Micajah Autry's Letter

Alamo Defender

Micajah Autry 1 was born in 1793 in North Carolina and he gave his age as 43 when he enlisted in the Texas Auxiliary Volunteer Corps. 2

The content below is exerpted from The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 14, 1910-1911 by Eugene Campbell Barker, Herbert Eugene Bolton for the Texas State Historical Association 3. An OCR copy can be seen at https://archive.org/stream/jstor-30243021/30243021_djvu.txt 4

pp. 319-322

Nacogdoches, Jany. 13th, 1836.

My Dear Martha, I have reached this point after many hardships and privations but thank God in most excellent health. The very great fatigue I have suffered has in a degree stifled reflection and has been an advantage to me. I walked from Nachitoches (sic) whence I wrote you last to this place 115 miles through torrents of rain, mud and water. I had remained a few days in St. Augustine when Capt. Kimble from Clarksvelle, Ten. a lawyer of whom you may recollect to have heard me speak arrived with a small company of select men, 4 of them lawyers. I joined them and find them perfect gentlemen. We are waiting for a company daily expected from Columbia, Ten. under Col. Rill with whom we expect to march to head quarters (Washington) 125 miles from here, where we shall join Houston the commander in chief and receive our destination. I may or may not receive promotion as there are many very meritorious men seeking the same. I have become one of the most thorough going men you ever heard of. I go the whole Hog in the cause of Texas. I expect to help them gain their independence and also to form their civil government, for it is worth risking many lives for. From what I have seen and learned from others there is not so fair a portion of the earth's surface warmed by the sun.

Be of good cheer Martha I will provide you a sweet home. I shall be entitled to 640 acres of land for my services in the army and 4444 acres upon condition of settling my family here. Whether I shall he able to move you here next fall or not will depend upon the termination of the present contest. Some say that Santa Ana is in the field with an immense army and near the confines of Texas, others say since the conquest of St. Antonio by the Texians and the imprisonment of Genl. Cos and 1100 men of which you have no doubt heard, that Santa Ana has become intimidated for fear that the Texians will drive the war into his dominions and is now holding himself in readiness to fly to Europe which latter report I am inclined to discredit, what is the truth of the matter no one here knows or pretends to know.

Tell Mr. Smith not to think of remaining where he is but to be ready to come to this country at the very moment the government shall be settled, as for a trifle he may procure a possession of land that will make a fortune for himself, his children and his children's children of its own increase in value and such a cotton country is not under the sun. I have just been introduced to Mr. McNiell nephew of Mr. S. who is now in this place and appears to be much of a gentleman. Give my most kind affection to Amelia and Mr Smith and to my own Dear Mary and James give a thousand tender embraces and for you my Dearest Martha may the smile of heaven keep you as happy as possible till we meet.
M. Autry.

Tell Brothers J. & S. I have not time to write to them at present as Mr. Madding and Sevier by whom I send this can not wait. Tell Brother Jack to think of nothing but coming here with us; that if he knew as much about this country as I already do he would not be kept from it. Tell him to study law as this will be the greatest country for that profession as soon as we have a government that ever was known.
M.A.

P. S. We stand guard of nights and night before last was mine to stand two hours during which the moon rose in all her mildness but splendor and majesty. With what pleasure did I contemplate that lovely orb chiefly because I recollected how often you and I had taken pleasure in standing in the door and contemplating her together. Indeed I imagined that you might be looking at her at the same time. Farewell Dear Martha.
M.A.

P. S. Col. Crockett has just joined our company.

The following copy of a muster roll shows some of the companions with whom Autry left Nacogdoches.

Muster Roll – Texas Volunteer Auxiliary Corps

Know all men by these presents: That I have this day voluntarily enlisted myself in the Volunteer Auxiliary Corps, for and during the term of six months.

And I do solemnly swear that I will bear true allegiance to the provisional Government of Texas, or any future Government that may be hereafter declared, and that I will serve her honestly and faithfully against all her enemies whatsoever and observe and obey the orders of the Governor of Texas, the orders and decrees of the present and future authorities and the orders of the officers appointed over me according to the rules and regulations for the government of the Armies of Texas. "So help me God."

Nacogdoches, January 14th 1836.

Names.	Age.	Remarks.
H. S. Kimble	31	Tennessee.
M. Authey [Autry]	43	Tennessee.
J. P. Bailey	24	Kentucky.
Daniel W. Cloud	21	Kentucky.
W. J. Lewis	28	Pennsylvania.
Wm. H. Furtleroy [Fauntleroy]	22	Kentucky.
B. M. Thomas	18	Tennessee.
R. L. Stockton	18	Virginia.
Robert Bowen	24	Tennessee.
J. E. Massie	24	Tennessee.
Wm. McDowelly	40	Tennessee.
John P. Raynolds	29	Tennessee.
Joseph Bayliss	28	Tennessee.

The above sworn to and subscribed before me, this 14th January, 1836.

John Forbes
1^st Judge of the Municipality of Nacogdoches.

It would be very interesting to know how this little party of patriots marched to San Antonio. But history is as yet silent upon that point. From a letter written from Bexar on February 11, 1836, by G. B. Jameson we learn that the Texans had on that date at Bexar one hundred and fifty men, and that Colonels Crockett and Travis were there, and that Bowie was in command of the volunteers. It is probable that Autry and his companions arrived at about the same time as Crockett. and that within the space of about twenty-five days they had traversed that wide area of almost uninhabited territory which separated Nacogdoches from their destination. Did the Tennesseeans do as Major Autry suggested they might: "join together and buy a waggon for their baggage" and march on foot that long distance, or were they fortunate enough to get horses? They had enlisted at Nacogdoches in the Volunteer Auxiliary Corps for six months and had sworn allegiance to the government of Texas and to EACH OTHER. Right nobly did they keep their word! The copy of this muster roll contains the last mention of the devoted band until the names of all but three of them were inscribed on the imperishable roll of history as heroes of the Alamo. The interval between January 14 and March 6, 1836, was full of tragedy for them. The long, tortuous, muddy, often almost impassable trail, called at the time the "old San Antonio road", no doubt received its heavy toll of death, and the graves of many brave men lie unknown and unmarked along its length. Probably the three who did not have the privilege of dying with their comrades in the Alamo, laid down their lives by the roadside, and their sacrifice will remain unrecorded and unsung.