The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 7, July 1903 - April, 1904 Page: 57
xvi, 340 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Reminiscences of Early Tewans.
light I showed my captor a certificate from my captain of my good
conduct in the storming of Bexar. I also represented my penniless
condition and the probable destitution of my wife. My captor
seemed moved and handed me two dollars saying-"This is all the
money I have-but I can do without it and it may relieve you a lit-
tle." I now enquired the name of my generous captor. He told me
it was Smith-Deaf Smith!-When we arrived at Goliad I was
handed over to Col. Fannin. Mr. Conrad, of Goliad, who claimed
the horse I rode, made the necessary proof and took his property.
After a short detention I was exonerated from the charge of theft
and released. I now set out for home on foot. I crossed the Gua-
dalupe at the Labahia road. As the Mexican army of invasion was
known to be near our frontier the few settlers on the lower portion
of the Guadalupe had already abandoned their homes and moved
eastward. About eight miles east of the river I found a house which
had evidently been very recently vacated. A fresh wagon track led
from the door in the direction I was traveling. I followed this
wagon-track with the hope of overtaking the movers and late in the
evening got in sight of the wagon on the waters of Lavaca. I also
saw the oxen grazing in the prairie. When I arrived at the wagon
some trunks were lying, broken open, around it, but no person was
visible. At a short remove was a thicket, and it occurred to me that
the movers were encamped in it. I walked a few steps towards it
and found the half naked body of a man, pierced with many
wounds and scalped.-IHastily glancing around, I discovered another
dead man-much mangled and scalped. I knew at once that this
was the work of Indians-who were doubtless then but a short dis-
tance from that spot, as the wounds of the murdered men were still
bleeding. I was greatly shocked and traveled on with reasonable
fears of becoming the next victim of the savages.
An hour or two after night, being much fatigued, I turned a few
paces aside from the road and wrapping my blanket around me, lay
down in the grass and was soon asleep. The day had been warm,
but long before midnight I awoke thoroughly chilled and a piercing
norther was sweeping over the prairie. I slept no more that night.
When daylight came I resumed my journey slowly and painfully,
for my limbs were so stiff and numb that at first, I was barely able to
move at all. Early in the day I struck the road leading from San
Felipe to Gonzales. Here I found several armed men encamped,
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 7, July 1903 - April, 1904, periodical, 1904; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101030/m1/61/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.