The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937 Page: 28
348 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
strength of the city, a call was made for volunteers to attack it
early the next morning. The plan of assault proposed that three
hundred troops should be led into the town in three divisions.
Deaf Smith, J. W. Smith, and Hendrick Arnold, a free Negro,
were to act as guides to the three divisions.5
During that day and night, preparations were made for the
assault, and the men waited impatiently for the hour to advance.
General Burleson, who replaced Austin as commander-in-chief,
called a council of officers, and this council decided to postpone
the attack. The value attached to Hendrick Arnold may be judged
by the fact that his absence was given as the main reason for
postponing the assault, the officers of one of the divisions refus-
ing to march without him."
Early in the afternoon an order was issued to abandon the
siege that evening and set out for La Bahia. Meanwhile, a de-
serter from the Mexican Army betrayed the weakness of the gar-
rison and encouraged the Texans to the assault, and Arnold, the
absent Negro guide, returned. Colonel Benjamin R. Milam, tak-
ing advantage of the sudden enthusiasm among the men, made a
stirring call for volunteers to follow him into the town. Green-
bury Logan, a free Negro, stepped forward with a part of Cap-
tain York's company to which he then belonged, to join the rest
of the storming party. Milam was immediately elected to the
command and selected the rendezvous to be met at dark. The
attacking party was divided into two divisions, the first under
the immediate command of Colonel Milam, with Hendrick Arnold
as guide, and the second under Colonel Frank W. Johnson, with
Deaf Smith and John W. Smith as guides.7 On the morning of
December 5, the assault was made; Arnold according to the plan
"acted as pilot to Col. Milam in conducting his Troops in the
Town,"s and they began fighting their way in from house to
house with great courage and determination, finally forcing Gen-
eral Cos to capitulate five days later. Hendrick Arnold performed
his service well. F. W. Johnson, who was left in command upon
'Papers of the Third Legislature, Joint Resolution No. 43, File 47. H.
Yoakum, History of Texas from Its First Settlement in 1685 to Its Annex-
ation to the United States in 1846, II, 24.
UState Gazette (Austin), September 1, 8, 1849. Yoakum, History of
Texas, II, 25.
'Yoakum, History of Texas, II, 25.
Papers of the Third Legislature, Joint Resolution No. 43, File 47.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937, periodical, 1937; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101099/m1/36/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.