[The following arrived by courier mail probably a week after it was written, it is reprinted without editing.]
My name is Captain Randall James of the Flying Battery of the 4th Texas artillery. I am writing this letter from the trail between San Antonio and Houston surrounded by my men, Captain Davenport’s Jeffersonian Cavaliers and the following members of the JET: Chief of City of Glass Security Nigel Thorne and Captain “Bud” Lindsey. I could not ask for finer company, even with all of our recent experiences included.
When I see what reports on Texas filter back to us from the papers of the more “advanced” nations, I am struck by many things. Certainly, there is evident concern for us as the reports indicate but less understanding of the size of Texas or our own issues and institutions. I suppose that is often the way of Man. We know what we see and only vaguely understand what we do not. I have never been outside of my own land and seen your airplanes, Technomages, air conditioning or other advances. Granted, none of them would work here so they are almost fairy tales to most of us. But, I suppose so was what was happening in New Orleans to us until less than a year ago. We Texans are mostly a proud and pragmatic lot who, while we worship, do not wait for God to fulfill our prayers but work hard for what we want while thanking Providence for what we do have. We do not worry about magic and the Devil except on Sundays when the preacher reminds us how to be good men and women. If you had told me a year ago that I would be leading men against werewolves and zombies and the like, I would have thought you were telling some tall tale. We Texans love such things and honor them but don’t expect to really see them.
A group of men came to Galveston on a mission to help us, in addition to the men above, they included Dr. Samuel Buckman the famous governor of Buckmania. He did not travel with us but stayed in Galveston to arrange supplies. He is rather a wizard at doing well with whatever resources he has, I hear. He seemed a good and serious man to me. But it was not the good Dr. Buckman who led them but Nigel Thorne, currently of the City of Glass but I understand from many places. With these two men were Captain Z.Q. Davenport of Jeffersonia and his 30 cavalry and Captain Lindsey of Earth Station with some odd silver sword and a unique uniform. It seems they had a plan to find one of our leading gunsmiths to help us prepare for dealing with the werewolves who bedevil us worse than I understand Quantrill troubled Kansas twenty years ago. Certainly, at the battle to protect San Antonio, they killed many of us. The Sergeant Major and I were in Galveston trying to reorganize some part of our regiment to return to action when we were ordered to travel with these men to find “The Swede”, a rather locally famous gunsmith, on our way to relieve San Antonio. We took train to Houston and rode for San Antonio, taking care every night to circle the guns and keep the pickets out. Ishtar and her forces launch raids widely and werewolves move quickly.
It seems they knew we were coming long before we found The Swede, someone had told them and their mission was to kill us and him. At least one could say the mission mattered when you learned that. Sadly, it cost us first. We faced both what I understand are the clannish Lycans of New Orleans and, later, under the direction of men who should just be hanged on principal, the Loup Garou. They were hard battles and we have lost good men fighting them. Even those who live often lose legs or arms to keep the infection out, at least that seems to be the best word from New York. I wish I could say that this was my fate as a man could learn to live without a limb but it was not. I wish to take this time to honor the men who travel with me from foreign lands. Captain Davenport has formed his own cavalry unit which he is dedicating to fighting the scourge of werewolves. He and his men are good cavalry and he is cool under fire. Captain Lindsey just came to help my men and my Sergeant Major most of all but that sword of his was the only thing that kept several of us alive at the worst of it and I have never seen a man so strong. As to Constable Thorne, well what can I say. I will admit I almost ordered his death at one point but clearly he is a man with the courage to fight on no matter what weighs on his soul. Without him, we would have been without the capacity to fight in the future that was all his idea. I regret my arguments with him. He also gave the Sergeant Major a gun with silver bullets (as did New York’s mulatto surgeon, I understand), which stood us well. I could speak of Ragwell, the Vengeance of Yahweh and Ragged Rider but I am sure there will be songs and tales of him from many Texans. I appreciate his timely arrival. All fought well and bravely.
In addition, I would thank the people of New York for all of their support, including logistics, medical and reopening the Port of Manhattan. Without their research, we might not have saved one man although I think we did it badly for none of us are surgeons. The people of the Rising Sun, who re-taught us swordsmanship when we had abandoned it and I understand have some pretty impressive machines in Galveston. To the people of the Mid-Western States, while we don’t have time for your abolitionist ideals, you also fight for us and I thank you. To the people of the Hive, who ship us many supplies and run the Gates between Galveston and Penn State. For the people of New Orleans, I thank you and hope Texas men fight at your side on your lands someday. I am sure there are others I have not heard of and I honor you as well. Thank you from a Captain of Texas.
Well, it is time for the men to move on and I have one final duty to Texas to perform as the itching is almost unbearable. I wish all men and women who read this well. If you cannot help us, keep us in your prayers.
May you always have plenty of powder and canister (at least more than the Damned do)
Captain Randall James
4th Texas Artillery, Flying Battery
On the road to Houston
Confederate Texas
