio; one post forty miles above Fort Houston on the west side of Trinity River; one on the Sabine; and one post on the Atascoso [Atascosito] at or near the Béxar County line to be called the Military Colony of Atascoso [Atascosito].[96]

Senator Clark L. Owen, representing Matagorda, Jackson, and Victoria counties believed that the most sensible plan for defense of the southwestern frontier was one company of fifty-six men, rank and file, who he thought could "at all times make a successful resistance against any depredatory band of Mexicans who might be disposed to extend their robberies to that section of the country. . . . Ten armed men," he declared, "could have prevented the sacking of Refugio, and twenty would have annihilated the robbers who committed the deed." Thus, "for the want of protection," he said, "the citizens of that place were carried into captivity and the brave and unfortunate Ryals, was hung up like a dog, a spectacle to our treacherous enemies, of the imbecility of a government which affords no protection to its citizens."[97]

The bill for frontier defense was vetoed by President Houston on February 2 as a very unsatisfactory plan, although Houston, himself, had recommended the establishment of trading-posts on the frontier, each protected by a garrison of twenty-five men. According to the President, the government neither possessed the power nor the means to furnish arms, ammunition, ordnance, nor provisions to sustain such



96. Texas Congress, Bills, Sixth Congress, Nos. 2450, 2455, ms.; The Weekly Texian, Jan. 19, 26, 1842; Smither (ed.), Journals of the Sixth Congress of the Republic of Texas, I, 232 n, 254 n, 298; II, 358 n.

97. Ibid., I, 226-227.

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AFTER SAN JACINTO: The Texas-Mexican Frontier, 1836-1841
Joseph Milton Nance, 1963