The Texas Almanac for 1870, and Emigrant's Guide to Texas Page: 46
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46 Tt TEXAs AuMANAC.
There I met a number of other officers, with whom I wandered at random,
buried in gloomy thoughts upon our tragic disaster. We still entertained
a hope of rallying some of our men, but it was impossible.
The enemy's cavalry surrounded the grove. while his infantry penetrated it,
pursuing us with fierce and blood-thirsty feelings.
There they killed Colonel Batrds; and it would have been all over with us
had not Providence placed us in the hands of the noble and generous captain
of cavalry, Allen, who by great exertion, saved us repeatedly from being
slaughtered by the drunken and infuriated volunteers.
Thence they marched us to their camp. I was bare-footed ; the prairie had
recently been burnt up, and the blades of grass, hardened by fire. penetrated
like needles the soles of my feet, so that I could scarcely walk. This did not
prevent them from striking me with the butt end of their gans, because I did
not walk as fast as they wanted.
These savages struck, N ith their bayonets, our wounded soldiers lying on
the way ; others, following them, consummated the sacrifice with a musket or
a pistol shot.
I cannot forbear mentioning an incident which affected me deeply. and, I
believe, had the same effect on my companions. We were about one hundred
and fifty officers and men, picked up by Allen's party, who marched us to
their camp under close guard. I have no doubt that the Americans, amidst
the hurrahs and exultation of their triumph, were lavish of insults; however,
not understanding their language, we did not feel them. But, one of our own
countrymen, who had joined the enemy's cause,'assailed us, in our own
language, with such a volley of threats, insults and abuse, that the tongue of
that vile and recreant Mexican seemed to have been wrought in the very
caves of hell, and set in motion by Lucifer himself. " Now, you shall see,'
he said, "contemptible and faithless assassins, if you do not pay with your
vile blood for your murders at the Alamo and La Bahia. The time has come
when the just cause we defend triumphs over you ; you shall pay with your
heads for the arson, robberies and depredations you have committed in our
country," &c., &c.
What a welcome for honorable men, who knew, in the depth of their
hearts, that they had acted in accordance with the dictates of duty, when,
unfortunate, prostrate, and humbled in the extreme, the fate of war had
placed their lives at the mercy of these brigands, and when they were await-
ing, with resignation, the consummation of the sacrifice ! Can such wicked
men exist?
At last, we reached the camp. We were.seated on the ground, by twos, as
we had marched. On the bay shore, our thirst had been quenched with an
abundance of water, which Allen and others allowed to pass from hand to
hand, until all of us were satisfied. A crowd gathered around us, asking,
with persistent impertinence : "General Santa Anna? General Cos ?" We
knew not the fate of these gentlemen ; but, to rid ourselves of their repeated
questions, we answered: "Dead! dead!" I still wore my embroidered
shoulder-straps on my jacket; they attracted their attention, and one after
another would say: "You General?" "Me no General l" would I answer,
until one of the 'indefatigable questioners tore off my shoulder-straps, angrily.
I was glad of it, as they ceased importuning me with their questions.
After having kept us sitting about an hour and-a-half, they marched us
into the woods, where we saw an immense fire, made up of a huge pile of
wood, even whole trees being used. I and several of my companions were
silly enough to believe that we were about to be burnt alive, in retaliation for
those who had been burnt in the Alamo. We should have considered it an
act of mercy to be shot first, Oh! the bitter and cruel moment ! -However,
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The Texas Almanac for 1870, and Emigrant's Guide to Texas, book, January 1870; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123775/m1/48/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.