Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-02

straight across the page, | have the
memorandum book which he used now
Three months after his incarceration, by
order of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
president of Mexico. who had arrived in
the city and assumed management of the
government, Austin was removed from
the ex-inqulsition to the prison Acordada
and allowed to see his friends and write.
a letter was received by nv stepfather
from Austin while in this prison, giving
the facts concerning his arrest. During
his Imprisonment in the inquisition Padre
Muldoon, who had been the Roman Cath i.
Ollie priest here in 81 '32 aud '33 and
baptized and married those who had en-
tered into bond to marry when a priest
should come, got permission to visit my
uncle, and got the jailer to permit him
to take uncle to large slab of marble
in the court of the inquisition, where he
enjoyed for half an hour the bright sun
light for the first time in three months.
My uncle told me that on that slab of
marble where he sat hundreds of people
had been slaughtered at the Mexican auto
da fe. He remained in the Acordada
about six months. Then Mexican friends
offered TO go on his bond for $500 900 if
the government would release him and
give him the privilege of the city limits.
The government consented, and he came
out Of prison. The latter part of July
congress passed a general amnesty law
under which my uncle was furnished
passport TO return to Texas. On his ar
rival at Vera Cruz the general in COM
mand there refused to let him embark
for New Orleans, and he had to write to
Santa Anna for permission to do SO. He
arrived at the mouth OF the BraZos, from
New Orleans, about the 30th Of August,
1885. He came up to Peach Point, nine
miles from the mouth of the Brazos,
where his sister, my mother, lived. The
news of his arrival, after an absence Of
over two years (from April, 1888 to
August, 1880, spread over the country,
and arrangements were made for him to
deliver an address to the colonists at Bra
zoria on the 6th of September. Hun
dreds Of his old friends and colouists
came there to meet him. In his address
he advised them to be united and to call
a consultation. This address is an i'm
portant document, for it shaped the
course and fixed the opinion of the peo-
pie of Texas. He then went up to San
Felipe de Austin, where he was made
chairman of the central committee of
safety, with Gail Borden and myself as
secretaries.
About October Z, 1885, an express ar
rived from Gonzales, where the colonlsts
were collecting, urging s. F. Austin to
go at once TO Gonzales, as they wanted
to make him commander-in-c chief of the
army of the people. The new council
of one from each committee of
safety was formed ty recommendation
of Austin. He and l left for Gonzales,
and arrived there on the night of Octo-
Der 10. On the 18th my uncle was unan-
mously elected Commander-in-ch of
the Army of the People by some five
hundred of the colonists who had COL
lected to drive the Mexican military
from San Antonio.
The cause of the assembling of troops
in Gonzales was that Col. Urgertechea,
then in command at San Antonio, (Gen.
Cos not having arrived) sent some one
hundred and fifty cavalry under Gen.
Gonzales, to take possession of the can
non. The citizens had previously refused
to surrender it, and went out to the Col
Orado and BraZos for colonists to assist in
defending it. Col. John H. Moore was
commander of the colonists On Octo-
Der an engagement occurred and the
MeXicans were whipped back to San An
tonic. This has been called the LeXing-
acted as private secretary to nv uncle.
l have now the sword he wore when in
command of the army. The army took
up the line OF march from Gonzales to
San Antonio on the 18th Of October, and
arrived at the Salado river, five miles
from San Antonio, about October I6.
On the 18th or 10Th ErastLs Smith, after
wards generally known in the army as
Deaf Smith, who had been on Little
river killing buffalo for their hides, ar
rived III company with his brother-in-
law, Arnold, and informed the general
that he wanted permission to go into the
town of San Antonio, where his family
was, and that he didn't want to take
part in the war because his wife was
Mexican. Gen. Austin gave him per-
mission to visit the Mexican picket guard,
which was about mile from camp, to
inquire if he would be permitted to enter
the city. Smith went to the officers of
the Mexican picket guard, who informed
him that he would have to consult Gen.
Cos, and that if he (Smith) would come
back next morning ne could hear the re-
suit. The next morning Smith returned,
and, while talking to the officer of the
picket guards, Mexican cavalry rushed
out on each side of Smith. Seeing at
once that their object was to capture
him, Smith threw down his gun and put
spurs and quirt to his horse to make his
Ny brother, VIM. ]. Bryan, and |
John W. Hassell being on the picket |
guard of our army, and seeing Smith |
running toward them ran out to meet |
him, and when the MeXicans got near
enough fired on them and caused them |
to retreat. Smith then went into the |
GENERALS tent. The general was lying |
1own, being in bad health, the result of |
MS long Mexican Imprisonment. Smith |
sat down by the general Il was presently |
and said: 81 told you yesterday 1 did |
not want to take any part in this war be- |
tween the MexIcans and colonists, as my |
wife was Mexican, but since they have |
acted so treacherously and tried to cap |
lure me, 1 now offer you my services. l |
ian be of service to you as a guide or spy, |
IS l know this whole country, having |
hunted over it for about twelve years. - |
Zen. Austin accepted his services cheer |
July. About October 81 the army |
marched from the camp on the Salado to |
he Mission de Espada, part of the way |
through woods and part of the way over /
lrairies without roads. The army was .