rAPERS OF +\[mABEAU Buo AP.A.RTE LAMAR.
133
camp at a riflle- hot distance from us. Abou.t dusk my light horsemen went out to reconnoitre in the surrounding country, as was their daily custom. Immediately the enemy fell back. My horsemen then re- turned to the fort, as it was now dark. l\fy spies went out at once and in about half an hour the one stationed on the bank of the river re- ported that the schooner was approaching under full sail. At the same time the one on the seaside informed me that he had heard a noise like enemy infantry. I immediately ordered the cannon to be fired on the schooner which, in spite of the darkness of the night, could be distinguished by its sails. The schooner answered the firing at once. I likewise ordered Lieutenant Juan 1\foret to go do\vn to the moat with twenty men to sustain a fire if the enemy should approach, while the remaining forces should fire from within the fort. In fact, at our fir t cannon hots the enemy's crew, barricaded by the drift which covers the beach and stationed about fifty feet away, opened fire. Uy soldiers answered with the greatest boldness; but as I real- ized that their fire was incompatible with their strength, I guarded all the entrances with my few men who numbered ixty-four infantrymen and nine artillerymen. On account of the continuous firing of the enemy's cannon and our own, and likewise because of the firing of the carbines and muskets one could not hear a sound, in spite of the fact that there were listening sentinels at all of the approache . The enemy, protected by tl1e darkne . , built parapets seventeen feet from the fort and.made ditches in the ~and, and after covning their front with the sand, one of my sentinel noticed at dawn that a large body of people were silently approachinl?. hut he was unable to tell what it was they were carryina-. I opened fire on thi road at once, and the ~choonei· was moored in the river immediatelv at a distance of two hundred feet from the fort. The fort answer~d the schooner's firing, directing its main force toward the enemy behind the parapets. who mu t have numbered more than one hundred and fifty men. • t:y brave men sustained a continual bombardment. The enemy cried from the trenches: ''Long live Santa Anna!'' and my soldiers answered: ''Long live the republic, the constitution. and the laws! Long live the su- preme government l" I comma11ded them to play reveille. Cheers were raised as the action was at its greatest height, and I can assure your Excellency that it was one of the harde t-fought battlPs. ftv soldiers had the greater enthusiasm, and there wa no longer the least cessation. As the enemy had £our cannon, their fire was very intense. Also their schooner was barricaded wHh "bale of cott9n; but my cannon did not cease to answer theirs· furthermore as I had foreseen how the marksmen managed their carbine and muskets I had the cannon tied, so that the artillerymen would to some de~ee be covered. At one side of the fort I had a small £our [fortyV] ounce can11on which happily wa located in front of the enemy's parapet. Dnring the entire night I had only two men wounded and several bruised, hut as soon as day began to dawn, my oldiers, as well a the enemy, could ilirect tl1eir fire better. At thi time I sent an order to Lieutenant · :Moret. who was in the moat, to come into the fort. I lifterl the bridge and directed all my force against the trench. In spite of their great numbP.rs the enemy, upon seeing that only a handful of men were
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