The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931 Page: 146
359 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
their dark doom. As a tribute of respect and admiration of their
bravery, the Mexicans buried these three, with a few of their own
officers within the fortress; but, the precise spot I have been un-
able to assertain. The remainder of the patriots, with their own
common soldiery, who were slain, amounting to 1500 were burned
in a heap without the fortress. The place is marked by a heap of
black and mouldering earth, covered with a rank and noxious
growth of weeds.
The town of San Antonio is situated on the river of the same
name, about four miles from its source, and 150 from the gulf. It
stands in the midst [of] a large and fertail plain, surrounded by
low hill, water'd by many beautiful little streams, but almost des-
titute of timber. The river is of purest limped water, equal in
beauty to any I've seen and superiror in size to any of the same
class in Texas. Like the San Marcus, Blancho, Comal, etc it is
supplied by springs, equal, if it does not surpass any of those above
named in the facility with which its waters may be applied to manu-
factures. The town and valy of San Antonio is said to have con-
tained at one time 1500 inhabitants. It does not now contain more
than 800 or 1000. During the Texan revolution many of the
wealth[i]er class removed to Mexico. Many have been killed.
The town has been the theater of more than fifty battles. The
military squares, of which there are two, have been heaped with
the slain. The houses that surround the square, and the church,
which occupies the center are perforated by hundreds of musket
and cannon shot. The latter only can produce any other effect than
merely knocking off the stucco: for each house, is in its sell a
fortress. One story high, the walls of stone three feet thick,-Roof
flat of stone or cement or rather both. The wall is raised as a
parapet three or four feet above the roof. Upon the top of these
houses, beligerent partys took their posts- upon these they fought.
I have been told by citizens here that they had seen the blood run
from these roofs in streams as large as a mans arm. But few of
the houses, have windows, and those defended by a strong iron
grate. I've seen the bars of these windows that had been cut in
two by cannon shot. Even the bells of the chapel have been broken
three or four at least by shot - the stucco of the belfry is full of
holes as a honeycomb. Streets unpaved, irregular, narrow and
crooked. When wet they are excessively muddy - and owing to1'46
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931, periodical, 1931; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101091/m1/156/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.