Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-25
THE TEXAS RIFLEMEN.
Texas SiftinSAl


During the war for Texas Independence,
there was no battle or fight in which tho
Mexicans did not suffer losses In killed and
which they inflicted Some writers have
intimatsd hat the Texans exaggerated the
losses of the Mexicans, but in this they are
mistaken. The great losses sustained by
the Mexicans are capable Of very simple
explanation The Texans were men, for the
most part, from the southern and western
states. They were unerring ma ksmen
They were accustomed to handling the rife
from boyhood up. Men who rarely missed
shooting off the head Of a squirrel, or q wild
tur key. were not apt to mis- when they fired
at MexicanS
On the other hand, the Mexicans knew
nothing about tho rifle They wee armed
with bell ll-mouthed blunderbussss, called
escopetas which bore wide of the mark,
even at short distance When they came
into conflict with the Americans they did not
fare any better than did the British veterans
at New Orleans, 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 Co.'S who was captured at San
was ush6l, Wueu q pTlSOneE, al
Galveston, how he came to surrender .
fortress with $500 regular troops at San
Antonio to less than 500 American ci ''ians,
without discipline, and almost without
officers, he replied:
"Why, sir, what could I dol We could
not even show a finger but it was shot of
My men could not stand it any longer.
They would have as soon fought tho devil
himself. l had to surrender"
Some Of the old inhabitants Of San An
tonic 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 fell in the fight on the Salado
with Capt Caldwelfs men. Almost every
skull was perforated with rifle ball
The following graphic description Of one
of the many battles that were fought around
San Antonio, will convey an idea Of what
terrible weapon the rife was in the hands OF
the men who made the names Of San ia,
cinto and the Alamo immortal
"But of all the fights that ever I was In,
give me the battle on Conception, or, as il
was better known at the time, tho battle OF
the Horseshoe 1t seems now to be quite
forgotten at home, and was never known OF
abroad. The capture of the Alamo made sc
much noise as to completely swamp tn,
glory of my pet scrlmmage.
The truth about the battle is this: Bur
lison, with so men. had taken post on the
San Antoine river, some distance below th.
town and there he lay waiting for reinforce
ments before he should attack place that
defended by as many Americans as it had
Mexcaus, would have been impregnable.
Al was deemed advisable to advance
nearer upon the town, and accordingly vol
unteers were called for to reconnoitre the
country about the enemy's position, and tt
search for a 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 rive until within six or seven miles
OF San Antoine, and after selecting proper
spot to return before night The army wa.
to march and take up their new position OF
the next day. So of we started, every mai
upon his own hook, for although we had
those among US who afterwards distinguished
themselves as officers, yet with the exception
of an ol Indian fighting general. no one as
sumed any particular command. W had
special orders to avoid any collision with
the enemy, and to retreat upon the least
symptom Of danger. As the men, however,
were fairly froze for a fight there was
little chance of their orders being obsyed, If
fortune should send the Mexicans our way.
Not finding any within the prescribed
distance, We determined to advance nearer
upon the town, and pushed on until "
found, near the old Mission Conception, and
three miles from Bexar. as lovely . camp
ground as ever fell to the lot Of wory sol