Texas -- History -- Revolution, 1835-1836 -- Fiction
On the fourth day of the attack the Texans fought their way to what was
called the Zambrano Row, which line of stone buildings reached to one
end of the Main Plaza. "Let us get to the Main Plaza, and Cos will be
done for!" was the cry.
From one house the Texans cut their way through the thick stone walls
to the next, until at last the whole row was theirs, and the Mexicans
were driven in every direction.
The Main Plaza could now be covered in part, but during the coming
night the Texans captured still another building, called the Priest's
House, which fronted directly on the great square. As soon as this was
captured, the Texans barricaded doors and windows, and made of the
house a regular fort.
"We've got 'em on the run," said more than one Texan, after the
Priest's House had been barricaded, and this proved to be true. With
both the Military Plaza and the Main Plaza swept by the fire of the
enemy, the Mexicans knew not what to do. The citizens of the town were
in a panic, and men, women, and children ran the streets as if insane.
Then the cry went up in Spanish: "To the Alamo! To the Alamo!" and away
went the civilians, some with their household effects on their backs.
Seeing this, the Mexicans also withdrew, meaning at first to protect
the inhabitants (which was unnecessary, for the Texans did not wish to
molest them), and then to reorganise at the Alamo for an attack on
General Burleson's camp. But at the Alamo things were in the utmost
confusion, and before General Cos could call his troops together, some
of them fled, making straight for the Rio Grande River.
This wound up the fighting, and it was not long before the Mexican
general sent out a flag of truce, asking upon what terms the Texans
would receive his surrender. The Texans were very lenient, and the
matter was quickly settled. The loss to the Texans had been about
thirty killed and wounded; the loss to the Mexicans was six or eight
times greater.
CHAPTER XXIV.
A MIDNIGHT DISCOVERY.
In view of what was to follow at Goliad, it will be well for us to look
for a moment at the terms which the Texans made with General Cos at the
time of the latter's surrender.
The Texans, having things all their own way, might have been very
dictatorial in their demands, yet they agreed to allow General Cos and
his officers to retain their arms and all of their private property.
The Mexican soldiers were to return home or remain in Texas as they
preferred, the convicts which had been pressed into the service were to
be conducted across the Rio Grande River under guard, and the sick and
wounded were to be left to the care of the Texans. On his retreat
General Cos took with him over eleven hundred men, many of whom were
armed against a possible attack by the Indians.
"I think he is getting off easy," observed Dan, when it became known
under what conditions the Mexican commander was leaving. "I don't
believe he would be so considerate with us."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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