The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, July 1912 - April, 1913 Page: 35
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Kentucky and the Independence of Texas
In November, 1835, Captain B. H. Duval's company known as
the "Mustangs," and destined to acquire renown as a part of Fan-
nin's command, set out from Bardstown, Kentucky, fifty-four in
number, and proceeded by way of Louisville to New Orleans.,
From this point the men sailed to Velasco, landing at Quintana,
and from thence made their way by Copano and Refugio to Goliad,
where they joined the force under the command of Colonel J. W.
Fannin. The whole of the auxiliary volunteers in Texas at this
time is said not to have greatly exceeded 400 men, chiefly under
Fannin.2 Be that as it may, there is no question of the gallant
account given of themselves by these volunteers in the disaster
which wiped out their band, many of whom, it is said, were naked
and barefoot.8 The Mustangs occupied the rear, forming one side
of a square when Fannin was surrounded. They repulsed Urrea,
leading a cavalry charge. Never did soldiers find themselves in
a more helpless predicament, whatever may have been the cause,
than did the members of this devoted band. Yet they sold their
lives dearly and only laid down their arms when further resistance
was useless. In the fighting which took place prior to the sur-
render, the American loss was not heavy, most of the casualties,
according to one account, being inflicted by Indian sharp-shooters.
Practically the whole of Captain Duval's company was later mas-
sacred. In addition to these, twenty-six members of the Louisville
1Kentucky Gazette, February 20, 1836. For an account of this com-
pany, see Duval, Early Times in Texas. The volunteers from Lexington, it
seems, were placed in the Huntsville (Ala.) company under the command
of Captain Wyatt and Lieutenant Benjamin T. Bradford, a native of
Louisville.
2Kennedy, Texas, II, 199. "Fannin's force of about 300 men was com-
posed almost exclusively of volunteers from the United States." Smith,
"The Quarrel Between Governor Smith and the Council," in THE QUAR-
TERLY, V, 343. Cf., however, as to number with Fannin, Bancroft, North
Mexican States and Texas, II, 219, 222. On the indifference of the Texans,
see Barker, "The Texan Revolutionary Army," in THE QUARTERLY, IX,
238-239, and Bancroft, II, 198. Captain B. H. Duval, writing to his father,
says: "Not a Texian was in the field, nor has even one yet made his ap-
pearance at this post." THE QUARTERLY, I, 49. A recent writer thinks
that without the help of the volunteers Texas could not have defeated
Mexico. The statement, however, that most of them returned to their
homes after the war is probably erroneous. Bassett, Life of Andrew Jack-
son, II, 679.
8A letter from an officer to the editors of the Journal of Commerce (New
York) alludes to the malignant form party spirit had taken. "We have
had no bread for several days. I am nearly naked, without shoes and
without money; we suffer much." Evening Post, April 19, 1836.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, July 1912 - April, 1913, periodical, 1913; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101058/m1/41/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.