USA > Texas > History of Texas : from 1685 to 1892, volume 1 > Part 6
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His purpose was to capture Spanish vessels. Sailing under the flag of the Mexican republic, the pirates called themselves privateers. . Soon after, other vessels having come in, a reorganization of the government followed, and regulations were added providing for the distribution of gains and the payment of the salaries of the officers. Lafitte and his comrades bound themselves to pay all the debts of Aury's ad- ministration, provided the creditors were not non-residents. By the close of the year 1817, the population of Galveston had increased to nearly 1,000. The inhabitants were of various nationalities. Many of them had fled with their families from justice or oppression, to find refuge and employment in the prosperous colony of the pirate chieftain. The United States and Spain found cause for complaint, but Spain feared that the former would lay claim to the island, if the pirates were dispersed by the American naval establishment, and the United States did not feel called upon to take action owing to the attitude assumed by Spain. Consequently, for the time being, Lafitte was left to the undisturbed enjoyment of his self-constituted dominion.
A party of his men having kidnaped a Carancahua squaw, the Indians, until that time friendly, determined to avenge the deed and, crossing over to the island, ambuscaded a party of pirates, who were out hunting, and killed four of the number.
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Lafitte marched against them. About three hundred were encamped at the Three Trees, a point on the island. He attacked them with two hundred men and two pieces of artillery. After a sharp skirmish the Indians retreated to the main land. The Indian loss was 30 killed and a large number wounded. None of Lafitte's men were killed, but a number were badly wounded with arrows.
In 1820, among other depredations committed by Lafitte's cruisers, an American vessel was taken, plundered and scut- tled in Matagorda Bay. A commission was sent by the United States to examine into the affair, which resulted in the United States government dispatching an armed vessel under Lieutenant Kearney to break up the establishment at Gal- veston.
Lafitte crossed the bar to meet the Lieutenant, escorted him to the Red-House, his domicil, and endeavored as he well knew how, to overpower him with politeness. But the Lieutenant's orders were peremptory, and Lafitte was obliged to yield.
With his favorite Lieutenant, Wm. Cochrane, and sixty men, he went aboard the Pride; and, the other vessels compris- ing his fleet being placed in readiness and sails spread to the breeze, he moved out of the harbor and bade final adieu to Texas.
The pirates continued their depredations upon Spanish ship- ping for some years. In 1822 Lafitte visited Charleston, South Carolina. He made occasional visits to the port of Sisal, in Yucatan, and the island of Margarita, near the mouth of the Orinoco River. It is said that he died in 1826, at Sisal, a town situated about thirty miles from Merida, and lies buried in the Campo Santo of that town.
The futile attempts of a few Frenchmen under Generals Lallemand and Bizand, after the downfall of Napoleon, to found a colony on the Trinity River was of too brief existence to merit especial notice. During their short stay, how-
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ever, they secured the good-will of the Cooshatties on the Trinity and the Carancahuas on the coast. Upon leaving Texas they repaired to the United States, where General Lal- lemand wrote a treatise on Artillery Service, which long remained a standard authority.
CHAPTER IX.
Long's first and second Expeditions - Surrender of Long - His assassi- nation in the City of Mexico by a Mexican soldier acting under orders from Trespelacios - Attempt of Milam, Christy, John Austin and others to avenge the murder.
Lafitte did not continuously reside on Galveston Island, but was often absent for considerable periods, ostensibly engaged in maritime depredations on Spanish shipping, and it was during such intervals of temporary abandonment that Aury, Mina and Long rendezvoused there.
The careers of Lafitte, Aury and Mina had no appreciable influence upon the fortunes of Texas. The enterprises of Long, however, were undertaken shortly before Moses Aus- tin took the first steps that led to the establishment of Amer- ican colonies in the Province, and were not without minor effect. Many of Long's men at a later date became valued citizens of the Province, Republic and State.
Dr. James Long was a native of Tennessee. He had been a surgeon in Carroll's brigade in the war of 1812-15, serving as such in the battle of New Orleans. He owned a plantation near Natchez and soon after the war married Miss Jane Wilkinson of that vicin- ity. Residing in the region which had been in 1800, and again in 1812-13, the headquarters, first of Philip Nolan and next of Magee, Kemper, Perry and other leaders, he became imbued with the idea of Americanizing Texas and found no difficulty in drawing to his standard a large number of adventurers. On the 17th of June, 1819, he left Natchez with seventy-five men, and very soon his force numbered about three hundred. Colonel Samuel Davenport, Bernard Gutierrez (heretofore mentioned ) and other refugees from
(73)
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Texas, joined bis standard. Arriving at Nacogdoches, a pro visional government was organized, consisting of a supreme or plenary council, and a proclamation issued, declaring Texas to be an independent republic. Liberal laws were enacted providing for the disposition of the public lands. A news- paper, edited by Horatio Bigelow, was established. Trading houses on the Trinity, and at the Falls of the Brazos, were es- tablished by David Long ( brother of the leader) and Capt. Johnson : Captain Walker erected a fort a few miles below the present town of Washington and Major Cook a block-house at Pecan Point, on Red River. Captain Smith, with forty- nine men, was stationed at the Cooshattie village, on the Trinity.
Long ( the leader ) sent James Gaines to Galveston Island to solicit the co-operation of Lafitte, but that dignitary, referring to the failure of all previous attempts of the kind, declined the overture. Long then determined to visit Lafitte in person, but on reaching the Cooshattie village he received the startling and, to him, unexpected news of the advance of a large royalist force under Colonel Perez. He at once sent instructions to his wife to abandon Nacogdoches and recross the Sabine, which she promptly obeyed.
On the Brazos, Perez surprised and captured Johnson and ten of his men. Those of his men who escaped hastened to Walker's camp, below the mouth of the Navasota. The fugi- tives were pursued, and Walker's camp, attacked with such suddenness that its occupants, abandoning everything except their arms, with difficulty succeeded in reaching Smith's camp at Cooshattie. The camp and trading post of David Long on the Trinity were next attacked and Long killed. His men fled to Nacogdoches with the news of these three quickly suc- ceeding disasters which produced such a panic that the whole garrison and population - men, women and children - fled across the Sabine into Louisiana. Long, learning of these disasters, hastened back to Nacogdoches to find the place
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depopulated. As speedily as possible he crossed the Sabine to find his wife and the refugees in safety on the east side.
Perez, finding Nacogdoches evacuated, sent a detachment in pursuit of the refugees, but too late to overtake them before they crossed the Sabine. At the head of his principal force Perez by an oblique counter-march proceeded to the Cooshattie village where Capt. Smith, reinforced by the refugees from Walker and Johnson on the Brazos, had about seventy-five men. He retreated down the valley of the Trinity, but was closely pursued and overtaken by Perez, and a severe fight ensued, in which Smith lost several men and inflicted consid- erable loss on Perez when he retreated, and being pursued no farther formed a camp on Bolivar Point.
This, about October, 1819, was the termination of Long's first expedition to Texas.
Without unnecessary delay, Long, accompanied by a few followers, took the coast route from Louisiana, joined his friends under Smith at Bolivar Point, and began the erection of a mud fort. To secure additional aid, in men and muni- tions, he went to New Orleans in an open boat, was cordially received by General Ripley and other men of wealth and prominence, and met, for the first time, Colonel Benjamin R. Milam, John Austin, Colonel Christy of New Orleans, and General Don Felix Trespalacios, the latter an exile from Mexico, who was seeking to fit out an expedition to aid his countrymen, and with whom Milam, Christy and Austin were co-operating. An agreement was entered into, under which, with three or four small vessels, loaded with supplies and having aboard Mrs. Long and child and a few daring spirits, the adventurers sailed for Bolivar Point.
Arriving there, it was agreed that Trespalacios, Milam and Christy, with a small force should sail down the coast in one of the sloops, effect a landing somewhere in the region of Tampico and endeavor to raise an army with which to move north to meet and co-operate with Long in his contemplated
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descent southward from La Bahia. They sailed accordingly before the departure of Long from Bolivar Point, and suc- cessfully effected a landing, but of their movements thereafter, until their reappearance in this narrative in the city of Mexico, there exists no reliable account.
Before Long left Bolivar Point, a French sloop, freighted with wines and other supplies, stranded on Galveston Island, near the present city of that name. Carancahua Indians, to the number of two hundred, were encamped in the imme- diate vicinity and at once attacked and butchered the crew, plundered the sloop, and engaged in a drunken jollification and war dance. Long determined to chastise them. After nightfall, with thirty men, he passed over to the island in small boats and while the orgies were at their height, poured a destructive volley into the midst of the savages. The Car- ancahuas, although taken by surprise, outnumbered the whites seven to one and being heated with wine, rallied and stood their ground. The combatants fought for a time hand to hand. Long was compelled to retreat to his boats. Three of his men were killed and two were severely and sev- eral slightly wounded. Thirty-two Indian warriors were left dead upon the field. In this fight Long captured and re- tained two Indian boys, one of whom was afterwards acci- dentally killed.
Among Long's men was Mordella, a nephew of Trespa- lacios. Mordella attempted to organize a conspiracy against the expedition. Exposure followed and he was tried, con- victed and executed on the east end of Galveston Island.
Long left in the fort at Bolivar Point his wife 1 and child, a negro servant girl, Mrs. Dr. Allen, Dr. Edgar and three or
1 Mrs. Long gave birth to a child soon after the departure of her hus- band, and remained at the fort, although finally left alone with her negro servant girl, until the latter part of 1821 or early in 1822, when she was visited by the brothers Randall and Henry Jones, who escorted her to San Antonio and thence to Natchez. A few years later she again located in
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four men ( whose names are now unknown ), a mounted cannon, small arms, munitions and a supply of provisions.
All things being now in readiness he set sale for La Bahia. His entire force consisted of fifty-two men, of whom the names of thirty-two are here given:
James Long, commander ; Major Burns, an Englishman ; Captain John Austin; Captain Johnson ; Captain Williams of Kentucky ; Lieutenant Egan, a New Yorker ; Lieut. Robert- son, a Tennesseean ; E. Stanley Williams, aid-de-camp, a native of Connecicut, late from Virginia ; Lieut. Elliot, an English- man; Lieuts. Chase and Toby, of Massachusetts ; Sergeant. Robertson, a Scotchman ( subsequently a traitor ) ; Dr. Allen, an Irish surgeon and ex-surgeon in the British navy, and Patton.
Privates : Ebenezer Lathrop, of Massachusetss, accidently killed at La Bahia; James Wilson, of Tennessee (afterwards a traitor ) ; - White, afterwards known in Texas as " Old Blanco " ; - Smith; another Smith, a jeweler ; Frank Kellar, of Massachusetts ; John Wyatt and George Early, of Penn- sylvania ; Henry Nall, an Englishman ;- Black, of Louisiana ; two Irishmen (father and son, both blacksmiths and both traitors at Monterey ), known as Big and Little Patrick; Lincoln, a daring and talented young man from Massachu- setts; - McDonald, from Maryland ; Captain Browne, a gal- lant Swede, intended to become a naval officer; Lieut. Rosenberg, a German ; Bliker, a Russian, and Hamstein, a German (both traitors at Monterey ), and John McHenry,1 an Irishman.
Texas and resided successively at San Felipe, Brazoria and Richmond. She reached the ripe age of four score years. She was a true heroine and one of the most estimable women and noble mothers known to the early annals of Texas. She remained a widow, loyal to the memory of her ill-fated hus- band. Her only child to reach maturity became the wife of Hon. James S. Sullivan, of Richmond, Texas.
1 It was my fortune in early life to be a neighbor and enjoy the sincere friendship of that true-hearted son of Ireland, Captain John McHenry, and to receive from him in my home in Indianola, Texas, in 1853, the facts here-
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Long's fleet consisted of a schooner and two sloops. They entered Matagorda Bay, passed through what is now known as McHenry's Bayou into the Bay of Espritu Santo and proceeded to Mesquit Landing, on the west bank of the Guadalupe and fifteen miles above the mouth of that stream. Here Long and his men disembarked, and leav- ing the boats in charge of the elder Black, marched upon La Bahia. Black was murdered a few days later by Spanish scouts. Long's party reached La Bahia and sur- rounded the fort at night, unperceived by its occupants, and at dawn made their attack, shouting the slogan " Republi- canos." The resistance was feeble, and the garrison soon surrendered. Long and his men remained in quiet possession of the town and fort for three days. On the morning of the fourth they were aroused by the reveille of the royalists - seven hundred cavalry from San Antonio and irregular troops
in chronicled. I wrote the account, submitted it to his critical review and it was published in De Bow's New Orleans Review in December, 1853.
Only in regard to precise dates did his memory seem uncertain. The facts seemed distinct in his mind. He also gave me the list of names and remarks thereon. He was a man utterly incapable of deception or falshood, a true patriot and a friend to both public and private virtue. He was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1798; arrived at New Orleans in 1812; in 1816 or 1817, while Lafitte held a commission as privateer under the revolutionary government of Venezuela, he joined him on a cruise on the gulf and in the Car- ribean sea; but, at the end of a few months, learning that Lafitte's commis- sion had expired, and that he was virtually a pirate on the high seas, he and forty others demanded and received one of the vessels (the brig General Victoria), and returned to New Orleans. He took part in Long's expedition and, returning from that in 1822, with one hundred and fifty others in the sloop of war Eureka, Captain Pelott, commanding, participated in an ex- pedition organized in aid of the revolutionists in South America, taking part in the siege and capture of Porto Caballo. A year or so later, migra- tion having begun to Texas, he entered the trade between New Orleans and the Texas coast, as owner and commander of a schooner. In 1826 he settled permanently on the Lavaca River, where he reared a family and lived until his death, passing through the revolutionary and Indian wars as a brave man and honorable citizen. He died honored by those who had known him for half a century. Hence, I adopt his statements without reserve.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
from the immediate vicinity, commanded by Francisco Perez and Fernando Rodriguez. The Spanish troops had with them four pieces of artillery and, crossing the river, attacked Long and were repulsed with severe loss. Perez and Rodriguez then sent in a message saying that they did not wish to shed blood, and if Long would surrender, he would be kindly treated. Long refused to surrender and expressed his will- ingness to settle the contest by single combat with any man in the royalist camp, a proposition that was promptly declined. About this time, Garcia, who commanded the fort when it surrendered to Long, fired a pistol shot at the general, the bullet grazing his person.
The battle was at once renewed and vigorously kept up for two hours. The Spanish soldiers occupied house-tops and were protected by palisades. The Americans during the engage- ment dealt death to all who exposed themselves on the roofs.
The royalists again sounded a parley, and sent in the follow- ing message : " We have made a mistake ; we thought you were royalists. We are patriots, too. We wish to receive you as friends."
General Long asked them why they were fighting under the Spanish flag. " Because," said they, " there is a large roy- alist force near at hand and we wish to deceive them if it becomes necessary."
Matters remained in this condition for two days, when they succeeded in deceiving Long and inducing him to receive them into the fort as friends. Under the flimsy pretext of quieting the fears of the women and children of La Bahia, they next induced him to lay down his arms, a piece of folly inexcusa- ble in view of the well-known perfidy and inhumanity that had at all previous times characterized the conduct of the royalist commanders toward revolutionists. By the terms of the agreement, Long was to have an escort to conduct him south to Trespalacios, and his men were to follow, when he sent back an express with orders to that effect.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
As soon as the Americans laid down their arms the Span- iards embraced them warmly, professing sincere friendship. Horses and an escort were provided, and Long, Burns and John Austin were sent forward to San Antonio.
The Americans remaining at La Bahia were then ordered into line, and each man was required to give his name, age and place of nativity, avowedly in order that they might be assigned places of residence among the families in the town. The house in which they were assembled was then suddenly surrounded by a large body of soldiers, the bells rang, loud huzzas were heard outside and they were told that they were prisoners. They were removed to a filthy prison and fed with beef and half cooked corn, producing a sickness from which two of their number (Patton and Egan) died. They were then hurried on to San Antonio. After remaining there three days they were sent with Long, Burns and Austin, under a strong guard, to Laredo, where, in February or March, 1820, they were transferred from the control of Perez to that of a younger and more humane officer. The royalists now held undisputed sway in Texas. Some historians have erroneously said that Long's second invasion occurred in 1821 and others have declared that it was contemporaneous with the final triumph of the Mexican revolution, creating the radically erroneous belief that Long surrendered to repub- lican troops. In fact at this time the revolutionary cause, although its successful issue was near at hand, seemed almost hopeless.
At Laredo, where they were detained for a considerable time, the prisoners were kindly treated, the people giving them presents. They were finally conducted to Monterey, where General Lopez, royalist commander of the Eastern Provinces, had his headquarters.
After a time Long, Burns and John Austin were allowed to proceed to the city of Mexico, and arrived there in October, 1821, just as Iturbide's government was organized, and they
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were received and treated as friends. There they met Tres- palacios, Milam and Christy, who had left them at Bolivar Point the year before. Long speedily won friends. Tres- palacios received an appointment as Governor of Texas and soon manifested towards Long a jealous and hostile spirit. Entering the Old Inquisition, on a visit to the commissioner from Chili, Long was confronted and shot dead by a soldier whom Long's friends believed to be an assassin hired by Trespalacios. Milam, Christy and John Austin indignantly left the city and rejoined their friends in Monterey. To them they freely expressed the belief that Trespalacios had instigated the murder. It was resolved to avenge Long's death upon the anticipated arrival of Trespalacios, en route to Texas; but Wilson and Miller, two of their companions, be- trayed them. These men secretly repaired to Saltillo, where they intercepted Trespalacios and warned him of the impend- ing danger. Milam, Christy, Austin and their associates were at once arrested and conveyed to the city of Mexico, by way of Saltillo, San Luis Potosi and Queretaro, proceeding by slow marches and stopping a few days in those towns. At the capital they were cast into prison, where they remained about ten months.
Following the successful installation of Iturbide's govern- ment, the Congress of the United States, on the recommend- ation of President Monroe, on the fourth of May, 1822, acknowledged the independence of Mexico ; whereupon Pres- ident Monroe ordered Joel R. Poinsett,1 of South Carolina,
1 Misapprehensions have existed on this subject. The facts are as stated .. Mr. Poinsett was ordered in 1822 to pass through Mexico on his way to. Chili, to which country he was accredited as minister or envoy - the first. sent by the United States to that country. After the establishment of a republican government in Mexico, under the constitution of 1824, Mr. Poinsett was recalled from Chili and appointed minister to Mexico. On the first day of May, 1825, he presented his credentials to Guadalupe Victoria, the first President of Mexico.
Through the courtesy of the then minister, the Hon. Thomas Henry
6
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then recently appointed envoy to Chili, to pass through Mexico, while en route to his mission, make careful observations and inquire and report on the condition of the country.
Lopez treated Long coolly for a time, but gradually became quite gracious, declaring that if heaven was anti-republican, Long, if resident therein, would try to revolutionize it. Between Long and a brother of Lopez, a warm friendship arose.
A political revolution in favor of a constitutional monarchy was evolved in Spain at this time and its effects were speedily felt in Mexico, giving new hope to the republicans, and creat- ing divisions and dismay among the royalist officers. Of two regiments then under Lopez, at Monterey, one was known to be affected with disloyalty and strongly inclined to seize on the first pretext to declare for the side, not so much of the republicans, as of national independence for Mexico, and a constitutional monarchy such as transpiring events indicated the people of Spain were seeking to obtain for themselves. - To these causes, beyond question, Long and his party were indebted for far better treatment than they would have other- wise received.
Mr. Poinsett, learning the facts connected with Long's expedition, and the imprisonment of his countrymen, secured their unconditional release and an escort for them to Tampico, where, by his instructions, the United States sloop of war, John Adams, was in waiting to convey them home. The officers of the John Adams generously furnished them clothing and money to meet their immediate necessities. From Havana, where they touched, Captains McHenry and Keller proceeded to New Orleans. Milam, Christy, Austin and the other members of the expedition were landed at Norfolk, Virginia, in December, 1822.
Nelson of Indiana, I was permitted to examine the archives of the American legation in the city of Mexico, in 1869, and gathered the facts there set forth.
CHAPTER X.
BEGINNING OF ANGLO-AMERICAN COLONIZATION.
Condition of Texas in 1820 - Life and Death of Moses Austin - Stephen F. Austin - Loss of the Lively - Arrival of Settlers - Beginning of Indian Hostilities - Departure of Austin for the City of Mexico to Secure a Confirmation of the Grant made to his Father.
An official report exists, among the Spanish archives of San Antonio, on the condition of Texas, May 1, 1821, made by the Ayuntamiento of that municipality, in obedience to an order of the King of Spain, issued July 22, 1820. It demonstrates the correctness of the assertion, previously made in this history, that the royalists held possession of Texas to a later time than that fixed by a majority of writers. That report, after reciting many urgent reasons for prompt and effective action by the King, says: " Since 1813, when this Province was reconquered (i. e., the date of the royalist victory at the Medina), it has advanced with astonishing rapidity toward poverty and ruin, owing to the increasing hostility of the savage tribes, and the recklessness and violence of our own troops. These (the troops) deprived of supplies, naked and starving, have drained the country of its resources, by laying their unrestrained hands, far and wide, on everything that can sustain human life. Hence, what the revolution left us and the wild Indians failed to wrest from us, our own soldiery have appropriated; and to the people but little else now remains but destitution, hunger and naked- ness. * * The distribution of lands cannot be made by reason of the uninterrupted war of the savages against the settlements, which leave the people scarcely sufficient time for the cultivation of such acres as have already been granted. There are four Missions in the vicinity of this
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