Anson Jones to J. Pinckney Henderson, February 15, 1844
Page 2
On this page, Jones refers to William S. Murphy, charg d'affaires from the United States to Texas. Murphy was called "General" due to his status as a brigadier general in the Ohio state militia. Murphy was a strong supporter of annexation. In February 1844, about the time this letter was written, Murphy agreed to Sam Houston's request for U.S. warships to patrol the Gulf of Mexico, a move for which he was reprimanded by his superiors. When the annexation treaty was defeated by the Senate, Murphy was recalled home, or, as he commented wryly, "The tail went with the hide." Unfortunately, like his predecessor Joseph Eve, Murphy contracted yellow fever and died before he could return to the United States.
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and the important interests of the coun-
try, which are involved in it, and does
not deem it proper, therefore to con-
fine your action within the limit
which, minutely special instruction
impose, and thereby to hazard the
successful issue of your mission.
You will proceed to the City of Washing-
ton with as little delay as possible
and place yourself in communi-
cation with Mr Van Zandt, from whom
you will learn the present attitude
of this matter at that Court. After
being received in your official and
diplomatic capacity, by the Govern-
ment of the United States, you
will previous to entering into the
negotiation, take measures to ob-
tain from that Government as full
a guarantee as possible to the re-
quirement of this government, as
contained in my letter to Gen. W.S.
Murphy, Charge d' Affaires of the Uni-
ted States under date of the 14th
inst., a copy of which is herewith
enclosed for your information, as
well as his answer and my reply
thereto. So soon as you shall have
recd satisfactory assurances on the
main point in that letter, and
which you will see, has been refer-
red by Gen. Murphy to his Government,
for that purpose, you will proceed
to enter upon the negotiations for
a treaty of Annexation between the
two countries. Until you shall re-
ceive the instructions referred to, in
Anson Jones to J. Pinckney Henderson, February 15, 1844. Andrew Jackson Houston Papers, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.