Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-08
TEXAS RIFLEMEN.

unerring marksrnen, and were accustomed 70
handling the rife from boyhood up
When Gen. Cos, who was captured at san
Jacinto. was asked, when prisoner at TAI
weston, how he came TO surrender fortress
with 200 regular troops at San Antonio TO
less than 800 American civilians, without
d;sf;nl,ne and almost without officers, he re-
piled:
why. sir, what could dor We could
not even show finger but it was shot oil.
Nv men could not stand it any longer. They
would have as soon fought the devil himself
had to surrender
But Of all the fights that ever ! was in,
give me the battle of Conception. or, as 1t
was better known at the time, the battle OF
the Horseshoe 1t seems now TO be quite
forgotten at home, and was never known
abroad. The capture of the Alamo made 30
much noise a. to completely swamp the glory
of my pet scrilnrnage,
The truth about the battle Is this: Burlison,
with so men, had taken post on the San
Antoine river some distance below the town,
and there he lay waiting for re-enforcements
before he should attack place that, de-
Tended bv as many Americans as it had
Mexicans, would have been impregnable
1t was deemed advisable to advance nearer
upon the tpHu anu dttoiuhcAy
were called for to reconnoiter the country
about the enemy's position, and TO search for
a safe and convenient spot for the army to
advance and encamp upon.
Ninety-two men stepped forward, and l
among them. We were ordered to proceed
up the river until within six or seven miles
of San Antoine, 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 of we started, every man
upon his own hook, for although We had
those among US who afterwards distinguished
themselves as officers, yet with tho exception
OF an old Indian lighting general no one
assumed any particular command We had
special orders TO avoid any collision with the
enemy, and to retreat upon tho least sylnp
tom Of danger As the men, however, were
fairly ''froze for G,ht," there was little
chance Of their orders being obeyed, il fort
| une should send the Maxicalis our way.
Net finding any within the prescribed dis
| lance We determined 10 advance nearer upon
| the town, and pushed on until we found, near
| the old Mission Conception, and thrce miles
below Bexar. Us lovely camp ground Us
| ever fell to the lot Of weary soldi.rs- A bend
| III the river, known as the 'Hursahoe," had
upon Its shore a piece OF bottom i1-ld, eboyc
form perfect breastwork, and although the
latter was not more than four feet higher
than the bottom, yet. Us ~ curved ground on
either side until it r.1et the river, @ bet.er
position for infantry could hardly becolocisod
| Of Wood and water oa he spot, tle river
| for our rear detcnse, and the prairie wal Tor
our front, no wonder LAT We .Cvc cllcer
when we found III, a.4i TO wol-.r, elther,
that we determined not TO return TO the E,all
badly but 10 end back TWO messengers. ed
| for ourselves to camp for the night and await
| BGr!ison's arrival.
All notion o. lCttiug paescd sway, End We
| fouLGhly imagined ta1t or present. ttrc-io1
was unknown - lie ete,uy. We we-e sboct
as wis, Is the Sly bid Tat h-ie, her bead
in the bush, ccl th:--s he.ss p:rterly safe
| until "a fire in tt, rear" colv4ncps her loo
late Of Ler e.ror We led not been q CTR
new c1clp r4ore t..cn - hour before MelcGn
women be.yal to cog -, with their Gl,crcnt
ARTICLES for 1.ie. \, b,agh 1T Of their wares,
and they Immediately otter ixving camp
went up to Lar and reported our exact
number found ctu3r ,scrt tlet they gave
our force Lilrs.y -,wo, %aish 1t was at
the time, although two ulel wefe sert back
| to Buriaon.
Night drew on. yIe made OR Gre. cooked
merry. Guard v..s oet, end one by enc tss
rest departed Tor the and CT Nod Although
camped on bottom" slept Ike a top.
Towards morning my reigL1or-l almost
said bed fellow for our LlanEet5 eiIuost
touched-srasped my leg gently aud woke
ME up.
"Histl" he scii. ii low voice.
What is it, inquired l, In Lsh asiee2
and thoroughly cross tore.
Hush. for your ife!" he replied. u .
whisper listen. do y5l hear euythingf'
Like Bot ON / YVES al eG-5 in a moment.
Above the noise mace b. tho rushing 1etcgs
at our feet, heard uouIuful end diunal
sound, as Ike tho low moan OF Q dog as any
thing could compare it to.
"Ps1aw!" said |. ..it's nothing but wolf
or Q hound"
Yes" replied my companion. who va, 70
other than the noted Col. Bowie. Yes, you
are right here ere wolves about but that
sound you hear is the creak Of artillery
| wheels"
Let us alarm our rlen instantly eaid
No such thing he answered; keep still:
those rascals are upon the opposite eide Of tho
river, and they expect to surpriae Us. Let
them think So II possible. until they mako
the attack That wheel has seved Us. You
do not hear it again. and you will not, for il
they have no means Of quietin; it, they'll
send back for grease. I'll bet that those
wheels arc bound round with straw or rags,
and that the horses feet ere covered with
cloth or buclsl;in to prevent Gny sound from
reaching US. Unless something goes wrong
with them when they ford the stream. you
will hear nothing further until the artillery
speaks"
1t was q very fortunate thing FOR Us that
they were oblig TO cross nc iore than 30
Yards below tt. camp, for had tLeF cone
down on the prairie side We would probably
not have heard them. as we would have been
to the windward
Bowie went cautiously about the camp, end
arousing few old scouts to help liii. soon
had every man III camp awake and prepared
without the least noise being maze in tho pre-
mature reveile.
We spread ourselves entirely around cur
small p eca of bottom land, facing tae prairie,
knowing that thence must come tie attack.
Presently we heard the enemy cross the river.
lind our senses not been sharpcred to the ut
most by a knowlc ledge Of impending and i'm
uineat danger, we probably could not lave
distinguished the slight Hni-' attending their
crossing from thc rushing sweep of the river;
but 50 preternati.TalT acute did our hearing
become that the low toned words Of com
mand could he distinctly separated from the
other surrounding sounds, There was just
air enough to convey the slightest noise to Us
without their heing sufficient to disturb even
leaf
At last they were all over, and then slowly
and carefully did they march round to take
post on our front, preparatory to their in
tended attack. We could hear them range
! themselves bat q thick mist was rising from
the river, and everything was by CHS time
concealed from our eyes. We could even
bear them unlimber the cannon, and were
very sure that they we're in reach Of our
rifles What weary moments were those, as
VIC lay silent as the grave, expecting every
instant to hear the roar and feel the hurting
storm Of their artillery. But the fog had
Disconnected them, and although it was but
little past when we were first alarmed the
rudy t,it impaired to the dense mass Of
vapor now told us plainly that the sun Wa
| rising.
Never can forget that weary watching,
| but its prolonged anxiety was as nothing to
the dreadful feeling Of suspense We expe-
rienced when the fog commenced lifting and
we could sc the feet Of the horses and the
lower part Of the wheels of the artillery At
this moment word was whispered cautiously
| through the ranks for each man to pick out
| his mark, and to fiFe from n rest at the word
| OF command Higher ard higher the fog drew
up Il was evident that the decisive moment