The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 4, July 1900 - April, 1901 Page: 79
366 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Escape of ffamrnes and Teal.
over 'three months. Among the acquaintances 'they had made before
their imprisonment was Mr. Robert Love, an American, who had
a hat manufactory in Matamoros. He took.charge of their baggage
when they were arrested, and had occasional conferences, with them,
and often sent messages 'through me. They were indebted mainly
to 'him for their escape, in arranging for which he was willing to
take any risk, and could do it more boldly, ,as he had fallen less under
suspicion than the rest of their friends. He secured a guide, a
ranchero, older than the whip-handle courier, who, for the present
wished 'to avoid .dangerous 'enterprises. When 'other needful di'srpo-
sitions were 'made, the program fo'r the first step, or rather the
first rush, was fixed on. The quarters 'occupied by the Texans were
a house of -one large room ,opening on 'the streett and having no back
yard -or rear entrance. It 'was about midway between 'the plaza and
the nearest edge 'of the town towards the river, where an ,old receding
of the stream ha'd left a small lagoon. This, was beyond the dwell-
ings, but not very far from 'the quarters. To this place the prison-
ers were wonlt to repair under a guard whenever ,the calls of nature
had t'o be obeyed. It 'was resolved 'that on the -evening fixed for the
escape the guide should repair to, this ,spot early in the evening,
ready mounted and leading another saddledd horse, 'and should 'there
await the appearance lo'f the prisoners. They, on their arrival, were
tlo break from 'the guard and mount, one. behind' the guide, and the
other in 'the empty saddle, when, the horses were to be put to full
speed in the safest direction. At Mr. Love's 'request, I gave infor-
mation 'of the plan to the prisoners early in the day by calling, at
their quarters, when I .delivered the message in the fewest words
possible, and 'then without 'taking a seat took my leave; for a long
conversation 'a't this juncture might afterwards seem suspicious.
The plan succeedled.
In the evening my ear 'was on the alert for the beating of a gen-
era!l 'alarm or ,some such token that the escape was effected; but I
heard none, and began to apprehend failure. If pursuit was made,
as it doubtlesss was, it was done without demonstrations. I remained
on the plaza .and its vicinity till la late hour. My way 'thence to my
lodging room was past 'the prisoners? quarters, and in going, after
10 o'clock, I took my usual course past them. The 'officer of the
guard stood at the dolor, but I saw nothing 'of the prisoners. I was
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 4, July 1900 - April, 1901, periodical, 1901; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101018/m1/93/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.