OPERATIONS IN TEX., N.MEX.,AND ARIZ. [CHAP.XI.

prepared to share the glory to be won in Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri, and others to guard the highway to the Pacific which they have won against superior arms and numbers, be it your portion of the duty which you owe to them and yourselves to keep your soil free from the enemy's touch and to preserve unsullied the fame of the Texas ranger. Let every man, then, clean his old musket, shot-gun, or rifle, run his bullets, fill his powder-horn, sharpen his knife, and see that his revolver is ready to his hand, as in the trying but glorious days when Mexico was your foe.

Organize at once into companies, if possible into battalions, and report to me promptly at Galveston and San Antonio your locality, your number, your arms, ammunition, and equipments, and your distance by day's travel, by railroad or otherwise, from the principal points on the coast.

Be ready to march at a moment's notice, and wait for orders. Rely upon it that I shall not fail to call you when needed; and when I call, I know that you will come. I am too near to San Jacinto's field to doubt for a moment that even against overwhelming numbers you will gladly rally to the defense of your homes, your families, and your liberties.

Our enemy may succeed, from his superior armaments, in ravaging your sea coast; but, God willing and you aiding, he will never hold a foot of your soil-never!

P.O. HEBERT, Brigadier-General, Commanding Dep't of Texas.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS, San Antonio, Tex., October 11, 1861.

General P.O. HEBERT:

SIR: I ask you in advance to excuse me for seeming to interfere with you in your arrangements for the defense of the coast, which is under your immediate observation; but, hearing that you had not yet visited Pass Cavallo, and supposing that you have not been able to learn as much of the condition of things at that point as might be necessary to enable you to give such directions as would be advisable, hence I requested Lieutenant-Colonel Buchel, when here a few days since, to submit a written report concerning the defenses of that post, which I herewith inclose for your consideration, with the remark that it seems to me that it may be very necessary for you to send some competent officer to that point to examine the condition of the fortifications, arms, troops, &c., and put them in a proper condition for defense. I am not acquainted with Captain Shea [the officer in command there], and do not know whether he is sufficiently conversant with all the important duties of his position to enable him to do full justice to the service intrusted to him. The order to Captain Shea to desist from the further prosecution of the work alluded to by Colonel Buchel must have been given by General Van Dorn; but no record of it is on file in this office.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H.E. McCULLOCH, Colonel First Reg't Texas Mounted Rifles, Commanding ,&c.

[Inclosure.]

SAN ANTONIO, TEX., October 10,1861.

Colonel H.E. McCULLOCH, San Antonio, Tex.:

COLONEL: In consequence of your request to furnish you with some information relative to the present condition of the defenses at Pass