The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-05-08

ocd through the crowd; but the old
General sat whiting away, as cool
as a cucumber, and seemed deter
mined that the next victory he gain
cd should be in his own camp.
"BoyS," said he-and he stood up,
took another quid, shut his knife,
and continucd-"Boys you want to
fght-very praiseworthy, indeed
your courage is certainly very prais-
worthy-but suppose the enemy
brings artillery with him, can you,
will you, take the responsibility of
giving battle before our tardy fell
low citizens come up to reinforce
us? How will you answer it to your
conscicnccS if the republic falls back
under the Mexican yoke, because
an undisciplined mob would not wait
the favorable moment for a fight r?
No, no, offensive must retire to
the Brazos, where our rifles will give
us the advantage; whilst here we
should have to charge the enemy,
who is five times our strength, in the
open prairie. Don't doubt your
courage, as you call Though it's
only fool .hardincss-but | represent
the republic, and am answerablc to
the whole people for what do.
Can't allow you to fight hcrc.-Oncc
more | summon you to follow Inc to
San Felipe, and all who wish well
to Texas will be ready in an hours
time. Every moment we may ex-
pect to see the enemy on the other
side Of the river. Once more then
to the banks Of the Brazos !"
The old General walked off to his
tent, and the crowd bctook them
selves to their fires, murmuring and
dlscontcd, and put their rifles in or
der. But in an hour and half, the
Texan army left their camp on the
Colorado. Sam Houston had pre-
vailed, and the next evening he and
his men reached San Felipe, and =,
without pausing there, marched up
the river. On the Both March the
first squadron of the enemy showed
itself near San Felipe. The inhab-
itants abandoned their well stored
shops and houses, set fire to them
with their own hands, and fled across
the river. The Mexicans entered
the town, and their rage was bound
less when, instead of a rich booty.
they found heaps of ashes. Houston
had now vanished, and his foes could
nowhere track him, till he suddenly,
and Of his own accord, reappcarcd
upon the scene, and fell on them like
a thundcrbolt, amply rerutng the
false and base charge brought against
him by his enemies, that he had re-
treated through cowardice. But to
this day it is a riddle to me how he
managed to reduce to obedience the
unruly spirits he commanded and to
induce them to retreat across the
Brazos to Buffalo Bayou. or one
thing | am certoin--only Sam Hous-
ton could have done it; no other
man in the republic.
Mr.. Gutenberg escaped from all
his pcrils in time to share the rcioic-
ings Of the Texans at the final cyac-
uation Of the country by the Mexi-
can army. And certainly they had
cause for eAultation, not only at be-
ing rid of their cruel and semi-bar-
barous oppresSors, but in the pcrse-
vcring galIantry they had displayed
throughout the whole campaign, du-
ring which many errors were COM
mitted and many lives uselessly sac
riliced, but of which the close was
nevertheless so glorious to those en-
gagged in it. Unskilled in military
tactics, without discipline or resour-
ces, the stubborn courage of hand
ful of American backwoodSmen pro-
veh.an overmatch for Santa Anna
and his hosts, and the fairest and
freshest leaf of the Mexican cactus
was rent from the parent stem, new
er to be reunited.