San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-11-13
An Historic Gun, Used In Battle by
Three Republics.

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An Historic Gun, Used In Battle b
Three Republics.
Having seen in print in the dali
Picayune of the LIST inst, headed a
above an article from the st. Loui
Republican, brought back to m,
memory the hard trials I passe,
through in youth. I was higl
private in Capt. Lewis artillery com
pany, Santa Fe expedition, and tn
gun spoken of, "Lone STAR" a bras
six-pounder, was the gun that be
longed to our company, the only gun
and was the prettiest cannon I eve
saw. 1t was cast, as the writer said
in Springfield, Mass, and was present
ed by the ladies Of the city of Hous
ton to the Santa Fe exedition, which
left Austin, Texas, June 10th. 1S41
numbering 800 men, rank and file
under the command of Brevet
Brigadier-G General Hugh Mcleod
and Colonel VIM. G.. Cook. The
expedition was composed of five com
panies, commanded by the following
captains, to-wit: Captains Lewis
Strain, Caldwell, alias "Old Point,
Houghton and Sutton. The intent
of the expedition was to take posses
sion of Santa Fe, claimed by the late
republic of Texas, but unfortunately
we failed to accomplish our under.
taking through the treachery OF
Captain Lewis, who actually sold us
to Gov. Armijo, as we understood
for $4,000. The "Lone Star" was
not surrendered at Anton Chicot,
but at Laguna Colorado, about sixty
miles south of Santa Fe, about the
LIST of September, 1S41. Our provis-
ions gave out and we had nothing to
eat, only poor old horse occasionally:
The Indians having driven off the
buffalo, antelope and deer, we could
kill no game, and the officers in com
mand held a consultation and came
to the conclusion to send ahead to
Santa Fe one hundred volunteers,
from the command of Col. w. G..
Cook. Major Tom Howard, Geo. w.
Kendall and Frank Combs, son of
Gen. Leslie Combs, as also Captain
Lewis, accompanied the advance-for
the purpose of procuring provisions
and finding out how the Mexicans
stood in relation to us, and return.
We waited three weeks or more for
the return of Col. Cook and men, and
not hearing of them or their fate,
Gen. Mcleod came to the conclusion
of taking up march and going on to
Santa Fe. Two or three days after
Gen. Mcleod resumed the march we
struck camp at lake which was rec
objected by one of our guides as
Laguna Colorado, the first time since
we had left Austin that we knew
where we were. Here we camped,
and sometime during the night we
found out from the "Sentinalla Alerta"
IF the Mexican sentinels that a body
,f them were near us, and on the
following morning the first we saw
was Gov. Armijo, Col. Delmasia and
Capt. Salezar, accompanied by Capt.
Lewis, who met our officers, and after
/ short conversation, through the
influence of Capt. Lewis, the Judas,
3en. Mcleod surrendered his COM
nand as prisoners of war. We were
hen told that Col. w. G. Cooks
had surrendered as prison
,rs of war at Anton Chicot. None
If them did we ever get to see until
We arrived at the City of Mexico. We
we're after wards placed in charge of
Jol. Dalmasia, and in conseq uence Of
lis cruelty to us while under his
,harge we dubbed him "Hell Smash
r." Whenever one of us would sit
lown for a mement TO rest, he was
Ture to be shot, and "Hell Smssher"
would have his ears cut off and strung,
or the purpose, he said, OF showing
hat none of the Texans had escaped
lim. What we suffered from hunger
nd fatigue after we were captured by
he Mexicans is really hard to believe.
small ear Of corn was q luxury. and
foot or two of lariat, a rawhide rope,
Vas considered a dainty bit We
amped one night at Santa Cruz de
sosales, and early next morning we
aw q Mexican senOrita, who appeared
o be encieute, and who from time 10
ime would make an attempt TO get
lto our lines as we marched along
be road with q line Of infantry and
ragoons on each SIDE Of the road
Whenever the maiden would attempt
D get into our lines some heartless
le1ican wretch would hit her with
Is svord-but Their treatment 10 Der
ID not make her swerve from heT
for she followed us a.
s4st three miles. and finally E1oceed-
q IN getting into cur ranks when
hen she united belt OF tgO and
-as delivered of 81 le4st one basbel
tortiIlas Which ws sei1sd upon and
ts- and were co1si3ersd b. 1s ts q
reat treat Tbe uaidsu rstirsd and
u down upon q rock sser1i1Ziy PER
xiv sstieSsd tnd our hoys Eboltsi
rsesas to kz fOr r1ors tsza tvo