Joseph E. Johnston to Robert Milligan McLane, December 15, 1849

[Joseph Eggleston Johnston at San Anonio, Texas, to Robert Milligan McLane at [Washington City], December 15, 1849. Box 3, Louis McLane Correspondence (1795-1894), MSS 57083, Library of Congress. This is my rough transcription. Added paragraph breaks inserted for easier reading.]

I wrote you a short note, my dear Bob, a few days ago, a short note because I was then too much pressed for time to reply to your letter of last summer. I am making a sketch of the two routs in use between this place & El Paso, & making the astrol computations myself, so that if I stop the whole party waits. Therefore I have not stopped.

My object has been to complete the sketch [in] time enough to send it to Washington by an officer who starts in about a fortnight, the map in question will show what are not the best routes, for the orders I received from Gen'l Worth's immediate successor didn't permit me to examine the country, but required me to follow the trail (with the 3d Inf'y) of a party sent out by Gen'l W. at the end of the winter, & the quantity of labour to make a passable road was so great, & the teams so feeble, that the season was consumed in the march. So my summer has been thrown away.

J. E. Johnston, Reconnaissances of routes from San Antonio de Bexar to El Paso del Norte, 1849. 
  

Had Worth lived 'twould have been my own fault if it had not been well spent. The present commander of this dept., Gen'l Brooke, is an estimable gentleman. But he has neither general Worth's zeal nor his enlarged views, not his capacity to influence the war dept., so that altho' Gen'l B. has every disposition to make my position agreeable to me, it can not be 1/10 part so important as Gen'l W. would have made it. 

This is in regard to what you say concerning my removal. You enquire on the subject as if you were disposed to move in it. Before getting away from here it would be well to know that a good exchange would be made -- Oregon, California, or the Northern Lakes would be much worse. It is very important to remain this winter, at any rate. On Lily's account. I have strong hopes that she will be entirely restored to health by spring. Then she will no doubt wish to go north for the summer.

Now there are two things that I am anxious about previous to any attempt at improvement of location. The first is the acknowledgement by the War dept. of the articles of war, especially the 61st in my case. That article gives my former comn [commission] of Lieut: Col: the effect of a Brevet. Ask John Lee to show Samuel's commentary on that article, & also Mr. Adams's. The latter is the paper from which General Jackson's order, reiterated by Mr. Polk, is taken -- the definition of Brevet rank.

The second is your (Congress) getting up those regiments of which you wrote. Two at least (additional) are required on this frontier. To protect Texas as well as Mexico, & we Democrats ought to provide for the fulfillment of our treaty.

All troops for service against southern & western Indians should be mounted. Their arms not those of our present dragoons, a carbine pistol & sabre, but rifle -- steel barrel not more than 28 to 30 inches long, oblong ball, & a revolver -- no sabre, for it is merely a noisy encumbrance.  

The revolver should not be of Colt's last pattern, but should have the cylinder short like the old "five shooter" as the Texans call it. Those furnished the govt. by Colt are "six shooters," made for the oblong ball, on account of which the chambers are much longer, & the weight of the weapon much increased, at the same time the pistol barrel is too short to give the rifle motion to the ball, it turns over like a shell, & therefore has much less range & accuracy than the round ball. There is no pistol to compare with the "five shooter" for range & accuracy. 

Speak to Gen'l Rush on this subject, & if the getting up of New Regiments is attempted speak to the Secretary of War too. It is true that the gov't should arm its troops as well as individuals arm themselves, & if the regiments are raised I want to be a Col: -- the service in question is such as our old majors (that rank is not a line grade one) & Lt. Col.s are not fit for. 

The previous acknowledgement of my war rank would improve my chances for position compared with others in the army.

There is in this more than the natural desire of promotion. 

I detect to my present corps as at present commanding[?] Besides that, the frequent & long absences required of me are now a strong objection to it.     

Speak to John Lee on the subject of "former commissions." He understands the case precisely. Mr. Preston offered me his assistance in the matter too. If my claim is found to be right.

There is great anxiety here in regard to the course to be taken by the general government on the question of [the] legal boundary between this state & New Mexico. A committee has just reported to the Legislature in favor of organizing new counties to include at least a portion of the "debatable land." I hope that as we went to war to prove the Rio Grande is the western boundary of Texas, the gov't will not now acknowledge the injustice of its claim. Nothing but the hope of finding silver in the mountains makes the country worth quarreling about.

The descriptions of scenery in Scott's poems are more accurate & true than any I have seen or heard of the country about El Paso. 

Our love to Georgine & the little ones.
                                                                            Affec'y
                                                                            J. E. Johnston

[Captain Joseph Eggleston Johnston, Topographical Engineers (1807-1891)
Lily = Lydia Milligan Sims McLane Johnston (1822-1887) 
Robert Milligan McLane (1815-1898)
Worth = William Jenkins Worth (1794-May 7, 1849), one of about five hundred fatalities from a cholera outbreak in San Antonio.
Brooke = George Mercer Brooke (1785-March 9, 1851)

Five shooter = Paterson Colt, .36 caliber vs. the 1847 model Colt six shooter revolver. The "Texas Paterson" was popularized in part by John Coffee Hays (1817-1883).  

Gen'l Rush = Richard Rush (1780-1859), presumably.
Secretary of War = George Walker Crawford (1798-1872)
John Lee (1788-1870) of Maryland, possibly.
Mr. Preston = probably Secretary of the Navy William Ballard Preston (1805-1862) of the Virginia Preston clan. 
Georgine = Georgine Urquhart McLane (1813-1899)
Little ones = Mary Emma McLane (1843-1869) and Georgina Urquhart "Jennie" McLane (1846-1915). The latter lived in Paris from 1885 until her death in 1915.] 

[Johnston's map: A PDF copy can be found here.]

[Many thanks to Sue Davis, William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their ongoing research collaboration.]