USA > Texas > History of Texas : from 1685 to 1892, volume 1 > Part 41
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"Yr. obdt. servt.,
"W. BARRETT TRAVIS."
" BEXAR, 2nd Feb., 1836. " To His Excellency, Henry Smith :
" DEAR SIR: Whilst at La Bahia, Gen. Houston received dispatches from Col. Comdt. Neill informing him that good reasons were entertained that an attack would soon be made by a numerous Mexican Army on our important post of Bexar. It was determined that I should go instantly to Bexar. Accordingly, I left General Houston with a few very efficient volunteers and came on to this place about two weeks since. I was received by Col. Neill with great cordiality, and the men under my command entered at once into active service. I cannot eulogize the conduct of Col. Neill too
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highly. No other man in the army could have kept men at this
post under the neglect they have experienced. * Re- * * lief at this post in men, money and provision is of vital importance. The salvation of Texas depends on keeping Bexar out of the hands of the enemy. Col. Neill and myself have come to the same conclusion, that we will rather die in these ditches than give it up to the enemy. These citizens deserve our patriotism, and the public safety demands our lives rather than evacuate this post to the enemy. Again we call aloud for relief. * * Our force is very small. The returns this day show only 120 men and officers. It would be a waste of men to put our brave little band against thousands. I have information just now from a friend that the force at Presidio is 2,000 complete. He states further that 5,000 more are a little back and marching on. The informant says that they intend to make a descent on this place in particular, and there is no doubt of it.
" JAMES BOWIE."
"COMMANDANCY OF BEXAR, Feb. 12, 1836.
" To His Excellency, Henry Smith, Governor of Texas:
" SIR: Santa Anna by the last accounts was at Saltillo with a force of 2,500 men and Gen. Ramirez Sesma was at the Rio Grande with about 2,000. He has issued his proclamation de- nouncing vengeance against the people of Texas, and threatens to exterminate every white man within its limits. This, being the frontier post, will be the first attacked. We are illy prepared for their reception, as we have not more than 150 men here and they in a very disorganized state. Yet we are determined to sustain it as long as there is a man left, because we consider death preferable to disgrace, which would be the result of giving up a post so dearly won, and thus opening the door for the invaders to enter the sacred territory of the
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colonies. We hope our country will open their eyes to the present danger, and awake from their false security. I hope that all party dissensions will subside, that our fellow-citizens will unite in the common cause and fly to the defense of the frontier. * For God's sake and for the sake of our country, send us re-inforcements. I hope you will send to this post at least two companies of regular troops.
" In consequence of the sickness of his family, Lt .- Col. Neill has left this post to visit home for a short time, and has requested me to take command of the post.
" The troops here, to a man, recognize you as their legiti- mate Governor, and they expect your fatherly care and protection. In conclusion, let me assure your Excellency that with 200 men I believe this place can be maintained, and I hope they will be sent as soon as possible. Yet, should we receive no re-inforcements, I am determined to fight to the last, and should Bexar fall, your friend will be buried beneath its ruins. I have the honor to be, your
" Most obt. and humble servt., "W. BARRETT TRAVIS, " Lt .- Col. Commanding."
" BEXAR, Feby. 13, 1836.
" To His Excellency, Henry Smith :
" DEAR SIR: I wrote you an official letter last night as Commd't of this post in the absence of Col. Neill, and if you had taken the trouble to answer my letter from Burnham's, I should not have been under the necessity of troubling you. My situation is truly awkward and delicate. Col. Neill left me in command, but wishing to give satisfaction to the volun- teers here and not wishing to assume any command over them, I issued an order for the election of an officer to command them, with the exception of one company of volunteers that had previously engaged to serve under me. Bowie was elected
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by two small companies. I hope you will order immediately some regular troops here, as it is more important to occupy this post than I imagined when I last saw you. It is the key of Texas from the interior. Without a footing here, the enemy can do nothing against us in the colonies, now that our coast is guarded by armed vessels. I do not solicit the command of this post, but as Col. Neill has applied to the Commander-in-Chief to be relieved and is anxious for me to take command, I will do it, if it be your order for a time, until an artillery officer can be sent here. * * The enemy is on the Rio Grande, 1,000 strong, and is making every preparation to invade us. By the 15th of March I think Texas will be invaded, and every preparation should be made to receive them.
" I have the honor to be, etc.,
"W. BARRETT TRAVIS."
" COMMANDANCY OF BEXAR, Feb. 14, 1836. " His Excellency, H. Smith, Governor of Texas ;
" SIR: * * * By an understanding of to-day, Col. James Bowie has the command of the volunteers of the garrison, and Col. W. B. Travis of the regulars and volunteer cavalry. Allgeneral orders and correspondence will henceforth be signed by both until Col. Neill's return.
" We have the honor to be, etc.,
"W. BARRETT TRAVIS, Comd. of Cavalry.
" JAMES BOWIE, Comd. of Volunteers."
" COMMANDANCY OF BEXAR, Feb. 16, 1836.
" To His Excellency, Henry Smith, Governor of Texas : " SIR : * I have nothing of interest to communi- cate that has transpired since my last. I must, however,
-
ROBERT M. WILLIAMSON ( Three-legged Willie)
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again remind your Excellency that this is the key of Texas and should not be neglected by the Govt. . *
" I have the honor to be, etc.,
"W. BARRETT TRAVIS."
" BEXAR, Feb. 11, 1836.
" To His Excellency, Henry Smith :
" DEAR SIR: We are now 150 strong. Col. Crockett and Col. Travis both here, and Col. Bowie in com- mand of the volunteers. *
" Yrs. very respectfully, "G. B. JAMESON."
" GONZALES, 25th Feb., 1836.
" To the Governor and Council of Texas :
" By express from San Antonio under date of 23rd inst. I have received information that 2,000 Mexicans under the command of Sesma have arrived in Bexar and have taken possession of the Public Square, compelling the American troops (150 in number) to confine themselves to the Alamo. The American troops are determined to defend the place to the last and have called upon their fellow-citizens for help.
"Yr. obt. servt., " R. M. WILLIAMSON, " Comd'g the Rangers."
The following is also of interest :
THE BEXAR INDIGNATION MEETING.
PROCEEDINGS OF A MEETING IN BEXAR, RELATIVE TO THE GEN- ERAL COUNCIL AND GOVERNOR, JANUARY 26, 1836.
" At a large and respectable meeting of citizens and soldiers of this place, held this day ( 26th January, 1836) to take into
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consideration the recent movements at San Felipe, Col. J. C. Neill was called to the chair and H. J. Williamson appointed secretary. The object of the meeting having been stated by the chair, on motion of Colonel James Butler Bonham a com- mittee of seven was appointed to draft a preamble and resolu- tions for the consideration of the meeting, whereupon the following gentlemen were appointed : Chairman, J. B. Bon- ham ; James Bowie, Green B. Jameson, Dr. Pollard, Jesse Bartlett, J. N. Seguin, and Don Gasper Flores.
" The committee, after having retired, returned and reported as follows :
Preamble.
" Whereas, we have been informed from an undoubted messenger that the executive council and its president, a sub- ordinate and auxiliary part of the government, have usurped the right of impeaching the governor who, if we would imitate the wise institutions of the land of Washington, can only be impeached by a body set forth in the constitution, which con- stitution must have been established by the people through their representatives assembled in general convention. More- over, the said council and its president, whose powers are defined to aid the governor in executing and fulfilling the measures and objects adopted by the general consultation, have taken it upon themselves to annul the measures of the general consultation. They are about to open the land offices, which were temporarily closed until a general convention of the people should take place, thereby opening the door to private speculation at the expense of the men who are serving the country in the field. Moreover, the said council have improperly used and appropriated to their own purposes a $500 loan from generous and patriotic citizens of the United States, contributed to pay the soldiers in the garrison of Bexar. Moreover, that private and designing men are and have been embarrassing the governor and the legitimate
-
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officers of the government by assuming, contrary to all con- ditions of order and good government * [Here oc- cur in the manuscript three lines that are illegible. ] Moreover, that an individual has gone so far as to issue a proclamation on the state of public affairs and to invite numbers to join him as the commander of the Matamoros expedition, when that particular individual must have known that Gen. Houston, commander-in-chief of all the forces in the service of Texas, has been ordered by the government to take command of that expedition. This particular individual is also fully aware that all officers under the commander-in-chief are elected by the volunteers themselves ; that, therefore, there was no room or necessity for another appointment by the council. Still, in the possession of these facts, he has issued his proclamation and continues to aid all those who are embarrassing the exec- utive ; therefore be, it
" Resolved, 1 : That we will support the authority of Gov- ernor Smith, his unyielding and patriotic efforts to fulfill the duties and to preserve the dignity of his office, while pro- moting the best interests of the people against all [illegible] and designs of selfish and [interested] individuals.
" Resolved, 2: That all the attempts of the president and members of the executive committee to annul the acts or to embarrass the officers appointed by the general consultation are deemed by this meeting anarchical assumptions of power, to which we will not submit.
Resolved, 3: That we invite a similar expression of senti- ment in the army under General Houston and throughout the country generally.
" Resolved, 4 : That the conduct of the president and mem- bers of the executive council in relation to the $500.00 loan for the liquidation of the claims of the soldiers at Bexar is in the highest degree criminal and unjust. Yet under treat- ment, however illiberal and ungrateful, we cannot be driven from the post of honor and the sacred cause of freedom.
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" Resolved, 5: That we do not recognize the illegal appoint- ment of agents and officers made by the president and mem- bers of the executive council in relation to the Matamoros expedition, since their power does not extend further than to take measures and to make appointments for the public serv- ice with the sanction of the governor.
" Resolved, 6 : That the governor, Henry Smith, will please to accept the gratitude of the army at this station for his firmness in the execution of his duties as well as for his patriotic exertions in our behalf.
" Resolved, 7: That the editors of the Brazoria Gazette, the Nacogdoches Telegraph and the San Felipe Telegaph be requested, and they are hereby requested, to publish the pro- ceedings of this meeting.
" Bexar, January 26, 1836.
" (Signed ) J. C. NEILL, President. " H. J. WILLIAMSON, Secretary."
These animadversions referred to the assumptions of Grant and Johnson as officers of the self-styled Federal Army, and the act of the malcontents composing a fragment of the coun- cil, in virtually appointing Fannin an officer independent of the Governor and Commander-in-Chief.
CHAPTER XLVII.
Travis Calls for more Troops - Movements of Fannin and Johnson - Fan- nin's Organization at Goliad.
Travis issued a call for five hundred more troops, mostly regulars. " Militia and volunteers," said he, " are but ill- suited to garrison a town." At the same time he appealed for money, provisions and clothing, declaring that enthusiasm may keep up an army for a few days, but money, and money alone, will support an army for regular warfare. In the lan- guage of Mr. Yoakum : "None of these things had the commander-in-chief to give. The council had authorized Col. Fannin to borrow money for his expedition : but they had not applied the first dollar to the recruiting sesvice. The council had also, by its conduct, commended Dr. Grant in stripping the sick and wounded at Bexar of the blankets needed to cover them, and, according to Surgeon Pollard, of the medicines requisite for their recovery."
On the 8th of January - the day on which Gen. Houston left Washington for the west - Fannin, agent of the Pro- visional Government ( ¿. e, of the council), from Velasco, issued a proclamation, calling upon the volunteers at Bexar, Goliad, Velasco and elsewhere, and ordering them to ren- dezvous at San Patricio, between the 24th and 27th of that month, and report to the officer in command. He himself proposed to sail with the fleet from Velasco on the 18th and invited all on board who desired to keep the war out of Texas - (the very measure that brought it into the heart of Texas ). On the 10th Col. Johnson issued a like proclama- tion, calling his the Federal volunteer army, marching for the country west of the Rio Grande, under the flag of 1824.
(541)
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Col. Fannin was delayed somewhat in reaching first Copano and then Goliad. But finally his command was organized into two bodies, called the Lafayette and Georgia battalions, composing one regiment, of which Fannin was made colonel; William Ward, lieutenant-colonel ; Benjamin C. Wallace, major of the Lafayette battalion; and Warren Mitchell, major of the Georgia battalion. Drs. Joseph H. Bernard and James H. Field were surgeons ; Shadwick, adjutant, and David I. Holt, quartermaster.
As there has always been in the minds of many, a con- fusion of ideas about what has been known as the Johnson and Grant expedition, this is an appropriate time, in the order of events, to narrate that portion of our history. Fortunately, authentic material is at hand - viz., the account of Col. John- son himself, and the narrative of Reuben R. Brown, a private soldier from Georgia, who arrived at San Antonio a few days after the capture of that place, and like a great majority then on the ground, uninformed of the actual condition of affairs, joined Grant and Johnson. Reuben R. Brown was later a colonel in the Confederate army, and for more than half a century has resided at his present home in Velasco or Quin- tana. In 1859 he wrote his recollections of those events. About 1874 Col. Johnson did the same. Both are before me now. In essentials they agree. In non-essentials their ac- counts slightly differ. But in the final catastrophes, Brown was with Grant and Johnson was in command of a different party, so that each, to that extent, saw and participated in that which the other did not. With this explanation I con- dense from their statements the following account of that expedition. Both Col. Johnson and Brown fall into the error of stating that when Gen. Houston arrived at Goliad he favored the expedition, but afterwards opposed it .. Gen. Houston's letter to Governor Smith, written on the morning after his arrival in Goliad, emphatically disproves this state- ment. Johnson says : " The difficulty of procuring vessels de-
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layed Fannin. In the meantime, Johnson, Grant and Major Robert C. Morris, formerly of the New Orleans Grays, marched to San Patricio with a force of less than one hundred men. (The exact number seems to have been ninety_ seven. ) Here they remained till Col. Fannin arrived at Re- fugio. In the meantime, learning that there was a small detachment of Mexican soldiers west of and below San Pa- tricio, Col. Grant, with a small force, marched down and sur- prised and made them prisoners.1 After (visiting and) conferring with Col. Fannin, Col. Johnson determined to pro- ceed west for the purpose of getting horses. They pursued their way to within twenty or twenty-five miles of the Sal- Colorado and had horses sufficient to mount one hundred men. Here the command divided. Grant and Morris, with the largest half of the men, went in pursuit of more horses. (These horses belonged to the Mexican ranchos scattered through that country. ) This was contrary to Johnson's judgment ; however, Grant and Morris insisted on visiting a rancho where it was said there was a large number of horses belonging to the Mexican government. Grant and his party were successful, and obtained a large number of horses. In the meantime, Johnson and his band had returned with the horses they had, to San Patricio, where Grant was to join them and proceed together to Goliad, where Fannin had established his headquarters. While waiting at San Patricio for Grant, Johnson and his party were surprised and most of the men killed. * There were no sentinels posted - first, for the reason (and a most flimsy one when San Patricio was approachable regardless of roads from the west and south- west. - J. H. B.) that Grant's force was in the rear, and, secondly, the men were thinly clad and the weather very cold. Johnson and four others, Daniel J. Toler, John H. Love, James M. Miller and a Frenchman escaped in the following
Mr. Brown, a participant, states this differently, as we shall see.
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manner. The house occupied by Johnson and his companions was surrounded, and, being hailed, they were ordered to make a light. Toler, who spoke Spanish well, kept them in conversation, but was in no hurry to make a light. But a few minutes had elapsed when there was a dis- charge of arms in front of the house, which caused those in the rear to move to the front. Johnson took advantage of this propitious moment and ordered his companions to open the back door and try to escape. They acted promptly and Johnson followed. The Frenchman secreted himself until morning, when he surrendered. Having resided in Mata- moros and being acquainted with many of the officers, he was , kindly treated. Toler, Love and Miller kept together and made their way, as best they could, for Refugio. The night was very dark and greatly favored their escape. The next morning Johnson overtook them."
They proceeded to Refugio and were joined on the way by a comrade, whose name Johnson does not give. They then proceeded to Goliad. Thence Johnson, Toler and Love pro- ceeded to San Felipe; and this, so far as the records show, was the last service of Col. Johnson, in any public capacity, in Texas. He was a victim to his own misguided judgment. As an Alcalde, as the senior Captain at Anahuac, in June, 1832, as a member of the convention in October of that year, and as the second in command and successor to Milam in the five days assault and capture of San Antonio in December, 1835, his hold on the public confidence and esteem was justly of the highest order. But as a leader in this expedition he acted under the authority of less than a quorum of a factious council, in derogation of the law of the land, and in defiance of the rightful authority of the Governor and the Commander- in-Chief. He fails to state the number of men with him, the number killed, the number captured or the date of the dis- aster. The date was the night of February 27th, 1836. No list of the men has been seen by me. It can only be stated
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that Mr. Samuel W. McKneely, deceased at Texarkana, Arkansas, in 1888, was captured and finally escaped, as we shall see further on; four or five others were captured with him, but their names and fate cannot be given. An impene- trable cloud enshrouds their fate.
Having thus given Col. Johnson's version of the affair,1 that of Col. Brown, as far as necessary to elucidate the essential facts, is now appended. He says :
" We (being at San Patricio) received information from Fannin that he wished us to collect as many horses as possi- ble, to enable him to mount his men. For this purpose, and in order to scout the country, we divided our men into two parties, one of which remained in San Patricio, under Col. Johnson, while the other proceeded westward in search of horses, etc., under Col. Grant. I went out with this party. Having reached the Sal-Colorado * * we fell in with some half a dozen Mexicans, guarding three or four hundred horses that had been sent out there to be recruited for the service of Urrea's division of the invading army, then prepar- ing to set out." Then he describes the capture of Rod- riguez and small party encamped near by and in charge of this grazing force, and continues: " We then returned to San Patricio, with our prisoners, sixty-seven in all, and several hundred horses.2
" Our party started out on another expedition immediately, going north of the road to Matamoros. Our guide,
1 On the organization of the Texas Veteran Association in 1873, Col. Johnson was elected its president and was annually re-elected till his death, on a health-seeking visit at Aguas Calientes, Mexico, April 6, 1884. He was born in Virginia, October 3d, 1799. His comrades in 1888, had his remains removed and honorably interred in the State Cemetery at Austin. He was a man of fine intelligence, kindly nature and pleasing address. His patriotism and gallantry are unquestioned, the waywardness of his judgment and dis- cretion in the events following the fall of Bexar are left as his own language depicts them.
2 The prisoners were all paroled, but soon deserted.
35
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on the second day out, informed us that there was a party of some fifty Mexicans ahead of us, with several hundred horses, and we therefore made an early start, but when we came in sight of them we found them moving off and driving their horses in front of them. We pursued them to the Rio Grande, where we overtook them, and, as they were attempting to cross pell-mell, some of them were drowned. Having taken a considerable number of their horses, we returned on our way back to San Patricio, visiting the different ranchos, getting all the horses we could and sometimes buying them at a dollar a head. We had reached the Agua Dulce creek, within twenty miles of San Patricio, in high spirits. We made an early start from that place in the morning,1 Col. Grant, Placido Venibides and myself being about a half a mile ahead to lead the horses, and the rest of the company following (behind the horses). We were passing between two large motts (groves), when suddenly there came out from each of those motts several hundred Mexican dragoons, who quickly closed in, surrounding both the horses and our party. Grant, Placido and myself might then have made our escape, as we were well mounted and some distance in advance ; but our first impulse being to relieve our party, we returned without re- flecting upon the impossibility of our doing any good against so large a number, for there were at least a thousand dragoons, under the immediate command of Urrea himself. We then at once understood that he had come in on the road some distance below and that he had been to San Patricio and had probably slaughtered Johnson and his party. Placido wished to return with us, but Grant persuaded him to start forthwith to Goliad and give Fannin information of Urrea's arrival. We had been absent from San Patricio ten or twelve days. As Grant and myself approached to
1 The second day of March, 1836, on which day the independence of Texas was declared at Washington, on the Brazos.
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join our party, the dragoons opened their lines and we passed in. We at once saw that most of our party had already been killed, and we resolved to sell our lives as dearly as possible. My horse was quickly killed with a lance, but Grant told me to mount Major Morris' horse, as Morris had just been killed. I did so, but without seeing any object to be accomplished by it. Just at that moment the horses took a stampede and broke the lines of the dragoons, and Grant and myself, find- ing ourselves then the only survivors of our party, followed in the wake of the horses, the dragoons shooting after us and wounding our horses in several places, but not badly. * * After we had run six or seven miles, they surrounded us, when, seeing no further chance of escape, we dismounted, determined to make them pay dearly for our lives. As I reached the ground, a Mexican lanced me in the arm, but Grant immediately shot him dead, when I seized his lance to defend myself. Just as he shot the Mexican, I saw Grant fall, pierced with several lances, and a moment after I found myself fast in a lasso that had been thrown over me and by which I was dragged to the ground. * After Grant fell I saw ten or a dozen officers go up and run their swords through his body. He was well known to them, having lived a long time in Mexico. They had a bitter grudge against him.
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