CHAPTER XXXII.
IN WHICH THE TEXAN ARMY FALLS BACK.
As the excitement in Gonzales continued, and there was no telling whatwould happen next, Amos Radbury resolved to remain in the town for atleast several days.
"If I am needed I shall reenter the army," he said.
"Then I shall go with you," said Dan.
"But your side, my son----"
"My side is all right again. It was a mere scratch."
"I wish I could call my wound a scratch," put in Poke Stover. "Butinstead of getting better my shoulder seems to get wuss, hang theluck."
"I think it would be a good plan for you to go up to the ranch, andtake it easy," said Amos Radbury. "Pompey can wait on you, and at thesame time you can keep an eye on Ralph and the place. I do not like toleave my boy and the negro all alone."
"Then I'll go up to once," answered the frontiersman. "I'm no good atfighting in the saddle, but perhaps I can mind things about the ranch,as you say." And he departed up the Guadalupe before night. His goingwas a great relief to the planter, for he was afraid Ralph might getinto trouble if left to his own devices. And in this he was not farwrong, for when Stover reached the ranch he found that the youngestRadbury had just heard of the fall of the Alamo, and was going to rideoff in the direction of San Antonio, thinking to find his father andbrother there.
In the meantime, General Houston, having heard of the fall of theAlamo, at once sent word to Colonel Fannin to blow up thepowder-magazine at Goliad, and abandon the place. "You must hurry allyou can," added the commander-in-chief, "for the enemy is reported tobe advancing upon you." Fannin was to intrench at Victoria, on theGuadalupe, and await further orders.
Colonel Fannin was in command of between four hundred and five hundredmen, the majority of whom were volunteers from the United States,including the New Orleans Grays, the Georgias, the Alabama Red Rovers,and the Kentucky Mustangs. On receiving Houston's order he sent out oneof his captains to bring in the settlers and their families at Refugio.Before the settlers could be assisted, the Texans were attacked by anadvance guard of Mexican cavalry, and then Fannin sent out another bodyof men to help the first. There were several fierce skirmishes, and theTexans tried to get away, but in the end they were either shot down ortaken prisoners.
Having tried in vain to give succour to those sent to Refugio, ColonelFannin started, several days later, for Victoria, after dismantling hisfort and burying his cannon. Not a Mexican was in sight as the troop,numbering about three hundred, crossed the San Antonio River andmarched across the prairie, and coming to a fine bit of grazing groundthe colonel halted to give his horses a chance to feed and to rest.
"We ought not to halt here,--we ought to push on to the timber," saidone under-officer, and several others agreed with him, but the halt wasmade, and time lost that proved fatal to the entire expedition.
The soldiers had just resumed their march when some Mexican cavalrywere seen at a distance, in front. Hardly had they spread out beforethe Texans when a large force of Mexican infantry appeared to the rear.This was at two o'clock in the afternoon, and a little later the Texanswere entirely surrounded, and the Mexicans began a furious attack.
The Texans formed into something of a square, with the wagons in thecentre, and the artillery at the corners, and so withering was theirfire that the Mexicans were repulsed again and again, and retreated,leaving the prairie crimson with the blood of the dead and wounded.With the Mexicans were a number of Indians, but they quickly retreatedwhen their leaders were shot down by the Texan sharpshooters.
As night came on, Colonel Fannin called his men together, and askedthem if they wished to remain and fight it out, or try to escape to thetimber. "You can escape if you wish," he said, "for the Mexicans aredemoralised by the large numbers that they have lost."
"We can't leave the wounded to be butchered," was the reply. "We willstand by them to the end," and so they remained.
In the morning it was seen that the enemy had been reinforced, and onceagain the battle was renewed, the Mexicans opening with their howitzersloaded with grape and canister, and doing fearful damage. At last theTexans could stand it no longer, and sent out a flag of truce, althoughagainst Colonel Fannin's desire.
The flag was received, and it was arranged that the Texans shouldsurrender as prisoners of war, to be treated according to the usages ofcivilised nations. Their arms were then taken from them, and they weremarched back to Goliad, and placed in an old church in that town. Thewounded were also brought in, but only a few received medical aid.
It had been stipulated that the prisoners' lives be spared, yet whenthe capture of the Goliad garrison was reported to General Santa Annahe instantly sent word that all of the prisoners should be taken outand shot! The command was an infamous one, yet it was obeyed almost tothe letter, only a handful of the Texans escaping out of about threehundred. Small wonder was it that Santa Anna was often termed theMexican butcher.
Houston's arrival at Gonzales did something toward allaying theexcitement, and in a short time he gathered together some three hundredmen. But as report after report came in of the advance of Santa Annawith a large force, he felt that it would be useless to give battle,and began to fall back toward the Colorado River, hoping there to bejoined by Fannin and others. He took with him most of the inhabitantsof Gonzales, and the town was left behind in flames.
With the army went Amos Radbury and Dan, both well mounted and wellarmed. The first stop was at Peach Creek, fifteen miles distant; andhere, on the day following, over a hundred additional volunteers joinedHouston's command. From Peach Creek the little army moved to NevadaCreek, and here Houston delayed his march in order that some of his menmight bring in a blind widow, who had been left at her home somedistance back with her six children. When the Colorado was gained, thearmy went into camp at Burnham's Crossing, and then across the river atBeason's Crossing.
Here the general received news of the surrender of Fannin's force,brought by a settler from Goliad. This was a great blow to Houston, andhe felt that he must fall back still farther, and wait forreinforcements from other sources before risking a battle with thepowerful Mexican general who was bent upon crushing him. He began tofall back to the Brazos River.
The retreat toward the Brazos caused much murmuring. "Houston is acoward,--he won't fight the greasers," said some, but others whounderstood their commander more thoroughly said nothing and did asordered. Once an under-officer tried to start an open rebellion, butHouston threatened to "lick him out of his boots," if he didn't mindhis own business. Then he made a little speech, and told the men thathe would soon give them all the fighting they wanted, and "on the topside," as he expressed it. Many of the volunteers were of lawlesscharacter, and it needed just such a man as the dashing and daring, yetcautious, Houston to keep them in check and make them do their bestwhen the proper moment arrived.
"What do you make of this, father?" asked Dan of his parent, when theretreat toward the Brazos was ordered.
"I don't know what to make of it," answered Amos Radbury. "I supposeGeneral Houston knows what he is doing."
"But see how the settlers are leaving their homes. There is a regularpanic among them."
"That is true, Dan. I wish I knew how Ralph and Stover are faring athome."
"Can we get back to them?"
"Hardly now, for we would most likely have to pass right through SantaAnna's lines. I do not believe it will be long before we have a bigfight."
"Do you believe it is true that Colonel Fannin has been defeated?"
"It may be so, for, judging by what took place at the Alamo, Santa Annamust have a large army concentrating here."
It was raining at the time; indeed, it rained now nearly every day, andthe march was anything but a pleasant one. Often the wagons and cannongot stuck, and the men had to put their shoulders to the wheels to helpthings along. Volunteers came and went, and so did the settlers, andsometimes the commander could not calculate how many men he had to relyupon in case of
emergency. Yet on struggled the body until, on March28th, the army reached San Felipe. From here they went up the Brazosand encamped near Groce's Ferry.
In the meantime, Santa Anna's army was pressing forward, but in severaldifferent ways. The Mexican general had thought that the slaughter atthe Alamo and the massacre at Goliad would make the Texans submitwithout further difficulty. He had yet to learn that it was indeedliberty or death with these stern people, who were so soon to risktheir all in one final contest.
One portion of the Mexican army, having gained the Colorado, crossed inrafts, while another portion moved upon San Felipe; and then a portionof the concentrated forces went to Fort Bend. From here Santa Annapushed on, through the rain and mud, to Harrisburg, hoping to surprisethe town; but, when he arrived, the place was practically abandoned.
He wished most of all to capture the heads of the government the Texanshad set up, and, learning they were off for Galveston Island, he setout on the march for New Washington, which is located just north ofGalveston Bay.
Houston, hearing that Santa Anna had at last crossed the Brazos, beganto march south to meet him. The Texans encamped at Buffalo Bayou,opposite to what was left of the smoking ruins of Harrisburg. Everysoldier was now more than eager to fight.
"Very well; fight you shall," said General Houston.
"We will! We will!" shouted the soldiers.
Then Houston continued: "Some of us may be killed, and some must bekilled. But, boys, remember the Alamo!"
"Yes, we will remember the Alamo!" came back in a deep chorus. "Downwith every Mexican in the State of Texas!"
Buffalo Bayou was crossed with great difficulty, on rafts and byswimming, and the soaked and weary army took its way to Lynch's Ferry,where the Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River join. Here were foundsome rafts belonging to the Mexicans, piled high with army stores, andthese were confiscated. Falling back to a shelter of live-oaks, GeneralHouston planted his cannon, and then prepared to fight the enemy onsight.