The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-05-05


ton whom he leaves to mourn his untimely
end.
An ympostor ON Texas History.
o the Editor Of the Herald.
In the Philadelphia Times, one of the
oldest, fairest and purest Of American jour
nails. whose editor, Colonel A. K. Mcclure,
though republican, has won strong hold
on southern confidence by his independence
of and opposition to rings and all the vile
modern corruptions in our politics, and his
fairness in matters pertaining to our section,
has been publishing series ofcontribution'
on the history of our revolution in 1866.
They purport to have been written by one j.
q. Greene I have only seen one of the
articles in the weekly Times, of April 9th,
and on the 18th, not then knowing IL was
one of several articles, addressed polite and
courteous letter to that paper,
with private note to Colonel
Mcclure, showing the utter falsity of
Greene's statements, with abundant evidence
that he was either lunatic or an imposter,
writing for the wages of sin. The Times has
failed to publish the brief article. and hence
it 10 desire to show up the falsity of Greene's
pretended narrative in the HERALD.
He says that in the retreat of our army
before Santa Anna in 1886, he belonged to q
body of five or six hundred men commanded
by Dr.. Bennett, Featherstone, Cobler, Har-
rington, Gray, Hoard and Tally; that they
we're encamped on the east bank of the
Brazos. opposite hamlet in which were
twenty-five barrels Of whisky, and to which,
on certain afternoon four hundred
Mexican lawyers were approach
river and drugged the whisky just before the
thew found the whisky, drank freely, for a
time becoming hilarious, but finally stupid
and silent, whereupon this imaginary bard of
Greene's creation, leaned over in the dark
and killed nearly all of them. The truth is
that no such men as the seven named be-
longed to the army in 1886; no such com.
mand existed; no such occurrence trsnspired;
and there was not three gallon keg of whisky
in hundred miles of the assumed locality.
He says the battle of San Jacinto was
fought in the night, and lasted three hours,
that Houston's army was between five and
six thousand strong, that he (Greene) was
terribly wounded by lance, and after the
battle occupied tent adjoining that of
General Houston, who was in drunken
sumber when, in the dead hour of night,
Santa Anna was brought in, when General
Felix Houston, a cousin of General Sam,
rushed 10, exclaiming: "Wake up, Sam,
here is Santa Anna" This is the statement
of Greene, the Texas historian, in the Phila-
delphia Times Elsewhere he says that in
the battle Cobler commanded on the south,
Harrington on the north and Houston in the
centre. If thou and approved Noun
chausen's were boiled down into an extract,
the compound would not equal the gifts of
this man Greene in that line of intellectual
depravity
General Houston's force, instead of being
between 5000 and 5000, was precisely 1888;
the line of battle was not formed mort
and south; no such men as Cobler
and Harrington had any command; the bat
tie was not fought in the light, but at three
o'clock in the afternoon it did not; low time
three hours, but by Gen. Houston's official
report within eighteen minutes every Next
can not killed was fleeing for his life. Santa
Anna was not brought in during the night,
but at noontide next day. Ger. Felix Hous-
ton did not say "Wake up Ssr"," for the very
proficient reason that tho " was no such
man there. Gen. Folk aston, the only
approximate name, bu no wise akin to
Gen. Sam, and really o. different name, had
not then arrived in Texas, had never been in
it, but WAS enroute from Mississippi with a
band of volunteers. No Texas soldier was
wounded las Greene says he was) by
Mexican lance: no j. 81. Greene was
wounded in any manner, and the
official roll of the soldiers
now before me, shows that no such man as
j. Ii. Greene was in the battle. General
Houston was not in drunken stupor, nor in
tent. He was lying under tree, tentless,
suffering excruciating pain nom ball
which broke into fragments the bones OF his
ankle joint.
raHce of the geography of the country, and
of itself is sufficient TO show that he vas
not only not in the battle, but that be never
section.
1t Is a matter of surprise that such pa
per as the Times could be so imposed upon
10 regard TO an event Of such momentus in-
terest 10 the whole American people-sn
event that established the independence of
Texas, followed by its annexation 10 the
United States, the war with Mexico, the
organization of New Mexico, Arizo a,
Cal fornia, Nevsds, Utah and q part of
Colorado, the grand results Of all which
partly led 10 the war between the ststes, and
were not unfeli in the chain of causes which
hurled Napoleon Ill from the throne of
France. Our school children are better
info med on hundreds of minor events 10
the north from the days of Miles Slandish,
CaDonicus. King Philip and Uncas, down 10
the burning Of The Caroline in the Nisgara,
in 1887.
Fortunately, there il no seciionalism in
this mstter, and the truth should be, and
doubtless is, az keanly appreciated in the
north ss in Texss Every northern state. it
is believed, was represented At San Jscinto,
and gallant young son Of Pennsylys1is
gave bis life 10 our cause on that brilliant,
bloody and victorious field.
Respectfully,
JOHS Henry BRowN.
P.S.-Wm Colonel Mcclure, for whom
The reading public Of Terss has % much
respect, publish this brief erpositioni
J.HB.