Little Falls transcript., 1879-07-24
JOHN DUVAL'S ESCAPE.

uuOrc uOIScS, ulOIC uICSSluy OOWuS.
JOHN DUVAL'S ESCAPE.
No event in the history Of our country
was attended with more thrilling incl
dents, OF more striking instances of per-
sonal heroism, than the Texan revolution
Of 1886. Yet few of these have been re
corded, or at least recorded in a manner
, to be much read.
Texas, while province Of Mexico,
had been mainly settled by cmigrants
from the United States. Outraged by
| bad government, the people rose and
proclaimed Texas a free republic Be-
tween five and six hundred volunteers,
under Col. Fannin, rallied in defense of
| this proclamation.
Against this little band came the cn-
tire strength of the Mexican army, in
those palmy days of Mexican glory when
Santa Anna was at the height of his
power. After number of hard fought
actions, the handful Of volunteers were
hemmed in at Victoria. Their stock OF
| powder and lead was exhausted, and
| they were forced to surrender as prison.
CTS Of war;
This occurred in March, 1886. The
volunteers were taken to Mission Goliad,
on the San Antonio river, and on the
! twenty seventh Of the month, expecting
to be released on parole, they We're talk
en- out of the mission, and without mo-
ment's warning shot in cold blood, by
Santa Annals own order, it is said
Of the four hundred and eighty or
ninety young men who filed out of the
mission gates on that fatal morning,
John Duval, then but youth in years,
was one of the few who, almost by mir
acle, escaped.
"Early Sunday morning." says Duval,
| ''four or five Mexican officers came INTO
the Mission yard where we were confined
and bade us get ready to march to Co.
pano, saying that we were to be liberated
on parole and sent home.
"We were formed in three divisions,
and marched out separately. The divls-
| ion into which I was drafted consisted
of about $50 men. We believed what
! had been told US, and had not the slight
est suspicion of danger.
GAS we filed out of the gates and past
the houses, noticed number of Mcxi-
can girls standing in groups of four or
five and looking at US in a plying way
| We had often danced with them at the
fandang0s, and as we marched past, we
nodded to them and called them by name.
From two or three I heard the low
words Po6recitos" Poor fcllows),
"44dios, po6recitoE Goodbye, poor fel-
low.
"But VIC were ali in pretty good spirits,
| and had not thought of the doom await
| ing u.s. When we had marched about
half a mile a malt was ordered, and the
column of Mexican infantry that was
guarding us on our right, countermarch-
ed and formed in line behind the column
! on our left.
"Evcn then l thought this movement
was merely for some change in the order
| of march; but a moment after some one
standing near me cried out:
"Boys, they arc going to shoot u.s.
"At the same instant heard the click
| ing OF their muskct-locks, and before we
| had time to stir we were fired upon.
"Most of them fell dead on the spot.
The man standing in front of me was
killed. When the ball struck him, he
lcapcd convulsivcly backward with great
force, knocking me to the ground.
| 81 lay tor a moment stunned. The
smoke of the deadly volley driftcd into
our faces, and partly hid us from those
who had fired
"Before had time to scramble up, the
two lines Of Mexican soldiers had rushed
over us in pursuit of those of our men
who were l1nhurt and who had fled.
! 'W c were near the upper ford Of the
San Antonio River. The stream was on
our right I,kncw that my only safety
lay IN getting across it, but the Mcxicans
were between me and the river.
II ran after them, however, unohscrvcd
in the smoke and confusion, and had got
within fifty Or sixty yards Of the bank
when one of them turned and saw me.
| Ills musket was empty, but he drew back
for a thrust with his bayonct, when an
other man ran blindly between us and re-
ccivcd the thrust.
"While the Mexican was withdrawing
| his bayonct. I ran on and went head
! long through their now scattered line.
Several of the soldiers shouted and fired
| at me. | heard the balls whizz by, but
none OF them touched me. Reaching the
! bank I lcaped into the river, which at
| that point ran dcefly and very swiftly,
| though not more than sixty yards wide.
The current set towards the opposite bank,
| and being good swimmer l soon reached
it.
GAS 1 swan, I could hear the Mcxicans
loading tlleir muskcts on the bank be-
hind me, shouting and ramming down
their bullets. The bank for Which | was
| swimming found was eight or ten feet
high, and nearly perpendicular, and when
1 reached it l could not touch bottom
with my feet.
''The current swept me along down the
bank, exposing me to the aim Of the sol
diers who were on the opposite shore.
The murdcrous wretches began to fire at
me, and no doubt enjoyed the sport The
balls struck all about ME, pit, pat, in the
water, as foated and swan along the
high bank tor a hundred yards or more,
and it is wonder I was not killed or
wounded.
''At length 1 came to a grapevine
which hung trailing in the water from ;.
tree that leaned over the bank. This I
caught, and drawing myself up, began to
climb it. had nearly reached the top
cf the bank when soldier who had fol-
lowed down on the opposite side fred his
escopeta "a kind of musket) at me, and
cut the vine off about six inches over nv
head!
"Back I went into the river with a
splash. ,, -. 49,, i.
At that they raised shout They
thought they had hit me, but was un-
hurt. had sense, however, to float and
let them think me dead, or mortally
wounded. The current took me down
eighty or hundred yards further, when
coming to shelving bank, scrambled
out OF the -somwhat to the surpries
OF my pursuers-and took to the woods"
Young Duvals object was now to reach
the American settlements on the other