The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 12, July 1908 - April, 1909 Page: 67
332 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Recollections of S. F. Sparks.
insulting him. The poor fellow was nearly out of his wits, and
said, "What shall I do? They told me he was a blacksmith, and
I did not know that he was General Houston." Finally some one
told him the best plan was to go to Houston and ask forgiveness.
So he went, and with hat off, he tremblingly told his story. Gen-
eral Houston said, "My friend, they told you right, I am a very
good blacksmith," and taking up the gun, he snapped it two or
three times, and said, "She is in good order now, and I hope you
are going to do some good fighting."
That night the guard received orders to arrest any one who
should attempt to go in or out of the lines. After all the officers
had retired for the night, General Houston attempted to pass. He
was hailed by one of the guard, "Who comes there ?" "I am Gen-
eral Houston, let me pass on." "I don't know you to be General
Houston, and don't you move or I'll shoot. General Houston said,
"Call the sergeant of the guard." The guard called him and his
number, and then said, "Mark time now, or I'll kill you." And
the General marked time. When the sergeant came, he did not
know the General, and carried him to the guard fire. After he
had been there a while, he sent and had General Rusk waked up,
and he came and released General Houston.
The next day we took up the line of march for Harrisburg.
The road was new and boggy, and the prairies covered with water.
We had but few wagons, and our teams were insufficient to travel
very fast, so we soon began to bog down. General Houston would
dismount from his horse, and go into the mud and water, and say,
"Come on men, let's roll her out." If the men did not respond
as he thought they ought to, he would be the first to take hold of
the wheels.
Houston then detailed ten men, and gave them to G. B. Crann,
and gave ten others to me, and said to Crann, "Here are your
wagons," and to me, "Here are yours." Dividing the number
equally between us, then he said, "When you see either of your
wagons begin to do down in the mud, order your men to take hold
and roll them out, and if they refuse to do, it, report them to me."
There were no more bogged wagons that night. We got through
the mud, and into a road that had been traveled so that the teams
were enabled to manage the wagons without the aid of the men.
The next day I was detailed with five or six other men to, gather
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 12, July 1908 - April, 1909, periodical, 1909; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101048/m1/75/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.