The banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847, 1846-04-22
GALLANT EXPLOIT OF GEN. LAMAR

GALLANT EXPLOIT OF GEN LAMAR
1t is perhaps not generally known that
the celebrated Lamar owes much of his
success in the military and political
world to a single gallant exploit per-
formed by him at the battle of San Ja-
cinto. Almost all great men have been
indebted to some casual circumstance
to suggest and guide the course of their
after life; and so too has it been with
Lamar.
The fortunate and glorious chance
which led to Lamar's attainment of the
highest military rank his countrymen
could bestow upon him, and afterwards
to the highest civic honors, was as fol-
lows.
Mirabeau B. Lamar. a native of the
State of Georgia, and an adopted citi-
zen Of Texas, entered the battle of San
Jacinto as private dragon. During
the slsirmish with the enemy's cavalry,
on the day preceding the battle, the
horse of Lamar, wild and impetuous
animal, carried his equally impetuous
rider at full gallop away from his own
companions into the very centre of bo-
dy of Mexican horse. The young dra-
goon was immediately surrounded, and
though fighting desperately, was made
prisoner and placed in the custody of
two Mexicans, also dragons. In this
position, Lamar remained for some time
an unwilling spectator of the fight which
was now becoming general.
1t was all irksome position to one
possessing the feelings Of the young
Georgian, and he resolved to free him
self from his guard, or perish in the at
tempt. He was still upon horseback
u huge, dark looking Mexican on each
side of him-but he had been deprived
of his sword when captured, and was
altogether unarmed. Each of the dra-
goons wore a large sabre at his belt,and
on one of these the eyes of Lamar be-
came fixed. Graspiag the belt with a
fierce eagcrness, the young Texan sue
cccdcd in securing both sword and scab
bard, and then drawing the former, he
put spurs to his horse and galloped of
towards his comrades, who were, from
their position, witnesses of the feat. But
Lamar was not destined to reach the
Texan lines without fighting for it. AS
soon as the troops on the ground percci-
we'd that he had escaped from his guard j.,
a general rush was made to intercept
him: and several horsemen galloped be-
tween him and the approach to the Tex
an lines.
Lamar, brave rs lion, was soon en-
gagged with several Mexicans at once :;
but having resolved to die rather than
be taken second time, he soon cut his
way through the enemy's lines, and
amidst the whlstling bullets and the
huzzas of his comrades: many of whom
had been witnesses Of his exploit, he
was carried back to his friends.
is gallant action was performed on
the1ay preceding that of the battle of
San Jacinto. Lamar was then. as we
have before mentioned, only a private
dragon. On the day of the battle,
however, Captain Lamar, by the order
and appointment of Gen. Houston, COM
mander-in- chief, led the Texan cavalry,
company of about thirty mounted men,
into the fight. Lamar soon rose in the
estimation OF his adopted fellow.cit,zens
and afterwards, as is we'll known, be-
came President of the Lone Star" re-
public
Lamar did not make bad use of the
sword which he wrested from the Mexi-
can dragoon for having returned on
visit to his native country, he presented
it to MIR: Peale, who deposited it in the
Philadelphia Museum, where it is still
to be seen among the thousand and one
curiosities ofthe place.-Saturday Cour.
A correspondent of the N. York
Mirror tells the following story of