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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
would be sunshine again. It was, however, his last embrace. He left her in tears; and he never returned to wipe them away. On the arrival of General Long at Copano, he was met by a party of Cochattee Indians who were recently from La Bahia and was then on the coast in quest of game and fish. This tribe of Indians had always been friendly to the North-Americans, and had battled by their side most heroically in the wars of 1812 and 1813. They reported to Genl. Long that the garrison at La Bahia was still adher- ing to the Royal cause and that Garcia, the Spanish commandant, might not be disposed to give him a friendly reception. '['hey stated also that his coming was well known to the Spanirds, and that it would be dangerous for him to proceed to La Bahia with so small a force. The true state of the Revolution in the Interior of JHexico, was never, at any period, distinctly and fully understood at Boliva,r Point. The intercourse between the United States and :Mexico was very irregular-tidings had to take this route- and they were not only tardy in reaching Texas, but the accounts received were almost always inaccurate and exagerated; so that General Long's informa- tion respecting the war, amounted to very little more than vague and indefinite reports that the Insurgents were marching from victory to victory and that their cause could not fail of ultimate success. His knowledge of the proceedings in the Northern Provinces, where Ara- dondo commanded, was still more limited and unsa,tisfactory. Even from San Antonio, it was impossible to obtain any reliable intelli- gence, so vigilant were the Spanish authorities in preventing all communication between that place and Fort Bolivar. Of the changes which had occurred in that qua,rter, he was almost entirely ignorant, except so far as he was able to infer them from the general progress of the Revolution. According to his own statement iri a letter to the Governor, he had only been casually informed that San Antonio had declared for Independence. Such was the extent of his information when he sailed from the Port of Las Casas.- The intimation, there- fore, which he received upon his la,nding at Copano, of the probable hostility of Garcia, was well calculated _to awaken his apprehensions, or at least, to put him on his guard and make him a little ca,utious ·and calculating in his movements.- He now began to reflect upon a circumstance which he had hitherto overlooked- that if the Governor had, indeed, eschewed the Royal cause and had proclaimed in favor of the nation in good faith and with honest intention, he should have communicated the fact to General Long, in order that t1iey might cooperate in the common cause and avoid any misunderstanding a,nd collision between them.- This, however, he never did. It ·was a highly important and imperative duty; and from its non-performance, it was very reasonable to infer that his Excellency was either insii-i- cere in his new professions, or that he was a-ctuated by personal hos- tility to General Long. In either event, it was necessary that the latter should be vigilant and circumspect.- It behooved him to look to his own safety. Between our hero and the Governor, there was no further cause of quarrel.- Although antagonistic at tb.e commenc- ment of the contest, they were now rallying under the same Banner;
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