The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899 Page: 22
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22 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
ers more effectually. As he was laying the foundation of a fort
near Anahuac, a large brick kiln had just been emptied, and all
the masons and carpenters were forced to go down 'and put it up for
a prison. In the course of a week the work was completed, and
two large cannons placed on a platform near by. The two prisoners
were now to be conducted to the new prison. The whole garrison
was put under arms. The cavalry made a display ,at the head of a
column. The letter to 0. P. Q. had caused a double line of sentry to
be placed inside with the prisoners, who were thus doubly guarded
in order to be kept safe till the whole force of the garrison was
ordered out to conduct the prisoners to the new place of confine-
ment." In another part of the same narrative it is recorded that,
some ten or fifteen men who were taken prisoners by the Mexi-
cans in one of the skirmishes between the latter and the citizens,
during those troubles, were put to hard labor, tramping clay and
moulding it into bricks. Thus, not only was the old fort built by the
compulsory labor of colonial carpenters and masons, but its very
bricks were made and moulded by the feet 'and hands of prisoners
taken while fighting in defense of their liberties.
But this state of things could not continue long, and the deter-
mined action of the citizen soldiery at that time, no doubt, had a
powerful influence in shaping the conciliatory policy which pre-
vailed during the ensuing year. In the fall of 1832 Colonell Souve-
rain, who had succeeded Bradburn in command of the garrison,
chartered two schooners from Wm. and David Harris and with the
garrison sailed for Tampico. However, the evacuation of the fort
was temporary, for, on May 30th, Stephen F. 'Austin wrote from
Matamoras, that, "Mr. George Fisher will leave here shortly to
enter upon the duties of Collector of Galveston, with only a suffi-
cient number 'of troops for necessary guards." * * * *
Anahuac was known as the Port of Galveston, and here the rev-
enue officer had his official station, but history is silent with regard
to the official acts of George Fisher, and it was not until June,
1835, that little Anahuac again became the scene of resistance to
oppression; this time, Wm. B. Travis and Patrick Jack, the former
prisoners, performed the part of "rescuers of the imprisoned."
The story is best told by letters of actors which explain and cor-
rect certain erroneous statements in historical records.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899, periodical, 1898/1899; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101011/m1/26/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.