Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-02
ERoM lie LONE sTAR sTATE.
Early HIstory Of Tsxas-Ihs schesasf
SabIas-The Texas Rangers
Sahta Auna.
A Chapter for ~IHtsHslsH lmmlgrants-The
nostoFs aad Lawysrs-eosd-hys.

to Judge OWN Wduef duu y kAhuu-
script containing sketches OF his life
and Of the early history Of Texas.
He emigrated from Virginia to
Texas while the latter was a depend
ence OF Mexico, and held under the
Mexican authorities, the position Of
AIcaIds OF the p~rincipality, compre-
bending what Is now BrazoriR, MRta-
gorda, Wharton and Fort Bend
counties,
THE SCHOONER SABINE,
3 small vessel, owned by him and
acting under his orders, committed
the first overt act against the Next
can gOvernment-put the ball In mo-
ton, which resulted in the Texas rev.
oIution and in the Texas republic.
This schooner, Captain Brown conn
mander, carried cotton and passen-
gers from Gulf Prairie and other points
along the BrazOs river to New Or
leans and Havana. At Velasco, the
Mexicans guarded the mouth OF
the BRACES by a well-constructed
fort, ~garrisoned by two hun
bred men, and the commander OF
this port ordered the Sabine to pro-
cure clearance papers from Captain
Bradburn, the Mexican officer COM
handing at Anahnac-a point wholly
Inaccessible by water. The Sabine's
captain reporting this state of thinga
70 Waller. he, after consultation with
a friend, determined to I'll the block
ade Of the Mexican batteries. SO
crowding the passengers below, and
getting everything in readiness, Wal
= - A--I I1o.1I a{.o1Ika-n
ously, the two cables, fore and aft, by
which the vessel was secured, anu,
shooting forward under full pressure
of canvas, she succeeded in passing
the fort triumphantiy-in spite OF q
spirited fire from its guns, causing a
/ slight damage to her rigging.
Captain Fuller, in command Of an
/ other vessel similarly circumstanced,
seeing the success Of the Sabine, CON-
cIuded to make a similar attempt. He
had ike success, but was, unluckily,
wounded, and in the evaporation OF
the moment called for a gun, but
Spencer Jack, uncle OF the present
Colonel Jack (Ballinger and Jack), OF
Galveston, ~snstching the gun out Of
hand,
- @LA
and wounded the first Mexican SOL
der Of the war. The Mexicans, en-
ragedat this saucy act of the Sabine,
threw Waller and his friend into
prison. This friend-also q relative
was enc of the ablest men, in the
forum as well as the field, that Texas
ever produced, and was Colonel w.
n. Wharton, father Of the lamented
Major. General John A. Wharton,
who, for a man SO young, left such a
brilliant record in the war of the Lost
Cause. He will be remembered by
every one In Tennessee as the daring
commander Of the Eighth Texas
THE TEXAS RANGERS
and later as the dashing msjor-gen.
eraI of cavalry, who figured under
Wheeler in the army Of the West.
Coming back to his native State in ali
the pride of his Justly earned laurels,
he was, most unfortunately, shot
dead In q personal reneounter in the
streets Of Houston, just before the
close of the war, by one Of his brigade
commanders, Colonel George w.
Baylor, also as brave q soldier and
gallant a gentleman as ever drew
sword in the cause Of the South.
Wharton and Waller, managing TO
escape from prison, Were prominent
instigatOrs and actors in the stOrming
and capture of Velasce. This occurred
during the rule Of Iturbide; but Santa
Anna, suDpianting him soon after
wards change Of rulers being no un-
common occurrence in Mexico-senta
Spanish armament of
THREE SHIPS OF WAR
to retake the place. The Texans not
being then prepared to resist SO for
midable q force, Colonel Wharton, by
q shreWd stroke of diplomacy, ac-
eompiished the same end. BY feting
the officers in command, and by rep
resenting that the capture Of Velasco
merely a party movement to.
harsss Iturbide, and thereby benefit
Santa Anna, he prevailed upon them
to return without firing a single gun.
Santa Anna and his ministers were
not so easily deceived, however, but
Immediately instituted measures to
reduce the Texans to subsection. To
counteract these measures the Texans
called a council at San Felipe de Aus.
tin In November, 1885, In which
Wharton, Waller and others were for
open war, and, strange as it may APP
pear, Sam Houston was opposed, IA
Cancellation and compromise,
and intimating In a speech that, pos
their constituents might hold
in9readfness at home t'grapevinesv
with which to reward their zeal. But
war was declared, their constituents
did not hang them, San Jscinto was
SANTA ANNA CAPTURED,
and their independence gained, az Is
well known tel the world.
Speaking Of San Jacinto suggests an
anecdote that I have often heard told
by the OLD Texans. It seems that
General Houston, in order to avoid q
murderOus FIRE from the Mexican bat
ordered his men, suddenly, to
fall upon their faces. A gigantic Tex
an, about seven feet high and as brave
as Julius Cesar, being too deaf to COM
prehend the order, and, after q terrific
fire from the enemy's guns, seeing all
Of his comrades lying PROSTATE, con
that the whole Of Houston's
army was killed except himself, and
the wiseEt thing for him to do
was to take to his heels. This bril-
liant piece OF strategy he executed
most expeditiously, and 1t caused
him to have to whip, after the war, |
1t least g score Of his comrades before
hey could be convinced that q bare
to It Inust of necessity end in
/ fight. A noble sOn of this Texas
was a eomrade Of my own;
md, after passing unframed through
/ dozen hard-fOught fields, he finally
ell in the
CORY FIELD OF FRANKLIN,
most calamity for the cause
" the sunny South.
In 1889, when the government was
st Houston, Judge Waller was
intrusted with q large sum of money
General Thomas JEFF Green, brother
II Major Nat. Green,noH Of Memphis,
,eing one Of his bondsmen) and sent,
With two hundred laborers, into q
infested by hostile Indians
site of the present State capital
10 locate, lay OF and build up
be beautiful city Of Austin. Work
az by day with their arms at their
ides, and sleeping on them at night,
nd yet occasionally having one Of
heir number |
KILLED IfY THE INDIANS,
hey built, out Of hewed logs, the cap
tol, land-oface and other public build
1gs, procuring out Of the native logs, /
v the aid OF whip-saws, the boards
ecessary for the doors, floors and
7indoW-shutbefs. y /,
The Judge laughed heartily while
was reading from mis- manuscript
account Of 81 very Amusing pugi-
site encounter between him and
Governor Albert @. Hortin In refer
nee to the appointment Of first post
laster-generaL. The august president
nd senators of the republic, catching
glimpse ofthe fun from the Indians, Il
- o--o<&F,~k%C~ ~ rnnunank fhoir /