The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959 Page: 516
617 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
blankets and clothes and horses and went home telling how they
whipt the Spaniards reaping the laurels of a few.
Those that fired the first guns at Gonzales and who declared on
victory or death. Those who came in when death stared them in the
face, and labored hard day and night half starved and almost fam-
ished for water, it was them that volunteered to maintain the post
untill Texas government could make some provision to keep the
Standing army here, and these men have now become almost naked,
destitute of funds having expended all for food and munitions of
war and not much to eat only some corn that we grind ourselves &
poor beef this constitutes our dayly food, but we hourly expect sup-
plies news has arrived that there is plenty of provisions & money
and clothes on the way. I hope it's true. I have strayed a little from
the subject. when volunteers were called for they were to form into
companies and elect their officers--fifty six brave souls joined into
a company of artillery and chose me for their Captain. I accepted
the command and my dear sister is it possible that the once ignorant
weak and fickle minded W. R. Carey should now be at the head of
so many brave men as their leader-It is a fact and with his parental
name. have I deserved this post of honor, its not for me to say, but
the brave proclaimed it, The forces here is commanded by Lieut. Colo
J. C. Neill who has his quarters in the Town which is called the left
wing of the forces and your brother William has the command of
the alamo which is called the right wing I am subject to the orders
of Colo Neill but he thinks a great deal of my judgment and consults
me about a number of the proceedings before he issues an order.
Brothers & sister do not think that I am vain my friends here says
I dont possess enough of vanity for my own good, except When we go
to fight the Enemy and then I think a small number of us can
whip an army of Mexicans-I know one thing, I am deceived in
myself.
When I was in Natchitoches I wrote to you and stated I believe
that soon I should look out for a companion. It would have hap-
pened this winter if the war had not commenced but fortunately it
did. My selection was nothing to boast of she is tolerably ugly and
tolerably poor and tolerably illiterate, but she is virtuous and a good
housekeeper, but there is no prospect now, as I was conversing with
a Mexican lady the other day she remarked that in time of peace
the ladies would gladly embrace the offer or accept the hand of an
officer, but in these war times they would too soon become a widow.
She may be right but I dont think it, however I have too much else
to think about now. as I have not been a graduate at West point,
I must study military affairs now for I am rejoiced at the oportunity
to do something for myself. The men in this place have sometimes
been discouraged on account of the distressed situation we are in;
for want of clothes and food. The Colo and myself has twice called516
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959, periodical, 1959; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101173/m1/615/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.