USA > Texas > History of Texas : from 1685 to 1892, volume 1 > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
But the people had no organization through which to secure concert of action. The Ayuntamientos, when agreed among themselves respectively, might locally supply this want; but this was a frail reliance. Some might act and others not, and
(289)
19
290
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
some might be divided. Besides, the action needed to meet the crisis was beyond their jurisdiction. The sound, practical sense of the people rapidly asserted itself.
On the 8th of May, 1835, the Ayuntamiento and the citizens of Mina, or Bastrop, ever in the fore front, held a joint meet- ing, discussed the condition of affairs and, as the first step towards organization and resistance, appointed a permanent advisory body, to be known as a Committee of Safety and Correspondence, consisting of D. C. Barrett, B. Manlove and John McGehee, to whom, at a second meeting on the 17th, Col. Edward Burleson and Samuel Wolfenberger were added. The name of Burleson alone was a sufficient guaranty of the efficiency and good faith of the body.
On the 17th, the people of Gonzales, like Bastrop, ever ready to face danger for their country, took similar action, appointing James B. Patrick, James Hodges, Wm. W. Arring- ton, John Fisher, George W. Davis, Bartlett D. McClure and Andrew Ponton.
And on the same day, May 17th, that Bastrop held her second and Gonzales her first meeting, the people of Viesca, in Robertson's Colony, on the Brazos, met and organized a Committee of Safety and Correspondence consisting of Samuel T. Allen, John Goodloe Warren Pierson (afterwards familiar as a captain among the Mier prisoners ), Albert G. Perry, E. L. R. Wheelock, Silas Parker and J. L. Hood.
Thus the outside and most exposed populations on the three rivers, Guadalupe, Colorado and Brazos, populations ever distinguished for undaunted courage and patriotism, were the first to adopt the means looking to self-preservation and con- cert of action against the impending destruction of their liberties by Santa Anna. The action taken was simultaneous, although between these settlements there were no connecting roads and there had been no consultation. It was spontaneous.
Meetings were also held in the chief settlements throughout the country. It has been said by some writers that the War
291
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Party of the day, as contradistinguished from the Peace Party, endeavored to plunge the country into a war prematurely, and they have been stigmatized as " fanatics," " demagogues " and " agitators." The allegation is at war with the truth. It has its parentage in the desire to cover the extreme conservatism of men to whom the people looked as leaders ; yet who opposed independence until a unified public sentiment left no grounds upon which such conservatism could stand. It is notorious that early in 1835, so soon as Santa Anna's ultimate designs became manifest to the more enlightened people of Texas, a large, high-toned and honest element became satisfied that the last hope of salvation to Texas was in a total separation from Mexico and an appeal to the liberty-loving people of the United States for assistance in the struggle inevitably to follow a declaration to that effect. Among the men who so felt and so believed, were Henry Smith, William H. Wharton, John A. Wharton, Dr. Branch T. Archer, William G. Hill, Wm. Barrett Travis, James Bowie, Robert M. Williamson, Dr. Asa Hoxey, Edward Burleson, Ira R. Lewis, George Sutherland, James B. Patrick and others, scattered over the country; and there is every reason to believe that Gen. Sam Houston, Thomas J. Rusk, John Forbes, Charles S. Taylor, Frost Thorn and others, of Nacogdoches; the Hardins, of Liberty, and Almanzon Huston, Alexander Horton and others, of San Augustine, participated in this feeling. Yet, without a known exception, they yielded their convictions to that con- servative element which still hugged the delusive phantom of adhesion to the already destroyed Federal system and the con- stitution of 1824. The greatest incentive to this surrender of convictions, was the safety of Col. Austin. Men felt that almost any concession that would save him from the ven- geance of the tyrants in Mexico was not only justifiable, but a duty. None more deeply felt so than Henry Smith, the Wharton brothers, Dr. Archer, Robert M. Williamson, Travis and others, who saw no hope, in the final analysis of the
292
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
future, but in absolute independence from Mexico. Facts prove this to be true, as is shown in the following sum- mary : -
Santa Anna, after forcibly deposing Governor Augus- tin Viesca, appointed Miguel Falcon in his place ; but Falcon, proving to have some respect for justice and the rights of the people, was removed and Cos was made both civil and military Governor. At this time Cos was trying to cajole the American colonists through letters assuring them of Santa Anna's paternal regard for their wel- fare. Capt. Tenorio, with a small detachment of troops, had been stationed at Anahuac to enforce the collection of the customs dues. An intercepted letter from Cos to Tenorio informed the latter that two companies from Nuevo Leon and a battalion from Morelos would sail immediately for Texas, and that they would be followed by another strong force ; moreover, that the force which had conquered Zacatecas was then in Saltillo and had been ordered to Texas, and would soon settle matters. The bearer of these secret messages of evil to Texas was seized as a spy, and they thus fell into the hands of responsible parties at San Felipe.
These and kindred facts becoming known to the aggressive, or War Party, at San Felipe, created intense feeling. A meeting was held which considered as an outrage the en- forced collection of duties at Anahuac and Galveston Bay, for the support of the troops sent and being sent for their subju- gation. It was voted that those already at Anahuac before the arrival of re-inforcements, should be disarmed and sent out of the country. Wm. Barrett Travis was requested to raise men and effect that object. This he did, and on the 30th of June, without bloodshed, Tenorio and forty men surrendered to Travis. They were shipped round to Harrisburg and as- sisted on their way out of the country, their arms being safely deposited in Harrisburg. They proceeded quietly to San Felipe, where they were kindly treated.
293
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
This action created quite an excitement for a short time. The progressive people, comprehending the portentous crisis impending over the country, sustained and defended it. A large and respectable element, holding strong conservative views, thought it was unfortunate and untimely. An insignifi- cant, but blatant tory element, branded it as an outrageous and ungrateful act towards the government headed by Santa Anna. The chief of this class exclaimed: "It seems to me that I never heard of an attack so daring, so ungrateful and unpro- voked, as that held forth by the people of San Felipe."
It was not long, however, with the continued unfolding of Santa Anna's schemes, till no one, outside of a little nest of tories in the region of Liberty, had aught to say in condemna- tion of the people of San Felipe, Travis, or his men, in re- gard to the matter. The arms and everything else taken from the Mexicans, were restored to them and they were furnished with supplies and allowed to retire to San Antonio, there to swell the ranks of those yet to be defeated by Texian citizen . soldiers, at the cost of the life of their great-hearted leader, Col. Ben R. Milam.
A meeting was held in Columbia on the 28th of June, of which Warren D. C. Hall was president, and Byrd B. Waller, secretary. A committee to prepare resolutions was appointed consisting of John A. Wharton, Henry Smith, Warren D. C. Hall, James F. Perry, Josiah H. Bell, Samuel Whiting, George B. Mckinstry, Walter C. White, Pleasant B. McNeel, J. A. E. Phelps, Edwin Waller, Edmund Andrews, James P. Caldwell and E. G. Head. A majority of these men were then con- vinced that nothing short of independence would finally save the country ; yet they united in favor of resolutions declaring,
1. That it is the duty of the citizens of Texas to unite in the support of the constitution and laws of their adopted country.
2. That inasmuch as Texas is left in a state of anarchy and without a Governor, legislature or council, we recognize the
294
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Political Chief (James B. Miller, holding his office by the ap- pointment of the deposed and imprisoned Governor, ) as the highest executive officer, and that we earnestly recommend an immediate organization of the militia, etc.
3. That a permanent committee of five be appointed.
Warren D. C. Hall, John A. Wharton, Wm. H. Jack, John G. McNeel and George B. Mckinstry were appointed.
The other proceedings were in harmony with the foregoing
Exactly at what time cannot be stated, but quite early, Matagorda appointed a committee consisting of S. Rhoads Fisher, Ira R. Lewis, L. H. W. Johnson, T. Catlett, William L. Cazneau, S. B. Brigham, R. H. Boyce and Henry W. Hollinsworth, Secretary.
The meeting at San Felipe, June 22d, was followed a few days later, by a published address from its chairman, the elo- quent Robert M. Williamson, reviewing the condition of affairs and intended to prepare his countrymen for those results which he believed to be inevitable. Its logic, though neces- sarily clothed in guarded language, was irresistible to many, and made a deep impression throughout the country. News necessarily spread slowly. The people were anxious to live in peace, improve their condition and develop the country. There was no field open to the mere demagogue or agitator. The horizon was too dark for such despicable characters to figure. War, blood and carnage were in view, and only courageous souls dared enter the arena as champions of all that is held dear by American freemen. This is said with more emphasis, because, for reasons best known to them- selves, some persons writing of those days have sought to create the impression that the bolder and more outspoken men of that period were influenced by the detestable principles of demagoguery and the wild spirit of fanaticism. After so thorough an analysis of concurrent facts, conditions and acts as it is possible to make, the author of this work, realizing his responsibility to that great tribunal, the judgment of pros-
295
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
perity, unhesitatingly brands the allegation as untrue and unjust,- as untrue and unjust as, in the dawn of the American revolution, were similar allegations against Patrick Henry of Virginia, and Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts.
The journals of the consultation which organized a provis- ional government in November, 1835, are prefaced by the proceedings of a meeting held in Columbia on the 15th of August, 1835, recommending such an assemblage, thereby leaving the inference that that was the first meeting and rec- ommendation of the kind, which is altogether incorrect, as will be seen by the proceedings of
THE MEETING AT SAN FELIPE DE AUSTIN.
" At a general meeting of the citizens of the jurisdiction of Austin, assembled on the 14th day of July, 1835, (a month and a day before the corresponding meeting in Columbia ), at . the town of San Felipe de Austin, pursuant to a call made by James B. Miller, Esq., Political Chief of the department of Brazos, Major Jesse Bartlett was called to the chair, and Thomas R. Jackson chosen secretary.
"A delegation from the jurisdiction of Columbia, viz : Messrs. John A. Wharton, James F. Perry, Sterling McNeel, Josiah H. Bell, and James Knight, were announced, and, on motion of Dr. C. B. Stewart, were invited to assist in the delibera- tions of the meeting.
Upon motion of John Rice Jones, Esq., it was
" Resolved, That the chairman of this meeting appoint a committee of five delegates to consult with the delegation from the jurisdiction of Columbia, and with them jointly frame resolutions expressive of the wishes and determination of the citizens of the jurisdictions of Austin and Columbia.
" Whereupon, the chairman appointed Martin Allyn, John Rice Jones, C. B. Stewart, Joshua Fletcher and Joseph
296
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Urbane said committee, who, after due deliberation, returned the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted :
" Resolved, That this meeting and delegation believe it to be the desire and intention of the citizens of the jurisdictions of Austin and of Columbia and of all the people of Texas, to preserve peace and good order and to maintain a firm adher- ence to the general ( Mexican ) government, so long as the government protects them in the enjoyment of their rights and liberties.
" Resolved, That an imminent crisis has arrived in the affairs of the people of Texas, in which their lives, rights and liberties are deeply endangered, and that for their preserva- tion it is necessary that we should unite ourselves together and act in concert in their defense.
" Resolved, That an early consultation of the people of all Texas by their chosen delegates, is necessary to the attain- ment of union, concert of action and determination of con- duct in the protection and defense of our rights and liberties.
" Resolved, That a committee of three persons be elected, with full power to unite with like committees from the juris- diction of Columbia and other jurisdictions, and call together in General Council the people of all Texas, by chosen dele- gates, and to adopt such other measures as the emergencies of the period may require.
" Resolved, that it is necessary that every citizen of the country should prepare himself and be in readiness to defend his rights and liberties.
" These resolutions were severally read and unanimously concurred in by the meeting.
" It was further Resolved. That this meeting heartily and unanimously unite in feeling and purpose with the citizens of the jurisdiction of Columbia, and that we invite the citizens of all of the other jurisdictions of Texas to unite with us in furtherance of the resolutions of this meeting.
" Whereupon the meeting adjourned."
297
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
THE NAVIDAD AND LAVACA MEETING.
On the 17th of July a large meeting was held of the cit- izens on and near the Lavaca and Navidad rivers, at the gin- house of William Millican. Its members lived in a territory twenty miles wide by fifty in length, in which there was no town. They were all farmers and not a politician or pro- fessional man among them. Major James Kerr, the oldest inhabitant, was elected president, and Samuel C. A. Rogers (in 1891 living in the same vicinity), was made secretary. There never was on the soil of Texas a better average popula- tion. George Sutherland, who afterwards led a company in storming Bexar, and had a horse killed under him at San Jacinto (and his son, William, then also present, killed in the Alamo) who had been in the legislatures of both Tennessee and Alabama and in the Texas conventions of 1832 and 1833, was there. John Alley, who also led a company under Milam in storming Bexar, with his brothers, Thomas and William, was there. The veteran, John McHenry, who had fought for liberty in South America, followed Long and suffered imprisonment with Milam and John Austin, was there. Andrew Kent, who afterwards gave up his life in the Alamo, had come thirty-five miles to be there. John S. Menefee, a soldier at San Jacinto, was there with his venerable father, Thomas Menefee, and his younger brother, George S., Bazil Durbin was there. S. Addison White, a soldier of Velasco, with his father, Archibald S., and his brothers, John M. and James G., was there. Francis M. White, subsequently in the storming of Bexar (a legislator, commissioner of the land office, and yet living honored and loved), was one of the assembly. So was Patrick Usher, a worthy son of North Car- olina, yet to be a gallant soldier, a judge and a legislator and finally to die a prisoner in Perote. And with all these were
.
298
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
assembled the adult members of the families of Dever, Heard, Wells, Stapp, Williams, Coleman, New, Looney, Scott, York, Andrews, Millican, Guthrie, Beatty, Whitson, Hatch, Benj. J. White, Milby, McNutt, Felix B. Earnest and Paul Scar- borough (both destined to perish as Santa Fe, prisoners ) and Keller and others, composing a first classpopulation of farmers, far removed from any town or center of political agitation. These facts are stated because of the unjust assertion of more than one contributor to the history of that momentous period that the War Party, or as sometimes stigmatized, the " demagogues," "agitators," and "fanatics," were found in the towns, while the farmers generally composed what was inappropriately called the Peace Party. There was no unconditional Peace Party, beyond an insignifi- cant little nest of tories, who received the prompt atten- tion of Gen. Houston, immediately after the battle of Sau Jacinto, the commanding agent in which prompt attention was Capt. D. L. Kokernot (late a venerable citizen of Gonzales County, under whom served also a recently arrived youth from New York bearing the name of Charles A. Ogsbury, late a well-known citizen and ex-editor of Cuero, Texas). On the contrary, the farmers most exposed geographically to Mexi- can vengeance - as those on the Navidad, Lavaca, Guadalupe and west side of the Colorado - generally belonged to or sympathised with the War Party, while the most conspicuous advocates of the other element in the country resided in the towns. But it is repeated again and again, that these differ- ences of opinion, changed more or less by every fresh arrival from Mexico, constituted no conclusive index to the patriotism of the country. With the same degree of conviction as to the unalterable designs of Santa Anna and his supporters for the subjugation and ruin of Texas, all were for war, and all for independence, as a few short months abundantly demon- strated.
299
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
The Navidad meeting, thus auspiciously constituted, after a free and full interchange of views, unanimously declared -
Their belief that Santa Anna was hostile to State sovereignty and the State constitution :
That they would oppose any force that might be introduced into Texas for any other than constitutional purposes :
That, whereas, there were then at Goliad two hundred infantry en route to reinforce the garrison at Bexar (as promised by Cos in his letter to Tenorio), they called upon the Political Chief to intercept them, and, as a greater guaranty against invasion, to take the necessary steps to capture and hold Bexar.
That they favored a general consultation of delegates from all the municipalities of Texas.
They concluded by calling on the militia to hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's warning, which the mili- tia did, as was proven by the alacrity with which, when the emergency arrived, the companies of Captains Alley and Sutherland marched to the seat of war at Gonzales and San Antonio de Bexar.
These spirited proceedings were promptly reported at San Felipe and other places. There was a lull at San Felipe, however, caused by awaiting the report of Gritten and Barrett, who had been sent, as will be seen, on a mission to Cos. The people at Gonzales, however, warmly approved the Navidad resolutions, as shown in a letter of July 25th, from James B. Patrick to James Kerr.
CHAPTER XXIX.
Preliminary Assemblages of the People - Gritten and Barrett - Lorenzo de Zavala - Important Correspondence - Return of Austin from Mexico - Complications in regard to Robertson's Colony.
On the 17th of July, a conference was held in San Felipe, wholly distinct from the large public meeting of the 14th, between eleven gentlemen, viz. : John A. Wharton, James F. Perry, Stirling McNeel, James Knight, and Josiah H. Bell of Columbia, Alexander Somervell, John Rice Jones, Wylie Martin, Jesse Bartlett and Dr. Charles B. Stewart of San Felipe, and D. C. Barrett of Mina. They spent four days without important results. A majority declined to indorse the call, already sent forth for a general consultation. In reply to Ugartechea's hypocritical letter, giving assurances of the good will of Santa Anna, they gave him assurances of the conciliatory spirit of Texas and expressed regret at the recent occurrence at Anahuac. They appointed Edward Grit- ten and D. C. Barrett, whose loyalty was seriously questioned at a later and darker period, to visit Gen. Cos in Matamoros and explain to him the recent affair at Anahuac and assure him of the " adherence of Texas to the general government and its institutions." By what vote this extraordinary action was carried, cannot be stated; but it is certain that it was by a lean majority. The affair at Anahuac was the recent disarming of the garrison at that place by Travis.]
Barrett and Gritten proceeded to San Antonio and after conferring with Ugartechea, Gritten returned for additional instructions ; but when he reached San Felipe public opinion had advanced too far. The mission, as ought to have been seen, proved abortive and died a speedy death.
In the meantime, however, as Barrett wrote to the political (300)
LORENZO DE ZAVALA
301
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
chief of the Brazos (Dr. James B. Miller), from San Antonio, August 8th, while he and Gritten supposed they were favorably moving the heart of Ugartechea : "Lo, at this auspicious moment, a courier arrived from Gen. Cos, interdicting all communication with the colonies, leaving them to go to the devil in their own way."
It was said the illustrious Cos had received a copy of the Texas-imbued Fourth of July address of Robert M. Will- iamson, which had caused this order to lock the doors of intercourse with the colonies, until he could unlock them at the head of a sufficient army to overrun the country.
The next day a counter-order arrived from Cos. He had heard of the last conference in San Felipe and their peaceful assurances. Still, something must be done to appease the offended dignity of the nation.
The chief " agitators " must be surrendered to the military to be chastised by the national authorities. Santa Anna, through Tornel, minister of war, so decreed in duplicate orders to Cos.
Since we left Lorenzo de Zavala (the attested friend of Santa Anna in all his struggles as the champion of republic- anism from 1822 to 1833), assisting Austin in the conference of the President and his cabinet in October, 1834, that pure and honest patriot had been sent out of the country as minister to France; but, as soon as convinced of Santa Anna's fixed apostasy, he had resigned his mission and sought an asylum on lands already owned by him, on the San Jacinto River, in Texas, strangely enough erecting his domicil in view of the spot where Santa Anna was to be defeated and captured. Wondrous indeed are the ways of that Providence which
" Shape our ends -
Rough hew them as we may."
Santa Anna, actuated by the guilty conscience ever harass- ing treachery, determined to tear Zavala from his retirement
302
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
and wreak vengeance upon him. Through Tornel he so ordered Cos. Cos who passed the order to Ugartechea, who directed the already indignant Tenorio to execute it. This individual's name is perpetuated solely by his surrender with forty men without firing a gun, to Travis with only twenty, and by his connection with this attempt to seize and deliver the pure and faithful Zavala to the mercies of one who felt that his exist- ence was a continuing reproach to his own perfidy.
Tenorio applied to Wylid Martin, acting Political Chief during the inability of Dr. James B. Miller, for the arrest and delivery to him of Zavala. Martin refused because of want of authority. This is greatly to his credit and must not be forgotten should other acts of his provoke criticism. But the conspirators and tyrants - for there were two classes in concert - were not contem with wanting Zavala. They wanted possession of Travis, Williamson, Samuel M. Williams, Francis W. Johnson, Baker and a number of others, proving their utter contempt for the right of free speech and their determination to rule intelligence and patriotism by brute force.
At that time there was a spy in the camp at San Felipe, one who had, in a short residence at Gonzales, made a favor- able impression, but who now developed the loathsome attri- butes of a tory and a traitor. This disgrace to our race was known as Dr. James H. C. Miller. It is gratifying to be unable to name the State of our Union which gave him birth, for the commonwealth is not responsible for such involuntary stains upon its escutcheon. This creature was doing the foul work of a spy for Ugartechea. On the 25th of July, follow- ing the last conference referred to in San Felipe, he wrote from the latter place to John W. Smith 1 in San Antonio:
1 It would be unjust to John W. Smith to let this pass without comment He came to Texas with the family of Green DeWitt in the fall of 1827. He settled in San Antonio, married a Mexican lady and reared a respectable family. He was ever true to Texas and bore one of the last dispatches from
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.