The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-04-13


be able to make flag. But if you feel
excused for your conduct at San Antonio,
you have not the same excuse for the mas
sacre of Col. Fannin's command. They
had capitulatcd OH terms prollered by your
General. And yet, after the capi,uation
they were all perfidiously massacrcd, with
out even the consolation Of dying with arms
! in their hands,"
(Those who were present say that when
! Houston came to speak of the Goiad trag-
c''y. it seemed impossible for him to restrain
his Indignation. His eye flashed like a
! wild beasts, and in his gigantic effort TO
curb in his wrath, cold sweat ran off from
his brow in strcamS.)
s. i'd declare to you General Qay-
ing his hand on his hearty that was not
apprizcd Of the fact that they had capt,,-
lated. Gen. Urea Informed me that he
had conquered them in IL battle, and under
! this impression | ordered their execution"
U-'"l know, General, that the men had
capi:ulatcd."
S. A.-"Ihcn | was ignorant of it. And
after your asscvcration, should not have
shadow Of doubt, if it were not that Gen.
Urea had no authority whatever to receive
their capitulation. And if the day ever
comes that can get Urea into my hands,
will execute him for his duplicity in not
giving me information of the facts"
Here the conversation was suspended for
Il while, and Santa Anna requested small
piece Of opium. 1t was ordered by Hous-
ton, who asked linn if he would desire his
marquc and luggage, and the attendance
of his ails and servants. Santa Anna
thanked him very politely, and said, 1T
would make him very happy, since they
were proncrcd by his caplor.'
Willie the order was being given, Almon-
tc manifested disposition to continue the
conversation with Houston. After remark
ing to the Texan General that fortune had
indeed favored him, lie asked why he had
not attacked the Mexicans the first dav the
| armies met. "Yon had reason to suppose
we should be reinforced. And yet if you
had riskcd battle that day you would
have had another story to tell, perhaps, for
our men were then ready to fight, and so
anxious for the battle to come on, that we
could hardly keep them in their ranks
Why did you wait till the next morning,
Gencral?"
"Wcll," replied Houston, 81 see T was
right. kne'o You expected should bring
on the battle that day, and were conscouent-
ly prepared for it. Now if l mast be qucs-
toned by an inferior officer in the presence
Of his General, will say that was the very
reason achy Ibid not fight and, besides,
| thought there was no use in having two
bites at one cherry" After some remark
Of Almontc, which irrtatel Houston, and
which, in the opinion of all who heard it,
i'll bcfitted the occasion, he said-"You have
come great way to give us great deal
of trouble, and you have made the sacrifice
Of the lives Of n great many brave men
necessary" "Oh," flippantly replied AL
monte, "what of six or eight hundred men!
And, from all accounts, only half dozen of
your brace men have fallen"
Houston replied, ave estimate the lives
of our men, perceive, somewhat higher
than You do" and he gave him look
which seemed to say, "taunt me again, and
you don't live IN hour" Almontc very po-
litely changed his tone. "You talk about
reinforcemcnts, sir" said Houston, raising
himself up, "it matters not how many rein
forcements you have, sir, you never can con-
qucr freemen." And taking from his pock-
ct an car Of dry corn which he had carried
for four days, only part of it being con-
sumed, he held it up and said, "Sir, do you
erer expect to conquer men who fight for
freedom, when their General, can march
four days with one ear of corn for his ra-
tions 7" ~
The exhibition of the ear of corn stirred
up all the enthusiasm of the Texan soldiers,
and they gathered around their General,
and asked him to allow them to divide the
corn. "We'll plant it," said they, sand call
it Houston corn" "Oh yes, my brave fel-
lows" said the General, smiling, "take it
along, if yon care anything about it, and
divide it among you; give each a kernel as
far as it will 60, and take it home to your
own fields, where hope you may long cul-
tivate the arts Of peace as nobly as you
have shown yourselves masters of the art of
war. You have achieved your independ-
encc; now see if you cannot make as good
farmers as you have proved yourselves gal.
liant soldiers. You may.not call it Houston
corn but call it San Jacinto corn, for then
it will remind you of you.own bravery" 1t
is also said that in one of his dispatches
that dag to the people Of the Sabine, tie
{ General said to those who had fled from their
homes, areturn and plantaoorn." The sol
diers distributed thier corn, and it now
waves over thousand green fields in Texas.
Santa Anna had become interested in the
conversation, and Almonte related to him
what had been said. Tho, Mexican General
.I,aa \ ~ -x,y1s.- Al