The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 47, July 1943 - April, 1944 Page: 325

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Letters and Documents

A LETTER FROM OLD GOLIAD*
Edited by MARIAN YEAGER
Fort Defiance Laberdeo Texas March 8, 1836
[Gerard Burch Esqr.
Columbus, Ga.
U. States]1
Dear Sir
I avale my self of the oppitunity of addrising you a few lines to let you
know that I am well and harty. I am at this time stationed at Laberdeo
on the San Antonio River. The enemy is at hand we expect to be attacked
every hour. They have arrived at San Antonio six thousand troups and
have been fighting the Americans Troops for the last fifteen days. We
recieved an exprese this evening that the Americans have not had a man
killed and only three slightly wounded. There is about two hundred that
has possision of the Fort2 and will keep possision of it if there ammunition
holds out till they can be reenforced. The citizens of Texas is turning
out to a man, the Mexicans has got possision of San Patricio and are
concentrating their troops and fortifying that place. Colonel Johnson with
about twenty men was attacked at that place in the knight and only
four or five made there escape and John Love was one of the men (Doctor
Hart that lived) Doctor Brodneax was seen to fall in the street and has
not been heard of since. Rubin Brown and Colonel Grant with about thirty
men was attacked in a open perary and both of them fel and all of there
men that was not kiled was taken prisoners. I have not time to write
you the perticulars. I wish you to attend to my business and not let my
family want for any thing until I return. State to my wife that I am
well and was going to write to knight and send the letter with this but
since I have been writing this letter they have been an exprese receved
that two thousand Mexicans has landed at a creek in nine miles of us
and there is no doubt but what we shall be attacked before day. They
have foure canon with them. I have no time to write more. You shall
here from me by every oppertunity. This letter is sent with a exprese.
Thomas B. Rees
M. B. The exprese recieved to night from the sorce it came by all
probability is not true but we are preparing for them. Texas has
declared Independence
Thos. B. Rees
*This letter is in the possession of Mrs. J. F. Rotzler, San Antonio,
Texas; it was written by her great-grandfather, Thomas B. Rees, who
came to Texas in 1836 as a member of the Georgia Battalion. Rees is
listed on page 5, Army Rolls in the General Land Office as "Thomas B.
Rees, First Lieutenant of Captain William A. O. Wadsworth's Company
at Muster, February 29, 1836."
The letter was postmarked April 19, 1836, at New Orleans; it was sent
by Pony Express to Matagorda from Goliad and by boat to New Orleans.
Lt. Rees was killed several days later at Goliad.
'The letter bears this outside address; the outside also shows it to have
been written at "Coleta Creek La Bohia."
2The Alamo.

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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 47, July 1943 - April, 1944, periodical, 1944; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146054/m1/358/ocr/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.

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