Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-06-18
The TEXAS RIFLEMEN.

THE TEXAS RIFLEMEN.
During the war for Texas independ>
eDee, there was no battle or fight in
which the Mexicans did not suffer losses
in killed and wounded out of all proper
tion to those which they inflicted. Some
writers have intimated that the Texans
exaggerated the losses of the Mexicans,
but in this they are mistakes. The
great losses sustained by the Mexicans
are capable of very simple explanation.
Texans were men. for the most part,
from the Southern and Western States.
They were unerring marksmen. They
were accustomed to handling the rifle
from boyhood up. Men who rarely
missed shooting off the head of squir-
rel, or wild turkey. were not apt to
miss when they fred at Mexicans.
On the other hand, the Mexicans knew
nothing about the rifle. They were arm>
ed with bell-mounted blunderbusses,
called escopetas. which bore wide of the
mark, even at short distance. When
they came into conflict with the Ameri-
cans they did not fare any better than
did the British veterans at New Or
leans, or more recently in the Transvaal
This explains why some of the Mexicans
ran, and also why some of them did not
run.
When Gen. Cos, who was captured at
San Jacinto, was asked, when a PRISON.
er, at Galveston, how be came to surren-
der a fortress with $500 regular troops
at San Antonio, TO less than $50 Amsri+
can civilians, without discipline, and al
most without officers, he replied:
why, sir, what could do? We could
not even show finger but it was shot
off. They would have as soon fought
the devil himself. 1 had to surrender"
Some of the old inhabitants of San
Antonio still remember the pile Of skulls
in the Mexicon campo ssnto, west of the
San Pedro creek. They were the skulls
of Mexican soldiers who fell in the fight
on the the .Salado with Capt. Csldwell's
men. Almost every skull was perferaT
ted with a rifle ball.
The following graphic description of
one of the many battles that were fought
around San Antonio, will convey an idea
of what a terrible weapon the rifle was
in the hands of the men who made the
names of San Jscinto and the Alamo
immortal.
"But of all the fights that ever was
in, give me the battle of Conception, or.
as it was better known Ut the time, the
hattie of the Horseshoe 1t seems now
to be quite forgotten at home, and was
never known abroad. The capture of
the Alamo made so much noise as to
completely swarm the glory of my pet
sorimmage.
"The truth about the battle is this:
Burlison. with 800 men, had taken post
on the San Antoine river, some distance
below the town, and there he lay wait
ing for reinfOrcements before he should
attack place that, defended by as many
Americans as it had Mexicans, would
have been impregnable.
at was deemed advisable to advance
nearer upon the town, and accordingly
volunteers were called for to reconnOitre
the country about the enemy's position,
and to search for safe and convenient
spot for the army to advance and en-
camp upon.
"Ninety-two men stepped forward, and
1 among them. We were ordered to
proceed up the river until within six or
seven miles OF San Antoine, and after Sc
leetidg 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
among US who afterward distinguished
themselves as officers. yet with the ex>
ception of an old Indian fighting gener>
al, no one assumed any particular com
mand. We had special orders to avoid
any collision with the enemy, and to re-
treat upon the least symptom Of danger.
As the men. however. were fairly 'froze
for fight there was little chance of
their orders being obeyed, If fortune
should send the Mexiesns our way.
Not finding any within the prescribed
distance, we determined to advance
nearer upon the town, and pushed on
until we found, near the old Missios
Conception, and three miles from Bexsr,
as lovely camp ground as ever fell to
the lot of weary soldiers. A bend In
the river, known as the Horseshoe. had
upon its shore piece of bottom hand,
upon which the prairie rose like line of
wall, so as to form perfect breastwOrk,
and although the latter was no more
than four feet higher than the bottom,
yet, as it curved around on either side