Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-07-29
HousroN. Nav. 1879.

Mosquitoes- Battle-Ground of San Jaointo-- Arrival
at Houston
HoUsroS, May, 1853.
EDITOR OF JOURNAL: My last from Calves
ton, informed you that should leave at
four o'clock p. NJ, for this place. Acoor-
q oingly that hour found me on board the
good steamboat Neptune; but alas not
supposing should meet with any difficulty,
neglected to secure state-room In the
morning, and on my presenting myself at
the Office, was informed that not only all
the rooms were engaged, but the tables,
floor, and not even aplace left to lean
against. This to anervous man would have
been damper, but to one accustomed to
rough it, it had but little inconvenience,
and the only effect this intelligence had,
was to put my ingenuity to work to lay some
plan whereby the old enemy, time, might be
slain. Our captain, with all his energy and
industry, could not get ready to ring his
three taps until six O'Clock, when our en-
Gneers set their machinery to work. alsl
the Neptune sped on her course up Gal
weston Bay, for some hours. There was
but little to excite an interest in the trav-
eler, if | NAV except the wreck of the
steamboat Farmer, which, you may recol-
lect, blew up a short time since, with
sacrifice of so many lives. There lay her
remains, a sad, sad monument to human
recklessness and folly. \ young gentle
man, who was passenger on board at
the time of the catastrophe, pointed out
| to me where the accident occurred, and
tobserved that short time previous to the
Explosion he had retired to his state-room,
feaving q very large party in the social
Jhall, engaged in the interesting game of
poker. He had just got to sleep, when, as
|. ali ,
the bay with the roof of the cabin over
him. With presence of mind he could
not account for, he Mt a moment compre-
hended his position, and by determined
effort succeeded in gaining the hurricane
| deck, and was also fortunate enough iii res
cuing his room companion. The only in
convsn fence he experienced was the loss Of
his baggage, and night bath in the bay. But
| his companion was less fortunate; he, poor
fellow, had his thigh badly fractured, aud is
yet unable to leave his bed. The geutemcu
! in the social hall, were without an exception
'seut to that bourne from which no traveller
returns" Such was the melancholy exit Of
the Farmer.
! This short but sad story the hour--the
| pale moonheams playing over her remains
did not tend to elevate my spirits, and L
gazed upon the bable within. There
| found two tables surrounded by gentlemen,
/ (coats off, most industriously engaged in
the same popular game e. poker. They
We're working with an industry which would
have been commendable in better cause.
| The fate of the Farmers passengers was
1 forgotten, and from the hilarity which pre-.
vailed one would have supposed that an ac-
/ cident by steam was for the first vet to occur.
| | continued strolling about, (having no
place to rest my head, with the fond expec-
tation of reaching our place of debarkation
! by daylight-but, alas for all human cal
culations, our pilot run us upon bar,
where we were forced to remain. A lighter
was Immediately sent for, and all hanl s
set to work to transfer our cargo, when,
after toiling until after sunrise, we were
once more afoat. To add to our annoy
ance, the moment our boat ceased running,
the mosquitoes became lntolerable, and such
waving of handkerehiefs, grumbling and
muttering at the impudent visitors, had
more the tendency to amuse than to excite
! discomfort.
! But we were once more under way, and
was too much interested in the scenes
We were passing TO attend to aught else.
| The battle-ground of San Jacinto--where
| Gen. Houston taught that arch fiend, Santa
Anna, what it was to contend with free
men has peculiar interest for every
American. 1t is a lovely, rolling prairie,
with few line oaks interspersed to grace
Its beautiful slopes, and give it the APP
pearanee of syivan retreat, where inno-
cencc itself might seek repose. Few who
now gaze upon it would ever suppose that
here mans worst passions had been aroused
that here hatred and revenge had done
their work-that here natures carpet had
been drenched by the blood of contending
foes. Yes, here was the spot where the
suffering Texans had given peace to their
country and security to their homes. The
treacherous Mexicans at this spot met with
defeat, and their leader found himself a
captive. Many incidents related to me re-
specting this battle, although full of in
terest, would be too tedious for recital
here. This spot, sacred to every Texan,
soon was lost in the distance, and after
passing many beautiful spots, we entered
Buffalo Bayou, ut the head of which stands
the city of Houston, wh,re we found our
selves, tired, hungry and sleepy, about one
o'cloekP.M. Asi shall not leave for day
or two, | will, in my next, give YOU q hasty