Trip to the West and Texas: comprising a journey of eight thousand miles, through New-York, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana and Texas, in the autumn and winter of 1834-5.Parker, A. A. (Amos Andrew)
History
Trip to the West and Texas: comprising a journey of eight thousand miles, through New-York, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana and Texas, in the autumn and winter of 1834-5.
Parker, A. A. (Amos Andrew)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Mississippi River Valley; Frontier and pioneer life -- Texas; Mississippi River Valley -- Description and travel; Texas -- Description and travel; Texas -- History -- Revolution, 1835-1836
On the nineteenth of April, General Houston's scouts took a courier,
who gave information that the Mexican Army were near at hand, on the
west side of the San Jacinta river. Immediately, General Houston,
at the head of about seven hundred effective men, took up the line
of march and arrived in sight of the enemy on the morning of the
twentieth. The day was spent in reconnoitering the enemy, and
exchanging a few shots between the artillery without much effect on
either side. But the particulars of this battle and glorious victory,
which resulted in the
CAPTURE OF SANTA ANNA,
and the entire division under his command, we shall give in the words
of a number of individuals who were in the contest.
"On the morning of the twenty-first, the enemy commenced manoeuvering,
and we expected to be attacked in our camp, as they had received a
reinforcement of five hundred men, which made them twelve hundred
strong; but they settled down and continued throwing up a breast
work, which they had commenced at the first news of our approach. We
commenced the attack upon them at half past four o'clock, P.M. by a hot
fire from our artillery, consisting of two ordinary four pounders. The
enemy returned our fire with a long brass nine pounder. The contest was
a regular battle. The Texians, notwithstanding the great disparity of
force, positively demanded of Gen. Houston to fight. Consequently, he
ordered an advanced guard against the Mexican; yet enjoined them not
to attack, but retreat, to bring the enemy into a defile. This being
accomplished, Houston immediately flanked and attacked him in front and
on both sides--opening first with artillery, which, on the second fire,
dispersed to atoms the powder boxes of the Mexicans; and then with
rifles. The Texians then rushed in from their ambuscade, with pistols,
knives and hatchets, and completed the work of destruction. The fight
lasted about fifteen minutes, when Santa Anna ordered a retreat. The
Mexican soldiers then threw down their arms, most of them without
firing! and begged for quarters. The officers broke and endeavored to
escape. The mounted riflemen, however, soon overtook all but one, who
distanced the rest; him they ran fifteen miles, when his horse bogged
down in the prairie near the Brazos timber; he then made for the timber
on foot. His pursuers in the eagerness of the chase, dashed into the
same bog, and continued the pursuit on foot, following the trail of
the fugitive, which was very plain, owing to the recent rains, until
they reached the timber, where it was lost. The pursuers then spread
themselves and searched the woods for a long time in vain, when it
occurred to an _old Hunter_ that the chase might, like a hard pressed
bear, have taken a tree. The tree tops were then examined, when lo,
the game was discovered snugly ensconced in the forks of a large live
oak. The captors did not know who the prisoner was, until they reached
the camp, when the Mexican soldiers exclaimed, "El General, El General
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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