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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, On September 8, 1849, Major Jefferson Van Horne and |
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a contingent of United States Army troops arrived in the vicinity of |
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present-day El Paso to establish a post on the Rio Grande, the first |
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American military encampment in an area that has hosted United |
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States armed forces now for more than a century and a half; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Jefferson |
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Van Horne was born to Dorothy Johns Marple Van Horne and General |
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Isaac Van Horne, a veteran of the American Revolution; following |
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the family tradition of military service, he graduated from the |
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United States Military Academy at West Point in 1827 and upheld its |
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motto of "Duty, Honor, Country" throughout his life; and |
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WHEREAS, His early assignments included frontier duty at |
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Jefferson Barracks in Missouri and a tour at Fort Smith, Arkansas; |
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from 1846 to 1848, he served his country in the Mexican War, and his |
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distinguished efforts earned him promotion to the rank of major; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, While on leave in his hometown of Zanesville, Ohio, |
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Jefferson Van Horne met Mary Gilbert, and after exchanging romantic |
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letters for two years, the couple were married on November 28, 1850; |
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they had one son, Lewis Cass Van Horne; and |
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WHEREAS, In May 1849, Major Van Horne was instructed to |
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establish a military post on the north bank of the Rio Grande, |
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opposite what is now Ciudad Juarez, for the purpose of protecting |
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both settlers in the area and travelers bound for California from |
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Indian attack; he departed Camp Salado, on the outskirts of San |
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Antonio, on June 1, commanding regimental staff, six companies of |
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the Third Infantry, and a howitzer battery; his party of nearly 260 |
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soldiers was accompanied by some 100 civilians who played a |
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supporting role; and |
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WHEREAS, With 275 wagons, the expedition represented the |
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longest wagon train to embark westward across Texas; after 100 days |
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and a 643-mile overland march, Major Van Horne and his men reached |
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their destination on September 8, 1849; Major Van Horne |
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subsequently quartered four companies at Coon's Rancho, where |
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downtown El Paso now stands, and sent two companies to garrison the |
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old Spanish presidio at San Elizario, 20 miles to the southeast; and |
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WHEREAS, In September 1851, the War Department closed both |
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the post at Coon's Rancho and the presidio and ordered Major Van |
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Horne and most of his troops to Fort Fillmore, 40 miles north of El |
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Paso, near Mesilla, New Mexico; Major Van Horne had recruiting duty |
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from 1852 to 1854, and between 1855 and 1857 he served at Fort |
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Stanton, New Mexico, and at the Post of Albuquerque; he died in |
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Albuquerque on September 26, 1857; and |
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WHEREAS, A new army post was established on the site of |
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present-day El Paso in January 1854, and in March of that year it |
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was named Fort Bliss after Lieutenant Colonel William Bliss, a |
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career army officer and an accomplished scholar who was also the |
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son-in-law of President Zachary Taylor; the fort acquired a |
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permanent location in El Paso in 1893; and |
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WHEREAS, The post that Major Jefferson Van Horne established |
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at the site of present-day El Paso served to protect a vital route |
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for a dynamic and burgeoning nation pushing westward and marked the |
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beginning of a long and close association between the United States |
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military and the people of El Paso, and it is indeed fitting that |
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the anniversary of his arrival at the Pass of the North be |
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commemorated; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate September 8 as Major Jefferson Van Horne Day in the |
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State of Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
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passed by the legislature. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 33 was adopted by the Senate |
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on April 30, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 33 was adopted by the House |
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on May 19, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, one |
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present not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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Approved: |
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______________________________ |
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Date |
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______________________________ |
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Governor |