Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1885-02-20
THE TEXAS RiFLEMEy.
Texa, s,f,,usv.

lump say " a. iuk i CAao iuSSR~Ae
ence, there was no battle or fight IN
which the Mexicans did not suffer
losses in killed and wounded out of all
proportion to those which they infiict-
ed. Some writers have intimated
that the Texans exaggerated the losses
of the Mexicans, but in this they are
mistaken. The great losses sustained
by the Mexlcans are capable of very
simple explanation. The Texans were
men. for the most part, from the south
ern and western states. They were
unerring marksmen. They were ac-
customed to handling the rifle from
boyhood up. Men who rarely missed
shooting off the head Of squirrel, or
a wild turkey, were not apt to miss
when they fired at Mexlcans.
On the other hand, the Mexicans
knew nothing about tie rifle. They
we're armed with bell-mothed bluder.
buses. called escopetas, which bore
wide of the mark. even at a short dis
tance. When they came into conflict
with the Americans they did not fare
any better than did the British vetcr-
ans at New Orleans or more recently
in the Transvaal. This explains why
some of them did not run.
When Gen. Cos, who was captured
at San facinto, was asked, when a
prisoner, at Galveston, how he came
to surrender fortress with $500 reg
ular troops at SanAntonio TO less than
900 American civilians, without discip-
line, and almost without officers. he
replied:
"Why, sir. what could l do? We
could not even show finger but i
was shot off. My men could not stand
1t any longer. They would have as
soon fought the devil himself. l had
to surrender"
Some of the old inhabitants OF San
Antonio still remember the pile OF
skulls IN the Mexican campo santo.
west of the San Pedro creek. They
were the skulls of the Mexican soldiers
who tell in the fight on the Salado with
Capt. Caldwell's men. Almost every
skull was perforated with a rife ball.
The following graphic description of
one of the many battles that were
fought around San Antonio, will con-
vey an idea of what terrible weapon
the rifle was in the hands of the men
who made the names of San Jacinto
and the Alamo immortal
"But of all the fights that ever |
was in, give me the battle on Concep-
ton, or, as it was better known at the
time, the battle Of the Horshoe' l
seems now to be quite forgotten at
home, and was never known of
abroad. The capture of the Alamo
made so much noise as to completely
swamp the glory of my pet scrim-
mage.
The truth about the battle is this
Burlison, with 500 men, had taken
post on the San Antoine river, some
distance below the town, and there he
lay waiting for reinforcements before
he should attack place that, defend
ed by as many Americans as it had
Meaicans, would have been impreg-
nable.
ut was deemed advisable to ad-
vance nearer upon the town, and ac-
cordlngly volunteers were called for to
reconnoitre the country about the ene-
my's position, and to search for safe
and convenient spot for the army to
advance and encamp upon.
"Ninety-two men stepped forward,
and among them. We were ordered
to proceed up the river until within six
or seven miles of San Aptone, and
after selecting proper spot, to return
before night. The army was to march
and take up their new position on the
next day. So off We started, every
man upon his own hook, for although
we had those amon.. us who afterwards
distinguished themselves as officers,
yet with the exception of an old Indian
fighting general, no one assumed any
particular command. We had special
orders to avoid any collision with the
enemy, and to retreat upon the least
symptom of danger. As the men,
however, were faf!y 'iroze for a fight,
there was little chance of their orders
being obeyed, If torture should send
the Nit xicans our way.
"Not finding any within the pre-
scribed distance, We determined to ad-
vance nearer upon the town, and push
on until we found, near the old Mis-
sion Conception, and three miles from
Bexar, as lovely a camp-ground as
ever fell to the lot of weary soldiers.
A bend in the river, know as the Horse
Shoe, had upon its shore a piece of
bottom land, above which the prairie
rose like line of wall, so as to form a
perfect breastwork, and although the
latter was no more than four feet high.
er than the 'tottom,' vet, as it curved
around on either side until it met the
river, a better position could hardly be
conceived of. Wood and water on the
spot, the river for our rear defense,
and the pralrle wall for our front, no
wonder that We gave a cheer when
we found it, and no wonder, either.
that we determined not TO return to the
main body, but to send back two
messengers, and for ourselves to camp
for the nigkt and await Burllson's arri-
val.
Gan no,;on or n,,,od