Texas Almanac, 1859 Page: 61
[224] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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TEXAS REVOLUTION. 61
kind on band. While I was searching a pile of plunder taken from the battle-
field, taking some sheets for bandages, etc., some young men occupied in examin-
ing the Mexican pistols, accidentally touched the trigger of one of them, causing
it to discharge a ball which grazed the chin of Col. Handy, as he was writing, en-
tering his left arm, while he sat taking an inventory of the articles. He fell,
though not dangerously wounded; and the burning wad, falling on some cart-
ridges, caused over twenty cartridge-boxes to explode, scattering the fragments in
every direction. I seized a bucket on the bank of the Bayou, close by, and filling it
with water, I dashed it over the burning combustibles,-and stopped the further
explosion. In my further examination of the plunder, I found a good supply of
bees-wax and tallow, which served my purpose, for the.time, for making salves.
THE SPOILS.
Twelve thousand dollars in specie were captured from the enemy, and it had
been decided that it should be distributed among the captors. As the camp, under
command of Gen. Rusk, had now moved up to Dr. Patrick's, some three
miles above, on account of the offensive atmosphere in the vicinity of the battle-
field, occasioned by the dead, I therefore authorized Capt. Logan to receive my
share of the prize-money. But instead of getting any share of this, Cols. Forbes
and Burleson brought an account of $15 against me, for sheets I had used for the
wounded. Thus it was; the money had been counted so often, and by so many,
that it naturally stuck to their fingers, till but $7000 were left. I was told that
Gen. Houston cursed them in his peculiar way for their rascally conduct, and
swore the money should be counted no more. His cursing, as usual, did very
little good; and, as usual also, those who did the least towards securing the vic-
tory, appropriated to themselves the largest share of the spoils. The drones got
the best of the food in camp, and at the last, they seized on all the money they
could touch, whilst the hard workers fared the worst. I got nothing. The blan-
kets, saddles, horses, etc., taken from the enemy, were sold at auction, but I know
not what became of the proceeds. Col. Lamar was tho highest bidder for Santa
Anna's saddle, his bid, I believe, being $300. It was richly mounted with silver.
Some friends of Gen. Houston claimed it for him, but Lamar insisted on his right
to his purchase, contending also that he had done as much as Houston to secure
the victory. I understood that $3000 were voted to the navy, but I know not
whether any in the navy ever got a dollar of it.
URISSA'S ACCOUNT OF THE ALAMO MASSACRE.
One day Dr. Phelps being about to leave for his place on the Brazos, requested
me to take charge of some eight or nine of the wounded, thus adding to my
labors. Among others, he pointed out to me a Mexican officer wounded on the
20th, on whom Dr. Cooper had been attending. Learning that this officer was
present at the storming of the Alamo, I desired him to give me a statement of the
facts connected with that event, which had happened but a few weeks before, and
about which our information was vague and uncertain. He first made some
inquiries of the details of the battle of the 21st, the number of killed, wounded,
etc., asking the names of the Mexican officers that had been taken prisoners, and
that had been killed. "Is General Castrion alive ?" said he. "No," said I, "his
body has been identified on the battle-field, his breast and both arms pierced with
balls." "Poor Castrion," said he, the tears coming into his eyes, "he was a good
man. Can you have him buried? He was opposed to Santa Anna exposing him-
self as he did, by going in advance of his main army; but Santa Anna would not
listen to him. When you opened on us on the 20th, I was in the act of putting
my foot in the stirrup, when a slug-shot struck my hip, tearing off the flesh, as
you see. Santa Anna was near me, but paid no regard to me, as Castrion was
then forewarning him of our probable defeat, although young, Castrion was the
best general in our army. And as regards the slaughter of the Alamo, Castrion
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Texas Almanac, 1859, book, 1859~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123765/m1/62/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.