The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-11-21
Battle of San Jacinto..,3

1.-The night when preceded lne uioouy
slaughtered San Jacinto, rolled ailxious-
ly away, and brightly broke forth the
morning Of the last day of Texan SER
vitude, Before the first gray lines. shot
up the East. three strange taps Of a
drum was heard in the camp, and 700
soldiers sprang to their feet as one
man. The camp was busy with the
soldiers hum OF prep aration forbattle;
but in the midst, of it all, Houston slept
on calmly and profoundly. The SOL
diers had eaten the last neal they were
to eat until they had won their inde-
pendenee. They were under arms
ready for the struggle. ''f n IL
Atlast the glorious sun came up, over
the Prairie, without a single cloud. 1t
shone full and clear in the face Of the
Hero, andil walked him to battle. He
| sprang to his feet and exclaimed, "the
sun Of Austerlitz has risen again" His
face was calm, and for the FIRST time in
many weeks, every shade oftrouble ehad
moved away from his brow. He or
dered his Commissary General, Col.
John Forbes 20 provldetwo good axes,
and then sent for Deaf Smith. He took
this faithful and intrepid mann aside, and
ordered him to conceal the axes in
safe. place near by, where he,could lay
his. hands on them at moments warn
ing, and not to pass the lines 'oi the
sentinels, thatsday without his special
orders, nor to be out of his call.
= g Morning wore away, and about 8
o'clock, large body ofmen was seen
moving over a swell Of the Prairie in
| the direction Of Santa Annals camp.
They were believed to be powerful
force whichihad come to join the Mex
leans, and ,theaspectacle produced no
little excitement in the Texan lines
Houston saw it alta glance, and quel
ledapprehension byicoolly remarking
that nihey were the same men they hao
seen the day before-they had march
ed round :,tie swell in the Prairie and
returned in sight Of the Texan Camp
to alarmtheir,foe, with the appearance
| of an immense relntorcement-for l
. was very evident Santa Anna did no
!: wish to fight. But it was all ruse d
: guerre that could be easilyseen through
r a mere Merican trick" .ps6ot
!. All this did very we'll, and yet Hous
ton, Of course, had quite different no
6 ton on the subject. He sent Dea
I Smith and conrade with confdentla
s orders as spies on their rsarwar
It march,. Theyssoou, returned, and re
ported publicly that ',he General wa
IT rigtt-it was all "a humbug." A lev
's1 minutes after, Deaf Smith whlspere
a quite another story in the private ea
. % ofthe commander. The enemy see
" = was reinforcement of $40 men, unde
- General, Cos, who had heard Santa Al
mas cannon the day before on the Br;
c. eos, and come on by forced marches
., ioin his standard. But the secret wa
ng kent until ii did no harm to reveal
ht A proposition owa asJmade to the Gene
th al 10 construct a floating bridge ov'
in Buffalo Bayou, (which might be use
a. in the event of danger2."e Houston g
W dered his. Adjdtant and Inspector Ge
he erals and an Aide to ascertain II Il
- necessary materials could be obtaine
aa' They reported that by tearing down
Da' house in the neighborhoOd, they coul
ne me |.sWe will postpone il while at
;a' ~ ey ents,na was Honston's reply. In I
m ~ meantime, he had ordered Deaf Sml
40 to report him, withea companion w
mounted, He retired, with them
'' where the axes had, been deposited
ere ere the morning. Taking one in eth
~. mt hand and xamining them carefully,
nO' m handed them to the two trusty fello'
,.s ,,s saving, SHOW, my friends, take the
a ~, axes, mount, and make The best OF yo
sr. m way 10 Vince's bridge;icutit down a
the burn it up, and come back like eagl
" or you win be too late aforlthe day
the This was the bridge over which be
tier parties had crossed In their march
an The Ebattle ground Of San Jacinto, a
nee ii cut off all escape tor the vanqulsh'
ore .sThis,''ssaia Deaf Smith, in his dI
p,i- way, ts;iooks a good deal like Zig
inc General at s6sl ps'aesl
The readerswill not failtonotlce
IN ID difference between, Housion's calcl
cn. tions of~the results of that day, .
the those Of someSof his officers. They
yes. thought themselves Of building
lana Ebridge-sheso of cutting down and bu
inefhe onlg bridge IN the neigbborho
neal M The, fact wass H6us:on was detsrmil
~ lhisarmy yshould Gene offvic.ofious