Mobile Advertiser & Register
June 8, 1861
Page 1
Operations in Texas.—The
following is from the Galveston
correspondence of the N. O. Picayune, under date of May 30:
Col. Van Dorn
has issued his orders for the distribution of the troops for the protection of
our northwestern and western frontier.
Col. Henry E.
McCulloch, with the 1st Regiment of Texas Mounted Riflemen, and
Edgar’s battery of artillery, will occupy a line of _____ extending from a camp
on or near Red River, opposite Forts Cobb and Arbuckle, to Camp Cooper, Fort Chadbourne, Camp Colorado, Fort Macon, and a camp at the
junction of the North and m____ Conchas.
Col. Ford’s 3d Regiment of Texas Mounted
Riflemen will occupy the second line of defence,
including Fort Bliss,
near El Paso, Fort
Quitman, Fort
Davis, Camp
Stockton, Fort
Lancaster, Fort
Clark, Fort
Page, Camp
Wood, and Fort McIntosh. He will have also Teel’s company of
artillery, McCallister’s infantry, and a battery of
light artillery.
Lieut.
Col. Baylor, of the 2d Regiment, who is now at San Antonio, commands until Col. Ford arrives
there.
Lieut.
Col. Baylor will, it is stated, take command at Fort Brown. He ought to be on the Northern frontier,
under McCulloch. He knows every inch of
that country and far into the Indian domain; the Indians fear him; the settlers
regard him as their leader and his services would be infinitely more valuable
there than at any point. The Cherokees,
Creeks and Chickasaws have sent to him to ask him to take command of their
warriors, in case they are called on by the C. S. Government. He was brought up among them, his father
having for years held the position of surgeon to the old 7th
Infantry, so long stationed at Fort Gibson, in the Indian Territory.
Col. Van Dorn has administered an oath to all the
U. S. soldiers held as
prisoners of war at San Antonio—not to leave Bexar
county, not to serve against the Confederate States,
&c. All except ten took the
oath. I understand he holds the officers
for retaliation in case Lincoln
treats any prisoners his force may take with undue severity.
Col. H. E. McCulloch’s forces left San Antonio on the 27th
for their respective posts. Ford’s
command, under Col. Baylor, will leave on the 3d June.
Col. Ford retains command also on the lower Rio Grande.
Gov.
Clark will be here in a few days, and he is expected to remain a month.
Our
flags are at half mast in honor of the memory of Jackson, who shot Ellsworth, Lincoln’s bully.
We
are all drilling, and preparing to meet any enemy that may attempt to land on
our island with at least 4,000 men.
