Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-09

TO take the responsibility Tor my coun-
try's sake.' My own opinion
is that If Burleson had demanded the
surrender it would have been made, for
the Mexicans were utterly demoralIzed.
On the fourth day after the battle Deaf
Smith captured Gen. Cos and others, and
brought them into camp. About the
last of the mont we marched toward
the Brazos river, following in the rear of
Filisola' g army. It had been begged on
the middle Bernard. Gen. Rusk, who
was then in command, waited for them
to continue their march out of Texas. 1t
was a very wet spring and the roads
were almost impossible for In vehicles.
After several days. march our army
overlook Filisola's army, n We
reached Goliad June /. There we saw
the ashes and charred bones and flesh of
Col. Fannin and his men, who had been
massaored and their bodies burned in
four different places. The barbarity of
the massacre of Col. Fsnnin n men in
violation of the treaty entered into by
the Mexicans with Col. Fannin, by
which Col. Fannin and men were to be
treated as prisoners of war, made the
whole world friends Of the Texans.
This inhuman act was published all over
the world. In gathering the ashes and
40 ASCh L OAA ASAAh ~ q
piece as big as my fist and wondering if
it was a bone. 1 took out my knife
and picked into it and found it to be
flesh and supposed it was some mans
heart. Gen Rusk summoned all OF
the army to see the lnterment of Fannin
and his men. The general made an ad-
dress before the pit which was dug for
their reception, but before finishing he
became SO affected, having known q
number of the victims, he could not fin
ish. Many brave men shed tears on that
occasion. A day after the burial
Gen. Andrade, who was left in
San Antonio, Inc h was on his
march to join Filisola, wrote to Gen.
Rusk from his lamp on the San Antonio
river, six miles above. for permission to
pass through to Goliad to overtake Fills
ola. Gen. Rusk wrote to Andrade and
told him thaa it would not be safe for
him to come through Goliad as the Tex
ans were so incensed at their having just
attended the burial of Col. Fannin and
his men. He sent Maj. Wells with the
letter, together with several others. l
accompanied him as Spanish interpreter.
l had heen acting as Spanish interpreter
to Col. Rusk by his special request. l
went with Maj. Wells to the Spanish en-
campment, five or six miles above Co
lad. When We made our appearance
and the officer of the guard asked what
we wanted, l told hin Maj. Wells had a
letter for the general in answer to his
letter. The officer of the guard went to
see the general and on his return SAID the
one who spoke Spanish could go In and
see the general. Major Wells commended
that he was the man to give the letter,
but when the general refused
the second time he said to me:
'Austin, you take this letter and give 1t
to him. Wien the officer introduced
me to Gen. Audrade and I handed him
the letter he asked me to translate 1t to
him which 1 did. Gen. Andrade had to
cut a road so they could cross the San An
tonic river to intercept the road between
Goliad and San Patricio. About the 9Th
of June Gen. Rusk left Goliad and went
to Victoria. While we were in camp at
Victoria a Mexican came with a letter
from Col. Teel and Capt. Karnes. The
Mexican was brought up to Gen. RuSk s
tent and the general told me to see what
he wanted and he said he had a letter
given him in Matamoros to be given to
Gen. Rusk. The Mexican said he had
been employed to bring the letter 10 Gen.
Rusk. Gen. Rusk came out Of hi stent,
and the Mexican said the letter was in
his quirt handle and he handed the quirt
to me, and | passed it to Gen. Rusk.
Gen. Rusk took out his knife n split
the cane handle of the Quirt and took
out a letter, which was from Col. Teel
and Capt. Karnes. Teel and Karnes had
been sent as commissioners and had been
arrested and imprisoned. The letter in
formed Gen. Rusk that there were about
4 1000 soldiers in Matamo-os who would
T1oroh 70 inuoaa Tovos nn6op Con TTrrao
and who were disposed to take no notice
of the treaty entered into by Santa Anna
and the Texas government. This Mex
lean told me he had all of his clothes
taken off of him there times and ex-
amined, and only succeeded in bringing
the letter in his quirt. l nave always
thought Capt. Reuben NJ. Patton got the
Mexican to bring the letter and that it
was his idea to put it in the quirt. l
made a copy of the letter for Gen. Rusk
and he sent the original to President
Burnett, who was at Velasco. The pres
ident issued a proclamation calling on all
who were able to bear arms to join the
army, as we were about to be invaded.
The friends of Santa Anna, who was our
prisoner, got up a revolution in Mexico,
which perverted Gen. Urea from invad-
ing Texas. In August l left the army
anu went nome. III september LnSr6
was an election for president and vice.
president of the republic of Texas. The
first congress of the republic met at
Columbia October 2, 1886. Sen. Sam
Houston was elected president and he
appointed my uncle, Stephen F. Austin
secretary of state and my uncle made
me his private secretary. Houston was
inaugurated 22d of October, 1886. Some
time in November Santa Anna was
brought to Columbia with Col. Almonte,
aide to Santa Anna and Nunez' private
secretary. An effort was made to kill
Santa Anna while In his room by shoot
ing, and it came near killing Almonte.
The Texans were so bitter against Santa
Anna that he was moved to DR.. Phelps
house, twelve miles above Columbia,
where he was guarded by Capt. WIN. a.
Patton and q few men. December u
Gen. Austin wrote a letter and 1 carried
and delivered it, informing him pat
toni that he and Coils. Bee and Hockey
would meet him (Capt. Patton) on the
east side of the Brazos bottom opposite
DR.. Phelps and that they (Bee, Hook
ley and Patton) would nave to carry
Santa Anna to Washington, D. C. They
had to avoid the roads as much as pos