The governor of Texas being convinced that the integrity of the soil of Texas greatly depends upon the success of the Southern cause in Missouri, and moved by an appeal to the people of Arkansas and Texas (published at the beginning of July by General Ben. McCulloch) ordered on the 25th ultimo the raising and concentration on Red River of 3,000 mounted men, besides the regiment commanded by Col. W. C. Young, which has been occupying for several months Forts Arbuckle, Cobb, and Washita, under authority of Texas, and at the request of the Chickasaw Indians.--_Official Records_, first ser., vol. iv, 98. [159] House _Journal_, Arkansas, 1861, p. 304. [160] _Confederate Military History_, vol. x, 4. [161] _Confederate Military Hillary_, vol. x, 7. [162] Two letters found among the _Fort Smith Papers_ may serve, in a measure, to illustrate the point: LITTLE ROCK, ARKS, Jan{y} 6, 1861. DR THAD: I received your letter a few days ago.... I am thankful that there are a few righteous men left and particularly gratified that you and Henry Lewis are true and faithful to the South. I will endeavor to keep you posted so that you may hold your own with the Union savers--in sober truth the question is not whether the Union ought or can be saved but whether Arkansas shall go with the North or adhere to the South. Neither Fishback or anybody can preserve the Union--it now becomes us as wise men to put our house in order for the impending crisis. I wrote to Porter last night--the Senate have not passed the Convention bill and will not in anything like a right shape.... BEN T. DU VAL. [Addressed to Capt. M. T. Tatum, Greenwood, Arks.]. LITTLE ROCK ARK, January 7th 1861. DEAR THAD. I enclose you a copy of the printed bill now before our House to arm and equip the Militia of this State and to appropriate 100,000$ for that purpose.... We have passed a bill through the House appropriating five hundred dollars to Porter to cover his losses to some extent in money which he has paid out in recovering fugitives, it ought to have been a good deal more, but I never worked harder for anything in my life to get what we did. I think it will pass the Senate. The news from South Carolina indicate a Tea party at Charleston before many days. From the general signs of the times I think a Compromise will be effect between the North and the South and the _Union saved_. The Convention bill has not passed the Senate yet but will in a few days I think. Give my respects to the boys generally Your obt Servt JOHN T. LONDON [Addressed to Capt. M. T. Tatum, Greenwood, Sebastian County, Arkansas.] [163] An interesting series of telegrams has a bearing upon that event. February 1, 1861 J. J. GREEN, WILLIAM WALKER, Van Buren, Ark.: