The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-04-25
from Tuesdays Daily Heraldl
SAN JACINTO DAY.

ago tO-uuy. Ou tie uuy VI WIG p"'u
the entire Anglo-Saxon population o
Texas west of the Trinity river hat
been driven east of that stream, TO
security against the victorious column
OF the Mexican army, under the presi
dent, General Santa Anna. No Amer
cans remained west of the Trinity
save and except the now immorta
band, then under the chieftainship o
General Sam Houston, and few de
! tached parties seeking to join him.
| Having assumed command of the
little army at Gonzales, and before he
had time to properly organize the
forces, General Houston learned def.
nitely, OH the night of the 18th OF
March, at Gonzales, that the Alamo
and every one of its defenders had
fallen, and that Santa Anna, with all
overwhelming force, was moving east
in two columns-one directly by Con-
zales, the other by Goliad and Victoria.
The news was brought by Mrs. Dickin-
son and the negro servant of Colonel
Travis, who, with her infant, :.werc the
only inmates of the Alamo spared.
They had been allowed to leave, with
a single Mexican as protector.
General Houston at once retreated
to and crossed the Colorado, where q
short stay was made, in which Gem
eral Sienna, commanding alarge Mex
lean division, appeared on the west
bank. General Houston, after some
skirmishing, retreated aud crossed the
Brazos, sending east for reinforcements.
After some time spent on the east side
of the Brazos, few miles above where
Hampstead now is, he broke up camp
and moved southeast towards Buffalo
bayou. 5tia
In the meantime, Santa Anna had
reached the Brazos at Fort Bend (now
Richmond), and leaving General
Filisola ON the west side, he crossed
over with a portion of his army and
moved easterly in search of Houston.
The opposing forces first came in view
of each other on the Goth of April, ON
the now memorable plains of San Ja-
cinto. Each at once took position and
besp preparations for action, In the
afte gnoon heavy cavalry fight occur
red In full view of both armies, in
which the reckless daring of Colonel
Mirabeau b. Lamar, then q recent
emigrant from Georgia, won such adj
mirati0n that, in the decisive battle
next day, he was called to command
the cavalry. On this occasion, too, the
late lalnented Colonel Sidney Sher-
man, a native of Massachusetts, butan
adopted son of Kentucky, first won the
laurels which ever after encircled his
brow. The championship of this first
contest abided with the-hungry, ragged
and illy-armed Texans. But forty-fve
days before the Alamo had fallen and
only twenty-fourdays had elapsedsince
Fannin and his command had been
brutally massa cred>at Goliad. Hous-
toms men, to a large extent, knew that
their families wereexiles in the swamps
of southeast Texas, and that defeat
meant irretrievable ruin to them and
the beautiful country they had re-
claimed from a savage wilderness.
They were wrought up to the highest
pitch:of desperation and preferred death
to defeat. IB
During the night Of the goth, Santa
Anna was reinforced by hia hFother:
in-law, General Co.'S. with five hundred
men,
The decisive day arrived, and its
hours rolled slowly along till two
o'clock in the afternoon arrived. Each
party, in close proximity, stood in bat.
tie array, the Texans impatiently
awaiting the word to advance. Many,
in their zeal, had doubted General
Houston's intention to fight on that
field, but in due time he delivered them
o soul stirring address, announcing
that the only bridge offering means
of retreat had been destroyed, and
therefore, it was victory or destruction
At the word, like bloodhounds, thu
little band advanced in the open plain
falling to the ground at the fash o
each Mexican battery Ito dodge tb'
leaden stormy, then rushing forwart
with the wild cries of 'Remember tn
Alamo,p till within fifteen minute
they occupied the feeble hreastwork'
of the enemy and had killed 8
many that Santa Annals chosen ia
vorites were in wild confusion
I and retreat, Half of his commant
were killed on the ground, and IN tn
pursuit that day and the next all of tn
remainder were captured, sixteel
hundred in all. Santa Anna was car
tured next day, some miles away, an
carried into camp by James A. Sylves
J ter, a young printer, native Of Balt'
more, but last from Cincinnati (whos
} headlight, GAO acres, adjoins the land
/ of the city of Dallas on the upper side
Two others, Joel w. Robinson aud al
} other, were present at the capture
Santa Anna, but Sylvester, the printt
boy, alone carried him to Gener'
3 Houston, both riding the same hors
but he had. no idea who.his prison'
was till arriving at Houston's ten
r Santa Anna addressed him in Spanisl
. when General II. said to his interprete
, Moses Austin Bryan: "What does /
, sayT' -'.'
4 "He says-I am Antonio Lopez
e Santa Anna, president Of the Mexics
: republic, general-in-chief of its armi
; and surrenderto the brave who a
ALWAYS eenerous-p
General ls--,strn -c~i'.sing on n
} let aud suffering severe pain from q
? wound in his ankle, received 10 q