250
THE AUSTIN PAPERS
being applied to for orders to give him a different reception, and. on my refusing to grant it, a strong, but by no means general excitement arose, and opposition to good order was immediately developed. Part of this opposition was made within the fortress-but it or:ginated withou.t; and from this quarter, an attempt was made to carry the purpose of the dis- contented into effect. These occurrences trnnspired evening before last. One of my men refused when on parade, (and had engaged others to follow his example,) to bring his gun to a shoulder when the order was given, steped out of the ranks and commenced a harangue to the Company. I in- stantly ordered him under guard. Immediately after he was marched off, another of· the disaffected, (one of those who followed Irwin in the late movement which resulted in the loss of a valuable young officer,) came from the house of Western, (the abode of the disaffected,) to the door of the room where his associate had just been confined, threatened to release him, and drew a pistol on the guard. I met the mutiny by detailing 15 men, under command of Leuit. Bordon, to proceed to the house of Western, where the self styled liberator of the man under guard had fled for protection, (and where too the physical force of th~ friends of the mutiners was then concentrated,) with orders to take the fugitive and put him under guard This order was executed by Leuit. Bordon with a promptness, firmness, and coolness, which does both him and the men under his command, the highest honour. The occupants of the house refused to surrender the fugitive, or to open the doors for the entrance of Bordon; and a threat that the "first man _who entered should be killed", was distinctly heard without. The order was then given to force the door. Whilst carrying this into effect, the door was opened and the mutiner surrendered. During the absence of Luiet. Bordon from the fortress, and whilst he was before the house of Western, Adjutant Westover was ordered to rein- force Bordon with a detachment of 10 men. He refused to obey this order in presence of the CompY·, when I informed him that I considered him no longer an officer. He retired. Dur:ng these proceedings, the com-- pany under my command behaved in a manner highly creditable, both to themselves and the service- All, excepting Westover, were ready to main- tain .order, and obey the command of their officers. The proceedings, of which the foregoing is but a brief outline, viewed in connection with the Character, influence and known exertions of several individuals, to encourage insubordination, diffuse discontent, and excite a spirit of opposition, both in and out of the fort, imposed on this com- mandancy the har.d necessity of placing the Town and environs of Goliad, under martial law-This measure has accordingly been adopted, and a copy of the order is herewith enclosed.
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